Our western concept that body and soul are separate is belied by our words. The breath we have with us all the time, is thoroughly ‘spiritual’. breath and breezes are natural things that are spiritual too.
many words that have come into our language mean both breath and wind. a breath of wind. spirit is one. working with body and breathing is spiritual. connecting natural and spiritual and sacred. we started out thinking about nature being sacred. here is a link. our breath is sacred. our life.
Spiro means to breathe in Latin. Spiritual, inspire, aspire, perspire, come from this. ‘spiritus’, means breath or breeze. A breeze moving through our body, or through space.
so many expressions – in spirits, the spirit of adventure, a spirited dance, nature spirits, sprite, high spirits, spirits as in alcohol, are all from a word for breathing and wind.
many other words for breezes and winds have also come to mean mind, soul. ‘anima’ is a breeze. Animals are breathing creatures. Anima also means soul in Latin. Breath is what animates us.
‘psyche’ means breeze in Greek. Psychology, psychic – all just wind.
Even the word soul comes, through Saxon language roots, [from German] – Aeolus – god of winds
the sanskrit word is prana, the Tibetan Lung, meaning winds, air. Sanskrit atman means soul. German Atmen breathe I think. Atmosphere – atmen, atman
breath is more than just breezes that go in and out of our lungs. Breath and breeze also refer to the finer energies that ride on the breath. Breath seems to flow through our entire body, not only the lungs; our mind state is reflected in every breath. The energy movements that ripple and flow in and around the body have come to be named with the same word as the breath they ride on. Breezes and winds within the body feel much like the breezes outside.
soul here and spirit is pointing to the natural me – I’m not implying a self-existing ego. This is about our presence in our living body.
BREATHSPIRIT meditation
tune into your breath, moving in and out of your body – as you follow the breath in and out, stay in each moment with it – drop into each moment as the breath goes in and out – there are many moments in – many moments out – many moments in – many moments out
notice how when you’re in the moment it connects you with yourself – feel the breath moving through your whole body like waves of energy – you’re breathing the breath of life – breezes are blowing in and out of you – breezes are flowing through your whole body
the breath is always moving – you can’t freeze when blowing with the breezes of the breath – each moment is different from the last, because it’s moving – and your body is moving as breath goes in and out
feel the spirit riding on the breath – feel the winds of the breath animating you – we are animals – what does your psyche feel like – the whole consciousness of the body – as soon as we stop breathing, we stop being alive very quickly
are you inspired – do you feel spirited – what are your spirits like – what does your soul feel like – the wind god Aeolus had a bag full of winds – perhaps we are the bag, our lungs and our body are the bag full of winds – winds the soul is riding on
feel what so many languages have built into their words – feel how empowering it is, to feel that unity of spirit and breath – like the whole psychic force of our being is one force – this is me breathing – this is me, my spirit my soul – a different way of experiencing me – not in my brain with thoughts – with my spirit breath – and it’s me – it’s a sort of me empowerment – a different kind of me – natural me – we’re not disembodied spirits – spirit rides on our breath – we live in our body
does this help you to feel your whole being not separate from your body?
January 09