Hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in docks.
Welcome.
I invite you to find yourself a comfortable position.
You might like to sit upright,
Feet grounded on the floor,
Or rest in a way that allows your body to be at ease but awake.
Let your hands rest loosely,
Shoulders soften,
And just begin by noticing your breathing.
No need to change it,
Just notice it.
There's a line in the Psalms that says,
Be still and know that I am God.
But it wasn't a line that was written in a quiet moment,
It was written into chaos,
Into noise,
Uncertainty and upheaval,
And right there in the middle of it all comes this invitation,
Be still.
Not when everything settles,
But here,
Now.
The word be still in the Hebrew there can also mean to let go,
To loosen your grip and to release what you're holding.
So the prayer isn't about trying to become peaceful,
It's about allowing yourself to stop trying to hold onto everything and stop trying to hold everything together.
And so this will be our first breath prayer,
Very simply.
As you breathe in,
Be still,
And as you breathe out,
And know.
Let the words follow the rhythm of your breath,
Again,
You don't need to change your breathing pattern,
Just receive the breath as it comes and pray with it.
So breathing in,
Be still.
Breathing out,
And know.
Breathe in,
Be still.
And out,
And know.
If you find your mind wanders,
Just gently return to the words and the breath.
Breathing in,
Be still,
And out,
And know.
As you're praying,
If things arise in your heart,
Thoughts,
Restlessness,
Tension,
Just allow the words to hold you,
You don't have to hold anything together.
Breathing in,
Be still,
And out,
And know.
Just continue to let your breath create the pace and the rhythm of your prayer.
As you breathe in,
Be still,
As you breathe out,
And know.
Just continue to focus on the words and your breath this moment,
Knowing that God isn't waiting for you,
God is here.
Breathing in,
Be still.
Breathing out,
And know.
And now just gently allow the words to fade while the awareness remains.
As we close our time in prayer,
God who is already here,
Teach me the stillness that isn't escape,
But trust.
Loosen what I'm holding too tightly,
Quiet what doesn't need to be carried.
And in the stillness,
Help me to know,
Not with my thoughts,
But with my whole being,
That you are God.
Amen.
When you're ready,
Just bring your awareness back to your body,
To the space around you.
And carry this stillness with you into your day,
And even continue the breath prayer as you go about your day today.
And may grace,
Peace,
And love remain with you and go with you every step of the way,
Today and always.
Amen.
Until tomorrow,
Grace and peace be with you.
