Breathe Dictionary

prana: (Sanskrit) Vital energy or life principle. Literally, "vital air," from the root pran, "to breathe."

Prana in the human body moves in the pranamaya kosha as five primary life currents known as vayus, "vital airs or winds." These are prana (outgoing breath), apana (incoming breath), vyana (retained breath), udana (ascending breath) and samana (equalizing breath). Each governs crucial bodily functions, and all bodily energies are modifications of these. Usually prana refers to the life principle, but sometimes denotes energy, power or the animating force of the cosmos.

See: kosha, tattva.

(See also: Prana , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Falling : Dream Interpretation Dictionary - Falling or Drowning  

Falling or Drowning

Definition: You dream of falling through the air, frightened. You may or may not strike the ground before awakening. A variant of this dream are images of drowning or near-drowning.

Examples:

• I am running when I trip over a stick and fall over a cliff, going down and down and I am about the hit the rocks below.
• I'm swimming when a giant tidal wave washes over me; I can't breathe.

Source: Patricia Garfield, Ph.D., President of ASD

(See also: Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation Falling , Dream Dictionary Falling )

Breathe Dream Symbols:

(Source: Myths - Dreams - Symbols)

Related pages: Dream Symbols, Dream Interpretation, Dream Symbol Breathe, Dream Dictionary Breathe, Meaning of dreams about Breathe, Dream Interpretation Breathe, Dream Analysis Breathe, Dreaming of Breathe

Breathe, Breathing rapidly, Breathing, Anxiety, Tension, Fear, New situation, Breathing underwater, Underwater, Womb, Responsibilities, Submerged, Holding the breath, Cannot breathe, Bad breath, Air, Suffocating, Strangled, Strangulation

Prana (Sanskrit) [from pra before + the verbal root an to breathe, live]

In theosophy, the breath of life; the third principle in the ascending scale of the sevenfold human constitution. This life or prana works on, in, and around us, pulsating unceasingly during the term of physical existence. Prana is "the radiating force or Energy of Atma -- as the Universal Life and the One Self, -- Its lower or rather (in its effects) more physical, because manifesting, aspect. Prana or Life permeates the whole being of the objective Universe; and is called a 'principle' only because it is an indispensable factor and the deus ex machina of the living man" (Key 176).

In working upon the physical body, prana automatically uses the linga-sarira (model-body) as its vehicle of expression during earth-life. Prana may be said to be the psychoelectric veil or field manifesting in the individual as vitality. The life-atoms of prana fly instantly back, at the moment of physical dissolution, to the natural pranic reservoirs of the planet.

Further, occultism teaches that "(a) the life-atoms of our (Prana) life-principle are never entirely lost when a man dies. That the atoms best impregnated with the life-principle (an independent, eternal, conscious factor) are partially transmitted from father to son by heredity, and partially are drawn once more together and become the animating principle of the new body in every new incarnation of the Monads. Because (b), as the individual Soul is even the same, so are the atoms of the lower principles (body, its astral, or life double, etc.), drawn as they are by affinity and Karmic law always to the same individuality in a series of various bodies, etc. . . ." (SD 2:671-2).

In Sanskrit it refers to the life currents or vital fluids, variously numbered as three, five, seven, twelve, and thirteen. The five life-winds mentioned are samana, vyana, prana, apana, and udana. In this classification prana represents the expirational breath.

Jiva is sometimes used similarly to prana, but strictly prana means outbreathing and jiva means life per se. There is a universal or cosmic jiva or life principle, just as there are innumerable hosts of individualized jivas, which are the atoms of the former, drops in the ocean of cosmic life. These individualized jivas are relatively eternal, and correspond exactly to the term monad. Jiva, without qualification, is of general application; when considered as individualized, these jivas are used in the sense of individual monads; contrariwise, prana is applied to the life-fluid or jivic aura when manifesting in the lower triad of the human constitution as prana-lingasarira-sthulasarira. Hence Blavatsky said that jiva becomes prana when the child is born and begins to breathe.

(See also: Prana , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Psyche (Greek) [from psycho breathe, blow; cf Greek pneuma from pneo to breathe, blow; Latin anima, spiritus all connected with breath, wind, spirit, life, soul]

Used in classic Greek as vaguely as is our word soul; but in Platonic philosophy and theosophical usage, the lower or carnally influenced aspect of the mind or soul, as contrasted with the higher or spiritually influenced aspect: kama-manas as against buddhi-manas, the latter represented by the Greek nous. From these two words are derived the adjectives psychic and noetic.

