Sometimes we become very weary. Weary of conflicts that may appear to be unresolvable. Weary of our everyday struggles. Weary of the time and energy needed for relationships. Weary of our work that may leave us unfulfilled. Weary of our Church or religion. Sometimes we become weary of our journey or our lack of progress in our spiritual life. Perhaps we are already weary of Lent. When we become weary, it is okay to rest. Jesus was a good role model – when he felt weary and tired – he rested. “Lets us strive, then, to enter into God’s rest” (Heb. 4:11)

Breathing sounds simple. We breathe throughout the day without giving it much thought.

Yet if we begin to re-imagine our breathing as a life force, this life force can calm our mind, relax our body and re-awaken our spirit.

When we become intentional about our breathing, we can find balance and inner peace. It can help bring us to the present moment – bringing our mind, body and spirit into unity.

Breathing Meditation.

It is important to remember there is no right way or approach to a breathing meditation. Whatever you experience is right for you. Everyone will experience their own breathing – just as their own spirituality – differently.

Begin by finding a comfortable position to sit. Keep your straight back. Close your eyes or focus on a spot or an object in the room such as a lit candle.

Roll your shoulders slowly forward and then back.

Lean your head from side to side, lowering your left ear toward your let shoulder, and then your right ear toward your right shoulder.

Relax your muscles.

Begin breathing through your nose slow and deep. Try to keep a smooth and easy flow feeling each breath and experience the inhale and the exhale.

When your attention wanders, focus back again on your breathing.

Notice any stray thoughts yet don’t dwell on them. Simply let them pass.

See how your breath continues to flow…deeply…calmly.

Notices the stage of a complete breath from the – inhale – to the pause – to the exhale and then the pause before taking another breath.

See the slight breaks between each breath.

Feel the air entering through your nose; picture the breath flowing through the cavities in your sinuses and then down to your lungs.

As thoughts intrude, allow them to pass, and return your attention to your breathing.

PAUSE

Feel the air inside your body after you inhale, filling your body gently.

Notice how the space inside your lungs becomes smaller after you exhale and the air leaves your body.

Feel your chest and stomach gently rise and fall with each breath.

Now as you inhale, count silently…one

As you exhale, count…one

Wait for the next breath, and count again…two

Exhale…two

Inhale…three

Exhale… three

Continue to count each inhale and each exhale as “one.”

Once you have been doing this for while, slowly bring your awareness to the breath. Focus in on the feeling of the breath going in and out of your nose.

Is there a tickle? Is there a relaxing feeling? Can you feel the air going in and out? Bring your awareness to the breath and start counting up to ten rounds of breath.

A round of breath is simple an inhale and an exhale. The goal is to count ten rounds without losing your train of thought. If your mind starts to wander away from the breath, simply bring it back. If you lose count, start again.

Once you have counted ten rounds of breath, take a brief pause from the meditation and start again.

PAUSE

Notice how your body feels.

See how calm and gentle your breathing is – and how relaxed your body feels.

Now it is time to gently awaken you body and your mind.

Notice the sounds around you.  Feel the floor beneath you.  Feel your clothes against your body.

Wiggle your fingers and toes.

Shrug your shoulders.

If your eyes are closed, open your eyes, and remain sitting for a few moments longer.

Straighten out your legs and stretch your arms and legs gently.

Sit for a few moments, enjoying how relaxed you feel, and experiencing your body awaken and your mind returning to its usual level of alertness.

Although proper breathing while meditating sounds easy, for some of us, this may take a while to master. If you are just learning to meditate, try this practice at least once a day for 5-10 minutes.

A breathing meditation can be a daily tool for intentional living helping us to find balance, peace, and unity of our mind, body and spirit.

The present moment is truly a gift. We are all informed by our past AND we wish to imagine our future. Yet how can we accept this gift of the present moment and become more grounded in the sacredness of ordinary life?

The path to Intentional Living and to our spiritual life begins when we become aware. According to St. Francis and St. Clare of Assist, we do not need to make radical changes in our daily routines because our spiritual life is not a special time set aside from our daily life. It is our daily life lived in a certain way.

