Breath Prayers

My body reacts to whatever’s happening in my life and in the world around me. My blood pressure goes up and down, my shoulder muscles tense and relax, my breathing pattern varies, my brow furrows and rests. There are many bodily responses to life.

During these turbulent times, my body can react and change throughout the day, sometimes even moment by moment. When I hear or see negative news such as when world leaders act immaturely, unjustly or disregard the negative effects of their words and decisions, I can feel my chest tighten and my breathing shallow.

Over the years I’ve found that my breathing pattern is directly related to my mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Breathing is life. Our breath, like our heartbeats is always with us. Both sustain us, even when we don’t notice that they’re happening. They rhythmically carry on inside us, sustaining us, allowing us to live. And I cannot help but mention that our ability to breathe also depends on the plant world-- trees and other vegetation transform our exhaled carbon dioxide into the oxygen that we breathe, which in turn enters our bloodstream where it nourishes and maintains our bodies.

The connection between our breath and life has led most religious traditions to encourage some form of Breath Prayer. Hindu mantras, Buddhist Gathas, Yogic Pranayamas, Sufi zikr chants.

In the Christian tradition it is often said that God is as close to us as our next breath. That there is a connection between the breath and the Divine, (e.g. Genesis 2:7, John 20:21-22).

In Breath Prayers our inhalations and exhalations are used as an anchoring, rhythmic way to connect with the Divine, the transcendent. They help us to slow down, to connect with the still point inside us.

Sarah Bessey says that she uses Breath Prayers as one way to help her deal wth despairing feelings,[1]. My experience is similar to Bessey’s in that these short prayers help me to be grounded and remain faithful and hopeful, even in these chaotic times.

Breath Prayers are ways to pray without ceasing, (1 Thessalonians 5:17), thereby becoming places of refuge that we can move into at any time and any place. They are a simple spiritual practice that directs our attention towards the sacred in our daily lives.

Thus, instead of moving through the day feeling cynical or burdened, we can consciously choose different thoughts and attend to our breath.

Prayerfully choosing a Breath Prayer for a specific time and place is an important part of the practice. The prayer begins as we listen to the Spirit's guidance for a word or short phrase that we can align with our in and out breaths.

Breath pray-ers have used many phrases over the centuries such as:

• The Jesus Prayer, (i.e. Jesus, Son of God; have mercy on me a sinner),

•. Words from a poem or Scripture, (e.g. John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you).

•. Any simple phrase, (e.g. Thank you; For life)

If you decide to regularly engage in breath prayer you will find that it will progressively become easier to root yourself in this practice throughout your “ordinary” life.

The Breath Prayer practice on the video is adapted from the sources listed below.

1. Sarah Bessey’s Field Notes, 40 Breath Prayers for When You are Despairing, January 27, 2025. https://sarahbessey.substack.com/p/breath-prayers-despairing?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

2. Christine Valters Paintner, Breath Prayer: An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred, Broadleaf Books, Minneapolis, MN, 2021, (3, 5-7, 12-15).

3. Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women, Sorin Books, Notre Dame, IN, 2017, (34, 36, 43).

This blog is dedicated to the memory of Maureen Fowler, a beloved spiritual mentor.