Breathing
An excerpt from Muraqaba:The
Art and Science of Sufi Meditation
By Sufi Master Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi
In the field of spiritual sciences there are number of exercises besides
Muraqaba(sufi meditation)that help enhance the mental concentration. These
exercises help reduce the flow of negative thoughts, which in turn lessens
the mental confusion. When these extra exercises are done along with the
Muraqaba(meditation) the mind gains the needed mental focus ahead of time
and the positive effects of Muraqaba emerge earlier as well.
Although there are plenty of these exercises available, in this chapter we
are going to list only those that are easy to practice and their success
rate are also great.
Breathing Exercises (pranayama)
In the emotional ups and downs and in the overall nervous system, breathing
has a very essential role. During different emotional states, the rate of
respiration fluctuates. In tragic circumstances breathing could become a
challenge as people often feel difficulty in breathing after hearing tragic
news. On the other hand, during anger the rate goes up. During peaceful
moments the style of breathing becomes totally different. During this state,
breathing becomes balanced and its rate goes down. However when something
suddenly comes as a shock then we all simply gasp for air.
Spiritual abilities and breathing are closely inter related. According to
spiritual science, breathing has two sides, ascending and descending.
Inhaling is ascending movement while exhaling is descending. During the
ascending mode, the person is closer to his or her spiritual state and in
the descending mode moves towards the gravity. We are more close to our
spiritual state when the inhaling is prolonged and the breath is retained
longer then usual.
When respiration stops then our link to the body is disconnected. That is
why in order to enter the sub-conscious senses, breathing does not have to
be stopped, but it must be slowed down. A living example is dreaming or a
state of deep trance. In these conditions, a person does respire however;
the style of breathing is noticeably different from that of a normal
breathing pattern. The rate of breathing is slower and the inhaling takes
longer as well. Exhaling on the other hand is shortened. In other words,
when we are under the influence of inner senses not only our breathing slow
down but the duration of inhaling increases as well.
When this style of breathing is intentionally practiced then the
subconscious state affects consciousness during the awakened state and its
effects usually last longer.
PRACTICE-1:
Sit in a squat position.
Keep your back straight, however avoid having any part of the body tense.
Exhale from both nostrils so that the lungs are free from air.
Slowly inhale through nostrils.
When the lungs the lungs become full, exhale through the mouth without
holding it.
During exhaling keep your lips round as if whistling, without holding it.
This exhaling and inhaling constitute one cycle. At the beginning start with
eleven cycles and gradually go up to twenty-one.
This exercise helps in controlling the movements of lung muscles and it
increases the duration of inhaling. The rate of respiration during Muraqaba
should be as low as possible. However, it is imperative that the rate of
breathing should not be slowed intentionally. Otherwise, the focus would
shift to the respiration instead of the Muraqaba. The best way to avoid that
is to inhale and exhale slowly for a while before starting Muraqaba. That
way the respiratory rate will drop automatically.
PRACTICE-2:
Sit in a squat position just like the practice-1 and put your forearms in
the knees. Inhale slowly from both nostrils. When the chest is full of air
then hold the breath for five seconds. Then exhale through the mouth similar
to whistling style. After a few moments rest repeat the process for five
times. Next day increase the total to seven until the total number of cycles
reach eleven. At this point, increase the hold period from five to six
seconds however the total number of cycles will remain eleven. When holding
the breath for six seconds is not causing any mental or physical strain then
increase it to seven seconds. Unless and until one reaches full command of
the practice, keep the hold period to seven seconds. Gradually it should be
increased to fifteen seconds, which the maximum allowed time for hold.
PRACTICE-3:
After sitting in the squat position as explained in the practice-1, closed
the right nostrils using the right hand thumb and inhale through the left
nostril for four seconds. Hold it for four seconds. Now using the last two
fingers of your hand closed the left nostril while the right nostril is
still closed with the thumb. In this way, the remaining two middle fingers
will be resting between the eyebrows. At this point release only the thumb
from the right nostril and exhale from that nostril for four seconds and
without stopping inhale from it for four seconds. Again, hold it for four
seconds and close the right nostril with the thumb. Then from the left
nostril release those fingers and exhale for four seconds. This constitutes
one cycle. After a few moments rest repeat it three times. Increase one
cycle every day until you reach seven cycles.
When doing seven cycles and four-second routine becomes comfortable,
increase only the hold time to six seconds while the number of cycles will
remain at seven. When holding the breath for six seconds and total numbers
of cycles is done with ease then increase only the hold time for two more
seconds and keep it increasing until the hold time reaches sixteen seconds.
When the seven cycles and holding time of sixteen seconds get easy then
increase the exhale time to eight seconds. Final figures should be four
seconds inhaling, sixteen seconds holding and then eight seconds exhaling.
Continue practicing with these figures.
All respiratory exercises should be performed at least two and half-hours
after a moderate meal. The best time for doing breathing exercises is
pre-dawn. At that time not only we are mentally and physically alert but the
ratio of oxygen in the air is also the highest. The electro-magnetic
activity in the atmosphere is also at its zenith during that time.
The second best time for breathing exercises is before going to bed at
night.
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