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During traumatic experiences our feelings become so intense that attention eventually disassociates from the moment. This leaves a hole in our recollection of that memory. Only when we are able to fill the gaps with fill attention, awareness and recollection can we achieve completion and satisfaction.

“True satisfaction is from the soul and resides deep within the present.” - Usman Ali

Short Term Memory Loss

I have taught meditation for around 5 years now yet, believe it or not, there was a time when I thought I was losing my mind.

It was when I used to struggle a lot with anxious, obsessive overthinking, which honestly can occur still if I do not use my tools. I was in a state of continual fear, plagued with dreadful thoughts, thinking about thinking… about thinking.

My attention was seldom in the moment. The same negative thoughts concerning my relationship at the time would repeat from morning until night. I understand now that this inner-bombardment was due to repeated judgements and labels cast by the mind. 

This was opposite to the practice of non-judgement… 

“The thoughts you desire the least will occur in your mind the most, you must become neutral towards thought if you wish for a quiet mind” - Usman Ali

“Maybe she isn’t right for you.” The thoughts would say, which I did not like at all, for that would mean breaking her heart which I feared more than anything.

Over time my default became ‘incredibly anxious’, never present, frightened of my own mental chatter. The majority of my attention was compulsively being directed into the mind and towards anxious, frightening thoughts. This meant there was very little attention left for me to place upon actual reality. 

As a by-product I became extremely forgetful. I would be told one thing, then forget it right away, say one thing, then forget what I was speaking about, registering nothing, for near none of my attention was invested in the present.

This caused real concern. I am eternally thankful for God’s guidance in leading me to the practice of meditation. In practicing paying attention to the present moment I was able to undo the knots of mental suffering I felt so entangled by. 

Little by little, the practice of non-judgement began to make more sense. I needed to allow thoughts to occur, releasing judgement towards them and resisting any impulse to argue with mental chatter. 

With time and a lot of practice I eventually became more present, able to invest attention into the moment once again, without compulsively losing attention and energy to the habit of inner conflict.

With more attention back in my ownership I could apply it to the moment, registering my sensory experiences in memory again. 

I’ve shared this with you for three reasons. The first: when we are not present we are forgetful. It is as though we have not registered what is right before us. The second: presence is a habit that must be continually practiced. The third: non-judgement is inseparable from inner peace, meaning, the practice of disengaging from one’s mental chatter, ceasing the compulsion to label all things as either pleasant or unpleasant. 

I can not express my thanks enough for discovering the practice of meditation, fixing my mind and experiencing deep inner peace countless times. The most testing chapters of our lives are usually leading us to unimaginable treasure. All praise be to Allah.

Mindless Engagement: Experiencing Fully

At first glance this might sound strange. “Mindless engagement? Isn’t being mindless bad?” Well, according to my recent experiences with meditation and seriously levelling up in discipline, I would say no. 

To be mindless is to be present in the moment so much so that the mind has nothing to say. It is to cease negotiating with the mind and to be almost mechanical in action, purely in movement, not in thinking, in the body, not the head. 

Being in a mindless state (disengaging from mental chatter and moving into action) brings us so much into the present that the mind falls completely silent. 

This is what we want to aim for in meditation, immersing attention in the moment (currently through the senses) so fully that as a by-product the mind becomes incredibly quiet. 

When present and mindless we are much more satisfied by our experience. There is no thinking, labelling or mental judgement taking place. Just the experience with full intensity.

In the next part of this series I’m going to share with you a powerful technique for ceasing all thoughts. For now let’s make sure we don’t go too deep too quickly. 

Mindless Engagement: Conscious Consumption

When we eat without attention it is though our bodies only register a percentage of that food as being consumed, for that which we pay no attention is not stored clearly in memory. The greater the percentage of experience registered, the greater the sense of satisfaction and the less you feel the need for more. 

Think of it like this. If you eat an apple yet only pay attention when eating half of it, it is as though you have only eaten half, although the whole apple is gone.

Do not be mistaken, one may not binge eat, ignore what was being eaten and therefore suffer no consequence. Physically the body will feel full, yet on a deeper level the emptiness remains. It is our sense of satisfaction that suffers for the lack of attention. 

If you are not present in what you do, you will never feel satisfied, always craving more. Whereas if you choose to be very present in life, paying attention to what you consume, you will be satisfied with much less. 

“Less becomes more when attention is applied” - Usman Ali

This principle of experiencing fully can be applied to all of the senses in an uncountable number of cases. With food, this can be called conscious consumption, here’s how to practice. 

1. Start by placing your food in front of you or holding it in hand
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2. See the food with your eyes, without mental judgements and labels. See with your eyes, not with your mind. 
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3. If you’re holding the food, feel it’s weight in your hand, attentive of any sensations you feel in your hand, like the weight of the food for example.
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4. Draw the food closer and smell the food with deep intent. (Sometimes this can be intensely pleasurable) 
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5. Consider every link in the chain of events that took place, allowing the food to be in front of you in this moment. Give thanks to The Divine for each and every being and process involved in bringing this moment together. (Farming, harvest, cleaning, packaging, transport, placing on store shelves, pots and pans used to prepare, those who made those utensils, etc.)
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6. Take a bite of the food and taste with attention and intent, without mental labelling but pure awareness of taste instead
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7. If you feel the desire to sound your pleasure with “mmmmm” for example, go ahead and do it, feeling the vibration of that sound within your body
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8. Be attentive of the breath as you chew slowly until the food is thoroughly broken down, remaining present and patient
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9. Repeat the process starting at step four or six. 
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You’ll notice that the more conscious you are while consuming, the less you will need in order to feel satisfied. 

