Breath

By Pastor Paul Gauche

Today’s Word: Breath as in… breath and heartbeat are two halves of a whole. We simply can’t have one without the other.

When I began practicing meditation, sitting quietly for 5 minutes was challenging. My body could be still for five minutes, but my “monkey mind” jumped all over. Over time, I’ve learned ways to lessen my busyness. Still, there are times when my mind wanders, but I gently refocus on the rhythm of the breath.

Recently, I used some noise-canceling headphones with the meditation app. I focused on my breathing, the slow, steady rhythm of drawing in a deep breath, holding it for a moment, then slowly exhaling, letting the breath all the way out. While doing that, though, I also heard my heartbeat! What the noise-canceling headphones could not eliminate was the sound of my heart beating in my chest. It was like visiting the doctor when I was a little kid and being fascinated by the stethoscope, which, aside from providing a distraction, acted as an amplifier of my beating heart. So now, during my 20 minutes of meditation, I’m focusing on my heartbeat and my breath together, the two becoming one, syncing up: 6 to 8 beats per inhale and about the same exhaling. Breath and heartbeat paired together now trigger all kinds of gratitude.

The guiding narrative for what it means to be a spirited person acknowledges that we can thrive by intentionally affirming that we are inspired, animated, and enthused by the Source of all Life and that every breath we receive is a gift! God gives each of us the profound gifts of heartbeat and breath. As we live and breathe, the Spirit equips us to make the dream of God’s kingdom a reality here, on earth, as it is in heaven. We simply can’t have one without the other.

Reflecting:

++ Pause, receive a deep breath, hold it momentarily, then release it. How does that feel?

++ How would you describe breath as a gift of life?

++ How does an awareness of your breath and heartbeat together create gratitude?

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