Breath as a Doorway to the Stillness of Consciousness

Our breath is a gateway to our deepest dimension. When we breathe with our whole being, breathing becomes a silent prayer.

We enter this world with our first breath and leave it with our last. Breath is life. Without breath, there is no life. In many ancient cultures, the word for breath also means spirit. The German word ‘Atem’ is derived from the Sanskrit term ‘Atman’, which means the divine spirit inherent in everything. This divine spirit inherent in everything is our deepest dimension; it is the consciousness that underlies all being. It is the vibrating silence that permeates everything. Our breath carries this silence within it and can reveal it to us at the same time.

The Deeper Dimension of Breath

When we fully engage with our breath, allowing it to become fine and subtle, and relax into breathing, our breath opens up our deepest dimension. When we inhabit our breath, feeling it in the most subtle way, something sacred is revealed in breathing. Our breath then becomes a powerful tool that leads us into our depths, connecting us with our source, our primal ground.

Inhabiting your Breath

That is why I invite you to feel your breath. How does it feel to breathe? Can you feel how your breath lovingly touches and moves your body, again and again? Can you let go of control and feel yourself being breathed? Can you surrender to the natural rhythm of your breath, letting it happen? Can you inhabit your breath and engage with its sacredness?

When I breathe with my whole being, becoming the breath itself, then breathing becomes a silent prayer. It becomes the gateway to my deepest dimension, the all-pervading silence of absolute consciousness.

Fiona Ballmer, July 2023