Take this practice as far as you wish. Of course it is unrealistic to expect absolute, full presence in every moment with your food or in any situation. Do what you can, for any amount of consciousness is surely an improvement. 

You can also practice conscious consumption to other things like cigarettes, digital content, or anything else you have a tendency to overindulge in. 

The result will surely be a reduction in your desire for such things and a reduced intake. 

Mindless Engagement: Cold Showers

Before writing this letter today, I took a cold shower, there are usually two ways it can go. The first is to react, scream and shout out loud, tightening up all over and breathing with a lot of aggression in attempt to endure the discomfort. 

The other way is to mindlessly engage with the cold water, to experience fully the sensations brought to the body without mentally judging them as neither pleasant nor unpleasant, present in full sensory awareness. 

Believe it or not, the second approach is both easier and more enjoyable. It is not the temperature of the water that makes a cold shower difficult, it is the labelling of and thinking about how it feels that makes it so unpleasant for most. 

The cold water forces a person to connect with the breath. One must breath consciously otherwise the experience may be overwhelming and too uncomfortable to endure. Long, slow, deep breaths are vital…

Resisting the urge to gasp comes through diaphragmatic control. 

When experiencing the shock of cold water, such breathing can only be practiced through the application of conscious awareness and non-judgement. You have to cease thinking, mentally judging and labelling how the water feels. 

“How is this done?” Not through actively attempting to push thoughts away or stop the mind, but rather by placing even more attention on slow breathing and what sensations the body feels without labelling or slipping back into thought. 

It is for this reason why so many people gravitate towards the practice of cold water therapy. It necessitates mindlessness, forcing one into the present, into the body and out of the head. 

This, and many other intense physical practices provide an experience where no thinking will benefit the person. Thoughts in such cases clearly have no use. Presence becomes the priority.

If you’re somebody that finds cold showers incredibly difficult, you likely have an excessively judgemental mind. It would serve you to practice non judgement through the techniques I have shared so far. 

Bringing awareness to your senses, noticing mental judgements arise (which they always will), disengaging from them, releasing the impulse to control, indulge or classify them as good or bad and rather just observing instead. 

Practice Mindlessness 

Mental judgements make difficult things more difficult, and pleasant things less pleasant.

Getting out of bed in the morning on time, without snoozing my alarm was something I used to find incredibly difficult. Now, a few moments after waking I remind myself to be mindless, this has been a life changing practice.

What does this do? It takes me out of the mental judgements that complain about how tired my eyes feel, how aching my body is and creates space for action instead. 

Judgements surely arise, yet I cease all engagement with them, filling my body with deep, attentive breaths which increase my level of conscious in that moment. 

I do not think, I just do. I let the body lead me through movement, not the mind through thinking and internal negotiations. 

You can do the same. With your food, do not label with thought, just eat, taste, smell, feel, see… 

In the cold shower feel the cold fully, breathe with attention, observe mental judgements and bring more awareness to the sensation of water on your body. Relax any tension and observe the mind’s complaints without engaging in it.

In the yoga asana practice I find this incredibly useful.

Don’t complain and judge how the position feels, or judge and label how flexible or inflexible you are, this often leads to applying unnecessary force. Instead just breath, pay gentle attention to how the body feels in each position, and observe your body adjusting alignment with each inhale and gradually moving deeper with each exhale. 

Open, close…. Open, close… 

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There is no rush, the best thing you can do to increase flexibility is learn how to release judgement and be present in your practice instead. In my journey, flexibility did not come through strain and self-torture. 

One day I simply noticed by surprise how flexible my body had become through years of consistently showing up for practice, focusing primarily on presence and non-judgement as opposed to getting good at yoga. 

Take my word on that one, after practicing yoga for over ten years I’m far more flexible than the average man. Perhaps I’m in the top five percent of men worldwide when it comes to flexibility (not meaning to sound arrogant here).

This hasn’t come from force and grit at all. It has come from being present, patience, breathing deeply, bringing attention to my senses (especially the eyes) in each posture, and releasing mental judgement about how good or bad I’m doing. 

Less mental judgement, more consciousness. Less force, more patience. Less labelling, more sense awareness. 

Breath Awareness: Anapana Meditation

It’s time for your next practice. At the centre of a mature yoga practice is the breath. The Breath is always moving, always changing in each and every moment. Therefore it serves as a fitting tool in the practice of “paying attention, to the present”.

By bringing attention to the breath in any moment (especially turbulent ones) we anchor ourselves back into the present. 

We know we are “out of centre” when we feel scattered or impulsive, when we begin to overthink or when experiencing difficulty with emotions.

Take note of this practice so that you may become familiar with it. I suggest you replace the candle awareness practice with this from now moving forward. 

