I know just enough about yoga to be dangerous.  I’ve learned that by patient effort, I can find myself stretched into a pose I never could have acheived in one movement.  But more importantly, I’ve learned the value of breathing.

Through breath practice, I’ve discovered that when I am anxious, all my breathing is in my upper chest, spreading tension through my shoulders, arms, neck, and jaw.  The breaths are panting and shallow.                                                                                                The condition of my mind affects my body.  There is no peace.

I have learned to “belly breathe”–to consiously move the breath into the belly.  To relax the jaw, the shoulders, the chest; to breathe deeply and slowly.  

To breathe . . . ebb and flow, receive and release. To be aware that all of life is coming and going, arriving and departing, holding and letting go. And breathing through the whole process.

Nothing stays.  Ultimately, all things must be released.  And I must breathe through it all.

And the God who has set into being the automatic breathing in and breathing out of my body, is soverign over my life as well.

Breathe.

I believe in breathing.  ha ha.  Actually, as part of my spiritual search, I’ve read many books on meditation, and though I still have my “monkey mind”, I definitely have found value in breathing.  I have come to see that when I am anxious, I breathe short panting-breaths in my upper chest.  This breathing is accompanied by tight shoulders and neck. 

When I discover I am breathing in this fashion, I pause, straighten up; and begin deep, slow breaths; moving the breath into my belly.  After a couple minutes of this breathing, all the tension has gone out of my shoulders and neck; and I continue my day in balance.

I like to belly breathe when I pray.  It helps my mind expand.

The other day as I was sitting in my prayer chair, breathing; I reflected upon the story of the little fish asking the big fish where the ocean was, only to be told she was in it.

When I pray, I tend to reach outward toward my immense and limitless God.  But as I thought of the little fish, I remembered that I’ve been taught that within each of us is the divine spark of God.  So, God is within and without.  Like the little fish taking in the ocean, I breathe in God.  Creation comes to me on the inbreath.  But Creation is already in me through the divine spark; so when I breathe in, God comes to God; and when I breath out, God intermingles with God. 

I never liked the”In with the good air, out with the bad”.  I love the idea of God always with me, feeding my very cells with His energy, strengthening me, filling me. 

Now when I pause to become aware of my breathing, I am aware that God is always with me–deep within, and out to the fathomless reaches.

Awesome God.

I have a favorite Internet site that allows me to put a jig-saw puzzle together.  I am able to upload my own pictures or use theirs; and am allowed to have the puzzle be as easy or as complicated as I choose.  

As any jig-saw puzzle aficionado will tell you, there are moments of surprise when a puzzle piece that can’t be  identified suddenly becomes very clear once it is put  in its place.  The missing piece goes in and it all becomes so clear–I can’t imagine how I could not see it. 

God, help me to walk in trust that it will all make sense someday.