Breathe…..

Never have I been so aware of breathing as I have in the last few months learning to run. Suddenly something I’d taken for granted and was as easy as….well, breathing, didn’t seem easy at all. It was a struggle to get my breathing right. I counted my in breaths and out breaths against my strides. My chest hurt. Horrible wheezy sounds escaped from my mouth. Air reached parts of my lungs that it had never reached before. And then over time, I got the hang of it. I relaxed into it. I learned to breathe without thinking about it.

Anyone else remember that cruel David Beckham joke? ‘Hey, David, what are you listening to?’ David Beckham hands over earphones – ‘Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in……’

For most of us – even David Beckham! – breathing is something we don’t have to learn. It comes naturally. We only notice it when something changes. And then we panic. Because breath is life. Without it, we die.

The first verses of the whole Bible – Genesis 1:1-2 – say

‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.’ (New International Version).

In some versions, the Spirit of God is translated as wind or power. The Hebrew word used is Ruach. Which also means breath. The breath of God.

Rob Bell writes about ruach in his book ‘What we talk about when we talk about God’ (pages 105-109). He describes ruach as ‘the very life force that brings everything into existence, the presence of God within the world, dwelling in every created being, present to everyone and everything all the time.’ As close as breath itself. So every breath you take comes from this ‘explosive, expansive, surprising, creative energy that surges through all things, holding everything together and giving the universe its life and depth and fullness.’

So breathe. Take time to think about your breath today. I sometimes text ‘Breathe’ to one of my friends when they are super busy or anxious or hyper…….just to remind them to take 10, to slow down and simply focus on breathing for a moment. It’s the end of a manic summer. We’ve had a crazy few days getting the kids back to school. Now is the time to breathe.

Challenge: Take ten minutes out of your day today to focus on your breathing. Relax. Visit the Twinings Take 10 website  and use one of their meditations or use the candle flame game on the WiiFit or simply light a candle and sit comfortably or do it your own way……whatever way you choose, think about your breathing. Some of you may find it helpful to think of your breath as the breath of God filling you and sustaining you and giving you life. Others may find it helpful to think of your breath as a life force, an explosive creative energy surging through your body.