Here we go: 

1. Find yourself in a comfortable position, preferably sitting or laying on your back
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2. Set a time for your practice, anywhere from three to twelve minutes is good for now
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3. Begin by coming back to your senses, using the guidance provided earlier
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4. After some minutes of applying attention to each of the senses, bring attention to your breath, at the nose
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5. Breathe through your nose, if you find this challenging then breathe gently and slowly, your nostrils will eventually grow used to this and the air passageways will open up
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6. Remain attentive of the breath just as you did with sight in the candle practice, watching the breath closely and noticing the sensations you feel within and around the nose. 
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7. Intend to maintain sharp concentration and disengagement from judgements for as long as possible.
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8. Let mental judgements come and go with indifference and without engaging in them
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9. When mental judgements do arise and you inevitably drift off into thought, simply notice yourself having drifted, say the word “drifting” slowly within your mind and return gently to the breath 
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10. Continue on practicing until your timer goes off

Note: Do not punish yourself for drifting away. In fact, each time you catch your mind having drifted away and think “drifting” to yourself, you mind increases in sharpness. 

Measure success by how quickly you can catch yourself drifting, and how unbothered you are when bringing attention back to the breath. Play the game, don’t take this too seriously or you’ll miss the point, preventing true progress.

The Wisdom of The Breath

Breath is underrated… 

This mystical happening… keeping us alive from one moment to the next, what a miracle breath really is. As we breathe out, the trees breathe in and as they breathe out, we breathe in. 

If you want to identify whether or not a person is living or not, check for breath and you will know. 

Once the person has passed away, the body remains for some time, yet the breath is gone. 

Breath is therefore the vehicle for life-force energy, which we have discussed in the previous Mastery Letter on semen retention. (Link here)

There is a wisdom and power within the breath that every human should come to understand through direct experience. Yet so many of us are unconscious to its mystery.

Each and every one of us has breath which can connect us directly back to the source of all life, for each breath is a gift that we have been permitted, yet are seldom grateful for.

Whenever you feel as though you have lost your centre, ie. You feel emotionally charged, reactive and impulsive, the breath is your first point of call in re-centring yourself. 

In fact, it is the breath that we first abandon before anything else when falling into unconscious behaviour patterns. Deep, intentional, nose breaths become shallow, frantic mouth breaths and as a by-product, a present, focused mind becomes a scattered, chaotic one. 

In effect, our physiological state shifts and we begin to feel uneasy, irritable, frustrated and tense. The breath is at the centre of all human experience, how we think and feel are both intimately connected to how we are breathing. 

Thoughts and feelings lead to actions, which by extension would imply that breath is central to every choice we make, and how our lives unfold! 

“Do you take your breath serious enough to care about its quality now?”

The breath awareness practice I shared above is not only meant for the seated, passive, time based practice. It is for every moment of waking life. 

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Fleeting In Ignorance 

I must make clear that when practicing any of the techniques I am sharing with you, if you wish to follow my guidance, do your absolute best in bringing clear intention into each practice. 

That being the intention to do the practice as instructed and nothing else.

Many of my students have had the tendency to fall intoxicated in curiosity, fascination and wonder, this only leads one away from both spiritual and mental progress. 

Why? 

Let us imagine that you are practicing, paying attention, to the present (via the breath), but with a rather loose intention. 

Your attention rests upon the breath for a moment or a minute, then you start to feel interesting sensations in your hands and face. Your attention then begins to wander to these fascinating feats and you have now deviated from your intended object of meditation (the breath). 

Beginning with one interesting thought or sensation your attention starts to drift, never still, never intentional, and definitely not without judgement. You think you are meditating effectively because perhaps you feel good, yet your mind is in fact scattered. 

You are intoxicated, undisciplined, disobedient and continually straying from the initial intention.

These traits are more feminine and therefore more acceptable from women. Yet from a man, they are signs of weakness which need addressing. 

Such a tendency to deviate ripples across one’s entire life. There is the intent to stay focused on one thing, yet the plan is abandoned due to some other shiny object. 

Students who experience this are like my younger self and do not see their own arrogance. They believe they know better and struggle in sticking to simple, direct instructions due to the irritation that comes with feeling restricted. 

If you can relate to this description, you must know that the irritation is but your own incapability and unwillingness to follow something other than your own ego. The ego believes that by doing what it have been asked to do that it makes you somehow less or not good enough. 

Perhaps you only ever feel good enough when you think you have done everything yourself. You struggle to trust others enough to help you and feel inadequate if you’re not praised. You may even without knowing, act in certain ways solely for the purpose of receiving praise from others.

Maybe you lie so that others are impressed with you, or tell inaccurate stories of past events, inflating the role you perhaps played, just so they will praise you. 

This is unconscious approval seeking and takes root in feelings of inadequacy. 

Can you see this dysfunction in this? It is illusory, ignorant and untrue. Why? Because no thing can be done in this life alone. The credit will never be all yours, there are forces at work which you know not of that have influenced the path so much that without them, your path would not even exist, never mind reaching completion.

Yet you are unaware… 

Honest prayer & meditation allow for the cultivation of all this awareness. A primary function of the practice is to self study, bringing one’s unconscious into the conscious where it can then be transformed and realigned with truth. 

Journalling and writing (as I am now) are also useful in better understanding and articulating ideas. Everyone can benefit from doing this. 

