I. Harmonize heart, breath and electromagnetic field

• Breathe naturally.
• Extend the exhale by about 3 counts, which leads to an increase in the inhale, with the sense of filling with life.
• Hold breath a short while. While holding become aware of your heartbeat, then of the heartbeat and various pulsations all over your body. Repeat a few times.
• On the next inhale become aware of your electromagnetic field, pulsing with the heart pulsation, interpenetrating and spreading around your body. Continue for a few breaths.
• Then set your breathing to inhaling for a count of 4, holding for 8, exhaling for 4 (or for the rhythm that is right for you: 2‑4‑2, or 6‑12‑6 etc).

II. Qasab: 5 forms

1. Qasab with equal counts.

• Attune breath with heartbeat: count the number of heartbeats with your inhale; exhale for the same number of heartbeats. Before starting, you may place the fingers of one hand on the pulse on the opposite wrist to feel the number of heartbeats to each breath.
• Simple alternate nostril inhale and exhale:
  • inhale left, exhale right 3 x
  • inhale right, exhale left 3 x
  Hand position: Thumb of right hand under right side of chin, able to close right nostril with right middle finger; fingers of left hand over back of right hand, able to close left nostril with left thumb.
• Retain the breath after the inhale for an equal number of heartbeats to the inhale; exhale for the same number of heartbeats. Murshid called this the ‘square pattern’ of equal counts for inhale, retention and exhaling, or a pattern of ‘4‑4‑4’ (or 5‑5‑5 etc).

2. Qasab with extended retention
(known as the 4‑8‑4 rhythm).

• Inhale for your chosen length.
• Hold your breath for double the length of your inhale.
• Exhale for the same length as your inhale.

So the rhythm is 4‑8‑4, or 5‑10‑5 or 6‑12‑6 etc. If there is any strain, shorten the length of the retention and of the inhale and exhale proportionately.

• Then practise Qasab, this time in your chosen rhythm of 4‑8‑4 or 5‑10‑5 etc.
  • Inhale left, hold, exhale right ‑ 3 x
  • Inhale right, hold, exhale left ‑ 3 x
  • Inhale both nostrils, hold, exhale both nostrils ‑ 3 x

As your breath naturally becomes longer and deeper, without forcing or straining, you may adjust the lengths proportionately.

3. Qasab and the subtle spine.

• Start with several breaths through both nostrils, relaxing, with simple awareness in the hara, the centre of energy about 2” below your belly button.
• Then as you inhale, feel the breath rising up from the hara through your subtle spine to the Crown centre at the top of the head; as you exhale, feel the breath descending from Crown centre to hara. Continue this for several breaths.

Feel how consciousness rises with the breath up the subtle spine with the inhale, consciousness becoming more subtle, light and spacious as it rises; and how consciousness becomes denser as it descends with the breath on the exhale.

• Then combine this awareness of breath and consciousness with the subtle spine with the 4‑8‑4 rhythm of Qasab, as above.

4. Qasab for Healers.

• The practice follows the 4‑8‑4 rhythm and awareness of breath and consciousness in the subtle spine, as above.
• On the inhale, think Shafee; on the exhale, Kafee.

Murshid gives a phrase as a theme for Shafee and Kafee, so that one thinks the phrase instead of Shafee and Kafee:

• While inhaling, think, 'Pour Thy divine blessing upon me, O Lord'.
• While exhaling, think, 'Thine all sufficient power, O Lord, I seek'.

• As with Qasab with 4‑8‑4 rhythm, there are 3 cycles. For this form of Qasab there are 10 breaths per cycle:
  • First cycle: Inhale left ‑ hold ‑ exhale right. Healing is directed towards your physical being.
  • Second cycle: Inhale right ‑ hold ‑ exhale left. Moving inward. Healing is directed towards the mental body: thoughts, conscious emotions and feelings.
  • Third cycle: Inhale through both nostrils ‑ hold ‑ exhale through both nostrils. This cycle works at the level of the depth of the mind, the unconscious impulses which underlie consciousness, impulses in dreams, our personal mythology.

5. Long Qasab Practice, given by Pir Zia Inayat Khan.

• Inhale and exhale through the left nostril. This is the receptive side; we are clearing the left peripheral channel along the spine. It gives fresh magnetism, releases tension.
• Inhale and exhale through the right nostril: the expressive side; we are clearing the right peripheral channel along the spine.
• Inhale left nostril and exhale right nostril: here, the consciousness flows into life, from the past (the left) toward the future (the right). Feel the pull of the future.
• Inhale right, exhale left: returning from the future, healing the past, letting go of resentments.
• Inhale left nostril, exhale through the mouth: the flow of energy is down the left peripheral channel; feel if there is any constriction or tension along this channel; whether the energy is fluid.
• Inhale right nostril, exhale through the mouth: clearing the right peripheral channel.
• Inhale through the mouth and exhale through the left nostril: feel energy rising, purifying, releasing tension or blockages in the channel.
• Inhale through the mouth and exhale through the right nostril.
• Placing hands on your lap, exhale and inhale through the nose, visualizing the colour yellow: the earth breath.
• Inhale nose, exhale mouth, visualizing the colour green: the water breath.
• Inhale mouth, exhale nose, visualizing the colour red: the fire breath.
• Inhale and exhale through the mouth, visualizing the colour blue: the air breath.