Breath of Life

Our Breath is the only friend that will stay with us till our last moment on Earth.

Breathing is an automatic function of thebody.We take our Breath for granted unless &until there is a reason to remember her. This may be in times of acute trauma, sickness, anxiety, panic attacks, accidents etc.

We are reminded & helped to breathe easy whenever we experience trauma. Women are taught special ways of breathing when delivering a child.

Even though breathing is the most important function of the body, it is the least thought about.

There are many gentle ways when Breath makes herself felt.

In Meditationwe are a silent witness to her.

There are joyful occasions too, like when we catch our breath in sheer awe and wonder of nature.We breathe in ecstasy when we make love.

We forget to breathe(metaphorically) when we are pleasantly surprised!

We are conscious of our breath when we run or participate in sports.

We breathe differently underwater when we swim and feel the relief of breathing easily when we emerge from water. Our breath can race or be as gentle as the summer breeze on a leaf.

We are very conscious of our breath at high altitudes and need to acclimatize for a few days in such an environment. In an airplane we are made aware of the air regulations and are instructed how to breathe inemergencies!

Our breath quickens with our heart beat when we are excited or is dull and lethargic when we are depressed & down.

We are breathing every moment and as you know most of the times it isunconscious! When we are in deep sleep, our faithful companion Breath is still doing her job, unceasingly.

Just imagine whatwonders can be achieved when we breathe consciously? Many have achieved great understanding,enlightenment and success by just understanding and practicing breathing with awareness. Even as we read this article our attention is gradually being drawn to our breath.

By now some of us have started watching our breaths! Are we breathing from our abdomen, or from our chest or from our clavicles? Is our breathing gentle andrhythmic, or is it fast and quick. Does our breath easily enter and leave our body or is it heavy, labored and heaving?

My friends these simple observations can open many portals of understanding and insights for us.

Our breath is the vehicle that carries the life force or ‘prana’ to our body.

You may be surprised to know, that while it is our mind that carries the intention to our cells, ourbreath carries the power to awaken, nudge, shift or galvanize our cells into action.

Breath is the ‘Shakti’ to The ‘Shiva’ of our Mind. Without breath all our ideas, plans, manifestation efforts are only ideas. It is breath that carries our intentions, desires, manifestations, miracles and healing to every cell, muscle, tissue, bone and fiber!

Those of us who have had the privilege of learning Breath work from Buddha Master Dr. Newton Kondaveti & Fairy Godmother Dr.Lakshmi can understand the value of Breath in our lives.

During the six day immersion in Breath work we connect deeply to ourself through Elements.

The breath worker settles the client into comfortable access with the Element chosen to work with. Then he/she is made to breathe in a guided circular-connected breath. The body finds its own rhythm & vibration without having to go through any mental understandings of one’s issues. Blocks and resistance start clearing from the cell memory, as one continues breathing.

As you might be aware, all of us are deeply connected to the elements of Fire, Earth, Water,Wind and Ethers. According to our mental,emotional,physical& spiritual make up, we resonate more deeply with certain elements and less with others.Irrespective of our resonance, we need to be in balance with our breath & all elements to live a life of complete wellness.

The Breath work workshop puts us in touch with our physical, emotional, mental and soul selves.

We are more than our bodies and at the same time we need to be deeply embodied, so that we may traverse a fulfilling journey on Earth.

During Breath work sessions our deep seated/buried fears, traumas and secret longings are brought to the surface of our consciousness, so that they may be heard and validated. Those difficult, unpleasant moments and experiences that we had pushed away into the deep/dark recesses of our consciousnessfind healing&release through various processes of Breath work.

Many times no proper diagnosis can be made for chronic dis-ease and sickness.Inspite of all medical tests seeming to be OK, no cure seems to be in sight.

This is because the malady as always is in the energy field; the life force is either blocked or depleted.

There is no medical instrument or equipment that can reach the minds and intelligence of our cells and energy bodies.

The only aid is our Breath that magically flows like water, touching &healing our bodies & minds, at the deepest levels of consciousness.

Conscious melding & merging of our Breath with Elements is the Golden gateway for holistic health.

Breathing deeply with the Earth element we connect to greater levels of safety, security and grounding. Fear for our survival and basic needs, rejection and abandonment issues are experienced and dealt with here.

Childhood issues of unmet comfort, safety and nurturing come up to be heard & healed. Deeply buried incest issuesfind a safe place to surface in the womb of the Mother Earth. Incest is an abuse that is perpetrated by a natural care giver or father figure. This needs an all-enveloping abundant love from a Mother, the Earth Element, so that trauma is released& healing occurs.

