Discover the power of purposeful breathwork to ease anxieties and embrace the peace that Christ longs to offer you. In a world brimming with worries, the sacred words of Jesus from his farewell discourse offer a timeless refuge, promising a peace that the world cannot give. As we engage in the gentle rhythm of box breathing, let these divine assurances enfold you in a state of deep relaxation and spiritual connection with your Creator.
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Hi there, this is Whitney and you're listening to Exploring Peace Meditations. Recently, I've heard a lot from you about how you use this time of prayer and listening to calm your anxieties, your worries, to draw close to God's gift of peace, and so today's meditation is a purposeful breathwork exercise, an invitation to release your worries, to quiet your mind and to simply be with God. The Linton season before Easter is an opportunity to draw close to Christ and to be reminded of some words that he offered to us, his people, his disciples. Jesus said in his farewell discourse before he was crucified peace I leave with you, my peace I give you, I give to you, not as the world gives. Do not be troubled or afraid. This peace is distinct. It's Christ peace. It's a peace that transcends circumstances, worries. Jesus encourages us to not be troubled, to not be afraid, and to find our peace in Christ.
Speaker 1:
I invite you first to become aware of your body in this moment and which parts of you might be lacking peace. Do you feel anxiety in your heart, mind, tightness in your shoulders, hips? Simply scan your body and notice where you might be lacking peace in this moment. Now bring awareness to your breath, inhale deeply through your nose and then exhale gently through your mouth. Do that again a couple more times, inhaling fully through your nose, exhaling and even sighing out of your mouth, releasing tension, worries, anxieties, stress. Sigh it out. Creator God, we thank you for the gift of Christ and the gift of peace that he offers each of us. We release our worries, our stresses, our anxieties to you as we quiet our minds and our bodies as it feels right. Open your palms up, you might be seated, you might be reclined. It's not about your posture in this moment, but I do invite you to consider opening yourself, opening your posture. So consider opening your chest, releasing your shoulders, opening your hands, opening your heart space, so to speak, as we open ourselves up. We welcome God's peace For today's breathwork.
Speaker 1:
I invite you into the practice of box breathing. We'll inhale to the count of four, hold for the count of four, exhale for the count of four and pause for another four. I'll begin by counting for you, but then you'll continue this rhythmic breathing pattern, focusing on your own count, your own rhythm, and, as you breathe, allow your mind and your worries to quiet, to calm, to slow down and to be covered by God's peace. So, as we begin, slowly inhale through your nose to the count of one, two, three, four. Exhale two, three, four. Pause two, three, four. Exhale two, three, four. Hold two, three, four. Exhale two, three, four. Pause two, three, four. Continue box breathing in your own cycle, your own rhythm, and inhaling, holding, exhaling, pausing.
Pause. Two, three, four, if you haven't already allow your breath to find a normal rhythmic pattern, breathing in and exhaling fully and completely, slowly and steadily, at your pace, at your rhythm, and now hear Jesus' words as if they're spoken to you today as you breathe, listen, imagine Christ speaking these directly. Glory to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you, not as the world gives. Don't be troubled or afraid. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you, not as the world gives. Don't be troubled or afraid. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you, not as the world gives. Don't be troubled or afraid.
Speaker 1:
Creator God, we are so grateful for the gift of Christ, for the gift of peace. Thank you for quieting our worries, our fears, our minds today. May each breath we breathe be a reminder of your gift of peace, a peace that transcends all that we can understand. But do believe because of the gift of your Son Jesus. In Christ's name, we pray Amen. Thank you for pausing with me today to quiet your worries, return to your breath. Return to your breath any time today and simply, silently utter that word peace if you need a reminder to come back here to this place. If you'd like to explore the gift of peace beyond the podcast with me, you can find our community at exploringpeacecom slash community. I'll be offering a live yoga and prayer session for Easter there and I'd love to connect with you behind the scenes. You can also find me at WhitneyRSimpsoncom. Until next time, may God's peace be with you.