Inspiration and the Breath
There is a vitality,
a life force,
a quickening
that is translated through you into action,
and because there is only one of you in all time,
this expression is unique.
And If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.
The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine
how good it is
nor how valuable it is
nor how it compares with other expressions.
It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly
to keep the channel open.
You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work.
You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate YOU.
Keep the channel open...
No artist is pleased...
There is no satisfaction whatever at any time
There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction
a blessed unrest that keeps us marching
and makes "us" MORE alive than the others.
--Martha Graham, Choreographer
(a letter to Agnes De Mille)
Love Light II, Oil on canvas
by Erika Manning, Rockland, Maine
What is inspiration and where does it come from? Inspiration is defined as a person or thing that excites or stimulates, it is also the term for inhaling, breathing in. We often use the phrase “Divine Inspiration” to mean an idea or motivation to do something that we have no linear, logical explanation for. Baked into the expression is the sense that the inspiration is coming from somewhere else. Divine is defined as: of or relating to a god, God, or a Supreme Being. And then, there is inhaling. Wow! How, then is the act of inhaling related to the Divine?
Many of you have noticed and wondered about this clock in my office. This is a visual representation of how the Qi (pronounced “chee”) or life force energy moves through the body over 24 hours. It is telling us which organ systems have the most Qi to do their work at any given time of day. Conversely, it also tells which organs have the least Qi at any time of day.
The outer edge of the spiral starts at 7:00 a.m. with the Stomach and moving to Spleen. This is confirming what your mother always told you, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is showing that you have the most digestive capacity from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. The ancillary to that is that from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m., your digestion has the least capacity. That is why you feel your best when you eat a hearty breakfast and a light, early dinner. The inner spiral starts at 7:00 p.m. with the Heart Protector and moves us back around through the evening and early morning hours passing through Lung time between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. The Lung, the organ of inhalation.
This clock provides us with very useful information when we have symptoms or self-care needs that occur at a certain time of day. For example, insomnia from 1:00 to 3:00 a.m. tells us the Liver is involved. It is a lens through which a practitioner can know which organ system is involved in the current symptom. Ideally, the hands of the clock sweep around through 24 hours without any symptoms because it is part of the invisible web of great sweeping motions that keep the universe, or you, running smoothly. (Great sweeping motions are things like the yearly movement of the earth around the sun, the 28-day moon cycle, local tides, or daily rotation of the earth). These are the outward manifestations of some of the invisible forces that hold the universe together. [i]
Keep in mind that while most of these are names of organs in the western sense, they have a greatly expanded job description in East Asian medicine and philosophy. From this lens, think of them like ministers of the body, mind, spirit State. The Liver, for example, has this job description: The liver holds the office of the general of the armed forces. Assessment of circumstances and conception of plans stem from it. When you can’t sleep from 1:00 to 3:00 am, it is often because you have a problem you have to figure out, you are assessing circumstances and conceiving a plan. It is also why “sleeping on” a problem is often helpful. It is these 12 ministers that are responsible for all the physiological processes that need to happen to keep the State (you) running smoothly.
Looking at the clock, we can see that the Lung, the organ of inspiration, literally the organ you use to inhale, is most active from 3:00 to 5:00 a.m. This is also the time of day that those leading a monastic life, regardless of tradition, or geographic location, or period in history, have risen to meditate, pray or chant every day. It has been part of the rhythm of contemplative life for thousands of years. This is not an accident. The lung has the charge of minister and chancellor. Thus, regulation of the relays for animation is brought about.
Note: This clock is an hour later in the summer with daylight savings time, so breakfast would be 8.00 am to noon.