The story of Cupid and Psyche -- where Psyche represents the human soul as such, apart from special connection with buddhi or kama -- depicts the search for happiness, or the course of human love. Psyche is of mortal birth, but so beautiful that Venus herself becomes jealous and sends Cupid to inspire Psyche with love for an unworthy object. But Cupid himself becomes enamored of Psyche. The love between Cupid and Psyche cannot be realized in the atmosphere of earthly passion and delusion, and is fulfilled only when Psyche, reconciled with Venus, is taken to the Olympian heights. The emblem of Psyche was the butterfly, which in winged joy comes forth into the sunlight from its prison of caterpillar and chrysalis.

The Greek verb from which psyche is derived also means to chill, make cold; and this has an application to the psyche as the lower part of the human soul and therefore closely connected with the kama-rupa and astral light after death. Hence it is that those who dabble in necromantic experiments, or even in psychic experiences, often refer to a damp, chill, and often clammy sensation in the atmosphere when contact with these kama-rupic entities is made. This should be warning that such contact is not only highly unwholesome, but a danger signal that one is dealing with death and decay.

(See also: Psyche , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Abel hebel (Hebrew) (from the verbal root habal to breathe, blow, be vain, transitory)

Breath, mist, vapor; by extension, emptiness, fruitlessness, vanity. The second son of Adam and Eve, a "keeper of sheep," slain by his brother Cain (Genesis 4). According to Blavatsky, Cain and Abel represent the third root-races or the "Separating Hermaphrodite," who produce the fourth root-race, Seth-Enos. Abel (Hebel) is the female counterpart of the male Cain, and Adam is the collective name for man and woman. Abel is "the first natural woman, and sheds the Virgin blood," during the separation of the sexes (SD 2:388); the " 'murdering' is blood-shedding, but not taking life" (SD 2:273n; also 2:127, 134).

Abel thus is a generalizing term for womankind and Cain for mankind, when the sexes began separating in the third root-race but were not yet completely apart, before the androgynous humans became the present humanity with distinct sexes. A similar word, hebel (the pain of childbirth), is connected by some scholars with Abel.

See also HABEL

(See also: Abel, hebel , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Eve Hawwah (Hebrew) (from hawah to breathe, live)

Mystically the mother of all living, an allegorical yet actual figure in all archaic cosmogonies. Genesis describes three Eves:

1)    the archetypal Eve, the feminine aspect of the divine androgyne which is on the one hand `Adam Qadmon, and on the other hand Sephirah-Eve (ch. l);

2)    the Eve of the early third root-race, after the separation of the sexes but before the awakening of mind (ch. 2); and

3)    Eve the mother of Abel and of Seth, here beginning the course of human history after the awakening of mind.

The first Eve was no woman but, like the first Adam, the spiritual feminine aspect of an archetypal spiritual host; the second was no woman but womankind; while the third was woman and mother as now known. They companion and correspond to the three Adams: the first, the spiritual albeit masculine type of the archetypal host; the second, the mindless first human race; and the third, "the race that (had fully)

separated, whose eyes are opened" (SD 2:46n). Between the Eve of Genesis and Eve the mother of Seth (Genesis 4) passed long ages, involving millions of years during which the archetypal preparation of the globe for human habitation was followed by distinct root-races and three Edens, with millions of years between even these latter.

The original from which the Hebrew Genesis was later compiled is lost. Yet even as the latter has reached us -- first veiled, then probably remodeled by Ezra with shiftings that confuse the chronology -- despite important words and clauses mistranslated by European scholars, its resemblance to the esoteric account is unmistakable. For Jehovah, who gave the human body and (physical) breath of life, is the hyparxis of Saturn and an earthly, not a celestial, hierarchy.

The human mind and spirit are essentially emanations from the immortal spiritual monad coeval with the universe, and subsequent human evolutionary development was both from and aided by the elohim, a spiritual host. Adam and Eve, once mind appeared in them, enter the path of self-directed evolution, a reference to the second and third Eves mentioned above. The eating of the fruit of the tree is the awakening or lighting of mind in man. It shows Eve as consorting with spiritual, not demoniacal, forces and incidentally reconciles the two creation stories.

Like the serpent, the tree is an ancient and universal symbol of sacred and esoteric knowledge. To eat of its fruit is to acquire the knowledge that only the gods possess, and the possession confers immortality under the law.

There is neither relationship nor historic nor philosophic resemblance between Eve and Lilith, Adam's "first wife."

