Breath

Still Waters https://youtu.be/v1IaQvgPsfA?si=FzipvcbFDiX6ngeZ

This is the Air I Breathe https://youtu.be/Rg9wV0nfvgg?si=NJ3tMPHZ1DHpGUT5

Rest On Us https://youtu.be/qFxmxTC_K4s?si=ePbLhOENqp_jU6wM

The concept of breath bears so much significance, carrying more purpose than simply physical. Invisible and transient, breath is a life-force sourced in eternity. The Hebrew word for breath is Ruach, and its connection to the Spirit of God Ruach Elohim is woven into scripture right out of the gates in Genesis 1:2.

“The Spirit of God (Ruach Elohim) was hovering over the waters.”

An eternally sourced breath or vapor was floating over the water. This was the primeval Genesis 1:1 water from In the beginning, when God created life from “uncreation” to be gathered into one place called earth, but it was still surrounded by wild waters, “where no life can flourish, no meanings can take root, no order can take shape. It is the opposite of the good place God is about to bring about…” (Andy Patton, “The Primeval Sea: God Rules the Chaotic Waters” https://stillpoint.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web). The holy wind calmed those chaos waters where nothing was flourishing, “life-force breath” hovering over the chaos so that meaning could take root.

Where in your life do you feel the life force sucked out of you? When breath is seized up, frozen, or asthmatic? How much of that is connected to a negative emotional weight or burden that you’ve been carrying around? How does that contribute to the chaos, the “wild waters” of our emotions, and where can you visualize Spirit of God, Ruach Elohim, hovering over the disorder in your life to bring about good things? Where can you invite His breath to speak stillness to the chaos of life, like Jesus did in Mark 4?

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea,
“Peace, be still!”
And the wind ceased and there was great calm.”
~Mark 4:39 NKJV~

Where in our lives do we also need to speak to resentment and bitterness and other chaos waters of life as Jesus did? To say “Quiet! Be still!” (NIV). “Calm down!” (International Standard Version). “Hush!” (Amplified). “Stop! Shut up!” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English). The Message takes it one step further in terms of breath:

“…he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea,
“Quiet! Settle down!”
The wind ran out of breath;
the sea because smooth as glass.”

We want the roiling of resentment to cease, the winds of frustration to “run out of breath” instead of ourselves running out of breath. We can speak to these areas in our lives and invite His spirit to hover over our chaos waters. I release resentment. I choose to forgive this person. It is not for me to hold judgment. I release controlling thoughts because I am not God. I release this situation to Him. He gives me permission to walk away from judgment. It reframes our negative thought patterns: exhaling that life force which causes me anxiety and stress and inhaling that life force that gives me peace and joy. It is like breath prayer, where one inhales a deep breath on a five-second count, hold the breath for drive seconds, and again exhale through the mouth on another long five-second count. I breathe in peace; I exhale tension. In another format, it is breathing in His presence on the inhale and releasing resentment and forgiveness on the exhale. I release forgiveness toward (fill in the blank), even though I don’t feel like it. I relinquish the offense that I am holding onto, that sticks to me like burrs. I cut off negative feelings about that situation. I exhale the anxiety that is associated with that circumstance. I breathe in peace that passes understanding.

Before I knew much about the methodology, I modeled this with one of my children. When flustered and unable to verbalize the conflict within, they would escalate into a physically anxious state. I would put up my finger to my lips, saying “breathe in the flower” (in through the nose) and “blow out the candle” (out through the lips). This simple practice would de-escalate the emotions, slow the heart rate, and invite the life-giving life force to hover over the chaos within my child.

AI generated some breath prayers for me from the Psalms, which simply connects our physical breath with the spirit element of the Word of God:

Inhale: “The Lord is my Shepherd” (Ps. 23:1)
Exhale: “I shall not want.”
Inhale: “Father into Thy hands” (Ps. 31:5)
Exhale: “I commit my spirit.”
Inhale: “When my worry is great” (Ps. 94:19)
Exhale: “Your comfort brings joy.”
Inhale: “In Christ alone” (Ps. 62:1)
Exhale: “My soul finds rest.”

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
~Psalm 150:6~