“Breath is the bridge to consciousness.”
—Anonymous
Breath is comprised of both physical and energetic components. Physical breath moves air into and from the lungs via inhalation and exhalation. Energetic breath moves the energy of air (prana) into and from the body’s energy systems. Energetic breath (energy of air) is moved via mental focus (intention) and physical expression of the body (as diaphragmatic movement causes physical movement throughout the torso).
The energy of the breath accesses heightened consciousness. The energy of the breath connects the bodymind to the wisdom and vitality of Heaven and Earth.
We can affect our health and state of being (degree of consciousness) by employing body-centered breathwork. An example is Abdominal Breathing—a simple yet challenging technique that helps the bodymind to ground (take rootedness in the energy of the Earth) and center (strengthening the Antahkarana / Central Channel of energy that extends infinitely upward and downward to anchor us in Heaven and Earth energies). The technique of abdominal breathing requires mental focus upon the rise and fall of the lower abdomen (specifically, the Lower Tan Tien—a powerful energy center located three inches below the navel in the centerline of the lower torso). This serves to bring energy of the breath to the Lower Tan Tien, which invigorates the body, especially connecting us to grounding energy of the Earth, and defeats the scattered wanderings of the monkeymind’s focus upon distraction. The Lower Tan Tien is an incredibly powerful energy center—so powerful that (of course) this is where a zygote develops into an infant, the center of the womb. Of course we nourish children in a profoundly powerful area of the body—to best support the infant’s physical development.
The power of prayer, intention, and activity is exponentially enhanced when coupled with a foundation of body-centered (conscious) breathing, as conscious breath helps complete a grounded and centered circuit that spans Heaven and Earth.
[Excerpt from Encyclopedia of the Tao: A-to-Z]
