Simple Breath Prayer Promotes Soul Wellness
After spending several years in the fields of counseling, critical incident management, life coaching, and spiritual direction, I have heard lots of stories. Most stories include elements of deeply distressing experiences. Many are rooted in childhood incidents and perceived messages from caregivers, authority figures, and peers. Depending on individual personalities and a plethora of other factors, trauma responses are processed differently, but nevertheless, impact a person’s view of self, others, and God.
Trauma—despite its variation—becomes part of our response to life, chapters in our personal stories.
During my professional experience working in the field of critical incidents, I was introduced to neuroscience research and how it relates to individual’s trauma response. I gained deep appreciation for the brain’s neuroplasticity—ability to change—as well as the resilience of the human spirit. Much of my secular training reinforced my understanding of Scripture. For example, scientific research showed that practicing gratitude on a regular basis had the ability to change the brain. The Bible refers to the practice of thankfulness about one hundred times.
When I began spiritual director training, I was introduced to a branch of study known as neurotheology, which combines neuroscience and theology. I am neither a neuroscientist nor a theologian, but I am a woman of deep faith in the Holy Trinity who with all her heart believes in the goodness and relevance of not only the being but of the ongoing work of God the Father, Son, and Spirit, and I am captivated by this branch of theological study.
In my reading, I learned of a program which has a Christ-centered approach to working with deeply traumatized women, who have horrific experiences such as severe childhood sexual abuse or human trafficking. Most of these women believe in God and desire spiritual help and healing, but their severely damaged brains prohibit recovery.
Through a combination of neuroscience and theology, a breath prayer was found to be highly effective in helping heal and integrate these dear women’s souls. The prayer was simply, “JESUS, HELP ME.”
Recently, I passed on this prayer to a young woman who has experienced more than her share of trauma. These are the words I wrote to her, and today, I am passing them on to Listening on the Journey… readers, hoping someone finds them helpful:
When you are feeling lonely, inhale “JESUS,” and exhale “HELP ME!”
When you are feeling scared, breathe in “JESUS,” and breathe out, “HELP ME!”
When you are feeling full of shame or regret, inhale “JESUS” and exhale “HELP ME!”
When you are having a tough time figuring something out, yeah, you got it, “JESUS” “HELP ME!”
When you are feeling unloved or not lovable, breathe in “JESUS” and breathe out, “HELP ME!”
When you are feeling angry about pain you have experienced in your life or with people who caused trauma, try breathing in “JESUS” and breathing out “HELP ME!”
In conclusion, reader friend, if you have trouble understanding how to take care of your soul, perhaps this simple breath prayer is a beginning point.
Blessings on your journey,