(See also: Eve, Hawwah , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

COBRA

The Hieroglyphics of Horapollo Nilous explains the metaphorical aspects of the Egyptian hieroglyphics. The first entry is about serpents. It seems the Egyptians used the cobra to designate royalty because of its power over life and death. Since, when coiled, its tail disappears, it is also a fitting symbol for eternity. The Greeks called the serpent oura, or "tail", whence the "Uraeus", which is the Greek word for the cobra-shaped crown worn by kings and gods alike. To demonstrate its "eternal" aspect, the Greeks depicted the serpent devouring its own tail (Ouroboros "tail-devouring"). Oddly enough, the Greek letter rho is similar in shape to the beta, and some scholars think oura (read ouba) is taken from an old Hebrew word for sorcery ob. (See OBEAH).

This is all very instructive, to be sure, but what interests us is that the Egyptians believed that the cobra was so deadly that it didn't even have to sink its fangs into a person. It barely needed to graze him. In fact, it merely had to "breathe" on someone to inflict its venom. Now, since we already know that the "king" cobra was associated with royalty, its not surprising that the Greeks should call it, in their language, "the little king" or basilisk, bringing along with the word the Egyptian version of its natural history.

By the time we reach the Middle Ages in Europe, the basilisk (since cobras don't exist in Europe) had turned into a fabulous beast with wings and a fiery breath fatal to every living thing. A similar transformation happened to the poor white rhinoceros of Africa; in Europe the unicorn was turned into a fabulous horse with a horn. And when we learn that the most fearsome of sea serpents, the Nichus, was born of a medieval monk's mistranslation of an original misspelling of the Latin version of the "Nile" river (Nilus), an obnoxious pattern emerges: the decay of truth into superstition, simply because of linguistic ignorance.

(See also: COBRA , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

AYURVEDIC MEDICINE

Ayurvedic (pronounced eye yur VEH dik) medicine stresses a holistic approach to health. It means “science of life.” It places equal emphasis on body, mind and spirit and its main goal is to restore the innate harmony of the individual.

Ayurvedic medicine defines disease as the result of climatic extremes, bacterial attack, nutritional deviance, and stress, as well as other forms of emotional imbalance. Optimal health is achieved by cultivating mental and physical habits that are conducive to physical and spiritual well-being. Treatment often includes yoga, diet, and the development of positive attitude

Ayurvedic medicine evolved among the Brahmin sages of ancient India some 3000-5000 years ago. There are specific aspects of this system of medicine that distinguish it from other approaches to health care. It focuses on establishing and maintaining balance of the life energies within us, rather than focusing on individual symptoms.

"Constitution” is the keystone of Auruvedic medicine. Constitution refers to the overall health profile of the individual, including strength and susceptibilities. Ayurvedic doctors determine each metabolic body type and then specify a treatment plan to guide one back into harmony with the environment. 

Underlying Ayurveda is the view that everything is composed of five basic elements: ether/space, air, fire, water and earth. These are similar to the elements in traditional Chinese medicine. These elements combine to form the metabolic body types, or doshas (pronounced DOE shas). Ayurveda describes three body types. Even though each person’s metabolic type is determined by a predominant dosha, all three doshas are present in varying degrees in every cell, tissue and organ of the body.

The three doshas are vata, pitta and kapha. Vata is motion that activates the physical system, physical activity, and nerve force. It allows the body to breathe and circulate blood. The seats of the vata are the large intestine, pelvic cavity, bones , skin, ears and thighs. Pitta processes food, air and water and is responsible for charging the endocrine and enzymatic activities throughout the body. The seats of the pitta are the small intestines, stomach, sweat glands, blood, skin and eyes. Kapha involves the structure of bones, tendons, muscles and the fat that holds the body together. It offers nourishment and protection. The chest, lungs, and fluid surrounding the spinal cord are the seats of kapha.

When the doshas are balanced in accordance with the individual’s constitution, the result is vibrant heath and energy. When the balance is disturbed the body becomes susceptible to disease. Imbalance in the doshas is the first sign that the mind and body are not perfectly coordinated.

Ayurvedic medicine believes that once people understand the characteristics and qualities of their body type they can make changes in their lifestyle and environment to restore dosha balance. Ayurveda seeks to heal the fragmentation and disorder of the mind-body complex and restore wholeness and harmony to all people of all ages, from young children to the elderly.

(See also: AYURVEDIC MEDICINE , Alternative Health, Holistic Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Yawning

• If you yawn in your dreams, you will search in vain for health and contentment.
• To see others yawning, foretells that you will see some of your friends in a miserable state. Sickness will prevent them from their usual labors.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Yawning , Meaning of Dreams about Yawning , Dream Interpretation Yawning )

Trapped : Dream Interpretation Dictionary - Being lost or trapped

Being lost or trapped

In these highly common dreams, you're lost and feeling desperate. You may be buried alive or locked in a cage. Or you dream of not being able to move; you're powerless to scream or breathe.

