Dear Yogis,

THE RAINBOW BREATH

I have been a student of many yogis, and the most gentle of these were Tibetan.  From them I learned the prostration and gentle aspects of breathing.  It is the breath that I would like you to focus on as we get through this time.  I presume that you are doing your yoga first (even 7 minutes of practice) to prepare for the sitting.

This is the beginning of series about the exercises I do to maintain my physical body, my mind and my heart through this time –  My focus is to come out the other side of this crisis (crisis of Faith?), stronger not weaker.  My practice is to deal with each day in a yogic way.. loving each minute, each day no matter what. Every day it becomes more apparent that we have to look after our body (and lungs) in a Yogic way.   Breathe. Breathe, Breathe.    Not, “almost Breathe”, not pant.  Consciously BREATHE.

Remember the principle of the body, language and mind.  The physical aspect  is represented by the head. Language is located at the throat, and the heart represents the mind. Each of these three aspects is represented by a syllable which are in actual fact older than Buddhism itself, being used by the ancient people of India.  These syllables let your body vibrate as soon as they are chanted (said).  As we have learned in our classes, they influence the nervous system and thereby have a direct effect on the chakras.  The sounds that the Tibetans have attached to these exercises are OM AH HUM.

As you sit preparing for this exercise, imagine a figure floating in front of you about 30 centimetres in free space.  This figure can be the Buddha, Christ, or any other Being which emanates qualities that you find worthy of striving for.  The figure in front of you is golden, clear, vibrating and surrounded by a golden light in all directions of the heavens.  It can be sitting or not sitting.

Direct your attention to the perfect physical energy of this being.  All physical tensions are dissolved in the white light streaming from the top of its  head flooding your entire body.    Illness, and any inclination to treat YOUR body badly, are dissolved in this energy.  Now recite the OM several times and let the vibrations of this syllable flow through every fibre of your being.  Your body is light, floating.  Continue experiencing this “lightness of being”.

Now direct your attention to this Diety’s throat chakra . Its language related energy streams towards us in a red colour.  From its throat to your throat flooding it with strength and creativity.  Everything that stands in the way of your creative energy falls away, dissolved.  Blockages that stand in the way of your personal development disappear.  During this visualisation allow AH to stream, vibrate,  through the body.

The Heart Centre of the Diety is the next point of attention.  A Blue HUM sound surrounds and radiates from the Heart Centre.  This allows you to see reality clearly.  Flase hopes, and confusing imaginings are dissolved in this clear blue.  All obstacles that distract you from a clear view of your reality are dissolved in this beautiful blue, cooling the body and calming an agitated mind.  Imagine this whilst singing/saying HUM several times.

For me, the image is sometimes that of the Buddha, sometimes QuanYin the female aspect of the Buddha… sometimes The Jesus.  The Tibetans are not concerned about the visualisation.  It does not have to be this or that.  However, keep in mind that the more that you visualise it, the closer you approach it and the more you become similar to it, as you intensively dedicate yourself to this exercise.

Let me know how you go.  We will work on other visualisations, other “breaths”, as we go.  This exercise is calming, relaxing, healing and I rest in the knowledge that this is the perfect way for this time.

NAMASTE.  JAHNE