“Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).
For reflection:
The author calls us to live in the present moment, reminding us that “the past has come to completion” and “the future is yet to be created.” When you find yourself dwelling in the past or imagining your future, how do you draw yourself back to the present moment?
The ancient monks had a practice of always keeping death before their eyes. What would you do differently today if you were keeping death before your eyes?
The author says there are more opportunities for “breathing spaces” (pg8) than we realize. One suggestion is to stop doing one thing before you begin on another. Where in your daily routine do you recognize you try to do more than one thing at a time? Where can you take a five-minute break to intentionally savor silence and breath?
From the yoga tradition the author learned a four-part breathing exercise that gives the same amount of time to the inhale, the exhale, and the moments in between. So: breathe in for a count of three, hold that breath for a count of three, exhale to a count of three and let the emptiness hold for three. How does this shift your attention to time?
Breath prayers are a form of meditation that incorporate a phrase from scripture or other source. It is a way to “pray without ceasing” that Paul called us to (I Thes 5:17). A well-known breath prayer from the early church uses the phrase “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Thus:
Lord Jesus Christ (inhale)
son of God (hold)
have mercy on me (exhale)
a sinner (rest).
Drawing on scripture, poetry, or other medium, create your own four-part breath prayer (see the examples on pg 12).
The Wisdom Years 