Hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in docks.
Welcome to another of our breath prayer audios.
As we begin,
I invite you to just take a moment to settle into this space,
Into your body,
Allowing your body and your mind and your heart to come into alignment together.
If you're sitting,
Just feel the weight of yourself being supported.
If your feet are on the ground,
Just notice that contact.
Let your hands rest,
Open if that feels comfortable,
And just begin by noticing your breath.
Sometimes what we carry isn't loud,
It doesn't always announce itself clearly,
But it shows up as tension,
Maybe as tightness in the chest,
Or a low-level sense of pressure,
Or unease.
Often our shoulders and our jaw can feel it as well.
Or maybe it's just in that feeling of being slightly on edge,
Or slightly exposed.
Now,
The scriptures often speak of God as refuge.
This doesn't mean that God is an escape from life,
But a place within life where we can be held,
Where we're not left to face everything alone.
Today's prayer is very simple.
You are my refuge.
Not something to prove,
Or something to force yourself to believe,
But just something to come to and return to when you need it.
We'll pray it now as a breath prayer.
As you breathe in,
You are,
And as you breathe out,
My refuge.
And if it feels natural,
You might place a hand lightly on your chest,
Or on your abdomen as you do this,
Just as a way of recognising your body and noticing it.
So let's begin.
Breathing in,
You are.
Breathing out,
My refuge.
And again.
Breathing in,
You are.
Breathing out,
My refuge.
And as you continue,
Just nod a fist if there's any place in your body that's holding tension,
And just let your awareness rest there.
Breathing in,
You are.
And breathing out,
My refuge.
If your mind begins to wander,
Or tries to solve the problem you're running from,
Or plan,
Or analyse something,
Just gently come back.
Don't push anything away,
Just come back.
Breathing in,
You are.
And breathing out,
My refuge.
And you might just quietly name without words whatever feels present in you right now.
Perhaps stress,
Maybe fatigue,
Maybe uncertainty.
And as you name it,
Just let the prayer hold it.
As you breathe in,
You are.
And out,
My refuge.
Now again,
This isn't about pretending everything's okay.
It's simply being aware that you are not alone in your situation.
Just one more time,
Slowly together.
Breathing in,
You are.
And breathing out,
My refuge.
And now just gently let the words fade,
But remain with the sense of being supported,
Even if it's only slightly.
And as we come to a close,
Let's share a prayer together.
God of refuge,
You who hold what I cannot hold,
Teach me to rest in you.
In my anxiety,
Be my shelter.
In my uncertainty,
Be my steadiness.
In the places where I feel exposed,
Remind me that I'm not alone.
And as I breathe this prayer,
Form in me a deeper trust that in you,
I am held.
And in you,
I can rest.
And when you're ready,
Just gently bring your awareness back to your surroundings.
And as you go into your day,
Carry this sense,
However small it is,
Of being held with you.
And in that being held,
May you know grace,
Peace,
And love are also there,
Remaining with you today and every day.
Amen.
Amen.
Until next time,
Peace be with you.