We are all called to be holy. Take some time to think about what it means to be holy. It may seem strange and even inappropriate to speak of holiness as something you can practice yet holiness is a divine gift that brings with it a human task.  It is a way of being in the world – a way of living.  Holiness is something we can practice every day; it’s one of our human tasks.

During our spiritual journey, it can be helpful to have a few tools to guide us along the path.

Think about creating a Spiritual Life Line to record significant events and experiences that have formed and shaped your spiritual life.

A Spiritual Life Line can be created in any way that is meaningful to you. It may contain:  words, symbols, colors, dates, names, pictures, descriptions, memories, commemorations, celebrations, encounters, relationships, blessings, conversions, calls, aha moments, or any significant life events or experiences.

As you reflect on your life, create a timeline to record these experiences and events that have shaped your spiritual life and relationships up to this point.

Be mindful of those experiences that revealed a divine presence, divine intervention, holiness, sacredness, spiritual presence, giftedness, happiness, joy, abundance, higher power or an “otherness” beyond yourself.

Your Spiritual Life Line can be used as a guide on your spiritual journey and as tool for prayerful reflection. 

December 18, 2010 

Reflections: Dying man creates a brew of his old and new beliefs

By TERESA SCHULZ 

The first time I met David, he had just returned from the radiation therapy unit of a hospital. He politely asked me to microwave his coffee, which had grown cold while he was in treatment.

David later referred to the coffee as his “spiritual brew.” This became my task throughout the summer months; whenever David had a cold cup of coffee, it was transformed into a hot, steaming “spiritual brew.” David commented that he was like the spiritual brew — he was “still good, he just needed a boost.”

EXPLORING BUDDHIST TEACHINGS

In the weeks that followed, I learned that David had been raised in the Lutheran faith. While the details were unknown to David, his family left the Lutheran Church in the ’70s for reasons associated with the Vietnam War. At this point in his life, he told me he was not “attached” to any church but considered himself a spiritual person.

David’s wife was raised as a Buddhist, and she continued to practice in the tradition tied to her Asian ancestry. During his illness, David began to explore the teachings of Buddhism. He became fascinated with the concept of transformation and the cycle of suffering and rebirth.

During his hospital stay, David became interested in Buddhist spiritual practices. He soon found comfort in meditation and in prayer beads. While my knowledge of Buddhism was limited, we shared thoughts and reflections on his spiritual practices.

David began to journal his experiences, and he created a special prayer journal. He would write spontaneous prayers in his journal and, at his request, I would often bring him traditional prayers from other faith traditions to add to his journal.

LOVE OF FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY

When I first met David’s parents, they were apprehensive about a Roman Catholic woman visiting their “formerly-Lutheran-turned-Buddhist” son. I learned that some of this apprehension reflected their own faith struggles and their anger toward God for their son’s illness.

That summer, our relationship evolved and unfolded along with their son’s spiritual journey. David’s parents were often present when we prayed, and sometimes they joined us. In addition to a deep appreciation of the Buddhist tradition, we discovered a mutual love for St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi and Franciscan spirituality.

As David’s condition worsened, he began to review his life by writing stories and drawing pictures in his journal. He shared these life stories and thoughts about the afterlife with me. During the last month of his life, David had the opportunity to share his thoughts and feelings with his wife, his parents and his brothers.

David helped his family members find meaning in his impending death. He was able to reconcile his beliefs grounded in the Lutheran faith with his new Buddhist spiritual practices. As a result, he provided a great example to his family and those providing care to him.

VOICING LIFE’S EXPERIENCES

David did not seek out many of the things that people wish for at the end of life: meaning, purpose, hope and companionship. He experienced these things throughout his life, and they continued to be present to him at the end. In the end, he was able to provide a voice to these things.

David suffered much in the last month of his life: His left leg was amputated and he experienced much discomfort from treatment, but he never gave up hope. While he rarely finished a cup, he continued to ask for his spiritual brew. This brew became a metaphor for his life and his journey.

David died on the last day of my summer clinical pastoral education unit; we had said our goodbyes. While I was sad at the thought of the world without David, he seemed spiritually prepared to die, and in the end, he died a good death.