Breathing Lessons
New year, new beginning … or at least that is what many people hope for with the turning of a calendar page signifying another 12-month countdown until the next ball drops. But just days into this year, the newness felt dull and tarnished. I was under house arrest, otherwise known as quarantine lockdown. Without even trying or seeking it out, the rumblings of dissatisfaction, disappointment, and disagreements caused by events in the greater world beyond my sealed abode began to seep into my environment. Like water rushing into a cave, the torrent of words started to flood my inbox and news feed, threatening to leave me struggling to catch my own breath.
It was in these moments that I was reminded of the importance of spiritual breathing lessons.
In preparation for attempting, yet again, to tackle a goal, I had signed up for a free trial of a weight loss app. One specific motivational lesson designed to effect behavioral change focused on the importance of breath. After reading about how breath occurs without conscious thought, I was struck by the importance of how we can also control our breath through conscious thought.
This principle is used effectively in the practice of breath prayer. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Houston Heflin defines breath prayers in his book, Pray Like You Breathe, as:
short, mostly one-sentence, prayers … often repeated, and they are often aligned with a person’s breathing so that the first half of a sentence is prayed while inhaling and the second half of the sentence is prayed while exhaling … usually prayed silently, or with the breath. (p. 11)
Although the app I was using intended this breath practice to inspire self confidence with suggestions like repeating the mantra “I am” on an inhalation and “enough” on an exhalation, it triggered my memory of the practice of breath prayers. I began to contemplate the importance of practicing my breathing – my spiritual breathing. Deep inhalations of the word of God can be followed by an exhale of prayerful utterances.
Research on breathing exercises indicates that there are various types of breathing practices which can be used for multiple purposes such as releasing physical tension, increasing mindfulness, or creating a sense of calm. How much more would reading Scripture to formulate our prayers achieve a similar, if not superior, result?
To embark on a practice of spiritual breathing lessons, start small. Try reading just one verse, or a few, and then using the words to formulate a brief prayer. The Psalms provide a beautiful template as a possible place to begin. Psalm 136, for instance, repeats the phrase “your love endures forever” multiple times. This declaration of faith might be savored much like a sweet aroma, followed by a prayer to remember this assurance of God’s steadfast love even in the midst of uncertainty or upheaval.
As with any exercise, dedication is required to achieve results. Try to practice daily if not several times a day. You might even set a schedule for practicing at a specific time. Perhaps by engaging in spiritual breathing lessons, we can keep the troubles of this world at bay. It may even become a powerful weapon against those who would derail us with their “worldly and empty chatter” (2 Tim. 2:16). Instead, let us use the words of God to fill our souls and inform our days.
