Breathing Practices
I recognize that every breath is a wonderful gift from God.
One of my favorite ways of entering into a time of meditation is by paying attention to my breathing. You'd be surprised by how often we hold our breath and engage in shallow breathing throughout the day. This kind of shallow breathing must do something to us and our bodies. I often like to enter into God's presence by breathing fully and deeply. Breathing fully and deeply has some good physical benefits. We bring in more oxygen to our bodies (in particular, our brains), which helps with focus and concentration. It also helps slow down our heart rate, which brings a feeling of calmness especially when one is nervous or anxious. A posture that includes calmness and deep concentration is excellent to have when meditating on the Lord.
I like to start with breathing fully and deeply because it helps me become more aware of God's presence in my life. I recognize that every breath is a wonderful gift from God. After all, God was the one who gifted breath to human beings in the first place when He brought forth life. The book of Genesis says this: "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Gen. 2:7 ESV). Our breathing is inseparably linked to being alive.
When meditating, I practice breathing fully and deeply for several minutes. I do this slowly and deliberately. There are two kinds of breathing techniques that I personally employ. They might help you if you're just getting started in incorporating breathing exercises.
In the first technique, I breathe in fully and deeply through the nose. After holding my breath for a few seconds, I exhale slowly and steadily through the nose.
In the second technique, I breathe swiftly once through the nose. This is followed very quickly by a second breath that's deeper and fuller through the nose. Basically, it's two breaths in quick succession, with the second breath being deeper and fuller. Then I exhale slowly and steadily through the mouth.
I often alternate between these two breathing techniques. Note that these are just breathing practices that have helped me personally. I encourage you to do a little research to discover and develop breathing practices that would be helpful for you personally. The point of doing this, however, is to prepare your mind and body to pay close attention to the Lord in your time of meditation. Hopefully, it will aid you in focusing better on God and His presence in your life.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
