The tenth bead on the blessing cord is breath. This is the manifestation of air in Malkuth. Malkuth is the physical world, where the inspiration that started out in Kether comes into manifestation. Our breath is a powerful blessing from the gods. Not only does it allow us to survive it can be used to regulate our emotions, change our consciousness, and gather energies for change.
There are many different breathing techniques to master, but in this meditation I have chosen one of my favorites, which is Pranic pore breathing. Prana is a Sanskrit term from India which means the energy that is in all things. It is associated with the breath and the power of air. Pranayama is the practice of different breathing exercises that raise the Prana in your system.
The exercise that follows for this bead in the blessing cord can be used in multiple ways. Just on its own with no intention it can fill you with the vital energy of prana. It can also be focused by intention to gather a frequency of prana that matches your intention. So you can breathe in the prana of love, peace, joy, harmony, or some other ideal. You can also use it to breathe in energies of cabala spheres, planets or elements by using their corresponding colors or visualizations of their energies. When I set an intention for it I like to say something to evoke that energy around me so that I can breath it in. An example would be:
“By the infinite divine manifestations of the two who move as one. I surround myself in the energies of (planet, intention, element etc). May they fill this space so I might breathe them in.”
You could also tailor this meditation to your intention using incense corresponding to your goal. I like to do this exercise outside because I feel like the Prana is clearer and more energized by nature. It will work inside too, but it really rocks outside!
Pore breathing concentrates on your skin and pores to breathe in the energy that is all around you. This meditation can be enhanced by wearing light clothing or going sky clad but works perfectly great clothed. I have done this one in the middle of a snow storm in January in northern New England with all my winter layers on and it worked perfectly, so don’t get too worried about what clothes to wear (or not wear).
One of the dangers of this exercise is that you can overload your body with prana. Using the grounding and centering techniques at the beginning of this blog will help make sure you don’t blow your circuits. If you are working with one of the elements or one of the planetary energies it is recommended that you don’t work with one energy too much because you can unbalance your self and your relationship to the other planets and elements. This exercise can also be used to gather energy to fulfill a spell or creative visualization. To do this at the end of the meditation, imagine the energy you have gathered being sent from your hands, third eye or heart too your visualization of your end goal until it glows with the energy of the prana you sent.
Meditation of Breath
Hold the Tenth bead on the blessing cord. The blessing of breath, the bead of air in Malkuth.
Count yourself down in to a meditative state.
Allow the screen of your mind to expand out around you forming a sphere. Feel the slight shift as a garden begins to grow up around you on the sphere of your mind. Resonate the god name of Malcuth: Ah-do-nai Ha-ah-retz
Bring your focus to your skin. Imagine the pores of your skin are becoming more open and porous. You may feel a slight tingle all over your skin as it begins to open a bit more.
You can evoke the energy or intention you are working on now with this short evocation while visualizing the energy filling the room.
“By the infinite divine manifestations of the two who move as one. I surround myself in the energies of Vitalizing Prana (or you can enter intention here). May they fill this space so I might breathe them in. So Mote it be”
Begin to breathe in the energy around you from your newly opened pores. Imagine the energy filling you as you breathe in. Hold your breath for the count of three to let your body absorb it. As you release your breath you are breathing out the opposite of the energy you just breathed in. As it leaves your body, it is dissolved and flows away from you. Breathe in again of the energy of your goal and repeat the process until you feel “full” of the energy of your goal.
You can send this energy out toward a goal or just absorb it into your body.
When you are done, focus on grounding any excess energy into the earth to be recycled. When you feel more grounded. Imagine that your pores are returning to a normal amount of openness.
Become aware of the garden around you in your sphere. Allow it to fade as you feel a slight shift. Your screen of your mind returns to its normal size.
Count yourself up into waking consciousness.
Give yourself clearance and balance and ground some more if necessary.
Contemplation
In all types of situation bring attention to your breath. Is it relaxed? Is it hectic? Is it appropriate for the situation you are in? Does changing the breath change your experience of this situation?
