Just Breathe

This past week after working on Mandy’s writing assignment, I was thinking more about one of my words – breathe. As many of you know I tend to become easily overwhelmed. Just the night before had been lying in bed, trying unsuccessfully to sleep while working through all the things on my to-do list, and remembering all the things I hadn’t remembered to put on my to-do list. So I kept reminding myself to slow my breathing.

I remember from my counseling classes that deep breathing exercises were one of the most effective ways to prevent an oncoming panic attack. It works more quickly than medication, can be used at any time or place, and is a great tool for dealing with anxiety. Of course these exercises need to be practiced when you’re not just about to have a panic attack to be effective (much like the spiritual disciplines, as we have learned, are to be practiced regularly for when we really need to use them).

So what is it about breathing – and paying attention to how we breathe – that is so therapeutic? I think the answer is more than just physiological.

“Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” – Genesis 2:7

We’ve also considered that when Moses asks God’s name in the scene with the burning bush, God’s reply in the Hebrew were the letters YOD, HAY, VAV, and HAY, which have been surmised to be the sound of breathing. (Read more about that here, or watch the excerpt from Nooma, Breathe.) That, perhaps, while we’re even breathing, we are speaking God’s name, whispering praises without even knowing it.

Even the etymology of the word inspire comes from a word that means, “blow into,” or breathe in.  Consider that whenever you have an idea, an inkling, a hunch for good – that it could be that God is breathing his Spirit into us.

Is it any wonder, then, that the single best way to quickly combat anxiety is with simply become aware of and slowing our breathing? Taking deep breaths? Sucking in the life-giving spirit of the living God who literally gave us our first breath and each breath following and knowing that you have no choice but to whisper a praise in spite of yourself.

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