“until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it fate” - Carl Jung.

The Gift of Breath 

Imagine a case where you are attempting to solve a challenging problem like depression, addiction or a serious physical illness. Repulsed by the idea of accepting help from another, you’re committed to solving this all by yourself.

Obsessively researching, consuming content, listening to podcasts and coming up with your own ideas, you’re committed to getting through this challenge and coming out on the other side, knowing you did it. 

Over time this begins to feel incredibly burdensome and perhaps the issue gets even worse, things are beginning to get out of hand yet you still won’t accept help. 

It has to be done by you… You would rather continue suffering than have somebody else share the credit.

Years of pain and repeated failures unfold until you finally hit rock bottom. In your lowest moments you call out for help from God, crying and pleading for intervention. 

Soon, your life begins to change, you reach out for help and realise that there was never any doing it alone. For no matter how much you invested into the illusion of independence, you were being given the gift of breath the entire time. 

The books you consumed, the podcasts you listened to, and even the ideas you thought were your own, were all gifts from beyond your self.

Others will and have always been involved in your life. No breath is done independently. Who is keeping your heart beating right now? Is it you? Then why are you not paying attention to it, ensuring each beat happens on time? 

Are you circulating your blood right now? Are you firing each neurone in your brain so that you may read these words, blink, and creature moisture for your eyes? 

There are too many processes taking place behind the scenes for us to count. Processes which if without, we would not be here to begin with, never mind solving complex problems. 

Without breath you wouldn’t be here, yet if you were given the responsibility over ensuring each breath is had, things would soon go terribly wrong due to fleeting attention.

Let this penetrate your heart. The credit was never yours, it never will be, and in that there is not inadequacy but rather the opposite. 

“ Pride is not the opposite of shame, but it’s source” - Uncle Iroh - The Last Airbender

Humility does not make us smaller, it makes us much bigger. 

How? 

Simple…

If I belie that I am the one running the show and that all credit for what I do should belongs only to me, then I will feel isolated, ungrateful, lonely, and consistently inadequate.

However if I consider that I am being gifted each of my breaths through God’s love, that my ideas come not from thinking but beyond (which they do), and I am aware that everything is in constant exchange, then I am in essence infinite and will feel grateful, connected and worthy. 

Pride is ignorance and the refusal to admit that there are unseen forces which you depend on in all moments. 

Humility is in admitting your dependence and therefore gaining access to the cosmic family and source of all things.

This is the essence behind the statement, Alhamdulillah (All praise be to Allah). 

When I realised the true meaning of this, I realised how much pride I had all along, and how limiting it was on my growth and progression in health, business and happiness. 

Do not be fooled into thinking that you are the one in control, for if your breath was taken away for mere minutes you would fall into dread and horror.  

Stick to the practice you have been given. Deviating will only strengthen your ego. 

Practice non-judgement and keep your intention strong during practice. 

Trust your teacher (me in this case if you’re following this series), if a technique is boring… that is your problem, practice each technique with deep intent.

Seek the help you need, ultimately from God, for it is through God that we are all allowed to be here in the first place. 

“You ‘alone' we worship and You ‘alone’ we ask for help” - Qur’an (1:5)

Continual Breath Awareness 

Throughout the day from the moment you wake until the moment are you unconsciously asleep at night, be attentive of your breath. 

If you’re feeling frustrated, scattered, deflated, anxiously afraid, irritable or impulsive, it is likely due to improper, unconscious breathing. 

This practice will truly open your eyes to how often breathing is dysfunctional, without knowing. 

While watching the TV you may suddenly remember to pay attention to your breath only to realise you were breathing open mouthed and shallow for an unknown amount of time. 

You may be sitting at the traffic lights waiting for green, growing impatient and frustrated, remembering the breath, drawing attention to it and re-centring in calm, conscious presence.

Conscious breathing makes us better at everything we do, for it brings us into the present where we have more access to our potential.

Whenever you’re practicing meditation or performing a task that requires concentration (even creative endeavours like writing in this case), use the breath as an anchor and source for wakefulness, energy and concentration. 

In fact, when you find yourself struggling to pay attention and enter a deep-work flow, begin breathing a little heavier through your nose. Slightly heavier breaths will anchor your attention, granting a boost in concentration. 

Listening 

When a dear friend or loved one is speaking to you and you’re scattered in mind, not listening and drifting off into thought, bring attention to the breath. 

This will make you a better listener which requires stable and consistent attention. This is one reason why listening is twice as important as speaking. It trains attention. 

The next time somebody is speaking and it is your turn to listen, notice the impulse to speak over them. Use your breath as a means of remaining centred and present. 

Not only is the breath a useful tool in improving our listening skills, it helps us in developing impulse control, an invaluable trait each and every one of us should prioritise. 

Rather than impulsively speaking or talking over the person you’re trying to listen to, remain present, aware and attentive by coming back to the breath and investing in hearing. 

Often times we are listening to a person speak while waiting to say our piece. I suggest being more concerned with what the person is saying or meaning as opposed to what you’re going to respond with. 

Of course in cases where a person is talking into infinity (energy vampires usually struggle with boundaries) the right move may be to cut them off and leave. I trust you can sense such situations over normal conversation. The key difference here is that this is not impulsive like talking over people usually is.

