101 - Elemental Breaths:  Earth and Water

The best time to do practices is before the sunrise. We are then picking up ultraviolet rays before the sun passes the threshold of the horizon. Secondly, we haven't set our clock into activity yet; so we are in a much more receptive state than after having started being active.

These are the breathing practices that Pir-o-Murshid gave to every mureed to do every day in the morning: in through the nose out through the nose, in through the nose out through the mouth, in through the mouth out through the nose, and in the mouth out through the mouth. Another way to remember the sequence is: nada-nada, nada- mucho, mucho-nada, and then mucho-mucho. Nada, "n" for nose and Mucho, "m" for mouth. If you understand Spanish, it's starting from the negative and going to the positive.

Each of these breaths is characterized by a certain element. We call it baptism with the different elements. There is a saying of Pir-o-Murshid that we can find that which we need in the Universe, and as I say myself, we are ingesting the Universe. We have the discernment to enable us to choose that kind of medicine that we need for our unfoldment. It requires of us a certain fineness of perception to be able to determine which are the elements and how they work. It's also true that since we exist on several levels and have, therefore, different counterparts to our being, each one of these counterparts needs its kind of food, so we need to shift our sense of identity, when we are doing these practices, from the lower levels of our being to a higher.

 Our physical body is constituted of the five chief elements, which compose even the whole universe. The skin, flesh, and bones show earth properties; and the blood, perspiration, and saliva represent the water element. The heat in the body and the digestive fire in the system denote the fire element. The breath and its inner work within the body, which enable us to stretch and contract, and the power of movement, which does not allow us to keep still for one moment, represent the air element. The ether element in us is that which controls our activities and gradually consumes all other elements.

Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

THE BAPTISM WITH EARTH

At first we are breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. As we breathe in through the nose, it's important to get some sense of resonance with the magnetism of the earth. In fact, looking at things from purely earthly point of view, we are the magnetism.

First of all we feel the magnetic field of our body. We feel it around our shoulders and around our forearms. Just like the magnetism around a magnet, we can feel it. Then we feel the magnetism in the bottom of our spine and even in our feet. We can feel the magnetism of the earth when we're walking, or when we're standing, or when we're sitting cross-legged. Then we feel the way there is an ebb and flow - to and fro - oscillation. Notice the way the magnetism of the earth seems to be drawn into our magnetic field as we inhale, and the way our magnetic field seems to be resorbed into the earth's field as we exhale.

The direction of the earth element is level, and its nature is spreading; therefore, the smallest island in the sea, in time, grows to be a big island.

Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

Our point of contact with the earth, whether it's the bottom of our spine or the soles of our feet, is a threshold situation in which there seems to be passage from one magnetic field to the other, even though our magnetic field permeates the earth's field and the earth's magnetic field permeates our magnetic field, so there's no real threshold. We feel that magnetism rising as we inhale, passing from one chakra to the next. Then we feel the way that when we exhale, the magnetism of our magnetic field gets polluted. Imagine the field of a magnet in which there are a lot of faulty nodes, and distortions that take place due to all kinds of influences, extraneous influences from outside and from inside. It is good if the whole magnetic field gets drained and then renewed. We need to feel the draining effect of the earth which is so kind as to absorb our pollution. That also applies also to the level of the psyche.

This corresponds to the first stage in the Ziraat process, agriculture, which is to get rid of a lot of old roots and stones and all kinds of elements that are disturbing to our growth, that stand in the way of our growth.

It's what is called a catharsis. In alchemy it's the first stage, in which there is a sifting between the grosser elements and the finer elements, and the gross elements are then rejected. They feel the gravity of the earth, that exercises more pull on the grosser elements of our being than on the finer ones. The catharsis starts by getting rid of the grosser elements in our being. Eventually our whole magnetic field gets resorbed and then renewed again.

Pir-o-Murshid does give Wazaif that can be used with the breathing practices. The one I suggest for this first breath, which is called the baptism of the earth, is Muid. Muid is not just inertia. Inertia represents a kind of stability. But Muid also represents something a little more dynamic, which is the ability of the organism to self-organize itself if it has been disturbed, and to return to its original state if we don't intervene with our will. That's what is called "stay with it." It has a kind of stabilizing effect, as the earth has.

 In fact, each of these elements creates out of itself its child-element and again in time absorbs it within itself. The elements show the Creator's nature, Who creates at times and absorbs at times. This is explained thus in the Qur'an: "All come from God, and all are bound to return to Him."

            Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

All of this work we're doing with our subtle body actually does affect us at the level of our psyche. Pir-o-Murshid does describe people according to the element that predominates in their being. Just imagine that you have all these elements in you. The earth element in you represents your durability, the fact that you have some kind of stability and reliability. You can be relied upon. Murshid also says that a person who has entirely, or predominantly the earth quality, needs to be directed. This person is full of good will but can not take initiative. You might recognize that as one of your qualities or, defects, or whatever it is; one of your characteristics is that you want to do things but you're blocked, find it difficult to take initiative, to make a decision, and are very glad if somebody else takes the initiative in telling you what to do. Then you can do it very well.

