Vigyan Bhairava Tantra
Sutra – 25
Meditation on the Turning Points of Breath
Sutra 25 directs us to focus not merely on the breath but on the precise points where the inhalation reverses into exhalation and vice versa. These turning points are pivotal yet subtle, often overlooked in the rhythm of breathing.
In Sutra 24, attention was centered on the flow of incoming and outgoing breath. It explained that as you focus on the breath, it naturally deepens. The deeper inhalation resonates with the sound “Ham,” and the exhalation with “Sah,” culminating in the spontaneous emergence of the Soham mantra. By immersing your awareness in this harmonious sound, you delve into the depths of meditation.
However, Sutra 25 shifts the focus. Here, instead of observing the flow of the breath, you are guided to concentrate on the points of transition—the spaces where the incoming breath turns outward and the outgoing breath pivots inward. These transition points are moments of stillness, a state of emptiness that often escapes perception.
Lord Shiva seeks to reveal to Shakti in this sutra that before the breath reverses—when inhalation transforms into exhalation and vice versa—a moment of void or emptiness occurs. This void is a profound stillness, a gap that cannot be seen or felt through the ordinary senses.
According to this sutra, when you draw the breath inward, it moves downward, reaching its lowest point. Upon exhalation, the breath ascends upward. This cyclical movement creates an elliptical circuit within the body. The sutra calls upon us to focus on the two pivotal points of this elliptical motion: the lower edge where the inhalation concludes and prepares to reverse, and the upper edge where the exhalation completes and pivots inward.
When the inward breath reaches the nadir of its arc, it pauses momentarily before reversing direction. This pause represents the lowest point of the ellipse, a void where the breath has not yet begun its return. Similarly, at the zenith of exhalation, there is a fleeting moment before the breath turns inward again. This void, or stillness, exists between the phases of inhalation and exhalation.
By concentrating on these voids, you expand the sense of emptiness. In this emptiness, you experience a state beyond breath, beyond the self—a state akin to death. Yet, this “death” symbolizes not the cessation of life but the dissolution of the mind. In the absence of breath, the ego dissolves, and with it, the mind ceases to disturb. This is the gateway to absolute meditative absorption.
The same practice applies to the point where the outward breath transitions into the inward breath. The key lies in effortless observation—allowing the breath to flow naturally without interference. Do not force or delay the breath; simply hold your awareness at the turning points and let the process unfold organically.
Thus, sit comfortably in a relaxed posture, or lie down with your eyes closed. Focus on the two edges of your breath, where it reverses. Allow yourself to sink into these spaces of stillness, losing yourself in the profound depths of meditation.
Through this practice, the mind dissolves into the infinite silence of the void, leading you to ultimate awareness and unity with the eternal.