The Emperor of the body/mind/spirit state
Minister and chancellor to whom, you might ask? To the Heart, the Emperor/Empress of the body/mind/spirit state, the mystical organ that connects us to the whole. Imagine living in a time and place where you were governed by an empress. If you had a problem that you wanted help with, you probably could not go have an audience with the empress directly, you would have to meet with their “minister and chancellor,” and they would relay your problem to the emperor, and then relay the response back to you. In this way, the emperor (Heart) is kept in the loop of anything regarding the state of your life (animation) and is able to provide governance. And, if we knew how to listen, information from the Heart, our connection to the whole, would be relayed back to us via the Lung where we could then carry out the instructions received. In other words, cultivate Divine inspiration via the breath.
Human beings have always known that the breath (Lung, minister and chancellor) connects us to the Heart (Emperor), the mystical organ that connects us to the whole with songs and prayers that were part of the rhythms of daily life. Western culture has just forgotten that connection, except in the physical sense of the cardio-pulmonary system. You can read about The Mystical Organ of the Heart and its connection to the whole
The breath then, is a portal through which we can become conscious of ourselves as part of the whole, as a jewel in Indra’s net. When we know the nature of ourselves as a jewel in Indra’s net, we can become more conscious of our life’s purpose and how to live it fully. As Martha Graham reminds us, “There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.” Whether you are creating a work of art, or engaged in more everyday pursuits of working, parenting, and making a home and community, it is all an opportunity to live and create the unique expression of you. Human beings have the potential to be conscious of our individual lives as a living manifestation of Divine Inspiration. You are the work of art.
How To Develop Your Loving-Kindness Practice
In every spiritual tradition I can think of, there is practice of breathing while focusing the mind. Some focus on the breath in silent meditation or prayer, to quiet the mind, and others, like Loving Kindness Meditation from the Buddhist tradition, have more structure which can be extremely helpful, especially in the beginning. Some practices use chanting or singing to control the breath and focus the mind. No matter the technique, neurophysiological studies have shown that mindful breathing induces a coordination of brain and heart activity. Imagine a world where human beings’ minds were consciously connected to their hearts and their hearts were connected to the whole via Indra’s net. What a different place the world would be. Meditation and or prayer are techniques to develop that connection.
Loving-kindness, or metta, meditation is one such technique. While it comes from the Buddhist tradition, it can be practiced by anyone, regardless of religion, to cultivate more love and connection in daily life. In the Pali language, metta is unconditional, inclusive, wise, benevolent love, something we need more of both individually and collectively.
To do this meditation, copy down the basic form (below) onto a piece of paper, and find a comfortable, seated position. Draw the breath in and on the out breath, either out loud or in your head, start with the first line of the form. Work your way through each line with the breath starting with yourself. “ May I be free from inner and outer harm and danger…”
Repeat the form, until you start to feel a sense of love building in your solar plexus, heart center/chest. Then, work your way outward in an ever-widening circle, extending love to those in your life for whom you already feel love and then to those you find more challenging to love.
It may be helpful, especially at first, when working with someone you feel anger and resentment towards, to rephrase the statement as something like “to the best of my ability at this time, I wish (him, her, them) to be free of….” That way, you can feel honest in yourself as you start to melt the anger and resentments you are feeling. You can stay on one person for multiple repetitions if you need to before moving on. You can come back to yourself for a few cycles if you need to re-center. You can include the Earth and all Her myriad beings (the beings of land, water, and air).
Once you have memorized the form, you can use it anywhere, anytime you feel your equanimity slipping, your mind getting stuck in a rut of looping, unhelpful thoughts, or you notice yourself judging others. It might be helpful to start with a 30-day challenge, and once you reach 30 days, decide if you want to commit to another 30 days. You are working on changing the wiring in your brain, so just like learning to play an instrument or learn a language, consistency over time is key.
This is a simple, flexible, free technique that will transform your life. You do not have to take a class, or visit an ashram, or hike to remote sacred sites. You just need find 10 to 20 minutes a day to dedicate to your practice.
Loving-kindness Practice:
May I be free from inner and outer harm and danger.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be free of mental suffering or distress.
May I be happy.
May I be free of physical pain and suffering.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be able to live in this world happily, peacefully, joyfully, with ease.
Please check out the Classes & Events page to learn more about the upcoming class starting September 2021