June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Linda DeGraf

Greetings, dear friends! When pollen bursts forth into the air, it is the asthma sufferers who know to count each breath a blessing. Most of us take breathing for granted; yet that rhythmic exchange means life. If we allow the gentle ebb and flow to seep back into our consciousness, it can become an awakening to the inner self, a nudge toward soul work. The Latin word spiritus, meaning "breath of life," is the root of the word spirituality. Just as breathing in and out connects us with the world around us, so too does it connect us with the source of our being and draw us toward the life within. May the giver of that sustaining light breathe new life in each of us.

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Breath deeply!

Nan Merrill | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Breathe deeply amidst the beauties of nature;
absorb vibrations unsullied by
pollution and cosmopolitan ways...
As you breathe in silence,
your ear attunes to Spirit.
You will understand the eagle.
Breathe deeply! Breathe life!

~ from LUMEN CHRISTI...HOLY WISDOM by Nan Merrill

God is dynamically present in every breath

Marilyn Chandler McEntyre | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

God is dynamically present in every breath and heartbeat. In each breath we draw, the Spirit gives life. Learning to reclaim the deep, nourishing breaths of infancy is part of basic training not only in health and movement classes, but in prayer and meditation practices around the world. The deep, full breathing required to sing may well have similar importance in praying well: nothing reminds us more literally than inbreathing and outbreathing that we continually receive life and must continually release what we have received in order to receive again.

~ Marilyn Chandler McEntyre in Weavings Jan/Feb, '03.

What breathes in us likely means us well

Kimberly Snow | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Regards to the day, the great long day
That can't be hoarded, good or ill.
What breathes in us likely means us well.
We rise up from an earthly root
To seek the blossom of the heart.
What breathes in us likely means us well.
We are a voice impelled to tell
Where the joining of sound and silence is.
We are the tides and their witnesses.
What breathes in us likely means us well.

~ from WHAT BREATHES IN US by Kimberly Snow

Inhaling the breath of life

H. H. Sai Maa | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

The first thing we did when we incarnated was inhale the breath of life. Enlightenment is that gap between inhale and exhale where we become so aware. Be where you have nothing to do…in the inner silence that takes us into deep inner wisdom. When we focus deep within, we allow our inner power to come forth — the great wisdom we carry at our depths and the knowledge of what is our own unique contribution to humanity. Then, being mindful of our breath takes us into the outer world with more awareness.

~ H. H. Sai Maa in GRANDMOTHERS COUNCIL THE WORLD

Breath animates the clay of our being

Ami Ronnberg and Kathleen Martin | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Breath animates the clay of our being. It is the lusty cry of the newborn, and the essence of wind, spirit, muse, sound...Everything "breathes." Think of the woods on a spring day, the sussuration of leaves, the rippling grasses, the trembling of dappled light.

~ from THE BOOK OF SYMBOLS, Ami Ronnberg & Kathleen Martin, eds

All is contained in the Divine Breath

Ibn al-Arabi | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

All is contained in the Divine Breath
Like the day in the morning's dawn.

~ Ibn al-Arabi

Every breath is a sacrament

David Suzuki | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Every breath is a sacrament, an affirmation of our connection with all other living things, a renewal of our link with our ancestors and a contribution to generations yet to come. Our breath is a part of life's breath, the ocean of air that envelopes the earth.

~ David Suzuki in THE SACRED BALANCE: REDISCOVERING OUR PLACE IN NATURE

Conscious breathing

David La Chapelle | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Breath is crucial for life. Physical respiration goes on as a largely unconscious process as the body exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide to power the activities of every cell in our bodies. Deliberate deep breathing will ensure that we take in enough oxygen and can calm feelings of breathlessness or fear. Conscious breathing used as part of a spiritual practice focuses the mind's attention and helps relieve stress on our bodies.

~ from NAVIGATING THE TIDES OF CHANGE by David La Chapelle

What is meditation

Reb Shlomo Carlebach | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Meditation is when it is clear to you that God is closer to you than your own breath.

~ Reb Shlomo Carlebach

Every breath we draw is a gift

Thomas Merton | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Every breath we draw is a gift…every moment of existence is a grace.

~ Thomas Merton

The breath inside

Kabir | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

I am the Breath inside the breath.

~ Kabir

To be awake inside your breathing

Hildegard of Bingen | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

O Beloved,
your way of knowing is amazing!
The way you recognize every creature
even before it appears.
The way you gaze into the face
of every human being
and see all your works gazing back at you.
O what a miracle
to be awake inside your breathing.

~ from SYMPHONIA by Hildegard of Bingen

Sow in me your living breath

Kadya Molodowsky | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Sow in me your living breath,
As you sow a seed in the earth.

~ Kadya Molodowsky

On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing

Arundhati Roy | June 2014 (Vol. XXVII, No. 6)

Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.
On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.

~ Arundhati Roy