Are you aware of your breath right now? 

Intentional Sighing

You’ve been working hard all day, you’re tired and in need of some deep rest. Arriving at home you enter, take off your shoes, hang up your coat and walk into the living room. 

The couch is calling you, you fall into the seat in a position most comfortable while releasing a great, deep sigh of relief. 

The day is done, work is complete, it’s time to rest now. 

Sighing is a built in mechanism we all do, yet rarely choose to do intentionally. It is usually not our choice, it just happens. 

It is in fact the most rapid way to calm the nervous system and bring ourselves back to a centred, relaxed and present state. “How different would the world be if this was commonly known and used?”

Have you ever experienced a “yeah I’m ok”, after asking somebody dear to you if they’re ok, only to hear them let out a deep sigh just a few moments later?

Often times this sigh indicates that the person is in fact struggling somewhat, upset, angry, or suffering… The sigh signals that something is being held on to that would better be expressed.

The tension created by restricting our vocal or emotional expression is constricting. We sigh in response to this (often without meaning to) which relaxed the tension and opens us back up a little.

Sighing is our body’s natural way of regulating and softening tension. We could all benefit from sighing a lot more. 

We’re often tense due to our thoughts, the processed foods we consume, the social interactions we’re having, the cigarettes we smoke, the poor posture we hold, the chairs we spend hours sitting in, the dehydration of our bodies and the demands of the modern, hasty world. 

Sigh…

Sigh more often. 

When you feel anxious or overwhelmed it is a good time to sigh. 

Whether you’re alone, or with others, just sigh. In the beginning you may feel shy, overly self-judging and concerned with what others think of you. Over time this will diminish. 

This is another opportunity to practice non-judgement. Notice the judgements arise, observe them, do not try to control them and do not engage with them in any way.

Breathe deeply, consciously and sigh to release tension from your neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen and overall body. 

This will bring you well out of your head, into your body and back into the present moment. Intentional sighing points us to another important purpose for meditative practice, that is to experience deep relaxation. 

The Breath-Mind Connection 

Next time you notice your mind being particularly scattered I invite you to draw attention to your breath. As previously shared, “scattered eyes, scattered mind,” it is also the case where if the breath is scattered, uneven and shallow, the mind mirrors this. 

When breathing is unnecessarily quick, you’re most likely thinking rapidly too. When you slow down and bring attention to your breathing you can not help but think more clearly and calm. 

You might believe that thinking and moving quickly are things you need in order to be productive or effective. However this is not the case. 

A scattered mind does not get the job done better or more quickly. In fact, it is more likely to make mistakes and errors due to impatience which then lead to more work having to be done. Quality goes down, required output goes up. It’s a lose-lose. 

Good ideas do not come from the mind, neither do the solutions to our problems. They come from somewhere else. 

“Have you ever forgot what you were going to say, just as the words are about to be spoken?” You try to bring the idea back into your mind through thinking harder and harder. What happens? The harder you think the further it drifts away… 

It is when your mind is relaxed, while taking a pee that the idea pops back into your mind in the most unexpected of moments. 

The relaxed mind is a better transmitter than the tense mind. A relaxed mind is more open to receiving solutions and creative insights than one that is tense. Therefore a relaxed mind is more useful and pleasant for oneself and others. 

Here’s an extremely short practice you can do anywhere, any time: 

LSD Breathing: Long, Slow, Deep Breathing

Bring attention to the breath and inhale for a count of 4, 3, 2, 1, hold… 

Hold on the full breath for a few moments. 

Then release a long, slow exhalation for a count of 4, 3, 2, 1, hold… 

Hold on the empty breath for a few moments. 

Just one of these could be enough to centre your state. 

Yet feel free to continue for as long as you wish. 

You can do this wherever and whenever.

When you’re in the shower, practice LSD breathing. 

When you’re driving, practice LSD breathing. 

When you’re listening to music, practice LSD breathing. 

When you’re working practice LSD breathing. 

When another person is speaking to you,  practice LSD breathing

When holding eye contact with an intimate one, practice LSD breathing

While waiting in a queue, practice LSD breathing… 

Hey, did I remind you yet to practice LSD breathing? Right now would be good also!

This practice will better your life in ways beyond imagination. 

Breath & Consciousness

The other day I woke from a nap with my mouth wide open and as dry as your dad’s jokes. I had been mouth-breathing while sleeping, which dehydrates the body. 

Upon waking, my state could only be described as one that was incredibly unconscious and weaker in character, The Lower Nature was dominant.

This is the irrational, comfort clutching, pleasure seeking part of the psyche that we all have. It was Friday, and if you’re not already aware, this is a special day for Muslims. We are obliged to attend the Friday prayer at our local Mosque, unless there is some serious matter or duty that prevents us from doing so. 

My attendance was in no way blocked by any serious matter, I was simply tired (paradoxically from napping) and making excuses for why I should not go. 

You might not relate to this (or you may), but Friday prayer is something very dear to us as Muslims. I love attending the mosque, praying in congregation, listening to the sermon and getting to see other brothers. 

On this occasion my willingness was thin. 

Here’s the point I wish to illustrate here that if put into practice will undoubtedly yield massive benefit.

