Thumos and spiritus the Ancient Greek and Roman words for spirit (that which makes alive) also referred to both wind and breath. The exercise that follows explores the connection between wind, breath, and spirit.
Go outside. Find a place to walk, sit or stand where you will not be interrupted.
Notice the wind. See and hear it rustling the leaves of the trees. It makes them alive.
Feel the wind touching your face. How does it feel?
How would you describe the wind? Gentle or harsh? Hot, warm, cool, or cold? Humid or dry? Give it a personality. In Western culture, the four winds of the four directions are considered male spirits. Does the wind you feel, feel like a male?
Focus on the core of your being, your heart, behind your breast bone and between your breasts. Breathe into and out of your heart. Notice how your heart feels. Without forming an opinion about how you feel, just feel what you feel.
Breathe in and fill your lungs with the wind. Breathe out. Continue breathing in the wind and breathing out. Continue breathing the wind into your heart for as long as feels right to you.
How do you feel after breathing the wind into your heart? Do you feel the same or different than before you breathed in the wind? Do you feel more like how you described the wind or not?
Whenever you have the opportunity, practice this exercise with different types and wind and see what happens.
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