These dreams may occur when you feel confusion or conflict about how to act in waking life.

The images are influenced by biological roots and experience. Feeling trapped or paralyzed also mirrors what occurs to the large muscles of the body during normal REM sleep, when they're paralyzed to prevent the body from acting out the dreams.

Such dreams could reflect frustrations in waking life, such as feeling trapped in a relationship or a dead-end job.

You may open a door in your home to find a new room or find something new in the neighborhood. These dreams occur usually when you feel an aspect of your life if opening up.

(See also: Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation Trapped , Dream Dictionary Trapped )

Deep breathing reduces stress, deepens insight, expands consciousness and increases intuitive perception. Men of wisdom fetch their breath up from deep inside and below, while others breathe with their voice box alone. Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela often relied on mind-cleansing meditation combined with deep breathing Ñ to restore their flagging energy and create inner peace whenever stress built up in their lives.

Considering our breathing becomes more and more shallow and ineffective from birth onwards, this is a matter of utmost concern.

Read more here: » Breathing: Take a Deep Breath

As we exhale, not only do we throw out carbon dioxide from our system, but also mental and emotional impurities. Here, Swami Kriyananda speaks of a breathing technique that will help overcome negative moods

When a deliberate effort is made to absorb "prana" from the air that we breathe, then breathing can give us psycho-spiritual benefits as well. There is an intimate connection between the mind and the breath. When we are emotionally disturbed, the flow of energy in the body is also disturbed, and the effect on the breath is instantaneous: The breathing becomes erratic and rapid.

(See also: Meditation Techniques , Meditation, Meditation for Beginners, Meditation Techniques)

Read more here: » Meditation Techniques: Breathe out despair

Pranayama or breath control signifies stretching, extending and regulating our breathing process. Pranayama can be used as a preparation for meditation wherein it cleanses the body and the mind. It also helps to maximise the benefits of the practice of yogasanas and also focusing the mind.

(See also: Pranayama , God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Pranayama: Breathe Some Life Into Your Soul - Pranayama  

The floating exercise is an important part of the meditation practices of kundalini Tantra, and as such is normally one of the first exercises taught to a new student. Mastery of the floating exercise can bring alignment to virtually any technique or physical world method wished. The floating exercise can also open the student to alignment to any spiritual world method or benefit imagined.  

Read more here: » Floating Exercise: The Floating Exercise of Kundalini Tantra

The sage Patanjali postulated an eight-fold system of spiritual yogic practice for achieving the divine goal. It comprises:

Yam - Controls, Niyam - Rules and regulations, Asan - Bodily Postures, Pranaayam - Breath Control Exercises, Pratyahaar - Sense control, Dharana - Concentration, Dhyaana - Meditation, Samadhi - Mergence

Read more here: » Patanjali Yoga: Patanjali System Of Yoga

Dreams are a powerful tool in developing deep insight about yourself and your life purpose. They are a priceless source of inspiration and creativity, as witnessed by geniuses spanning the entire range between Einstein and Salvador Dali; both of whom worked with dream and fantasy in their work. The simple 3-step process will enable you to work with your dreams to gain deeper insights into your psyche.

Read more here: » Meaning of Dreams: A Three Step Process For Working With Your Dreams

Vipassana Meditation: The practice of the sound current in Vipassana meditation, also known as the divine sound, is a foundational practice of linking directly with the soul and I AM Presence. It comes from the Himalayan masters of ancient India, and is a foundation for the practice of nada yoga, sahaj yoga, Babaji’s kriya yoga, as well as Sikh practices like shabda yoga.

Read more here: » Vipassana Meditation: The Sound Current and Vipassana Meditation

Pranayama is defined as breath control, but actually, Prana is energy, the type of energy that is received from Kether or from the spiritual world. It is sometimes defined as a white light that emanates from on high or that is surrounding us at all times. Call it what you like, it is possible to energize our electrochemical bodies by controlled breathing, and the Pranayama methods are highly effective in attaining specific energy states.

Read more here: » Pranayama: Pranayama Techniques

A personal reflection on God by Yana Gupta. ”I don't believe in God. Why do I need to believe in something I feel so strong about? When you feel angry, you don't say: "I believe I'm angry.'' When you are in love, you don't say: "I believe I'm in love.'' You know you are in love, because the feeling is so strong, that you can hardly think of anything else than the person you love. ”

Read more here: » Spiritual Inspiration: God and I by Yana Gupta