Tossing and turning, playing with the idea of going back to sleep and missing Friday prayer, I began taking giant, deep breaths in through my nose, filling my body from belly to head with breath.

I kid you not… Instantly it was as though a veil was lifted and I could see the absurdity and weakness I was possessed by. Of course I was going to get up, of course I was going to attend the prayer, It was clear as day now. Staying in bed was not an option. 

All of this became crystal clear by simply breathing through my nose. Before, I was breathing through my mouth, shallow, dry, constricted and limited. 

After taking deep nose breaths it was as though I could see sensibly again. I was shocked that simply breathing through the nose was the bridge from lower to higher consciousness.

Breath truly is in intimate connection to our consciousness.

The next time you’re conflicted between the king and the bitch within, begin breathing deeply through your nose, into the belly, up through the heart and into the head. 

Lesson: Mouth breathing makes us dumb and unconscious. Nose breathing increases our consciousness, clarity and ability to make more rational, sensible choices. It is therefore safe to say that nose breathing makes us more intelligent and connected to who we truly are.

Breath Is Deeper Than Sense 

Along with our senses, the breath is always available for our attention. Breath awareness in fact takes us deeper into the present. Why is this? Because breath is closer to us.

Breath is more tethered to life than the senses are. Without the five senses we could still live and surely find a way to manage. Without breath, there’s no chance of living.

Therefore breath awareness will bring you even closer to the present than the senses will. I encourage you to use your breath as the primary object of meditation moving forward. It helps to draw awareness to the breath at the nose to begin with, becoming aware also of any sensations on and in the nose.

Start to witness just how intimately connected the breath is to how you think, feel and behave. As said earlier, It is at the centre of our lives, therefore the quality and depth of our breath affect every aspect of our being, and the unfolding of our life experience in turn!

The breath can give us great, simple pleasure. More pleasure than that which a cigarette can grant. It can take just one conscious breath to soothe your mental-emotional state. Breathe deeply and with attention regardless of how you feel. 

It’s better not to wait for the red flag of suffering to raise before doing what you know is good for you. Prevention is much more wise than cure. 

Yet too many of us need a crisis in order to change, but that need not be the way…

Like big Tony Robbins said: 

“Change happens when a should becomes a must.”

The key is transitioning a should to a must, with or without a crisis (preferably without).

The Trinity of Consciousness: Breath, Sense & Movement

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Another way to use breath in bringing ourselves to the moment is to combine it with conscious movement. This is why I practice and promote Hatha Yoga so much. Through breath and movement combined we begin to practice actively. 

Active mediation, especially through the combination of breath and movement is a practice that changed my life completely.

I apply the same principles in my islamic prayers, inhaling and exhaling synchronously with each postural transition. Moving with the breath is an incredibly effective anchor for brining ourselves into the present moment. 

When you sync your movements with attentive breathing, you can not help but slow down. Slowing down is key to feeling more present and centred. Often times we are racing around like ants, consistently in the mode of doing, thinking and feeling yet rarely in the mode of being.

Slowing down brings us into the present. Attentive breath and conscious movement can also be combined with sense awareness. This makes the trinity of consciousness. I experience this best when practicing yoga, doing my best to keep my eyes centred and unmoving as I hold the postures, deep in breath. 

Remember:

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“scattered eyes, scattered mind”. - Usman Ali

Look straight ahead while you’re out walking, when working or even as you read this letter. Centred eyes truly lock you in to the moment. The eyes are inseparable from concentration. 

When drifting in thought our eyes act as mirrors, looking down and around, anywhere but straight ahead, anywhere but here and now. Notice when you’re speaking to another yet thinking of what to say next, you look away. The mind goes somewhere else and therefore so do the eyes. 

Another fitting place for the trinity of consciousness is while running or hiking. My steps are harmonised with the breath, and my eyes are locked straight ahead or at a fixed angle. 

Do your best to engage in breath, movement and sense awareness all at once. Try this out in whatever context you wish. Surely you will discover when and where this is best practiced for you. 

Applying the trinity of consciousness will help if you struggle with overthinking, being unable to switch off or have difficulty managing stress. The positive effects of synchronising movement and breath are too many for this letter. Do not underestimate that which is simple.

Let experience show you as opposed to simply reading. If you practice yoga, start prioritising the harmony of breath and movement. Opening as you inhale, closing as you exhale, attempting to maintain this connection with fixed eyes for the majority of your practice. 

If you do not yet have a regular yoga practice I encourage you to attend a Yoga studio or take my five elements yoga program (start now). It has given people incredible results, and focuses on building a strong practice based on fundamentals, while taking a deep dive into the five Chinese elements.

However you choose to do so, practice combining breath, sense and movement, here are some ways in which you could do so: 

• Hatha Yoga (Breath & Postures)
• Walking Meditation 
• Qi Gong 
• Intuitive Movement (5 rhythms or ecstatic dance)
• Islamic Prayer (breathing in using with transitioning postures)
• Running
• Hiking
• Walking
• Lifting Weights (breathe with each rep, keep your eyes fixed, not on girl’s butts)

Surely you will come up with other ways to practice and implement the trinity of consciousness. 

These are just some that have benefited me, Hatha Yoga (breath and posture) being the most powerful I have discovered yet.

