nafas

there is a great deal of creative writing associated with the breath and breathing, especially in eastern traditions. nafas is the farsi and arabic word for breath. in farsi, the word is commonly used in sayings, proverbs, and poetry. it's also omnipresent in sufi philosophy and practice.

i love the farsi word for soulmate or partner-in-life, "ham-nafas" (which literally means, "together in breath"). in certain sufi philosophy, this beautiful term refers to the crossings of the life-paths of a man and woman who have a spiritual partnership; they are breathing in the same spirit.

i use the metaphor of breathing a lot in my writing, particularly my poetry. i'm not sure why i do this. most of the time it's unintentional. perhaps it's cultural influence on a subconscious level.

so what does the breath mean to me?
much more than probably i am aware of. but essentially, for me,
breathing is being present, breathing is peace, breathing is love.

The morning wind spreads its fresh smell.
We must get up and take that in,
that wind that lets us live.
Breathe, before it's gone.

- by sufi poet Molana Jalaledin Mohammad Balkhi (Rumi)