Water Element brings to surface our sexuality &related issues of the womb(own or mother’s), sexual  issues of various kinds, unmet longings, desire for loving partnerships, creation ,careers, self-fulfillment  and life purpose are some issues which may surface.

It is worth mentioning here that any issue can arise at a certain element. Whenever the body and breath are in alignment, issues will surface for finding resolution/understanding.

The gentle touch & support of the breath worker, gives the much needed reassurance, as does the gentle bobbing, swaying and floating ambience of water.

The warm glow and gentle heat of the burning fire is as much relaxing as it is a catalyst for change. Fire touches a deep space in the physical body. The beauty of the nightsky,the company of a million star friends &the gentle crackling of logs, bring one’s breath to a relaxed rhythm.

This easily allowswhatever needs to come up for validation & healing. Sparks from the fire fly high,as if reaching for the sky.

Many ancient ancestral traumas, family secrets, religiousatrocities like burning of wise ones at the stake etc. come up to get purified and cleansed by fire. Fire brings up soul memories of many life times.

This happens because our Soul carries information about our Ancestors & of our tribes. In ancient times people sat by the evening fire, talking about issues concerning the tribe.

Fire also brings up old contracts and vows that no longer serve one. Theall-pervading feeling of Oneness with each other and the Universe is felt vividly. The ceremony of making offerings to the fire is very ancient. Intentions for various healings, blessings & release of all that longer serve one are made using burnable material. This material is consigned to the fire with great respect and ceremony.

Shamanic fire ceremonies are beautiful&profound in their healing rituals. More of this in another article.

Wind element is a wonderful healing medium. Swinging in hammocks suspended in the air gives a deeply liberating and joyful feeling. It is a place where stuck emotions and feelings come up to be seen, heard and released like colored gas balloons. The feeling of freedom as well as of being held is a wonderful catalyst foranchoring trust in the Universe. At this stage new and powerful insights about life,career,relationships and life purpose are revealed.

A feeling of calmness and empowerment is felt byalmost everyone.The wind element is also experienced standing or sitting in the vast expanses of space. Mountains & rolling meadows are conducive for becoming aware of thoughts, feelings and emotions as they come up to be validated & released.

The ethers or space element is all pervasive.

Life University is blessed to have huge areas of varied spaces, where every aspect of Nature can be experienced.

Meditating, sitting or lying down in huge expanses of Nature automatically expands the consciousness. Many a times,altered states of consciousness are experienced. Spontaneous astral projections and out of body experiences are known to happen during these moments.

Knowing thesoul purpose and the bigger picture are insights that present themselves as well.

As one breathes into these powerful, healing elements repressed &suppressed feelings and emotions emerge. Past lives make themselves known, as well as emerging future pathways can be seen and used as a point of reference.

Personally I had very beautiful connections with all Elements. The Earth made me feel like a child that is wanted and loved. Rejection & abandonment in childhood were the issues that emerged & healed themselves.

Fire brought out the beauty & nostalgia of a particularly free and happy aspect of my childhood.It reiterated that there were millions of star family Nations looking down on me. The sparks from the fire well seemed to be like the glow worms of my childhood. They made me aware that everything was innocent and beautiful, no matter what ever happened. Fire also brought out a horrible accident of my growing years. The fright & fear were palpable as they rose within me. These were forgotten memories & got cleared in the soft warmth of the evening fire.

Water brought out a lot of repressed fetal memories of my mother’s womb. Her pain & anguish could be felt by me. Water washed away all the sediments & calcifications of heavy energy from my skeletal system, revealing issues with my spine. I worked on these areas later using acupuncture & breath work.

Wind & the hammock again brought back joyful childhood memories of freedom & swinging on huge, old trees. It was a time of revelations & insights for me and my therapist buddy,regarding our present & possible future.

The vast expanses of Quantum Life University are the cradle of the Ether element. Different vistas & views brought great peace and tranquility to my heart.

The lake area seemed to have Life lessons in plenty. Go with the flow I was told.

I bowed in respect.My conscious was expanding & becoming unlimited.Concerns & fear seemed to be slipping away.

Deep gratitude to Mother QLU & to my teachers.

Friends do utilize the next opportunity for immersion in Breath work.

I would love to hear of your experiences with Breath.

Breathe, Meditate, Love!

Stay Blessed!

Sophia Roy Choudhury

sophiaroy@gmail.com