A Basic Breath Practice

Some Background
The following words are those of the Sufi master Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan,
drawn from various (mostly unpublished) sources.
T h e b r eat h is t h e c ur r en t wh ic h is es t ab lis h ed b et ween all p lan es of
ex is t en c e. It s c ur r en t r un s fr om t h e life un s een t o t h e life on t h e s ur fac e, t h us un it in g s p ir it an d m at t er b ot h . Wh en t h e b r eat h leav es our
m at er ial b ein g, t h en c om es wh at we c all d eat h , wh ic h s h ows t h at
b r eat h is t h e s ign of life an d life it s elf; an d it s c on t ac t wit h t h e b od y
keep s t h e b od y aliv e an d it s c on t ac t wit h t h e m in d keep s t h e m in d
aliv e, b ut n eit h er b od y n or m in d a re life. If t h er e is an y s ign of life
we c an t r ac e on t h e s ur fac e, it is n o ot h er t h an t h e b r eat h . T h er efor e,
t h e Sufi t akes t h e b r eat h as t h e m ean s of get t in g wh at is n eed ed fr om
t h e life un s een t o t h e life on t h e s ur fac e; als o, m akin g it a m ean s of
s en d in g wh at is d es ir ed fr om t h e life ex t er n al t o t h e life wit h in . T h e
b r eat h m ay b e c on s id er ed as a lift t h at c an t ake you t o an y floor up
an d an y floor d own . By t h e h elp of b r eat h you c an s en d your t h ough t
an ywh er e an d t o an y p lan e an d b r in g ab out d es ir ed r es ult s . In b r eat h
ab id es all t h e m ys t er y t h er e is . T h e Sufi s ob j ec t b ein g s elf-r ealizat ion
b y t h e id eal of God , t h e Sufi wor ks for it s at t ain m en t b y t h e m ean s of
t h e b r eat h , an d an id eal s o at t ain ed b ec om es h is p r op er t y, h is kin gd om , for ev er .
A s t h e b ooks , p r ec ep t s , an d d oc t r in es of h is r eligion ar e im p or t an t t o
t h e follower of a r eligion , s o t h e s t ud y of t h e b r eat h is im p or t an t t o
t h e m ys t ic . We or d in ar ily t h in k of t h e b r eat h as t h at lit t le air t h at we
feel c om in g an d goin g t h r ough our n os t r ils ; b ut we d o n ot t h in k of it
as t h at v as t c ur r en t t h at goes t h r ough ev er yt h in g, t h at c ur r en t wh ic h
c om es fr om t h e C on s c ious n es s an d goes as far as t h e ex t er n al b ein g,
t h e p h ys ic al wor ld . In t h e Bib le it is wr it t en t h at fir s t t h e Wor d was ,
an d fr om t h e Wor d all t h in gs c am e. A n d b efor e t h e Wor d was t h e
b r eat h , wh ic h m ad e t h e Wor d .
Beh in d t h e Wor d is t h e m uc h gr eat er p ower , t h e b r eat h . If a p er s on
wis h es t o s t ud y t h e s elf, t o kn ow t h e s elf, wh at is im p or t an t is n ot t h e
s t ud y of t h e m in d , of t h e t h ough t , t h e im agin at ion , n or of t h e b od y,
b ut t h e s t ud y of t h e b r eat h . T h e b r eat h h as m ad e t h e m in d an d t h e
b od y for it s ex p r es s ion . It h as m ad e all fr om t h e v ib r at ion t o t h e
p h ys ic al at om , fr om t h e fin es t t o t h e gr os s es t . T h e b r eat h , t h e c h an ge
of t h e b r eat h c an m ake us s ad in t h e m id s t of h ap p in es s , it c an m ake
us j oyful in t h e s ad d es t , t h e m os t m is er ab le s ur r oun d in gs . T h at is
wh y, wit h out r eas on , in s om e p lac es we feel glad , in ot h er p lac es a
m elan c h oly c om es ov er us . It is t h e air t h at m akes us s o. You m ay
s ay, How c an t h e b r eat h m ake all t h is ? How c ould it m ake t h e

