Breath prayer, is a wonderfully simple form of prayer. It is sometimes known as a ‘prayer of the heart’. For me it its a physical prayer — a prayer of the body — with an emphasis more on posture and inner orientation . In this prayer we receive each breath as a gift — a divine grace.

Engaging in this prayer

• Become comfortable, adjust your posture so you seated in a manner that allows you to be alert and steady.
• Notice you breathing… try taking a few deep slow breaths. Then let your breaths settle.
• Become aware and attentive to the Presence of the Spirit.
• Inhale the breath of life gratefully. Let it be an expression of your deepest desire for the life of the Spirit.
• Exhale as you release all that holds you back from engaging in the life of God.
• Allow yourself to settle into a gentle rhythm of inhaling and exhaling.
• Breathing in deeply… and breathing out slowly.
• Let each breath be an expression of your intention before God
• Be open to receiving God’s grace.

Some will combine this practice with ‘the Jesus Prayer’ — allowing their breath to come into sync with the words, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”, or simply the word “Jesus”. Other short phrases could also be used — e.g. breathing in with, “O Holy One”, and breathing out with, “may I find rest in you”; or: “Breath of Life — breath life in me”.