“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Over the past few months, I have heard a lot about mindfulness. Mindfulness in everyday life – being mindful of the world around you. Spiritual Mindfulness – being mindful of God in the world around us, and in us each day. There has been a lot of influence to take time each day, or several times a day, to just relax your body and be mindful of the moment. Be mindful of what you hear, smell, feel, or how you hear God speaking to you.
One of my favorite ways that I have learned to do this is through breath prayer. Breath prayer is a simple way to both relax and to help you stay focused on the reason you are doing this. When practicing breath prayer, you are invited to sit in a comfortable position and relax your body as you focus first only on your breath. Breathe in…. Breathe out. After you begin to relax you are invited to quietly say the first part of the breath prayer as you inhale, then quietly say the second part as you exhale. For example, my favorite breath prayer is “be still, know that I am God.” So, I quietly say “be still” as I inhale, and “know that I am God” as I exhale. I repeat this over and over for 2 or 3 minutes, then I sit quietly and be mindful of how I am feeling and if I feel God with me. I also enjoy journaling about what I felt or heard during the breath prayer.
Taking time each day, or several times a day, and practicing mindfulness, helps to clear your mind of all the things that get in our way of spending time with God. It will help relieve stress and anxiety. It will help you grow closer to God. There are several ways to do a breath prayer, you can find many examples on the internet. I hope you will give it a try!
Lee Ann Simpson, Administrative Assistant, Asbury Campus
