"For God is Spirit; and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
(John 4:24, George Lamsa Translation)
The Aramaic word translated here and elsewhere in the Bible as spirit is RUACH, pronounced in the Aramaic dialect as "roo-ahh", it means the breath. Since it is a feminine gendered noun it is a process. It is not the breath you feel on your skin, but the act of beathing itself.
When I think about what my breathing is, I think of inhalation and exhalation. It is a rhythm of breathing in and breathing out. The process is a rhythm. Sometimes I breath faster, when I'm out of breath or exercising. Sometimes I breath slower, when I'm drifting off to sleep or meditating.
The word sacred is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as, "considered to be holy and deserving respect, especially because of a connection with a god."
So, sacred breath is a process of breathing that is a connection to the divine.
Do you think this process of sacred breath is inhaling and exhaling air from our lungs? Certainly we continue this breath during sacred breath, but where is the connection? God is within us and all round us. So there is always a connection between us. But do we always remember this connection?
I know how it feels when I forget the connection. I am in "separate self". Then my body feels constricted. Emotionally, I feel a tension like fear, sadness or anger or just a little apprehensive or kind of blah. It doesn't feel like love, joy or peace. I am aware that I forgot who I truly am!
What to do?
I take a Spirit Break. I breath in gently, but fully. I usually look up and relax the tension from my body. I like to open my arms, depending on the circumstances. This openness of body helps enable the openness of the heart. I open myself to the flow of life-energy to me, through me and back out to the universe.
It's like my being is inhaling "life" and exhaling "life"
What does that feel like? Impressions come in from the outside and energy radiates outward from me. The exchange of impressions and energy is rapid as I remember the truth of my being even as I receive impressions from what appeared just a few seconds ago as out there. There is an open feeling of oneness. That which I am breathing is that which is breathing me!
I know my feet are still on the ground, but they don't feel that way. I can feel my whole body at once and see everything that is going on around me, but there is no inner dialogue. Sacred Breath.
Sacred Breath.
Remembering who I am
without words.
Seeing and feeling
what is within and without
in rapid succession,
nearly
simultaneous.
I AM
We are.
One.