The Musimorphic Breath
In which we combine three types of breath into one powerful, transformative tool
How Do You Breathe?
Lots of focus on breath these days. In many ways, it’s all good. Whether huffing and puffing yourself into an altered stated of consciousness or transitioning from everything else into meditation, bringing intention to your breath matters. A lot.
I’ve been breathing with intention since I learned to art of vocal accompanying in college. Even before that, I was exposed to the power of breath in musical ensembles, first as a saxophone player and later as a piano concerto soloist. Breath within music is a visual and physical coordination tool that helps govern our phrasing (yes, even percussionists list me or violinists and guitarists who don’t have to create a column of air in their instrument use breath to create a phrase).
That’s all been very useful, and I think this short how-to will help make the breath that you use helpful in a similar way. Why? Because coordinating breath and action with intention is the beginning of using music better, which plenty of evidence over thousands of years indicates is really really good for you.
The Ujjayi Breath
The Ujjayi breath is often used as a yoga asana. I’ll let you discover its magical powers on your own.
Inhale through your nose. Listen for a quiet roaring sound at the back of your throat. Now, exhale and make a kind of silent “Haaaaaaa” sound as you do so. On the next inhale through your nose, see if you can make that silent “Haaaaaaa” happen in your throat at the same place as on the exhale.
That sound in the inhale is ancient. Monks who do this say that it is one of the strongest wellness tools they know. As you practice, try lengthening the sound as you lengthen you inhalation. See how long you can sustain the roaring or “reverse Haaaaa” sound as you inhale through your nose.
The OM
Now, we’re going to add sound to your exhale. When you reach the top of your Ujjayi breath, hole it for a beat or two, and on the exhale, sing “OM.” You might be familiar with the OM; if not, as you sing it, notice that it is made up of all the vowel sounds strung together: AH-EE-II-OO-UU with a trailing “m” when the mouth closes, ready for the next inhalation. As you sing the OM, focus on the duration available to you with the air you have inhaled, and try lengthening the sound for as long as you are able.
If monofrequency practices, such as Solfeggio tones or 432Hz-based tuning systems are meaningful for you, you might want to sing the OM on a particular frequency that aligns with your practices — and fits your vocal range.
Practice inhaling using the Ujjayi breath and exhaling singing the OM until it becomes more natural to do so.
Tonglen
The Buddhist practice of Tonglen breath is ancient, too. This breath includes both inhale and exhale, and practitioners of Tonglen use the breath to change things for good. Pema Chodron has written extensively about Tonglen; you may be aware of its benefits already.
To breathe Tonglen-style, gather your thoughts on the inhalation to focus on all of what you don’t want. This could be micro — unwanted aspects of your personal life — or macro — unwanted aspects of the world at large. Get as granular or general as you want to.
At the top of your inhalation, hold for a beat or two. Then, on the exhale, focus your thoughts on what you do want — the opposite(s) of everything you inhaled.
As before with Ujjayi and the OM, lengthen your thoughts and your breath together, both on the inhale and on the exhale.
Practice this process independent of the combines Ujjayi and OM in/out breath until it, too, feels second nature.
The Musimorphic Breath
You’re now prepared to assemble all three practices into what I call “The Musimorphic Breath.” Here’s how it goes:
At the bottom of any breath, prepare to inhale by bringing the focus of your mind to anything unwanted (personally, externally, micro or macro) in whatever way suits you best
Inhale Ujjayi through the nose as you focus thought on what is unwanted — listen for and sustain the roaring sound for as long as you can inhale
Hold at the top of the inhale for a beat or two — prepare your mind to shift focus to what is wanted
Exhale as you sing OM, letting your thoughts roam over all of what is wanted, and sustain the sound for as long as you have adequate breath
…and repeat until the exercise feels complete.
Let us know in the comments how this works for you!
Oh, because I often do this practice in quieter environments, I’d encourage you to learn how to do the “silent OM” — it’s a soundless version of singing where everything exists except the sound.
With practice, you will find yourself using The Musimorphic Breath every time you notice your own inhalation.
Bill Protzmann has rediscovered the fundamental nature and purpose of music and accumulated a vast awareness of anthropology and sociology, as well as the effects of music, the arts, and information technology on human beings. Bill has experimented with what he has learned through performing concerts, giving lectures, facilitating workshops, and teaching classes. He first published on the powerful extensibility of music into the business realm in 2006 (here and abstract here). Ten years later, in 2016, he consolidated his work into the Musimorphic Quest. In this guided, gamified, experiential environment, participants discover and remember their innate connection to this ancient transformative technology. The National Council for Behavioral Healthcare recognized Bill in 2014 with an Inspiring Hope award for Artistic Expression, the industry equivalent of winning an Oscar.
In addition to individuals, Musimorphic programs support personal and professional development and wellness for businesses, NPOs and at-risk populations.