“If you look up the word “spirit” in the dictionary, you will find that it comes from the Latin, spirare, meaning “to breathe.” The inbreath is inspiration; the outbreath expiration. From these come all the associations of spirit with the breath of life, vital energy, consciousness, the soul, often framed as divine gifts bestowed upon us, and therefore as aspect of the holy, the numinous, the ineffable. In the deepest sense, the breath itself is the ultimate gift of spirit.” (my emphasis)
- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., Wherever You Go There You Are
Although it’s critical to look at the science of how breathing affects our body and mind, let’s not forget intangible aspects of it, too. That the breath is “the ultimate gift of spirit.”
Let’s use this divine gift that’s been bestowed upon us wisely 🙏