A Basic Breath Practice

b od y? I h av e s een p eop le b ec om e in t h e c our s e of year s as t h eir

b r eat h is . Wh at ex is t s in t h e b r eat h is ex p r es s ed in t h e for m . A s t h e
b r eat h is , s o t h e c h ild b ec om es .
T h er e h as b een s o m uc h s aid ab out t h e b r eat h , an d en ough c ould
n ev er b e s aid ab out it . T h e m ys t ic is at a los s t o ex p lain wh at b r eat h
is , as a s c ien t is t is h elp les s t o giv e t h e ex p lan at ion of elec t r ic it y,
t h ough b ot h will t r y t h eir b es t t o m ake it in t elligib le t o t h eir s t ud en t s .
A n d , as elec t r ic it y wh en c on t r olled c an b e ut ilized for a gr eat m an y
us eful p ur p os es , s o s t ill gr eat er p ur p os es an d im p or t an t p ur p os es c an
b e ac c om p lis h ed b y t h e c on t r ol of t h e b r eat h .
T h e ego is m ad e b y t h e fir s t im p r es s ion of t h e s oul. T h is im p r es s ion
t h r ows b ac k t h e r ay wh ic h t ur n s in t o a c ir c lin g c ur r en t of life, ligh t ,
an d en er gy, wh ic h is t h e b r eat h . T h er efor e t h e Sufi c alls t h e ego an d
t h e b r eat h b y on e t er m : N a f s.
Br eat h is life, an d it s wor k is t o t ake t h e c on d it ion fr om wit h in t o t h e
ex t er n al p lan e, an d t o t ake t h e c on d it ion s of t h e ex t er n al p lan e in t o
on e s in n er b ein g. Wh en on e ex h ales , t h e c on d it ion of t h e in n er p lan e
is b r ough t out , an d wh en on e in h ales , t h e c on d it ion of t h e ex t er n al
p lan e is t aken in . Wh en ex h alin g, t h e h ar m on y or in h ar m on y of t h e
s oul is b r ough t out , it s in fluen c e fir s t wor kin g on on e s m in d , t h en on
t h e b od y, t h en on s ur r oun d in gs . Wh en in h alin g, t h e c on d it ion s of t h e
ex t er n al p lan e h ar m on y or in h ar m on y ar e d r awn in t o t h e b od y,
t h en in t o t h e m in d , t h en in t o t h e s oul, wh ic h s et s t h e s oul eit h er in
c alm n es s or in d is t ur b an c e. Wh en ex h alin g, on e s feelin gs an d
t h ough t s fir s t wor k on on e s b od y, t h en on s ur r oun d in gs . Wh en in h alin g, t h e t h ough t s an d feelin gs fr om t h e ex t er n al p lan e ar e d r awn
in t o t h e b od y an d in t o t h e m in d . T h e s am e is t h e c as e wit h t h e p h ys ic al b od y; it s en d s out t h e gas es wit h ex h alin g, an d in h alin g, t akes in
all t h e fin e p r op er t ies fr om on e s s ur r oun d in gs .
Balan c e in on e s life an d b ein g is m ain t ain ed b y t h e ev en n es s of in h alin g an d ex h alin g. T h e c om p as s of our b ein g is as lar ge as t h e r eac h in g p oin t of h is b r eat h . On e liv es a fuller life, an ot h er d oes n ot liv e a
fuller life, b ec aus e t h e for m er b r eat h es fuller , t h e lat t er d oes n ot
b r eat h e fuller . Ver y oft en t h e r eas on wh y a c h ild is a d war f is t h at h is
b r eat h in g c ap ac it y d oes n ot allow h im t o b r eat h e fully; an d oft en t h e
r eas on wh y a yout h d oes n ot d ev elop fully is t h at h e d oes n ot b r eat h e
p r op er ly. A p er s on ages s oon er , als o b ec aus e h is b r eat h in g is n ot
r igh t . Ver y oft en p eop le wh o h av e n o p ar t ic ular illn es s feel t ir ed an d
lifeles s , b ec aus e t h eir b r eat h in g is n ot as it ough t t o b e.
T h e n our is h m en t of t h e n er v ous s ys t em is wh at b r eat h at t r ac t s fr om
t h e s p ac e. A s far as s c ien c e goes , it s ays on e get s in t o on e s s ys t em
ox ygen . T h e m ys t ic goes fur t h er in s ayin g, n ot on ly ox ygen , b ut t h at
life an d in t elligen c e, t h at p ower an d r ad ian c e wh ic h m akes t h e n er v -

