Breath work is important in both eastern and western spiritual traditions. Breathing can be manipulated to bring about physical relaxation or excitation or altered states of consciousness. Working with the breath is also considered a means of accessing prana, qi, ki, ruh, ruach, pneuma, anima, or astral light.
Here’s a quick summary of some easy and useful breath techniques.
Fourfold Breath
This is not really my favorite or one I work with very much, but it’s commonly taught in magical traditions. Four counts on the inhalation, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, hold for four, repeat.
5 x 5
This is my preferred alternative to fourfold breath: five second inhalation, five second exhalation, no pause between. This has an immediate calming effect. I use this to control stage fright, to tolerate high heat in the sauna, or just to warm up for ritual. I’ll also do energy circulations/visualizations at this rhythm. Really useful and portable.
Candle Breathing
Another one of my preferred ways to warm up for ritual. Light a candle, and as you inhale, imagine pulling the energy from the flame into your body at every pore. As you exhale, picture the fire within you burning even brighter. Do this a few times until you are incandescent. I find this a good launching off point for Qabalistic Cross.
Good Ol’ Anapanasati
This is the breathing technique the Buddha taught. My interpretation of this practice comes from Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Just work with the breath so that it’s soothing and calming. If long, deep breaths feel good, do those. If you need shorter, shallower breaths, do that. Tune into your body. Feel into what it needs and adjust the breath accordingly. Work progressively through each part of the body doing this, and then just experience the entire body breathing this way all at once. It helps to visualize the breath energy going in and out of the body as light, through the pores.
3 x 6
Inhale for 3 seconds, exhale for 6. Fill the bottom of your lungs, then the middle of your lungs, then the top of your lungs. Empty in reverse order. If you experience light-headedness or tingling, sloooooow the breath down. When this is easy to do for 30 minutes, try a 4/8 pattern. Then a 5/10 pattern. If you can do 10/20 for 30 minutes, you’re ready for Crowley’s instructions in Liber E.
There are plenty more variations besides these, especially when you bring mixing them with visualizations of various kinds. But these are my favorite portable/basic practices.