Breathwork: Simple Pleasures

Take a moment to pause, settle in, and reconnect with your breath. In this calming meditation, we explore the practice of box breathing, a simple yet powerful technique that has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure, and more.

Want to dive deeper into this theme? This episode is inspired by the theme of Simple Pleasures from With God in Every Breath (see page 37). Join our community at ExploringPeace.com/community where we continue exploring the intersection of breath, presence, and faith together.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:01

Hi, I'm Whitney and you're listening to Exploring Peace Meditations. Today's practice invites us into some simple breath work. So, to find your breath, before we begin, take a nice tall seated posture in which your spine is long and begin to inhale fully, allowing your belly to expand, and exhale completely, allowing your belly to deflate. I'll be reading a passage as you check in with your breath and then we'll move in together to the practice of box breathing. Box breathing has been shown to help reduce stress, improve sleep, lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety. So, wherever you find yourself today, I hope you're settled. Maybe you can soften and close your eyes and listen to this passage while you notice your breath.

Speaker 1 1:20

Luke, chapter 17, verses 20 and 21. Jesus, grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come, answered the kingdom of God doesn't come by counting the days on the calendar, nor when someone says look here or there. It is, and why? Because God's kingdom is already among you. God is with us. God is with us in the everyday moments of life, in the simple pleasures, in the joyous celebrations, in the sleepless nights. As we practice box breathing, let us be reminded of God's steady presence.

Speaker 1 2:21

To practice box breathing, we will slowly inhale for a count of four. Hold the breath for a count of four at the top of the inhale. Gently exhale for a count of four. Hold the breath at the bottom of the exhale for a count of four. You repeat your box breath for a few rounds or a few minutes. We'll do it together in a moment. If you find it helpful, which I do, you can imagine a box in your mind's eye and simply trace the box across one side, down across the bottom and then back to the top, following the box in your mind, following the simple count of four. When you're ready, we'll inhale One, two, three, four. Hold Two, three, 4, hold 2, 3, 4,. Exhale 2, 3, 4, hold 2, 3, 4, repeat 3, 4. Exhale 2, 3, 4. Hold 2, 3, 4, repeat at your own rhythm Inhale, hold, exhale, hold.

Closing Prayer and Gratitude

Resources and Community Connection

Speaker 1 4:12

Thank you If you haven't already allow your breath to return to its normal rhythmic cycle or take a full, deep breath, inhaling and exhaling, if that feels right. Notice, notice your breath, notice your body, and let us turn our hearts and minds to gratitude with this closing prayer Creator God, thank you for the gift of Jesus, for the gift of breath and life, thank you for the simple pleasures of every day Draw us close to you, help us practice presence and use tools like our very breath to feel your nearness and your kingdom in our everyday lives. In your holy name we pray, amen. Curious about this meditation you can find more in With God in Every Breath. This meditation you can find more in With God in Every Breath, beginning on page 37. The theme is simple pleasures. If you'd like to connect beyond the podcast, you can find me at WhitneyRSimpsoncom and I'd love to meet you beyond the pages at ExploringPeacecom. Slash community. Until next time, may God's peace be with you.