Breath Prayer: Listen and Learn

Breath prayer is an ancient spiritual practice that can be done anywhere and anytime, connecting our physical breath with our Creator. This practice met Whitney twenty years ago during a personal crisis and it continues to help her slow down, listen, and pay attention to both her body and the world around her today. Pause with this breath prayer to listen for what God longs for you to hear today.

For more on the theme of Listen and Learn, see page 50 in With God in Every Breath. Connect with Whitney and the community that makes this podcast possible at ExploringPeace.com/community.

Transcript

Personal Journey With Breath Prayer

Speaker 1 0:01

Hi, I'm Whitney and you're listening to Exploring Peace Meditations. Today I'll invite you into an ancient practice known as breath prayer. This can be practiced in many ways, but I'll share the way I stumbled onto breath prayer myself and how I practice it still today. Self and how I practice it still today. Twenty years ago, in a moment of crisis, I inhaled the name of God and exhaled my prayer. Today, I continue that practice often, and sometimes I have to pray prayers that slow me down, help me listen and nudge me to pay attention to my body, to the world, to wise ones in my life. Today, I'll invite you to do the same.

Guided Breath Prayer Meditation

Speaker 1 1:01

You can practice breath prayer anywhere, whether you're walking, driving, moving your body, falling asleep at night or sitting in a posture of meditation. It's our heart and our mind that we set upon our creator that helps us listen and learn and learn. So, wherever you are, allow yourself to take a nice full inhalation. As you breathe in, your body expands, your chest opens, your belly inflates. The breath fills you with life. As you exhale, the body deflates, the core, draws in the navel, pulls toward the spine. Allow yourself to become comfortable with that rhythmic breathing inhaling, expanding the body, exhaling. Expanding the body, exhaling, allowing the body to draw in. Inhale, breathe into your whole being, fill yourself with life. Exhale, release that breath, that energy, back into the world. Continue with purposeful breaths, inhaling and exhaling.

Closing Prayer and Resources

Speaker 1 2:47

On your next inhalation, I invite you to breathe in Creator, creator, creator, creator, the one who creates you every moment and every breath, who's given you life. Inhale, creator, you, every moment and every breath. Who's given you life. Inhale, creator. Repeat that for the next few breaths, with each inhalation, silently. Breathe in the word, the image creator. Welcome God's presence as close as your breath. On your next, exhale, silently, offer the words help me listen, help me listen, help me listen. You'll put these together. Inhaling, creator, Exhaling. Help me listen.

Speaker 1 4:14

In the next few moments of quiet, I invite you to continue breathing in and out these words, this simple breath, prayer to draw close to God, to open your ears, your heart, your mind, to listen for what God has for you. In this breath, in this moment, in this season of life, inhale, creator, exhale. Help Me Listen. Thank you, holy and loving God, creator of life and giver of breath. Thank you for this chance to pause and listen. May we hear you, see, you know you, through the world around us through those we trust, through our inner wisdom and your Spirit inside of us. God, help us listen today, listen to you In your holy name. We pray Amen For more on this theme of Listen and Learn, see page 50 in my new book With God in Every Breath. You can find all my books at WhitneyRSimpsoncom and you can connect with me and our community that makes this place possible by visiting ExploringPeacecom slash community. I would love to meet you there. Let's listen and learn together. Until next time, may God's peace be with you.