Breath, Spirit, Ch'i, Nephesh ... it's all the same!

Here's something to ponder ...

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God" reads the first Beatitude, according to most Enlish translations of the Christian Bible. There are many biblical scholars who say that the commonly accepted translation is incorrect, and that the word taken to mean 'spirit' -- the Aramaic word 'nephesh' -- should actually mean 'breath'.

Likewise too, the Chinese language uses the word 'qi' (or chi) interchangeably to mean both 'breath' and 'spirit'

It should then be no coincidence that many spiritual practices, such as yoga and qigong, have a strong breath oriented component. Breathing fully and correctly is incredibly vitalising to the body and the mind, and almost definitely these reflect in an increase in spiritual energies.

By implication, to keep one's own subtle energies high and vibrant, one should be breathing properly, and that living in areas with noticable air pollution or having a smoking habit would be detrimental to your energy.