Pranayama - Breath

The Universe is breathing us. One day we inhale, and are born. One day we will exhale, and will die. Pranayama is a dance with the breath. For this dance with the Divine, we bow in gratitude.

~ John Friend

* Let the breath be a bridge between body and spirit, a doorway to the present

* Prana or breath, is truly one of yogas greatest gifts, as focus on the breath brings a focus to the present moment and leads to a state of inner peace

*Turn down the volume of the chatter in your mind
Turn up the voice of your own song

* Unify the energies in the room with Pranayama, we all come in from such different environments. That’s so beautiful. We are like different threads weaving a tapestry right now. That’s so cool!

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Breath is aligned with both body and mind
and it alone can bring them together.

~ Thich Nhat Hanh
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* In any quiet moment when you are breathing,
The breath may flow out and pause of itself,
Or flow in and pause of itself.
Here experience opens into exquisite vastness
With no beginning and no end.
Embrace this infinity without reservation.
Dive into it,drink deeply, and emerge renewed

*Pour one breath into the other,
Out-breath into the in-breath
Into the out-breath
Be there, in the harmony of that fusion
Where one rythm turns into the other,
Awaken into equilibrium.
Tending to breath in this way,
Become capable
Of experiencing oneness with the Self

*Breath flows in filling, filling,
Then surrenders to flow out agian.
Breath flows out, emptying, emptying
Offering itself to infinity.
Mind dissolves into heart
Heart dissolves into space
Body becomes a shimmering field
Pulsating between fullness and emptiness

~ The above inspirations are sutras from The Radiance Sutras, Tantra Yoga Teachings For Opening To The Divine In Everyday Life.
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As you inhale, visualize recieving the elements of your life - experiences, people who have touched you, things you are capable of - with gratitude.

Pause after each reflection and take a moment to integrate and fully appreciate feeling fulfilled by these gifts.

As you exhale, imagine sharing that sense of fulfillment with others.

Pause again and imagine those others recieving your offering with a similar sense of gratitude.