The Cosmic Breath

There exists an ancestral language, the language of the Earth, which expresses itself through sound.

In the ashram we chanted OM, and it vibrated through the silent universe, seemingly flattened among countless prominent stars. The recitation of the Qur’an, instead, attunes our breath in ways very similar to a meditative practice or a mantra, thanks to its rhythm, its pauses, and its vibration—yet in an even more structured and refined way.

The recitation of the Qur’an also has significant effects on the physical level, not only on the spiritual and mental one. Its natural rhythm and pauses encourage deep, diaphragmatic breathing; the Arabic syllables produce vibrations that connect the chest, head, and oral cavity; and the nervous system calms, sweeping away stress and muscular tension.

It is a subtle physical exercise that synchronizes body, breath, and mind, transforming recitation into a bodily and meditative experience. It may also have positive effects for those who suffer from asthma or anxiety, thanks to its calming influence on the nervous system.

The Earth emits a series of measurable vibrations and signals: from earthquakes to ground oscillations, to tides generated by gravitational interaction with the Moon and the Sun.

These are mechanical, electrical, and magnetic variations that constitute the planet’s “breath.”

On a broader scale, the solar system displays regular orbits and gravitational resonances, while the universe itself produces gravitational waves and density oscillations within galaxies. Thus, natural cycles on Earth, such as day and night, the seasons, and atmospheric phenomena, are directly connected to astronomical and physical processes governed by precise laws, demonstrating that our planet is part of an interconnected cosmic system.

Surah Ar-Rūm 30:48 states: “Allah is He who sends the winds, which raise the clouds, and spreads them in the sky as He wills, and causes them to fall upon the earth, giving life thereby after it was dead. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect.”

Analyzing this verse, we observe that Allah is presented as the ordering principle who creates the wind, raises the clouds, and disperses them in the sky according to His will.

Scientifically, wind arises from air movement caused by differences in pressure, uneven heating of the Earth’s surface, the Coriolis effect, and the shape of the land. It transports moisture and heat, thus promoting the formation of clouds and rain.

Nature, although it possesses self-regulating cycles and mechanisms, cannot sustain itself indefinitely on its own without an external ordering principle, for both scientific and philosophical-spiritual reasons. The Qur’an affirms that the universe and nature do not maintain themselves autonomously but are constantly sustained and ordered by Allah.

This concept aligns with scientific observation: nature follows laws, cycles, and delicate balances that allow life, but without an external ordering principle, such systems would collapse.

One may therefore say that the world breathes like a great diaphragm. The natural cycles of the Earth, rising and falling tides, winds moving through the atmosphere, and the alternation of seasons, resemble the movement of the human diaphragm during inhalation and exhalation.

Plants absorb CO₂ and release oxygen; animals breathe; oceans exchange gases with the atmosphere. All of this generates a global breath, a constant flow of energy and matter similar to that of the human body. When we connect with nature, our own breathing tends to synchronize with these rhythms, as if we were sensing the Earth inhaling and exhaling.

This is why meditating in nature creates relaxation, harmony, and a sense of unity with the universe.

The Qur’an indirectly teaches conscious breathing through the recitation of its verses. This occurs through rhythm and pauses, vibration and resonance of Arabic syllables, relaxation of the nervous system, and the cultivation of presence and awareness. Breath becomes a meditative tool that synchronizes body and spirit, transforming every word into an act of inner balance.

The Arabic language is extraordinarily deep and complex. It is based on triliteral roots, from which many related words emerge, each carrying nuanced shades of meaning, allowing for a unique semantic richness. Classical Arabic, especially that of the Qur’an, is musical and rhythmic: syllables, consonants, and vowels produce natural vibrations in the body, transmitting emotional and spiritual intensity even independently of the literal meaning of the words. Each term has a distinct character, and the combination of meaning, rhythm, and sound makes this language a powerful instrument for connecting with the Divine, capable of influencing everything around it.

Thus, while the Earth breathes like a great diaphragm, the Qur’an breathes through our words. Every verse, every syllable, every pause synchronizes body, breath, and mind with the rhythms of the universe. Reciting the Qur’an then becomes an act of harmony: a bridge between humanity and nature, between the visible and the invisible, between the finite and the infinite. In this shared breath, the Divine and the world meet, and life itself becomes a song of balance and presence.

Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255 (Ayat al-Kursi):

“Allah! There is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and preserving them does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great.”