Breath and Aum

As the Shvetashvatara Upanishad says, the breath and Om are

like two firesticks. Fire is inherent in both, but only when the two
are brought together in friction does the fire come forth. The fire
we are wanting to bring forth our real Self.

In many spiritual traditions the same word is used for both breath
and spirit, underscoring the esoteric principle that in essence they
are the same, though we naturally think of spirit as being the cause
of breath(ing). The word used for both breath and spirit is: In
Judaism, Ruach. In Eastern Christianity (and ancient Greek
religion), Pneuma. In Western Christianity (and ancient
Roman religion), Spiritus (which comes from spiro,
“I
breathe”). In Hinduism and Buddhism, Atma (from
the root word at which means “to
breathe”), and Prana. (જજ સવવસ નન કવરક છજ
તજ.=આતમવ)

The identity of the breath with the individual spirit, the Atman
(Self)
“The Self is the breath of the breath” (Kena Upanishad 1:2).

Swami Vivekananda, writing on Raja Yoga, points out that

according to the philosophers of India the ” Sound rises directly
from akasha, and breath rises directly from prana. Since they arise
from the spirit-center, when their right joining is done they free
and enable us to return and merge our consciousness with that
center. Joining the two, we go straight to the heart of ourselves and
the universe.

One of the most profound texts on the philosophy behind yoga,

the Shiva Sutras, says: “The connection of pure consciousness
with breath [prana] is natural” (Shiva Sutras 3:43). Breath is the
meeting place of body, mind, and spirit.
We start with awareness of the ordinary physical breath, but that
awareness, when cultivated correctly, leads us into higher
awareness . Ultimately, we come into contact with the
breather of the breath, our own spirit.

# The identity of the breath with the individual spirit, the

Atman (Self)

“The Self is the breath of the breath” (Kena Upanishad 1:2).

“The subtle Self within the living and breathing body is realized in
that pure consciousness wherein is no duality (Breath)” (Mundaka
Upanishad 3:1:9).

“The breaths are the Real, and their Reality is the Self”
(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 2.1.20).

“The Self is The Truth of Truth, and verily the Breath is Truth,
and the Self is the Truth of the Breath” (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 2.3.6).

“He who breathes in with your breathing in is your

Self. He who breathes out with your breathing out
is your Self” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.4.1).

“Self-luminous is that being, and formless. He dwells within all

and without all. He is unborn, pure, greater than the greatest.
From him is born the breath” (Mundaka Upanishad
2.1.2, 3). Since the breath rises from God, it can be resolved
back into God.

“Breath is the Immortal One” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.6.3).

“Which is the one God? The breath. He is Brahman”

(Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 3.9.9).
“They who know the breath of the breath…have realized the
ancient, primordial Brahman” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
4.4.18).
Ramana Maharshi on the breath
In Maha Yoga, Sri Ramana says: “Pranayama is of two kinds: one
of controlling and regulating the breath and the other of simply
watching the breath.” In the book Day By Day With
Bhagavan: “[Seekers] are advised to watch their breathing,
since such watching will naturally and as a matter
of course lead to cessation of thought and bring the
mind under control.” When asked in the same conversation about
actually controlling the breath, he commented: “Watching
the breath is also one form of pranayama. Retaining
breath, etc., is more violent and may be harmful in some cases….
But merely watching the breath is easy and involves no risk.”

In Talks With Sri Ramana Maharshi: “To watch the breath

is one way of doing pranayama. The mind abstracted
from other activities is engaged in watching the breath. That
controls the breath; and in its turn the mind is controlled.”
And further: “Breath and mind arise from the same source.
The source can be reached by regulating the breath….
Regulation of the breath is accomplished by watching its
movements.” And: “It is the Atman that activates the
mind and the breaths” (The Power of the Presence, vol.
III, p. 230).
The Role of Sound in Meditation
Liberating sound
Consciousness is the root of sound, and is innate in sound. Sound,
then, is the direct means to return our awareness to the inmost
level of our being and put us into touch with consciousness itself.
At the same time, sound rules all the levels of our being and has
the ability to infuse all those levels with the highest spiritual
consciousness, to spiritualize every bit of us. Om, then, is both
energy and consciousness. Listening to our inner
intonations of Om during (sabad) japa (six letters)
and meditation right away centers our awareness
in the highest, etheric level of our being (Atma).

Internal sound

According to the yoga scriptures there are three basic forms of

sound or speech: 1) pashyanti, that which can only be intuited or
felt rather than heard, even within; 2) madhyama, that which can
be heard in the mind as thought; and 3) vaikhari, that which is
physically spoken and heard outwardly by the ear through the
vibration of the air. But beyond even these is the transcendental
sound, para-vak or supreme speech, which is
soundless sound, consciousness itself. Om encompasses
all three.

“the trace of Vak they followed, and found her

harboring within” (Rig Veda 10.71.1, 2). This hymn of the
Rig Veda speaks of Vak, the creative Sound from which all
things came. This Sound both manifested all things and revealed
them: produced the consciousness capable of perceiving them.
The sages, the hymn tells us, traced Vak (Om) back
to the source.

https://ocoy.org/original-yoga/om-yoga/breath-and-sound-in-
meditation/
शश रमण महररर कक अनममल उपदकश
परममतमम और आतमम एक हश वसतत ततव कक
दम नमम हह.......

हदय गतहम कक मधय मम कक वल बह आतमम कक रप मम

अहमम -अहमम कक सफत रणम कक समथ चमकतम हह.
शवमवस-रनयमन यम एकमगरचत आतम-रवचमर दमरम
अपनक भशतर गमतम लगमकर हदय मम पहह वचम.
इस पकमर सक आप आतमम मम रसथर हम जमयमगक...

मन कयम हह? 
मन अअतरआतमम कक एक आशचयरजनक शरक हह.
जम शरशर कक भशतर मह कक रप “मम” उरदत हमतम हह, 
वह मन हह...

जब ससकम मन, मरसतषक एवअ इरननयय कक दमरम बरहमतरखश

हमतम हह,   तम सथसल नमम, रप कक पहचमन हमतश हह.

जब वह हदय मम रहतम हह तम नमम, रप रवलतप हम जमतक हह. 

यरद मन हदय मम रहतम हह तम ‘मह’ यम अहअकमर
जम समसत रवचमरय कम समत हह, 
https://www.wahh.in/2017/07/20-Ramana-Maharshi-Quotes-Hindi.html

મમમમમ મમ મમ મમમ મમમમમમ

મમમ મમમમમ મમ મમમ મમમમમ મમમમ મમ મમમમ મમમમમમમમ મમ મમ મમમ મમમમમમ મમ
મમમમ મમમમ મમમ મમ મમમ મમમમમ મમમમ મમમમ મમ । મમમમમ મમમમ મમમમમમ મમમમ મમ
મમમ - મમમ મમમમમમમ મમમમ મમ । મમ મમમમ મમ મમ, મમમમ મમમ મમમમમમ, મમમમમમ મમમ મ
મમ મમમમ મમમમ મમ/
મમમમ-મમમ
https://www.slideshare.net/SatishVyawahare/mantra-jap-
bhagwan-sri-ramana-maharshi-teachings-in-hindi
મમ મમ મમમ મમમમમ મમમ મમમમમમ મમમમમમ મમમમમમમમ મમ ।
Teachings of Raman Maharshi-P-45
PDF
RAMAN GITA -
https://www.scribd.com/document/268918895/Sri-Ramana-Gita
મ મમ મમમ મમમમમમ મમમમ
મ મમમમમમ મમમમ મમ
મમમમમ, મમમમમમ મમમ મમ
મમમમમ મમ ।