Ranks of Breath

If you’re familiar with meditation, yoga and pranayama (breath-work) you might therefore be an avid nose breather. 

However, you might also have no idea what I’m talking about. 

As explained in the section Breath & Consciousness, it is clear now that unconscious mouth-breathing makes us less intelligent and lower in consciousness, while nose breathing raises these both. 

After observing and teaching many people how to breath properly, I realise now that nose breathing is not the ultimate mode of breathing. 

Many people, students of mine also, have shown me that simply breathing through the nose does not guarantee a greater depth and range of breath. 

You may breathe through your nose yet still be breathing shallowly, maintaining lower consciousness and tension in the body. This is just as dysfunctional as unconscious mouth-breathing. 

Note that an open mouth also doesn’t necessarily mean dysfunctional breathing, it is all about whether or not you are breathing consciously or unconsciously, and whether or not you’re making use of your diaphragm.

Enter the king of breathing, diaphragmatic breathing. 

Whether the mouth is open or closed, diaphragmatic breath is available. This is the game changer, the ultimate mode of breathing for the most significant increase in consciousness, breath efficiency, centring of the mind, calming of the nerves, reduction of bodily tension and much more.

Honestly, it can take merely a single diaphragmatic breath to shift your nervous system from a stressed, fight or flight response to one that is more centred, calm, restful and more appropriate for healthy digestion. 

This is not an unrealistic expectation. In fact, if you yawn right after taking a deep breath, it is a good indicator that you’re using your diaphragm.  

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 So… how does one learn diaphragmatic breath? 

Ujjayi Breathing: Diaphragmatic, Yogic Breathing

Something saddened me recently… 

I attended a breath-work event here in Liverpool, where I was serving as a welcome to all of the attendees upon entry. Before each person entered I would smudge them down with white sage (a Native American practice for cleansing the aura). 

Who knows what may have taken place in each person’s day. I wished to help each person feel more present and at ease having reached a space where they were safe to be themselves. 

My method of doing this was to ask each person to take a long, slow, deep breath in, smelling the sage smoke and releasing a gentle, relieving sigh on the exhale. 

What saddened me was that most of the attendees, especially the women were as stiff as a young lad on a private web browser… their bodies were rigid and unmoved by breath. 

It was as though they didn’t know what a deep breath was, or they were ashamed to breathe deeply, to open up their hearts and bring attention into the body. 

A truly functional breath should move all the way up and down the spine, causing ones body to expand on the inhale and contract on the exhale. 

A full breath moves the spine in such a way that the body must move. Breath is movement. 

These women (and I’m sure this applies to many men too), were so trapped in their heads that they had disconnected from their bodies. Although there was no threat, I could feel how unsafe they were feeling. Dishonest laughing is often a coping strategy for this…

Chronic tension… this is what most people are holding onto within their bodies, afraid of feeling, afraid of yielding and relaxing into the moment, afraid of being present. We are stuck in patterns of escapism, distraction and wearing inauthentic masks out of fear of being vulnerable. 

The first remedy for such chronic constriction? Diaphragmatic breathing or better known in the yogic tradition as Ujjayi Breathing. 

There’s a class in my five elements yoga program that teaches you how to practice Ujjayi breathing, I suggest you take action, get the full course and watch that video, especially if you want to develop a daily yoga practice. (Take Action Here)

The video will teach you best, and the yoga program will give you a strong foundational movement practice that you can do at home.

Here’s some written instructions for Ujjayi breathing:

The most effective way to learn this is by becoming familiar with your ability to breath both hot and cold breath, by choice. 

1. Firstly, place your hand in front of your mouth and breathe cold air onto your palm. Notice the shape you had to make with your lips and where you had to breathe from in order to make the breath cool in temperature. 

2. Next, breathe a hot breath on your palm. Again, notice the shape of your mouth and the place from where you are exhaling. It’s further towards the back of your throat right? (This is how you would breath fog upon a mirror).

3. Exhale another hot breath and continue until you push out as much air as possible. Do you notice that as you breathe this way, if you continue pushing air out, your abdomen starts to pull in? 

This is a sign that your diaphragm is engaging, keep practicing the hot exhale until your abdomen pulls in, you can keep pushing air out until the abdomen is empty. 

4. Ujjayi breathing uses the diaphragm for both inhale and exhale. So for the inhale, you want to start inhaling cool air with your lips shaped in a way as though you’re sucking through a straw. 

Change the shape of your tongue so that you can direct the cool air to touch the back of your throat. 

5. Let the inhale open your entire body up, let it lift your posture, raise the ribs and expand the space where the heart resides. 

6. When you’re comfortable with inhaling diaphragmatically with lips shaped as though sucking an imaginary straw, begin using the shape of hot, foggy breath for both inhale and exhale. 

7. Eventually, practice while keeping the mouth completely closed.

My hope for you is that you learn to breathe fully and bring back life to your body. That you use this as a tool for calming your nervous system, settling emotions and bringing yourself to the present. 

You have most likely been holding a lot of emotion within your body for some time, therefore as you experience full diaphragmatic breath some of those emotions may rise up to the surface. 

