Conjoin awareness with the breath to fulfill your resolves

The cyclical waves of inhaling and exhaling are the medium to transmit thoughts into the Universe. And when a truthful Sankalp, or resolve, is sent forth, the entire Universe conspires to fulfill it.

Karm, or action, is not something external alone. It also involves consistently working on the inner self. The most important aspect of internal karm is to synchronize breathing with awareness. Awareness of every aspect of life – what is happening around us and in the world. Only then both the planes — worldly and spiritual — can be balanced.

The right breathing technique involves aligning the breath with constant sumiran, remembrance, and through it, connecting with the Supreme energy that is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient.

The cyclical waves of inhaling and exhaling are the medium to transmit thoughts into the Universe. It is common knowledge that when a truthful Sankalp, or resolve, is sent forth, the entire universe conspires to fulfill it.

If we are not aware of our thoughts, we often transmit things that are according to our mind’s tuning, which is a product of our environment and thinking patterns. We must be aware of our capacities and our special purpose on Earth. Knowing our thoughts and resolves, what is happening around and within, the knowledge one is gaining from media, books, events, people and situations – is awareness. The next step is to synchronize your determination, idea, or vision with the rhythm of breathing. Chanting silently along with the breath, any short mantra helps to remember and connect to the Supreme energies. Pray for the divine form and divine attributes to descend within your being. Realizing this mechanism of creating a link with Universal energies is what breathing with awareness means.

Usually, while we breathe, our mind runs helter-skelter, thinking of something else. To align with the breath and to bring in the awareness of our true aspirations, practice is needed. Even our outer acts should be coordinated. For example, while cooking the thought must be that the food being cooked is made well and will provide nourishment to those who eat it. Similarly, while doing painting, the aspiration should be that viewers will feel the bhav with which it is created. This is regulating breath with awareness and living in the moment. But, usually, both processes are not in sync. We just go on breathing mechanically and think of something else while performing outward acts. This causes an imbalance that creates chaos, confusion, and duality within our being.

The purpose of the breath is to energize and refresh. When we are not aware, the mind runs amok. Not being in sync with the breath depletes its energy. We rarely combine it with enhancing and positive thoughts. Usually, we indulge in depressing, negative musings, or in criticizing and analyzing others. The great Indian saint, Kabir, says, “In every breath, O Supreme, may I never forget thy name.” This reflects bhakti, reverence for the highest entity, the Supreme being, above us all. A person on the path of gyan yoga (knowledge) or karm yoga (action), must be clear about his thoughts and resolves. Only then will there be a constant, consistent connection with the Supreme that empowers us to fulfill our resolves. This is what it means to conjoin awareness with the breath.

When awareness sprouts within and we set it aside or start analyzing it, then mind chatter infiltrates, and the inner self gets embroiled in the vicious cycle of our thinking patterns.

Connecting awareness to the breath means to get empowered for our sankalps (resolves), along with getting insights to perform associated actions efficiently. Right energy, messages, and directives do not descend if we do not regulate our vision, mission, and aspirations with our breath. This is also known as internal karm yog.

There was a time in life when my being was facing a lot of problems. At that time awareness dawned that these have come to teach me something, to improve my being, so I should not indulge in any blame game. Connecting this awareness with the breath, I prayed, “O Supreme, guide me on how to come out of these problems. Bestow upon me shakti (power) and gyan (wisdom) so I go through this turmoil with ease, peace, and grace.” Then, guidance started pouring in.

While we are engaged in worldly tasks, they do not hold, increase, or decrease the pace of the breath that is happening naturally and effortlessly. Our inner gyan and jagriti (good thoughts and awareness) should relate to the breath to get enough strength to move ahead, towards growth and transformation in life. Breath should not be just for throwing out air and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We must expel undesirable thoughts along with our exhalation to empty our subconscious and to get filled with new light.

Breathing with awareness enables us to listen to the Supreme Consciousness and act accordingly. This enhances inner capacities to grow along with the natural process of reformation and evolution. This wonderful act of conscious breathing does miracles to our physical, mental emotional, and spiritual wellness; it provides us with true insights to do what is right at the right time.

Breathing does not require any calculation or force. It is a natural process, an involuntary system. One has to ride this natural flow for carving a magnificent pattern and path to get connected to all universal energies, to justify this human existence. Breath is the only mechanism that can connect us with the whole creation, whole and complete (poorn), to experience the bliss of Oneness.

Be aware of the fact that the breath is called Pran Vayu – The Universal Life Force – by Vedic seers and scientists. Humans have yet to explore its full potential to be part of the perfect rhythm and harmony of the cosmic design.

We have been bestowed with the most precious thing, the breath, to get connected to the Supreme Entity, or Mahati Tattva, that runs the whole show.

Pranam!

Lead picture courtesy Oleksandr P./Pexels