Breath Prayers
Inhale: Humble and gentle One,
Exhale: you are rest for my soul.
(from Matthew 11:28-30)Inhale: True Vine and Gardener,
Exhale: I abide in you.
(from John 15)Inhale: Nothing can separate me,
Exhale: from the love of God
(from Romans 3:38-39)Inhale: Peace of Christ
Exhale: guard my heart and mind.
(from Philipians 4:7)+
Many hymns are perfect sources for Breath Prayers – try it!
Inhale: Breathe on me, breath of God
Exhale: Fill me with life anew.Inhale: Breathe on me, breath of God
Exhale: Until I am wholly thine…
“I can’t breathe” – a phrase we’ve heard frequently since March 2020. Covid-19 causes a highly contagious respiratory disease and spreads with deadly rapidity. Global shortages of oxygen and ventilators, and overcrowded intensive care units have erupted into 3.18 million deaths to date.
The simple constant practices of wearing a mask, hand-washing frequently and maintaining a 2-metre social distance, has been wearing on many, not least of all front-line workers. The initial shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) grew a cottage-industry for many home-sewists, making masks for personal use as well as donations to hospitals and clinics. Those not used to wearing masks find them claustrophobic, anxiously gasping for air. “I can’t breathe” they cry.
We’ve also heard these words elsewhere. “I can’t breathe” are some of the last words spoken by George Floyd, an unarmed black man, killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota during his arrest. The viral video sparked a nationwide crusade for police reform and anti-racism. “I can’t breathe” has become a familiar chant at Black Lives Matter rallies, protesters demanding a re-examination of cases of other black men who have died in law enforcement custody in recent years.
Breath is an important theme throughout Scripture. In Genesis, when God breathed into the nostrils of the person fashioned from clay, the text declares the human “a living being”. In Job we read: “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of God gives me life.” And that life is magnificently portrayed when dry bones in a valley spring into a kind of joyful dance as sinew, flesh and skin are restored and God’s breath makes them fully alive. That story has always illustrated for me our symbiotic relationship with God. God’s breath is our breath. “I am my Beloved’s and He is mine.” (Song of Songs 6:3)
Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, “God is closer than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet”. We draw breath roughly 25,000 times a day, but we don’t give much thought to this miracle – until something obstructs it. My yoga teacher frequently reminded our class: “Remember to breathe, bring awareness to your breath.” We don’t breathe correctly, she said, breathing only into the top of our lungs, or breathing rapidly when we become anxious, causing even more anxiety. By paying attention to our breath and learning how to breathe, we can discover how our breath supports our flexibility, strength, and endurance. Our breath also supports our prayer practice.
The Hebrew words for “breath” and “spirit” are the same word, ruach. A breath prayer, when used over time, can help us to experience what it means for “the Spirit to pray in us.” (Romans 8:26) and helps us “pray without ceasing”,
Breath prayers are a modern adaptation of the ancient prayer of the heart. Created to express our deepest needs, they help us keep God in the foreground of our daily living and enable us to clarify our relationship with the Holy.
To begin the practice of breath prayer, you’ll need to choose a prayer. Many breath prayers are lines from scripture, familiar words we’ve come to know by heart. Traditionally, one inhales while saying the “name” of God, and exhales while declaring one’s heart’s desire. For example: Inhale: The Lord is my Shepherd; Exhale: I shall not be in want (from Psalm 23). Additional suggestions are printed in the adjacent box.
Once you’ve chosen your prayer, or written one yourself, find a quiet place. Take a moment to still your body, and begin to repeat the words, slowly, intentionally. Recite them focusing on the comfort the words offer. Continue repeating for five to fifteen minutes. Breath prayers can be “stand-alone” or can be a wonderful way to settle into the daily office, or prayers before bed.
Choosing set times to pray breath prayers helps establish a practice. You may find yourself coming back to these words throughout your day, reminding you that “God is closer than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet”. And in a year where many of us have been holding our breath, this is solace indeed.
Photo by Aaron Sousa on Unsplash
