A Blessing for Your Breath
by Rebekah Vickery
You will need:
Bowl of water
Piece of paper & writing utensil
In this contemplative exercise, we will bless our breath.
As we start, I’d invite you to place your feet on the floor and take a moment to look around the room. See where the windows are, where the exits are. Allow yourself to be comfortable.
Pay attention to where there may be anxiety, fear, or grief that arises even as you consider taking a breath. It may feel kind to place a hand on your face, belly, or heart to bring some comfort and ease.
As we breathe, we remember that for many of us, breath is short, stifled, or shallow. We have also come through a pandemic in which taking a deep breath perhaps felt dangerous. For some of us, there has been a reminder of the danger of being in our bodies in this world as we saw breath be cruelly taken in the name of white supremacy. For others, perhaps breath has been accompanied by asthma, panic attacks, or apnea.
With this in mind, I invite us to create a space for our breath. Take a few moments and consider: Who are those who you trust with your breath? Who are those who bring safety and connection to you? Those dearest to your heart? As those names come to you, I invite you to write them on the piece of paper, a little spaced apart from each other.
Once you have completed writing the names, I invite you to tear the paper so that each name has its own piece. Then, place each piece with the name around you so that it surrounds you in a circle. This is the holding space for your breath.
As we breathe, the invitation is to take a deep inhale through our nose, and then a slightly longer exhale through our mouth. However, I know for some of us, deep breaths can feel overwhelming and perhaps even a bit scary. So if it feels well with you to breathe evenly, not deep, I would invite you to follow your body’s wisdom in that.
So let us begin with an inhale.
1…2…3.
And then slightly longer exhale.
1…2…3…4
And another inhale.
1…2…3.
And slightly longer exhale.
1…2…3…4
And once more.
As you breathe, pay attention to what arises in your body. Do you need to sway? Stand up? Lie down? Pause and hum? Shake?
As you listen to your body, I invite you to repeat the inhale & exhale as many times as you would like.
As you come to an end, I invite you to dip your fingers into the water and gently touch your ribcage with the words: I bless my good breath.
Thank you for joining me.
Rebekah Vickery is a trauma therapist, group facilitator, and acrylic artist located in the beautiful and wild Pacific Northwest. In all of her work with people, art, and words, she loves engaging themes of grief, transition, and hope.
