There’s no denying this is a strange and confusing season. In all this chaos, I’ve found myself thinking of a boat in the middle of a lake on a stormy night.

I think we’re invited to be more aware than ever of the physical and spiritual benefits of breathing deeply and intentionally. As a spiritual director, my favorite way to begin a session is to invite a moment of centering prayer. I usually remind the person I’m meeting with to try and take some of the deepest breaths they’ve taken all day, inviting fresh air to go deep into their bellies as they become present to themselves and the kindness of the Spirit around them in whose good image they’re made.

I love the way breath prayers can almost bypass the mind to connect with the heart and soul more directly. This makes them especially helpful in complicated and open-ended situations like a pandemic when our nervous systems are on high alert and our ability to think clearly is compromised. And they’re easily incorporated into real life. Breath prayers are great over morning coffee, when you’re reading the news, while meditating. They also work well during a long walk, folding laundry, even in zoom meetings.