Nafas al-Mahabbah, Nafas al-Zikir…breath pathways to the divine

In the last few years, there has been much emphasis on watching the breath. All meditation practices, all new-age gurus talk of breath regulation. The science of mindful breathing goes back centuries.

Shāh Naqshband (1318-1389), a Central Asian Sufi master and the founder of the Naqshbandi Sufi order, one of the largest and most influential Sufi orders globally, spoke of the significance of breath control for those on the Sufi path. “The foundation of progress on this path rests on the breath. One’s present state must be observed with every breath, and one must not be distracted by thinking about the past and the future.

While breathing in and out, the interval between the two breaths must be protected, so that neither of them is inhaled with heedlessness or exhaled with heedlessness,” said Shāh Naqshband, also known as Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari.

Mindfulness is the essence of the Sufi practice of meditative breathing. The Elemental Healing Breaths, or the Elemental Purification Breaths are the practices by which Sufis have advocated breath regulation in order to deepen one’s journey of God realisation. This involves mindful breathing techniques that engage all the ways in which breath can be inhaled and exhaled – through the nose, the mouth, and combinations of both.

The Elemental Healing Breaths also involve all five elements that make up man’s existence – earth, water, fire, air and ether. Each of these elements is engaged in the meditative breathing experience through the process of observing specific breathing patterns and visualisations.

The practitioner is encouraged to be mindful of the sensation of inhalation and exhalation, the sound of breath, and being conscious of the elements involved. In this way, the Elemental Healing Breaths remind the seeker that he is one with God’s divine existence, and his breath is the vehicle by which he can connect with his Maker. In the Sufi khanqahs (hospices for Sufi travellers, places for spiritual teaching and discussions), seekers were encouraged to follow the breath regulation practices at the beginning of the day.

Hazrat Ibn Arabi (1165-1240), the Sufi mystic, poet, and philosopher who was extremely influential within Islamic thought, said that through the breath, the being is subject to continual annihilation and continual renewal. He explained it thus: “Man does not spontaneously arrive at a clear idea of the fact that at each ‘breath’ he is not and then again is… in ‘the Renewing of Creation at each breath’ the instant of annihilation coincides with the instant of the manifestation of its like.”

Through the Elemental Healing Breaths, seekers are encouraged to explore the engagement of the elements and the meditative rhythm of exhalation and inhalation in the following ways:

Earth Breath: Inhale and exhale through the nose. These serve the purpose of connecting or grounding the seeker and enabling the process of stabilization.

Water Breath: Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. This pattern engenders slow and steady breathing, promoting emotional cleansing and inner purification.

Fire Breath: Inhale through the mouth, exhale through the nose. This practice of vibrant, dynamic inhalation and steady, controlled exhalation invokes vital energy flow and sparks the process of transformation within.

Air Breath: Inhale through the mouth, exhale through the mouth. This opens the seeker’s consciousness to the limitlessness, boundless Divine and can make the spirit experience a feeling of rising in freedom towards the Maker.

Ether Breath: Inhale through the nose, exhale through the nose. This gentle and flowing nasal breathing is the pathway to experience the most subtle energies and open one’s eyes to the unity that defines existence. It is the essence of life in which all elements converge and flow together.

The purpose of the Elemental Healing Breaths is to cleanse and purify the body and mind. They also serve the objective of releasing any negative energies, hurts or tumultuous emotions that hinder the flow of energy. Regular practice of Elemental Healing Breaths enables the seeker to deepen his clarity of God’s path and reveal the pathways through which he may connect with nature and with the Almighty.

Mian Sher Muhammad Sharaqpuri (1862-1928), a famous Sufi saint of Punjab, believed that mindfulness of breath was a constant endeavour of all seekers and did not have to be limited to specific times of the day.

He said, “Ascetic practice does not mean that you leave the world and go to the jungle. Rather you get busy in your occupation and your heart immersed in His remembrance. Every breath must adore Him.”

The objective of the Sufi breathing techniques is to use breath regulation as the medium for opening the eyes of the seeker towards ways in which he may still the tempests of the mind and deepen within him the divine qualities of love, gratitude and remembrance of God.

In Sufi contexts, there is reference to the Arabic phrase Nafas al-Mahabbah, which means ‘Breath of Love’. This refers to the spiritual energy or barakah transmitted on the breath of a Sufi master. It may also be understood as the very moment of creation, the indivisible instant where everything in the universe is brought into existence.

The emphasis on the power of breath continues with Nafas al-Zikir, which translates as ‘remembrance through breath’. Mindful breathing is a form of dhikr, the act of remembering or mentioning God and seeking union with the Divine. Nafas al-Zikir anchors the seeker in the present moment, enabling their hearts to deepen compassion and partake of the divine presence. A mindful approach towards breathing uses this vital activity as a vehicle towards transformation, emotional healing and spiritual growth.

Hazrat Mu’in al-Din Hasan Chishti (1143-1236), reverentially called Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, used to say that concentration on the implications of drawing and discharging breath is a part of the seer’s (Arif’s) worship. The Sufis have regarded the breath as a vital force that links the material and spiritual worlds.

Through mindful breathing and breath control, they seek spiritual awakening, harmony, and deepened awareness of the interconnectedness of all life, and the realisation of the Almighty.

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