Breath work has become VERY important to me in the years since becoming a registered yoga teacher.
We breathe an average of 20,000 times a day, never really noticing how the breath feels moving in and out of our nostrils.
Have you ever thought about breath having “texture,” or have you noticed the difference in the “temperatures” of the inhales and the exhales? How about that little wisp of air that floats over your upper lip at the end of an exhale?
Every week, whether in a studio class or in a Holy Yoga session, I help my students warm up their breath before we begin flowing, stretching, and grounding in the postures of that day. The feedback from students has been so heartwarming, with many sharing they never really paid attention to their breath prior to taking one of my classes.
Our breath–in my opinion–is our greatest natural resource. It has the power of energize us, to center us, and to calm us down. As I write this post, I am excited about Holy Yoga’s new breath work certification class. (http://www.holyyoga.net)
In a recent Holy Yoga session, I instructed my students to lie on their sides in a fetal position and to ponder how God in the Flesh–Emmanuel, Jesus–was curled up in Mary’s womb–moving, growing, and with a beating heart–and took His first breath upon emerging from her body.
God took a first breath in this world and continued to breathe in the flesh until He took His final breath hanging on a wooden cross…
It is finished. (John 19:30)
But consider this…
In the second chapter of Genesis, we find God BREATHING into Adam to bring him to life.
And the resurrected Jesus, before He ascended into heaven, BREATHED into the disciples, instructing them to receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:22)
This is A LOT of breath coming from the One who birthed, blew, and brought the universes into being!
We Christians know our Father. We FEEL His love, and we SEE His presence everywhere.
But have you every really pondered His BREATH?!
The Spirit hovered over the abyss. The Trinity was there–Father, Son, and Spirit–before time as we know it existed. The Triune God transcends time.
God breathed into Adam. God the Son emerged from Mary’s womb and took His first breath. He took His last breath hanging on a cross.
And after He rose from the dead, He breathed the Spirit–His Spirit–into the disciples.
Spend some time with God and your breath this week. Just sit for 5-10 minutes with no music, no phone, no background noise.
Just BE.
And feel your breath… really feel it. Notice its texture, temperature, and that little puff of air that glides over your upper lip at the end of an exhale.
Give thanks for your breath.
Praise God for your breath.
And lean into HIS breath.
Breath by beautiful breath… keep breathing. There’s power in the breath.
And God is the Source.
Amy Walton is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT200) and certified Holy Yoga instructor with additional certifications in trauma-sensitive yoga, yoga for disordered eating, and yin. She’s also a certified Christian Life Coach, certified Christian Grief Coach, and the author of the Lenten devotional book, Restoration: 40 Days to Renew Your Heart and Your Life. She explores her breath every day. Connect with her at amywaltoncoaching@gmail.com.
