1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 2: Hey friend, never feel like you're busy all the time 3 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 2: getting things done, but stuck in your head, like you 4 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 2: can't slow down or just feel peaceful? 5 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: Want to get out of your head? 6 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 2: Well? What if the way out isn't doing more but 7 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 2: stepping away for even just one minute? Today, I'm going 8 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: to show you a simple one minute practice that will 9 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: calm your body and your emotions and reconnect with God 10 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 2: in your heart so that you can feel peace and 11 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: joy in your emotions and your body. Well, friend, welcome 12 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 2: to Breathe the stress Less Podcast. I'm Bonnie Gray. You're 13 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 2: soul care guide for this time design just for you 14 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 2: to refresh your soul. You're going to pick up a 15 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 2: loving word of affirmation from God in scripture, and you'll 16 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 2: also pick up a practical soul care tip, an action 17 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 2: you can take to restore calm to your emotions and 18 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 2: your body. I am the best selling author of Breathe, 19 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 2: twenty one Days to stress Less and Transform Casts to Calm, 20 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 2: and my forty day sole care devotional called Whispers of Rest, 21 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 2: and the founder of Soul Care School. Well, let me 22 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 2: ask your friend, do you feel pulled in many directions? Responsibilities, expectations, 23 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: things that need your attention, and maybe without even realizing it, 24 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 2: you've gotten used to always be in motion in your mind, 25 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 2: always doing, always responding, but rarely stepping away. For you, 26 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 2: you know your tank is getting low, but it's hard 27 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 2: for you to stop and take time for yourself. Well, Today, 28 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 2: we're going to talk about something simple but very powerful, 29 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 2: learning how to step away and rest to help you 30 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 2: fill up your tank. We're going to explore why busyness 31 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 2: keeps us stuck in striving, how God invites you to rest, 32 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 2: and that it's possible even with everything that you need 33 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 2: to take care of. And of course we always want 34 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 2: to send you out with something simple you can do. 35 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 2: Today's is a woman in practice that will help you 36 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 2: feel calm and renewed. If you've been feeling stretched thin, 37 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 2: this episode is for you. Did you know that you 38 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 2: have different areas of wellness? If I were to ask 39 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 2: you which area are you missing the most, would it 40 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: be emotional wellness, physical wellness, spiritual wellness or social wellness? 41 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 2: Well All four areas are in Scripture, and so I 42 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,559 Speaker 2: have courses that can help you to create actual practical 43 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 2: rhythms in life to address all four of these areas 44 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 2: of wellness, and so you can take my course Breathe 45 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 2: rest with Jesus, breathe joy with Jesus, or praying the 46 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: Psalms for wellness. Just go ahead and click the link 47 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 2: in the show notes and you can learn more about 48 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 2: these courses that thousands of women have taken and they 49 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 2: have found an improvement in those areas of wellness. And 50 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 2: I know you will too, and I really look forward 51 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 2: to meeting you there in those online courses. So check 52 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 2: them out and we'll. 53 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: Be right back well. 54 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: Our breath prayer today comes to us from Mark chapter six, 55 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:22,799 Speaker 2: verse thirty one. It's Jesus's own invitation to us. Come 56 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 2: away with me, buy yourselves to a quiet place and 57 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 2: rest a while. Let's just breathe this wonderful word of 58 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 2: affirmation from Jesus as a breath prayer. Just inhale, come 59 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: away with me, exhale and rest a while. Again, in heale, 60 00:04:53,120 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 2: come away with me, exhale to a quiet place. What 61 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 2: draws you to a place of rest? What is that 62 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 2: quiet place for you? Just breathe and relax as we 63 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 2: continue our time together with Jesus. Well, I want to 64 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 2: share a little story. We had never been to the point. 65 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 2: Where's lighthouse. It's just this beautiful nature preserve right beyond 66 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 2: the Golden Gate Bridge here in San Francisco. And to 67 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 2: start the new year off, my husband Eric and I 68 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 2: took our boys to go see it. But on the 69 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 2: drive there, we came across miles of rocky barren land. 70 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: There were no trees, nothing looked interesting at all, and 71 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: it just looks so empty, and honestly, I didn't want 72 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 2: to go. I told Eric, you know, while he's driving, 73 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 2: let's just take a few pictures and just leave. 