Breath Prayer: An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred
"Breath Prayer is an insightful guide to reclaiming this practice of the heart--harmonizing the sacred rhythm of the body with words that sing to the soul--in every moment of the day." --Carl McColman, author of The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism and Eternal Heart
Whether reciting the gathas in Buddhist practice, the Shema in Judaism, or the Jesus Prayer in Christianity, for centuries the practice of breath prayer has helped center people from a variety of faith traditions on the sacred in everyday life. Through brief words of prayer or petition said silently to the rhythm of one's breath, this simple, meditative act combines praise for the divine with focused intention, creating a profound spiritual connection in the quiet, and even mundane, moments of the day .
In Breath Prayer, Christine Valters Paintner, online abbess of Abbey of the Arts, introduces us to this spiritual practice and offers beautiful poem-prayers for walking, working, dressing, cleaning, sitting in silence, doing the dishes, living in community--breathing the divine into our daily lives. Over time these recitations become as natural as breathing. We don't so much recite the prayers as the prayers recite us, guide us, and open our hearts to the everyday sacred.
With each of the forty prayers, Paintner includes reflections on life's ordinary beauty and heartfelt advice for discovering the sacred all around. Breath Prayer concludes with guidance for creating your own breath prayers to deepen your practice.
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"Breath prayer--harmonizing the sacred rhythm of the body with words that sing to the soul--is a practice both ancient and universal. Christine Valters Paintner has blessed us with an insightful guide to reclaiming this practice of the heart, in every moment and setting of the day." --Carl McColman, author of Eternal Heart and The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
"This book is an invitation to the sacred intimacy of breath prayer, welcoming us to the grace and stillness available in the here and now. Slowing down, we become a healing presence in our own life and the lives of others. Such is the gift of this book." --Ando, spiritual director, silence coach, and poet
"In this lovely book, from one of the most profound spiritual writers of our time, Christine Valters Paintner invites us into the ancient, yet ever-new practice of breath prayer--linking it to breathing in the sacredness of the holy ordinary of our daily lives. What a blessing this book is." --J. Brent Bill, author of Holy Silence and Sacred Compass