THE BAPTISM WITH WATER

Next we work with the water element. Experience the difference between breathing in through the mouth or breathing in through the nose. Just try it. First try inhaling through the nose and out through the nose. Now try breathing in through the mouth and out through the mouth. So you see that breathing through the mouth activates the thyroid gland which has the effect of affecting many other hormones in the body including the adrenaline.

We breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, thinking of an aperture at the top of our fontanel, the crown of our skull, and then of very fine energy descending. We see how it seems to affect one chakra after the other. We're awakening the latent, virtual energies in our being, we're opening of the heart center, the region of the heart, the solar plexus, and stimulating adrenaline. There is a chakra between the solar plexus and the second chakra, which is the "hara" of the Chinese and of Zen, which awakens the flow of adrenaline in our blood. As we descend to the second chakra forces need to be transmuted. As we inhale again, they are activated. Then, as in tantra, they need to be sublimated, and then transmuted into the forces of love. Then the breath moves right down to the bottom chakra, muladhara, where we are awakening the serpents, the snakes, the caduceus.

When we inhale, we have unleashed these vital forces that are waiting to be nurtured by the descent of the Holy Spirit. They are lying in wait for that moment that they can receive the baptism of water, which is really the baptism of the Holy Spirit, like Elijah finding refuge at a wonderful spring of water, the waters of life.

Of course the Bedouins have a legend about the appearance of Khidr, who is Elijah actually, the green man of the desert. If you've traveled in the desert, you know what it means to be days and days in the sand, and then all of a sudden coming to an oasis where there is greenery and all this vitality. Of course people and camels congregate there. In the vastness of the desert one can get lost. The Bedouins talk of the appearance of this green man who comes and says, "Do you want me to help you? I can show you the way, but don't question my guidance." Then you see a shimmering on the horizon and you think he is going the other way. So you say, "Khidr." And he looks at you and he says, "There was a condition. You think you know how to get there. OK. Go on your own." That's water, the waters of life. You have to know how to find the waters of life.

Among the ancient Hindus there was a custom of giving water as a benediction to guests, which is observed even now. A Brahmin will as a rule first offer water to his guest which means not only to quench the thirst, but is like giving life to the guest. The Persians have called the water of life Ab-e Hayat, and in many verses one finds this word.

Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

 In this practice we breathe in through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Now we are making a differentiation between the two poles of our being, the north pole and the south pole of the magnet, and of course the energy field between the two. Imagine that the north field, which is above our head, is of the nature of the Holy Spirit. A very fine energy seems to be quite the opposite of the energy of the earth. In fact the energy that we ascribe to the earth could be illustrated by gravity, the gravitational forces coagulate the atoms into formations, what we call solid matter. What we call spirit represents quite the opposite, a kind of buoyancy, as compared with gravity, levity, disperseful, therefore freedom from constraint of conditioning.

As we draw in, as we inhale, we concentrate on that very fine energy that we call pure spirit. Think of this concept that we find not only in Catholicism, but in Judaism also and in Islam: the quickening of the Holy Spirit, ruh al quddus, which has been illustrated by the visitation of the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel. It's not just the visitation, but also a quickening.

We feel a different kind of energy coming through us when we're doing the first practice, baptism of earth. We had to clear all the dross, the obstacles, in the first baptism. In the second baptism, we're doing something very interesting. First of all the space that has been cleared by the catharsis in the first baptism is now filled by the Holy Spirit. It's as though the heavy material of our being is being drawn down into the earth, and at the same time the influence of the Holy Spirit is gaining ground, descending through us from one chakra to the next. That's where we exhale through the mouth. We feel that sweeping effect of the descent of the Holy Spirit that's quickening us.

When we come to the water element, we find that it is pliable, and can be poured from one vessel to another. The course of a river or a stream may be diverted and made to go in another direction. It is poorer in spirit than the earth, for it is a higher element. A more exalted state of consciousness belongs to the poor in spirit, the pliable and the serviceable, than to the stiff and set.

            Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

The Wazifa is Muhyi instead of Muid. It's a whole different matrix that has the effect of really shattering us. The descent of the Holy Spirit can be shattering and overwhelming. It's no longer recycling. It's introducing a whole different, celestial, influence. That's the baptism with water.

It's like irrigation in agriculture. You have to give some life sustenance to the seeds. What Pir-o-Murshid said is that a person with this water quality is very sociable and sensitive and lovable and active, just like water that is running from a stream, life giving and joyous. Water still needs to have some direction because it can flow one way or the other, and is influenced by the wind. People predominantly of a water nature could easily be influenced by other people because they don't have the stability, the resilience of the earth people. You've got that in you, as I said. It's not each person has just one quality. You'll notice in yourself that flexibility which ensures that you are not stubborn, but you're open to the influences from all sides. You see that it gives life to your being, which would be stodgy if you only gave vent to your earthly quality (stubbornness, as I say). Now you are much more flexible, more adaptable, which has a disadvantage too. That is the baptism with water.