Let them come out, the reason why you’ve been breathing so dysfunctionally is because you have not allowed yourself to feel, putting up a hard front instead when really, there is pain inside waiting to be cracked open and released.

When you release this pain you’ll feel a lot better. This is key in embodying the most authentic version of yourself and therefore your most happy, creative and gifted self. How can you be authentic if you’re hiding all the time, pretending to be somebody you’re not? 

Note: The invisible straw inhale can be a great tool in reducing smoking and moving through cravings. In fact, it’s helping me with just that. In just a few weeks I’m down from over ten a day to on average one to three (and I now only smoke half before throwing it). 

It’s not that you want to smoke, it’s that you want to breathe functionally and smoking paradoxically helps you do that, in an impulsive and therefore unintelligent way…

Impermanence

In life there is only one certainty, that is change. 

No thing lasts forever. All forms are born, exist and then die or wither away. Just as the weather is every-changing, so too are our mental-emotional states. 

Our desires and preferences change, so do our strengths and weaknesses, our interests and curiosities… 

Nothing in this life is fixed. That which does not change can not be referred to as a thing, it is beyond human comprehension. It is God, The Divine, The Source of all things, The Oneness of all. 

Therefore as long as we live, we will benefit from the practice of surrender. This does not mean to give up or to lose as you might think. 

It means to allow the process of change to unfold without fighting against it. 

There will be much more on this to discuss as we continue with this series, however for now I would say practice surrendering to the changing of your circumstances and internal states. 

When you feel scared, angry, ashamed, worried or guilty and you wish not only to feel better but to be better, use breath awareness as your new, primary tool. 

I wish for you to notice just how intimately connected our breath is to all we think, feel and do. Study how you own breath changes depending on what you’re feeling. 

You may then come to realise that it may not be the feeling which changes the breath, but rather the breath that changes the feeling. 

With conscious, attentive breathing let go of any resistance you have towards what you are experiencing both internally and externally. 

Trust that as all things pass, so too shall this.

When the change has occurred, recognise this and make the intention to remember next time you inevitably struggle with an unpleasant feeling, how all things truly do pass. 

For they have passed before and they will again. 

To Conclude

Being physically awake present in the moment are two completely different things. You may be here physically, yet there with your mind. 

As long as your attention is not right here, right now, you decrease the quality of your current experience. Your eyes are wide but your awareness is shut, hence the term “eyes wide shut.”

Ideally we want to increase the intensity of our awareness, bringing attention into our senses as we experience them, for the attainment of true satisfaction. 

What pulls us away from the truth of who we are is our ceaseless pursuit for more, while satisfaction only shrinks smaller. 

Meditation helps us in feeling more satisfied through simpler means, by bringing us into the present and ensuring maximal registration of our experience into memory. The more attentively we experience something, the less of it we crave moving forward.

Just as the five senses can be used as gateways into the present, the breath can be used the same and is even more effective as an object of meditation, both passive and active. 

Breath is connected to life itself, for there is no living without breathing. Come to recognise through your own self study just how closely connected the quality of breath is will all human experience. 

Mental judgements reduce the quality of our lives, they influence us to behave in ways we would prefer not to. Breath Therefore in order to live the best life and rise up to our potential must learn to release mental judgements

It is our current level on consciousness that determines what choices we make. A rapid way to raise our station is to breathe through the nose, into the belly and up into the heart, opening the body completely. 

Long, slow, deep breaths are at your disposal whenever you wish. You need not wait for the perfect time or space in order to slow down and practice. As the breath is centred and slowed down, so too is the mind.

Diaphragmatic breathing, the king of breathing methods is a must for anybody wishing to living a happy, healthy, honourable life. 

An even more effective way of bringing yourself in the present is through the trinity of consciousness. This means to combine breath, movement and sense awareness all at once, primarily through attention on sight, but experiment as you wish. 

Remember finally that nothing in this world lasts forever. No thought, no feeling, no desire, no problem… 

Everything changes, that is the only certainty in this life. When you feel stuck or out of centre, keep this understanding close and trust the natural unfolding of events. This is what it means to surrender, which is a measure of one’s spirit.

With all that being said, I wish that you have taken some value from this letter. 

Let it be a guide in helping you form a regular, consistent meditation practice. 

I intend to create a video course for these teachings so stay tuned for that. 

I wish you well…

If you have questions or anything important to address with me ie, applying for 1:1 coaching or inviting me to speak or teach at your venue / event, feel free to contact me directly via instagram @usman_unchained. 

Keep reading the Mastery Letter so you don’t miss part 3, and keep an eye on your email inbox! 

Part 3 will dive deep into The Ego and will grant further tools and techniques for gaining more inner peace, self-awareness and mastery over the lower nature. 

I’m also going to be sharing with you a technique that absolutely changed my life. I’ve taught it to many others and they are all blown away by how simple and effective it is in completely and utterly silencing the mind. 

Remember, there is no use in reading and consuming information if you do not apply what you learn! So here are some aids to help you with that. 

FREE habit tracker template

FREE 60 Minute Call with me if you’re looking to develop Discipline, Inner-Peace, Confidence and/or Self Love. [BOOK HERE]. (Be the next success story).

And if this was any way useful to you, take a moment to share it with somebody it might help. 

Until next time. 

Stay sharp. 

Usman

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