Breathing with the Divine
“Silence is not absence. It is alchemy in process.”
AUGUST 2025
The Sacred Rhythm of Expansion and Integration
There are moments on the spiritual path that feel alive — dreams are abundant with symbology, synchronicities in your day, and the presence of Spirit is tangible and close. Then, the tide recedes. The signs quiet down, the visions pause, and life feels ordinary. I’ve been in one of those still moments the last couple of weeks where I’ve been in stillness more, craving for quiet, sleeping early to rest. At first, I don’t pick up on it, but after a week or so upon reflection, I realise Spirit also seems to have taken a step back. It’s not in a way that makes me feel isolated, I now realise after going through these cycles, they come off the back of intense communication and learning and then the stillness gives us a chance to integrate. In the integration, this is where everything is assimilating, alchemising and turning into wisdom and tools that continue to expand our consciousness.
It's easy, in these quieter seasons, to worry that something has gone wrong and we’ve strayed from the path. But mystics, shamans, and contemplatives across centuries have all spoken of this rhythm — a sacred pulse, a breathing with Spirit. There is a time for the in-breath of stillness, and a time for the out-breath of revelation. Both are essential.
Let’s dive into this cycle, journeying through mystical wisdom, shamanic practices, and spiritual traditions, offering insight for those who find themselves in the stillness of the void.
The Sacred Pulse of the Divine
Every living thing breathes. The trees inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. The oceans rise and fall with the moon. Our hearts beat with a rhythm of contraction and release.
The mystics tell us the soul has its own rhythm too — a sacred pulse that alternates between receptivity and expression. Christian mystic St. John of the Cross called it la noche oscura — the dark night — not as a punishment but as a gestation period. Sufi poets like Rumi sang of the stillness as a lover’s pause between heartbeats. In Indigenous shamanic traditions, the cocoon stage is honoured as the moment before flight, a time when unseen transformation takes place within the chrysalis. When we understand that the quiet is not absence but alchemy, we begin to see that Spirit is always in co-creation with us.
The In-Breath: Sacred Silence
The in-breath of the soul is often experienced as stillness. Dreams may lessen, visions grow faint, and synchronicities that once lit up your path may seem to fade. For the ego, this silence can feel uncomfortable. Doubt may creep in, whispering: “Have I lost the connection?” But mystics remind us: the silence is not a void, but a womb.
Just as roots grow deep beneath the soil unseen, so too does your soul receive, digest, and integrate the wisdom you have already been given. Without this pause, revelations remain unanchored.
In the Hindu tradition, this stage is likened to samadhi in meditation, a still point where the self dissolves into silence. Tibetan Buddhists describe the “bardo” not only as the realm between lives but as the fertile pause between every thought, a space pulsing with possibility.
In shamanic language, this is the time of winter — the underworld journey. Nothing looks alive on the surface, but beneath, transformation is stirring. The invitation in this phase is to trust. Rest. Allow yourself to be held in the unseen currents.
The Out-Breath: Flow, Revelation, and Expansion
Then comes the exhale. Suddenly, dreams surge vivid and wild again. Synchronicities flash like signposts. Spirit feels close, vibrant and alive in every encounter. This is the soul’s out-breath, the flowering after a season of gestation. Energy that was drawn inward now flows outward, carrying with it insights, creative fire, and divine inspiration.
Shamans describe this as the eagle’s flight after long rest on the mountain. The Christian desert fathers spoke of this as consolation, when God’s presence fills the senses. Taoist sages would call it yang rising, the luminous expression after the quiet yin.
This phase feels exhilarating, and it is tempting to want to play in this space forever. But just as no creature can live in constant exhalation, the out-breath must eventually give way to the in-breath once more. The wisdom here is gratitude. Receive the gifts, express what moves through you, share the insights, and know that when the tide withdraws again, it is not loss — it is equilibrium.
The Dance Between the Two
The true power lies not in preferring one phase over the other, but in honouring the dance between them. Too much out-breath — endless seeking, channelling, or visioning — can leave us burnt out, ungrounded, or even addicted to the infinite possibilities. Too much in-breath without trust can feel heavy, breeding doubt or a sense of abandonment.
When they weave together — inhale / exhale, silence / revelation — they alchemise the rhythm of spiritual growth.
The Sufi mystics spoke of this rhythm as the turning of the Divine, mirrored in the whirling dance of the dervishes. Indigenous shamans see it in the drumbeat — contraction and expansion, a heartbeat that connects us to the earth and sky. In Christian mysticism, the pulse of presence and absence was seen as God teaching the soul to love beyond conditions, to trust in the unseen. This is the pulse of the cosmos itself. Stars collapse inward before exploding into light. Oceans withdraw before rushing forward in waves. Breath empties before filling again.
Embracing the Quiet as Holy
In a world that values constant movement and productivity, stillness can feel confronting. Yet the quiet is as sacred as the revelation.
The medieval mystic Meister Eckhart taught that the silence is where God is most present, “beyond words, beyond images, beyond knowing.” Contemporary shamans remind us that the cocoon is never wasted time — without it, the butterfly could not emerge.
This is why I’m writing this post on the second last day of the month. I’ve made a personal commitment to writing these musings monthly, but I have been sitting in the void for weeks. I always try to write what is coming up for me in this now moment, and a topic just wasn’t presenting itself every time I thought… “I really need to get the Journal entry up online!” So I gave myself the space to let the expectation go and trust that it will come when it is ready. And with a flash this morning, I knew I had to write about that which we perceive as nothingness, is brimming with creative potential just waiting for the right moment to express itself. So, as we exhale, we engage in the action and flow of life.
So if you find yourself in a season of quiet, remember: you are not cut off. You are being invited to rest, integrate, and deepen your roots. Spirit is weaving threads below the surface, preparing you for the next unfolding.
Practices to Support the In-Breath
While the out-breath often carries its own momentum, the in-breath asks for gentleness and trust. Some practices to help honour the quiet include:
Journaling — Write not to capture revelations, but to listen for whispers of the Soul / Higher Self.
Get out in nature — Let the cycles of earth remind you that Winter is as necessary as the Spring.
Restorative meditation — Focus on slowing down the length of each inhale and exhale to calm your autonomic nervous system.
Creative play — Engage in art, music, or craft without expectation of outcome — simply allowing what stirs to move gently through you.
Rituals — Light a candle and gaze into the flame, drum softly and slowly, make an altar for you want to bring forth in your life.
Musing In Summary
The journey to Know Thyself, is not a straight line but a rhythm — inhale and exhale, silence and song, cocoon and flight. If you are in the quiet, trust that roots are deepening. If you are in the flow, rejoice in the blossoming. And if you find yourself moving between the two, know that this is the natural pulse of the Divine, carrying you deeper into union with All That Is.
As St. John of the Cross wrote, “In the dark night, the soul is inflamed with love.” The silence is not absence but intimacy. The breath of Spirit is always within you, teaching you to trust the unseen, to rest in the pause, and to rise renewed with each new out-breath.
Now, while I can… and seeing September is two days away, I’ll be getting the next musing up while I’m in the exhale!