It is difficult to define breath in a few words. Breath is the very life in beings, and what holds all the particles of the body together is the power of the breath, and when this power becomes less, then the will loses its control over the body. As the power of the sun holds all the planets, so the power of the breath holds every organ.
Besides this, the breath purifies the body by taking in new and fresh life and by giving out all gasses that should be put out. It nourishes the body by absorbing from the space the spirt and substance that are necessary, and more necessary than all that one eats and drinks. The whole mechanism of the body works by the power of the breath, and every disorder in the working of the mechanism is caused by some irregularity in the breath. Therefore physicians feel disorder in the health of a patients by feeling their pulse or the beats of the heart. The physician will say that it is the physical illness of the body which has caused the change in the pulsation and in the beats of the heart, but the mystic knows that it is caused by the breath.
The breath in its different aspects acts differently; in every direction the breath does a special work. The breath has a special work with every organ of the body, and it has its particular influence upon every element of which the physical body consists. Every movement that one makes is directed by the power of the breath; at the same time, the breath alone has the power to stop any motion. For instance, walking, running, sitting and standing are actions done by the power of the breath; and trembling, shivering, or waving the hands or feet without control show lack of power in the breath.
Diseases — especially such diseases as nervousness, palpitation of the heart, and paralysis — come from lack of power of the breath. All lung diseases are caused by unclearness of the breath. Troubles in the brain and troubles in the intestines are also caused by lack of regularity of the breath.
This shows that breath is the key to health, which is all happiness in life.
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