Purpose
The Breath of Life
Located within either side of your chest, the lungs serve a twofold purpose. As you inhale, they inflate with oxygen - the invisible element necessary to your cells that sustains your life. As you exhale, they carry out carbon dioxide, the toxic by-product of your cells' metabolic processes, which is then recycled by plants back into oxygen. Through their presence and function, not only is your life sustained, but that of the whole planet as well. All issues, whether acute or chronic, affect the lungs' ability to take in what sustains your life and return what is crucial to other life forms.
In Susan Drury's understanding, the lungs are the body's bridge between the inner world and the outer world ... the place where the invisible becomes visible, where spirit becomes matter, where inspiration literally enters the body. The word "inspiration" itself comes from the Latin inspirare, meaning "to breathe into." Every breath is an act of receiving life. Every exhale is an act of releasing what no longer serves. The lungs are the body's most intimate connection to the rhythm of giving and receiving that sustains all of existence.
When Susan created the Elevated Body oracle deck, the Lungs card was designed to help you explore your relationship with breath, with inspiration, with grief, and with your connection to the living world around you. Where has your breath become shallow? Where has grief or fear settled in your chest? Where have you lost your connection to what inspires you? The lungs hold the answers, and this card helps you breathe your way back to them.
◇ Inquiry
When the Breath Becomes Small
We can feel overwhelmed and deflated by sadness, loss, or fear. Our chest may feel tight, as if we "can't catch our breath." We can feel suffocated, unable to "breathe freely" when circumstances or loved ones seemingly restrict us. Feeling disconnected from what inspires us can also seem to disconnect us from the world and all those within it. When aspects of our lives feel "toxic" yet too deep to be expelled, we gradually surrender our vitality to "draw in" inspiration and live a truly passionate and purposeful life.
"Grief lives in the lungs. It is the emotion that most directly affects our ability to breathe - to take in life fully. When we lose someone or something precious, the chest tightens, the breath becomes shallow, and the world feels smaller. The Lungs card invites you to breathe into your grief, not away from it - and to discover that on the other side of grief is a deeper capacity for love."
Susan's approach recognizes that the lungs are intimately connected to the heart - both physically and emotionally. In the Elevated Body deck, the Lungs and Heart cards form "The Grief and Release Pair," working together to open what grief has sealed. When you draw the Lungs card, you are being invited to explore not only your relationship with breath but your relationship with loss, with letting go, and with the courage it takes to keep breathing - to keep receiving life - even when the heart is heavy.
✦ Transcendence
The Affirmation Your Lungs Have Been Waiting to Hear
"I gratefully inhale the fullness of Divine inspiration, filling and supporting my unique, precious life."
"I realize that what initially feels like obstructions or blockages can become openings into expanded awareness and new freedom that I then share out into the world."
"Following the rhythmic cycle of my breath, I draw in inspiration, and release obstructions or burdens which are no longer mine to carry or suffer."
"I rejoice in my connection and contribution to this beautiful and sacred ecosystem of life."
Read these words aloud and feel them expand in your chest. Notice the deepening of your breath as you speak. The transcendence is not something you create ... it is something you allow. Your lungs already know how to breathe fully. They have been waiting for you to give them permission.
Working with the Lungs Card
Breath Awareness
Sit quietly and place both hands on your chest. Without changing anything, simply notice your breath. Is it shallow or deep? Fast or slow? Does it feel restricted in any area? This simple observation begins the process of opening what has been held tight.
Grief Release Practice
If you are carrying grief, hold the Lungs card and allow yourself to breathe deeply into the sadness. On each exhale, imagine releasing a small portion of the weight. This is not about forcing grief away - it is about giving it permission to move through you.
Inspiration Walk
Take a walk in nature and focus entirely on your breath. Inhale the beauty around you. Exhale whatever feels heavy. Let the natural world remind your lungs of their connection to the living ecosystem of which you are an essential part.
About the Creator
Susan Drury - Creator of the Elevated Body Deck
Susan Drury created the Elevated Body oracle deck from over thirty years of hands-on healing work - cranial sacral therapy, shamanic healing, homeopathy, and the Present Child Method. Each card carries the wisdom she has gained from listening to thousands of bodies. Explore the full Elevated Body deck or begin with a free Diamond Light meditation.
Learn More About SusanFrequently Asked Questions
Why are the lungs connected to grief?
In both traditional Chinese medicine and Susan's body-wisdom approach, the lungs are the organ most associated with grief and loss. When we experience deep loss, the chest tightens and the breath becomes shallow ... the body's way of protecting the heart by restricting the breath.
What is the Grief and Release Pair?
The Lungs and Heart cards form a powerful combination in the Elevated Body deck. When drawn together, they work to open what grief has sealed - restoring both the breath and the heart's capacity to give and receive love.
Can breathwork help with anxiety?
Yes. Conscious breathing is one of the most powerful tools for managing anxiety. The Lungs card provides a framework for understanding why your breath may be restricted and offers practices for restoring its natural depth and rhythm.
Breathe In Life. Breathe Out What No Longer Serves.
Every breath is an invitation to receive life fully and to release what is no longer yours to carry. Let the Lungs card remind you of the sacred rhythm that has been sustaining you since your very first breath.