A Basic Breath Practice

ous s ys t em in p er fec t or d er , t h e r es ult of wh ic h is n ot on ly good

h ealt h b ut ev er -in c r eas in g m agn et is m , wh ic h c om es for t h fr om t h e
p er s on in h is t h ough t , s p eec h , m ov em en t an d ac t ion , c h ar gin g h is
at m os p h er e wit h m agn et is m wh ic h s ur r oun d s h im as a for t ific at ion
an d p r ot ec t ion again s t all in fluen c es , p h ys ic al an d m en t al; t h us m akin g m an liv e a fuller life.

The Practice of the Purification Breaths

The Purification Breaths given here are the most basic of Sufi breath practices.
It is through this practice (plus your personal practices) that you establishes
the foundation for your daily activities. They also form the basis whereupon
one may begin learning the fundamentals of what is called by the Sufis the
Science of Breath (Pas-i nfs).
The purpose of this practice is clearing and balancing of the channels of breath.
The more advanced forms of breathing practices using a retained breath serve
to energize the channels of the breath and thereby the whole being, and this
practice is the preparation for those more-advanced practices. This practice
should be done prior to any practices of retained breath done that day; its not
a good idea to energize an energy-flow pattern until it is clear and balanced.
This practice is done in a relaxed, natural rhythm and depth of inhale/exhale,
with no retention, and with as little noise as possible. The classical Sufi nostril-controlling hand position is this: Place the
thumb of your right hand in the horizontal center of
your throat below the chin (just above the Adams
apple), and the middle finger of the right hand on
the right nostril. Place the thumb of your left hand
on your left nostril, and curl the fingers of your left
hand around the back of the right hand. The air
flow is controlled by the left thumb and right
middle finger, not the glottis, i.e., dont close your
throat. (This hand position is more balanced and
grounded than the yogic mudra of controlling the
nostrils with the thumb and middle finger with the
index finger on the third eye, which concentrates energy in the third eye.) The
proportion of inhale to exhale is usually timed to the heartbeat, using multiples
of four as the increment, i.e., four beats per inhale, four per exhale, or eight per
inhale, eight per exhale. The purpose of this timing is to bring two of the basic
three human rhythms into sync. (The third rhythm is the gait.) The absolute
best time of day for this practice is between first light and sunrise, but first
thing after arising or morning shower/teethbrush is fine. This practice can also
be done any other time during the day for a quick tuneup. The best location is

A Basic Breath Practice

outside, bare feet on the earth, facing east. If that is not possible, at least stand
in front of an open window.
The sequence is this:
Inhale

Exhale

left nostril

left nostril

right

right

left

right

right

left

left

mouth

right

mouth

mouth

left

mouth

right

5X eac h

(drop hands)

both nostrils

both nostrils

both nostrils

pursed lips

pursed lips

both nostrils

pursed lips

pursed lips

In the corpus of practices given in the Sufi Order, one will encounter the last
twenty breaths of this sequenced being called the Purification Breaths. The
practice as given here is more complete.
The subtle rhythms which are aligned and synched by this practice are fundamental to much of human functioning. Our life force cycles through the Elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air several times during 24 hours,
each Element predominating in succession during these cycles. Each Element
rules a chakra and in turn the appertaining chakra rules an organ system and a
domain of subtle and gross physiology. A great deal of emotional and psychic
imbalance is traceable to the energies of the Elements getting out of balance
and/or out-of-sequence.
As noted above, this practice should be done first thing in the morning, in a relaxed rhythm, out-of-doors or at least in front of an open window. Its not necessary or desirable for your physical breath to be much deeper or longer than
normal.