Oxygen for Your Soul: Breath Prayers
Valerie shares the benefits of including Breath Prayers in your prayer practice.
Do you experience worry, anxiety, overwhelm, or trouble staying present in the moment? Do you desire to feel more connected to God on a daily basis? If you answered yes to any of the above, then Breath Prayers may be for you.
I was first introduced to Breath Prayers in my spiritual direction training last year. Since then, I have slowly made them a part of my rhythm of life. I have found them calming, grounding, helpful, and encouraging. As a Spiritual Director, I have shared them with my directees, family, and friends, and now I’d like to share them with you!
In Breath Prayer Guides by Bill Gaultiere, Breath Prayers are described as “a simple yet powerful practice to turn our rhythm of breathing in and out into a continual conversation with God.” Simply put, Breath Prayers are a way of taking deep, slow, intentional breaths as you inhale God’s word in and slowly out.
One of my favorite Breath Prayers is from the 23rd Psalm. This psalm is a favorite when I feel stressed from traffic (I live in Los Angeles!), overwhelmed with tasks, or feel the need to be in control in some area of my life. When I get any of those types of feelings creeping into my mind or showing up in my body, I first breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that I can find immediate help with a simple Breath Prayer. Here is how it works:
I take a slow, intentional, deep breath as I say to myself, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
I slowly exhale, releasing tension as I say to myself, “I have no need.”
I repeat until I feel the undesired feelings lessen or disappear.
My usual experience is to feel relief from the unwanted feelings. I have also found that it reorients my mind to the truths of God’s word and His presence with me. It’s a win, win!
There are many choices for Breath Prayers; here are a few of my favorites:
(Breathe in) Peace…(Breathe out) Be still…
(Breathe in) More of Jesus…(Breathe out) Less of me…
(Breathe in) Fear not… (Breathe out) God is my (Confidence, Helper, Shepherd)
When I have a little more time, I love to use this one at home where I find a quiet and comfortable place and close my eyes.
Breathe in God’s word, breathe out stress.
Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know I AM
Be still and know
Be still
Be
I always feel more relaxed and peaceful after that one!
If you would like more information on Breath Prayers, please feel free to contact me at care@intentionallyordinary.com, or you can get more information from the Breath Prayer Guides by Bill Galtiere at Soul Shepherding’s website.
I hope you will try them and intentionally bring more peace, calm, and time with God into your life.
Enjoying the journey together!
Valerie
For more breath prayers
We include breath prayers in almost everything we do because we’ve experienced their incredible power and simplicity. Our Habit Formation Workbook includes a breath prayer for each habit of the body, and our Half-Day Spiritual Retreat Guide integrates a section where you can create your own breath prayer. We hope you get to experience the power of breath prayers with these incredible spiritual formation resources. Check them out!
Contemplative Prayer: Finding Rest and Direction
Valerie walks us through the practice of contemplative prayer.
I just recently finished reading Jan Johnson’s When the Soul Listens, Finding Rest and Direction in Contemplative Prayer.
Is rest and direction something your heart longs for?
As a Spiritual Director, I hear many different versions of the desire to find rest and direction. Overworked, overwhelmed and overspent are feelings that are all too familiar. Uncertainty, anxiety and decision fatigue weary our souls.
In her book, Jan describes contemplative prayer as “prayer in which we still our thoughts and emotions, and focus on God’s own self in an unhurried way”. As I read the description I am reminded how stillness and focus are so often lacking in our lives. Our world does not call us to rest. Many times physical rest is only a reaction to exhaustion. If we are resting our bodies, we are often not resting our minds but instead filling our minds with the images and noise of social media, news or entertainment. What about unhurried? Calm, peace and quiet often elude us. We are so busy achieving, producing, performing and experiencing that our lives feel more like hamster wheels or treadmills than actual living.
In contemplative prayer we are invited to slow down and rest and just be. In this practice, we are given space for transformation of the inner life. As our inner life is transformed, the outer world around us begins to have less of a grip on our lives. We can experience inner calm while living in a world that is going at a frenetic pace.
“To sit in silence before God restores the soul.”
If you would like to spend some time in contemplative prayer, below are some suggested ways to begin:
Plan on setting aside approximately 10 minutes to rest your mind and body.
Find a quiet place where you can be distraction free.
Choose a scripture verse, phrase or truth to meditate on.
Close your eyes and just be.
Allow distracting thoughts pass as you focus your mind on the things of God (scripture, verse, truth, character of God, etc).
Allow yourself to listen.
End your time with gratitude.
The above steps are meant to be a guide as a way to pay attention to God. It is meant to simply be a time to “quiet ourselves and simply enjoy God’s presence.”
Let us take steps to intentionally care for our souls, and make space for peace and joy at a deep and abiding level.