What are breath prayers?

I’ll tell you...

Sitting atop the toaster oven in my kitchen is a small wooden sign that reads, “Inhale the present. Exhale the past.”

Said another way, it might read, “Inhale peace. Exhale anxiety.”

Or feel free to fill in the blank with whatever you need to breathe in, and whatever you need to exhale today.

A breath prayer is precisely that: a prayer you can say as you inhale and exhale.

The beauty of a breath prayer is that you can offer it up any time, any place. You don’t have to purchase a meditation cushion or light candles or sit cross-legged, touching your thumb to your index finger and humming OM. While that is exactly what I do at times, a breath prayer doesn’t require anything other than your attention and your breath.

Whether you’re sitting in the parking lot at work, hiding out in your car before the next dreaded work meeting, swimming laps at the pool, or standing in the shower (hoping your children don’t kill each other), you can literally offer a breath prayer in any setting.

How does it work?

Much like the sign that sits on my toaster oven, you meditate on a particular phrase as you inhale, and pray a response to that thought on the exhale. Doing this helps to rid yourself of any external distractions for a few moments.

So, in the example of sitting in the parking lot at work, maybe you silence your phone and turn off the car stereo while you pray. 

If you’re looking to increase your inner-peace, and could use some help exhaling the b******t, listen to this 15-minute snippet from tonight’s group coaching session. I pray it helps you slow down and just be for a while.

I’m in your corner,

Steve

P.S. I still have 3 spaces available for “Jesus Coaching.” If you’d like to sign up for the 8 sessions, just email me back at steve@iamsteveaustin.com today! <3

“Some days I am not sure if my faith is riddled with doubt, or whether, graciously, my doubt is riddled with faith. And yet I continue to live in a world the way a religious person lives in the world; I keep living in a world that I know to be enchanted, and not left alone. I doubt; I am uncertain; I am restless, prone to wander. And yet glimmers of holy keep interrupting my gaze.” -Lauren Winner, Still

Let’s begin with a few what-ifs:

* What if this journey toward Jesus came with even more freedom than you can imagine?

* What if the American version of Evangelical Christianity isn’t 100% right 100% of the time?

* What if God is even better, more loving, more inclusive, more patient, and more present than we ever imagined?

* What if?

In The God-Shaped Brain by Dr. Thomas Jennings, he says that a healthy view of a loving God can literally transform our brains.

Side note: did you know that just meditating on a God of love for 12 minutes a day can actually rewire your brain? Sure, it’s a slow, patient process, but it’s one worth starting as soon as possible.

So where do you begin? Today, I want to give you what I believe are the first three steps in healing your image of God.

Listen to this free podcast, and pre-order my new book, Hiding in the Pews, by clicking here.

*”Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” performed by the ever-magical Stella Hess.

In this special episode of the #CatchingYourBreath Podcast, Steve Austin talks with one of his best friends, Joshua M. Casey, author of the new book, Tracking Desire. The guys talk about favorite and least favorite books, the writing process, and losing religion without losing your soul. Listen to this 30-minute episode today! And order Tracking Desire on Amazon by clicking here.