The Winds of Change

In like a lion, out like a lamb…March is a month known for instability.  As we transition from winter to spring, the weather patterns can be anything but predictable.  We are teased with a warm day with gentle breezes and bountiful sunshine, and think spring is upon us.  The next day the winds are howling and we are reaching for our winter gear once again.

It got me thinking about how the breath of God initiates change as well.  The words used for breath in the Bible translate several ways.  They can mean breath, but they also can mean wind and spirit.  This is one of the first things I learned when I began my yoga teacher training and pondering the mystery never gets old for me.

Genesis 2:7 tells us, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”  God’s breath was the thing that transformed the unliving to living.  It is His breath, His Spirit…His wind of change…that brings life from death.  It is His Spirit that brings transformation.  If we are mindful, we can experience God’s wind of change several times a minute through the practice of breath prayer.  A breath prayer can be just about anything but here are a few ways you could start:

• Simply use the name of God.  Inhale - Yah.  Exhale - Weh.  If you do this one audibly it flows quite naturally with the breath.  I’ve even heard it said that the first thing we do in life is say the name of God, and it is the last thing that leaves our lungs as well.  All other breath prayers are recited silently in the heart and mind so that the breath flows smoothly.

• Make it personal.  Inhale - a name or characteristic of God.  Exhale - your deepest need.  For example, Inhale - God of peace.  Exhale - calm my anxious heart.  

• Use a scripture that is meaningful to you right now.  For example Psalms 23:1.  Inhale - The Lord is my shepherd.  Exhale - I have all that I need.

Experience God's winds of change through the practice of breath prayer!

Interestingly, breathwork is an essential part of the traditional practice of yoga.  The breath is considered the life force energy, and by utilizing breathwork practices we can cultivate physical, mental and spiritual well-being.  Scientifically, it has been proven that certain breath practices can indeed bring balance to the nervous system and calm anxiety.  Diaphragmatic (belly) breathing massages and tones the vagus nerve, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest signals) and improving our resilience.  So when you practice your breath prayers, be sure to breathe deep into the lower lungs, allowing the belly to expand and release with each breath.  Another interesting thing to note is that God breathed into man’s nostrils.  It is always best to breathe in and out through the nostrils as long as you are able, as breathing through the nose provides filtering, humidifying and warming benefits that are not present when mouth breathing.

One last thing I’d like to share is that there is a breath practice known as balanced breathing - also known as the harmony breath.  It is the matching of the length of inhale to the length of the exhale (commonly said to be a count of four, but you can adjust as needed).  It helps to bring balance to the nervous system - calming you when you are anxious, and giving you a boost of energy when you are feeling a bit sluggish.  God really did create our bodies quite wonderfully!  

So give it a try today - experience God’s winds of change.  Practice a breath prayer along with the harmony breath for approximately 10 rounds (should take you just about two minutes of time) and see how your body, mind and spirit respond.