March Daily Devotionals begin with Calm and Centering
- Scripture: Acts 17: 24-25 – The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.
- Reflection: As a reminder of how our ephemeral existence, fleeting in the face of time, connectes to the eternal presence of God, think about God as wind and breath. The wind arises, blows, passes, and disappears. Yet its elements are always in existence. Its beginning may be beyond our perception and its ending past our capacity to detect.
Compare the concept of God as an everflowing wind to our own breath. Constant. Regular. An involuntary function of our bodies that continues, like our heartbeats, for the duration of our lives. Yet we can influence it. Pay attention to it. Attune to it. Allow it to become a focal point around which we can center ourselves and find calm. - Spiritual Prompt: One way that we describe the eternal nature of God is as Spirit, breath, or wind. Today, focus on your own breath, and allow it to connect you to Spirit. Adopt 4-7-8 breathing to build some calm and reduce anxiety. Before starting the breathing pattern, adopt a comfortable sitting position and place the tip of the tongue on the tissue right behind the top front teeth.To use the 4-7-8 technique, focus on the following breathing pattern:
- emptying the lungs of air
- breathing in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds
- holding the breath for a count of 7 seconds
- exhaling forcefully through the mouth, pursing the lips, and making a “whoosh” sound for 8 seconds
- repeating the cycle up to 4 timesA person may feel lightheaded after doing this for the first few times. Therefore, it is advisable to try this technique when sitting or lying down to prevent dizziness or falls.The total number of seconds that the pattern lasts is less important than keeping the ratio. A person who cannot hold their breath for long enough may try a shorter pattern instead, such as: breathing in through the nose for 2 seconds, holding the breath for a count of 3.5 seconds, exhaling through the mouth for 4 secon.
SONG:
- Still Breeathing by Green Day: https://youtu.be/UaHVKqed4ic?si=_PUUt2woPzDhv3ZO
- The Air that I Breathe by The Hollies: https://youtu.be/EozcNss6A8U?si=bC_MZpK9h6DRI3jz
I AM BREATHING — Mary Oliver
Breathing just a little
life flows
without thought
of each moment passing
away
draining into the next
every drop of anticipation
sucked dry
of life’s rich bounty
unfolding
in the unexpected joy
of being alive.
Breathing together
of all things
I find myself
awakened
reveling in every drop
of anticipation
dripping wet in the ripe, rich fruit
of life
flowing
effortlessly
into the unexpected joy
of being alive
March 2nd Daily Devotional