The Scripture ~ “True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.”
Psalm 23:3 ~ The Message
The Spiritual Focus ~ “Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.” John DePaola
The Devotion ~ Randomly, spontaneously, the young man decided to take a walk through the park. Simply walking through the park, enjoying the sound of the birds, spotting the flowers that were blooming, drawing slow deep breathes, was refreshing. Taking a few minutes, stopping to catch his breath, was rewarded with an immediate sense of calm.
Not long into the walk people started whizzing past him on their bikes screaming, “on your left!” Speed walkers strutted past him almost pushing him off the path. When he came across friends, they ran in place while talking with him, not wanting to disrupt their workout. When he asked,” how are you?” They responded BUSY!
We have all been in this scene, either as the one catching our breath or the one who is trying to squeeze in a walk as a workout.
Omid Safi, writer for “On Being” and professor at Duke University says it this way, “This disease of being “busy” (and let’s call it what it is, the dis-ease of being busy, when we are never at ease) is spiritually destructive to our health and wellbeing. It saps our ability to be fully present with those we love the most in our families, and keeps us from forming the kind of community that we all so desperately crave.”
Our scripture for today is from a familiar passage that is a promise from God that we can rest, catch our breath and God will not only guard our time, but help us back on the path of healing and wholeness. Our yoga practice teaches us how to catch our breath through asana, meditation and simply practicing. The invitation to slow down and catch our breath is an invitation found at the crossroad of yoga and faith practices. Slowing down and catching our breath is a promise from God that cures the dis-ease of busyness.
Breath Prayer
Inhale ~ I will
Exhale ~ Slow Down
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