Only Breath
Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu
Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion
or cultural system. I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up
from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
composed of elements at all. I do not exist,
am not an entity in this world or in the next,
did not descend from Adam and Eve or any
origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.
I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,
first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.
From Essential Rumi
by Coleman Barks
Wow Colleen. I can’t tell you how apropos this poem is in relation to what is happening in my life. I have just completed the first of four transformational weekends exploring Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. “With the joining of breath (it’s all about the breath), mind and mantra a long, deep breathing is induced followed by a feeling of well being.” This is only the very tip of the iceberg and I am excited by the possibilities. This should be on the list for our next ashram experience. Sat Nam.
Susan. Your course sounds wonderful and I’m so glad the poem fit. It certainly clicked with what I was thinking about on Friday. I really am beginning to believe that simply practising deep breathing is the key to everything. Name the next ashram, baby…