Breathing Is Praying
Breathing Is Praying
Breathing is pretty important, yes? Yes!
Simplified to bare essentials breathing is “the process of moving air into and out of the lungs to facilitate gas exchange mostly by bringing in oxygen and flushing out carbon dioxide.”
By our doing that involuntarily, without our even thinking about it, we stay alive. Pretty big deal that our breathing both fuels and cleanses our bodies.
Let’s take a look at–breathe a breath for–the several other ways our breathe-ability is such an amazing blessing.
Calms our emotions. Mom’s first words whenever I was upset by younger sister Robin’s almost-anything-she-did were “Take a deep breath.” Perhaps you’ve experienced the same thing. Your mind is racing to keep up with your emotions. Maybe vice versa. Your deep breath drawn in slowly re-freshes your being with oxygen’s enrichment.
Measures our thinking and feeling. While life is (or seems!) random, we benefit from a steady rhythm. We become centered and grounded when we sense a steady recurring beat. Here’s where you can switch to voluntary breathing, applying a definite rhythm. Attach to it the conscious rhythm that pleases you.
Centers and focuses our intentions. A short step from measuring our thoughts and emotions, it’s a step to focusing on what we intend, whatever that intention may be. We can draw and release each breath with awareness of the intention to accomplish an objective or to release a fear or to strengthen a commitment…or whatever we choose.
Expressing prayer. We may have come to know prayer only as words spoken to Spirit. Prayer is our creative communication with God. As it is creative, it allows an infinite number of media. Not merely words. Breathing is praying. Perhaps you’ll enjoy prayer-breathing all the more if you consciously know each breath as a prayer, breathed and not necessarily spoken. Yet even if you don’t do that, suppose reflecting at the end of the day that every breath you’re taken today is a prayer.
If you’d like some simple breathing tips, here are three from Andrew Weill.
Breathing…Praying…Breathing
God of Grace and All that is,
the breath you give us is such a blessing.
Each inhalation fills us with your Spirit,
each exhalation expresses our love and thanks.
The blessings that accompany every breath we take
are many. They are peace and joy,
comfort and harmony,
love and light.
For the power to breathe
and the blessing of breath,
we thank you, God.
And so it is. Amen.
Love and blessings,
16 June 2017
In: Breath, Energy, Peace, Peacefulness, Prayer · Tagged with: Breath, Energy, Peace, praying
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