We have two objectives in the swinging breath.
First is to make our breath very rhythmic,
Like a swing or a pendulum.
Second is to notice emotions arising during the practice through observing our breath.
As a model of rhythmic motion,
Consider the pendulum like a swing.
When you push someone on a swing,
You have to deliver the push at just the right time.
If you push too soon,
You catch the swing on the rise and your push actually slows it down.
If your push is too late,
The swing's descent has already begun.
A small push at the right moment regularly is all it takes to keep the swing going.
Now imagine a swing in front of you.
As you breathe out,
The breath carries the swing away from your chest area,
And as you breathe in,
The breath draws the swing back to you again.
By this swing,
You can communicate with your unconscious.
Visualize a heavy swinging pendulum and let the swing move your breath in and out.
Don't have any pause in breathing after the inhalation or exhalation,
And let the inhale and exhale be the same length.
Time the rhythm of your swinging breath to your pulse or heartbeat.
For example,
You might exhale for six beats and inhale for six beats.
If you can't feel a pulse or heartbeat,
Just count six out,
Six in,
Or stretch yourself and do eight out and eight in.
When you're able to swing your breath for ten minutes or more,
Your heart becomes a very powerful broadcast station,
Sending rhythmic magnetic waves outward and into the space around you.
A couple of practices you can do with this swinging breath.
One is to swing your breath back and forth with awareness of pulse and heartbeat,
While holding before you the image of somebody who inspires and uplifts you,
As though you are swinging your breath back and forth with that person.
Notice the effects of this within you.
Another experiment you can try is to see if you can retain a sense of swinging breath and waves of peace with awareness of pulse or heartbeat during a simple neutral conversation or during slow,
Measured walking.
And now we'll finish today with a quote from Hazrat Anayat Khan,
Man who brought heart rhythm meditation and Sufism to the West from India.
Quote from Anayat Khan,
It is rhythmic motion which keeps the whole universe going,
And the same motion is the hidden secret of our lives,
As we are a miniature universe within ourselves.
Our breath is both the cause and effect of this rhythmic motion.
Inhaling and exhaling is just like the pendulum of the clock.
When it is regular,
The clock goes on regularly.
When slow,
The clock goes slow.
When quick,
The clock goes fast.
So it is with us.
When our breath is rhythmic,
All things go well.
The mechanism of our body,
The working of our mind,
And the work of our feelings.
End quote.
Enjoy this practice of the swinging breath anytime,
Anyplace.
Peace be to you.
Thank you.
