Breathe

"You know that our breathing is the inhaling and exhaling of air. The organ that serves for this is the lungs that lie around the heart, so that the air passing through them thereby envelopes the heart. Thus, breathing is a natural way to the heart. And so, having collected your mind within you, lead it into the channel of breathing, through which air reaches the heart, and together with this inhaled air, allow your mind to descend into the heart and remain there." ~ Nicephorus the Solitary

A very good evening everyone. :) It’s a beautiful day today. I thought about the above quote a few minutes after I completed my morning meditation. I've been practicing Vipassana for two years now, and like most meditation techniques, this school of meditation too focuses on concentrating on one's breath.

The breath - breathe in, breath out. As we close our eyes, and help our mind focus on our breath, we become aware of the length of breath, its continuity, its simplicity. As we become more aware of our own breath, we become more aware of our very being. Meditation requires discipline and it's natural if our mind wanders sometimes. If it does, rein it in and start concentrating on your breath all over again.

Most people believe that meditation equals mind control, but, meditation is really about mind-discipline. It's about helping our mind co-operate with our heart. In effect, it's about our heart and mind living together. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if our hearts and minds made decisions together? Think of how beautiful life will be, for us, and everyone we meet.

Our physical life lies in each breath we take. It is this very breath, this silent friend who has the key to our spiritual well-being too. Why the breath, you may wonder? When we focus and concentrate on our breath, we introduce ourselves to our own mortality at a level that’s deeper than this physical one. By following our breath, getting to know its duration, we meet our inner selves. We’re more aware of our body sensations. This awareness leads to acceptance, acceptance leads to belief that this too shall pass… after all everything in this physical world is transitionary, acceptance leads to a fulfilled life, a fulfilled life will take us back to our peaceful mind, and there’s our complete circle.


Buddha's last words to his followers were: "Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in this world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation."

Regular practice helps us get to know our spirits and in effect we have a better understanding of life, all its happenings, and reasons for certain things happening etc. But above all this, there is a great sense of peace and acceptance; peace at knowing our souls and acceptance, that this is how things are meant to be. It may be good, it may be bad, but, whatever it is, it too shall pass. And when it does, we will find that acceptance is now easy, because this too shall pass.

As I write this, I am aware of my breath, I know that my physical life depends on me breathing, in and out. Life on Earth is a purpose all of us have to fulfill, a destiny we need to complete and rightfully it depends on our breath; our breathing to live and us observing that very breath to help our mind and heart function cohesively.

With every breath, let’s promise the Almighty, the universe and ourselves that we will respect and value our priceless breaths, get to know our true selves through them and honour our physical lives… because it is this physical life that helps us fulfill our spiritual purpose.

In the silence of our hearts, we hear ourselves breathe; the very breath who holds the key to who all of us truly are.

Have a fabulously blessed evening everyone. J