For heart-singing it is as necessary to develop and control your breath as it is for your bodily wellbeing in general and essential for your spiritual clarity.

This Sufi breathing practice is both simple and effective as well sacred and mystic.

It will develop balance and control and will offer you concentration and devotion.

It will always be a joy to perform and a priceless blessing to may practise.

This element-breathing practice consists of breathing in and out through the nose respectively the mouth, along with certain movements of the arms and hand-gestures together with the mental concentration on the elements.

This will create a balance between the beneficial creative element forces in our being, on which our moods, our health, our thoughts and our deeds depend so much.

May these breathings make your life healthy and a singing glorification of the Creator.

The breathing practice proceeds as follows:

We start by standing at ease and in balance, the air and atmosphere around must be as pure as possible, preferably in open air or near a window with not too cold fresh air.

1. The Nayaz Prayer for Purification is said, chanted or sung, see heartsong nr. 03;

The hands are held open before the breast:

With Amen both hands are moved over the head as in the Sufi Prayer Practice.

The hands are held open on breast-high or held up on shoulder-high during all the element-phrases of the exercise.

The invocation is said with hands held folded.

The invocation is first attentively said or sung with a moment silence after that:

Breathing with five times inhaling and exhaling through the nose.

1. Inhaling through the nose, in five beats, the arms move from loose down to circling upward with the hands open to heaven, as to receive the vitality of the earth meanwhile mentally repeating during this movement: " O all-productive Mother Earth ".

2. Holding the breath for a moment and looking up, the hands held open upwards.

3. Then exhaling through the nose, also in five beats, with the arms going downwards, crossing before the breast to a bowed posture with the hands sideways outstretched open to the earth to connect and exchange the Earth energy through ourselves to all;

we may repeat meanwhile mentally: " we humbly offer our homage to Thee ".

4. Holding the breath for a moment while standing bowed in devotion.

The hands are held firmly stretched open up and down and act perceptible as connectors for the earth-magnetism.

We continue the practice for the other elements in a similar way.

O all-purifying Water,

we willingly offer our homage to Thee.

Breathing with five times inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

1. Inhaling through the nose: " O all-purifying Water";
2. Holding the breath for a moment.
3. Exhaling through the mouth, like blowing through a straw: " we willingly offer..
4. Holding the breath for a moment.

The hands are held as if water-drops are shaken off the fingers when coming down.

O all-consuming Fire,

we wholeheartedly offer our homage to Thee.

Breathing with five times inhaling through the mouth and exhaling through the nose.

1. Inhaling through the mouth like sucking at a straw: " O all-consuming Fire ";
2. Holding the breath for a moment.
3. Exhaling through the nose: " we wholeheartedly offer our homage to Thee ".
4. Holding the breath for a moment.

The hands are held over-stretched with fingers spread when held up and down.

O all-pervading Air,

we gladly offer our homage to Thee.

Breathing with five times inhaling and exhaling through the mouth.

1. Inhaling, as sucking, through the mouth: " O all-pervading Air".
2. Holding the breath for a moment.
3. Exhaling, as blowing, through the mouth: " we gladly offer our homage to Thee ".
4. Holding the breath for a moment.

The hands are waving like wings of a butterfly while moving up and down.

O Ether, essence of all,

we passively offer our homage to Thee.

Breathing through the nose without noticing the breath-stream nor any rhythm.

To keep time we may repeat five times mentally the phrase: " O Ether, ...

The hands are now held crossed on the breast left over right.

G. The Prayer for new life may be said, chanted or sung, see song nr.07.

The hands are again held open during the prayer and the Amen ends as before.

All life long you may do this breathing practice, beneficial as it is for all periods of life.

The breathings of the specific elements can also be done without being perceived on moments when we are in need for some help and inspiration. We just may sigh a little for more earth, water, air, fire or ether as desired to restore the balance in ourselves or in the situation to open new ways of progress or to change conditions.