The Gift of Intentional Breath
Finding Stillness and Connection with God Amidst Life’s Chaos
“‘Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.’ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah”
- Psalm 46:10-11
This nature of “stillness” has been on my mind this week. Maybe it is because we have Vacation Bible School this week, and we have kids screaming, hollering, and running around our church. Maybe it is because next week, I begin a two-week vacation.
Maybe…just maybe, God is trying to tell me something.
It has been one of those summers so far. It feels like, since the end of May, life has been going 100 mph, and I have been trying to find moments to stop, slow down, SOMETHING!
Yet, God has offered us this tool that we often don’t take full advantage of. It’s not that it isn’t used, but sometimes I don’t think it gets the respect it often deserves.
This is what I like to think of as the “gift of breath,” and I will even label it deeper by saying:
“The Gift of Intentional Breath”
I feel like breathing, and even intentional breathing, has become something that has been treated as if it is part of some spiritual practice, but not one connected as much with the Christian faith. However, I think there is beauty and knowledge in these practices as we seek a sense of stillness.
In yoga practices, breathing is vital (much like throughout life), but it goes deeper into this sense of intentional breathing. There is a rhythm to the inhaling and exhaling in the practice, and it is seen as connecting a bridge between the mind and body. A typical yoga session will start with intentional breathing because you are entering a different space, and you should slow your mind, body, and spirit down as you enter.
Entering this state of conscious breathing is meant to help you focus and flow through the yoga practice. I think that this is a practice we can implement within our lives too.
Think about taking a reflective and meditative stance in life. I am not saying to take out 30, 60, or even 90 minutes. I am saying even a few minutes of intentional breathing can help us as we flow through the motions of our days. Whenever we feel we are becoming disjointed from that breath, we can become intentional about it again and reconnect our flow back to that breath.
TRY THIS REAL QUICK
Take a moment and take a breath.
Think about just that breath.
Have that breath be intentional.
Reconnect with creation, with God.
It doesn't need to take long.
Sometimes I'll just take 20-30 seconds.
It doesn't need to be stressful to pause and breathe.
It can be centering to our purpose and calling.
When we get disjointed from this intentional practice, we can lose that basic nature. I know it can sometimes be difficult to do, but even with chaos happening around us, we can still take intentional breaths to know it is in God's stillness that we begin to balance the chaos with some peace.
AMEN!!!