prayer is more than words
- Marvello V
- Sep 25, 2022
- 2 min read
Definition of prayer
a spiritual communion with God, as in supplication, thanksgiving,
adoration, or confession.
I often state, “Prayer is more than words.” It’s also worshipping and praising God. It includes being silent in His presence and allowing ourselves to feel Him in our heart. I also think we can utilize breathwork to connect more deeply with the Holy Spirit. In other words, we can feel the presence of God through our breath.
Definition of breathwork
conscious, controlled breathing done especially for relaxation, meditation,
or therapeutic purposes.
“The one constant through your life is breath. All your friends, your family, the country you live in, all of that can change. Breath is with you always. When you get stressed—what changes? Your breath. When you get angry—what changes? Your breath. We experience every emotion with the change of the breath. When you learn to navigate and manage your breath, you can navigate any situation in life.”
Think Like a Monk, by Jay Shetty, pp. xvii-xviii.
The idea of breathwork is not specifically for other meditative practices, it’s Biblical:
5 God’s Message, the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies, laid out the earth and all that grows from it, who breathes life into earth’s people, makes them alive with his own life:
Isaiah 42:5, The Message.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
John 20:21-22, New International Version.
Here is a simple method you can use to start your breathwork practice:
BREATHWORK PREPARATION
Find a comfortable position—sitting in a chair, sitting upright with a cushion, or lying down
Close your eyes
Lower your gaze (yes, you can do this with your eyes closed)
Make yourself comfortable in this position
Roll back your shoulders
Bring your awareness to
Calm
Balance
Ease
Stillness
Peace
BREATHE TO CALM AND RELAX YOURSELF
Do this after you’ve done the breathwork preparation above:
Breathe in for a count of 4 through your nose in your own time at your own pace
Hold for a count of 4
Exhale for a count of 4 through your mouth
Repeat up to 10 times
Very much like spirituality, breathwork takes practice. As you become more comfortable being conscious of your breath (breathwork), start exploring other methods. And always remember, that God is in your breath.
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