74 00:05:58,080 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: I wanted to go. 75 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: Back to Mere Woods. That's a redwood forest that we 76 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: had been to the day before, and so I wanted 77 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 2: to go to somewhere familiar, somewhere I already knew was beautiful. 78 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 2: But suddenly, just as I said this, our boys started shouting, look, mom, 79 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 2: they're pointing out. The road was climbing higher and higher, 80 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 2: and when we reached the top, I was stunned. There 81 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 2: were miles and miles of coastline stretched out before us. 82 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 2: It's like one eighty the ocean was crashing onto the sand, 83 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 2: waves of beauty unfolding. And as we walked down towards 84 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 2: the lighthouse, I was looking at the sky, the cliffs, 85 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 2: and there were even some gray whales in the distance. 86 00:06:53,480 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 2: I realized something profound, everything beautiful, was already there, yet 87 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 2: I couldn't see it. And it made me wonder, what 88 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 2: if all my busyness was just leading me back to 89 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 2: what I already know, instead of trusting that God was 90 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 2: creating something new? Am I moving by striving? Or was 91 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 2: I moving by God's invitation to rust and do something new? 92 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 2: Because if we had turned back, I would have missed it. 93 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 2: And friend, I think we do this more often then 94 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 2: we realize. We rush, we fill our days, we check 95 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 2: things off our list, but it comes out of cost. 96 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 2: We become depleted. We're less able to feel, to listen, 97 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 2: to be present, to be who God created us to be, 98 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 2: simply beloved. And sometimes what looks like empty space is 99 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 2: actually where God is about to show you something beautiful. 100 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 2: Listen to Jesus's invitation again from today's passage, come away 101 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 2: with me to a quiet place and rest a while. 102 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 2: The disciples were overwhelmed, busy, needed pulled in every direction. 103 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 2: And what did Jesus say? He said, step away, not 104 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 2: to do more, not to try harder, to step away, 105 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 2: even getting in a boat to leave the crowds behind, 106 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 2: And friend, Jesus says the same to you. You are 107 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 2: worth stepping away what might feel like empty space in 108 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 2: your day. God will use those white spaces to fill 109 00:08:54,840 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 2: you again with peace, with joy, with beauty, with rest. 110 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 2: So let me ask you, friend gently, could God be 111 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 2: inviting you to step away, to unplug, even in a small, 112 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 2: unexpected way. What would be your boat if you were 113 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 2: to leave the crowds behind? Because rest is not wasted time. 114 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 2: Rest is where God restores you your heart, your emotions, your body, 115 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 2: your well being. And when we come back, we're going 116 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 2: to talk about the science behind the importance of taking 117 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 2: time away, even if it's just for one minute. Well, 118 00:09:54,080 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 2: there's growing research showing that slowing down your breathing has 119 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 2: a direct impact on your body and mind. In fact, 120 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 2: studies show that slow paced breathing, breathing at a slower 121 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 2: rhythm about five to six breaths per minute, will activate 122 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: your parasympathetic nervous system. That's another way of saying it's 123 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 2: your rest response. Your body's nervous system has two modes. 124 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 2: One is the stress response mode, which is called the 125 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 2: fight or flight, and the second is the rest response, 126 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 2: and it is the rest response that helps to lower 127 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 2: your cortisol and it will help you to shift out 128 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 2: of stress. And this is so important because when you 129 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:54,680 Speaker 2: slow down your breathing, you can calm your emotions and 130 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 2: your body and it just helps you have that sense 131 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 2: of that pocket of rest. And you know what's interesting, 132 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 2: The slower rhythm happens at about five to six breaths 133 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 2: per minute. And the great thing about it is, you 134 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 2: know this breath prayer we do on this podcast. If 135 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 2: you were just to pray the breath prayer five times, slowly, gently, 136 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 2: you've accomplished this wonderful practice and all it takes is 137 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 2: just one minute stepping away briefly. Is so interesting that 138 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 2: our soul care invitation for you this week is exactly 139 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 2: how to begin to get out of your head. When 140 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 2: we're in our head, we're constantly thinking, we're talking to 141 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 2: ourselves about what we need to do. What we didn't 142 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 2: do is just in our head. But give yourself a 143 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 2: per mission to step away, not to be productive, not 144 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 2: to fix anything, but simply rest. And this is the 145 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 2: one minute practice that will indeed do this. It's the 146 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 2: breath prayer. I actually started using breath prayers during a 147 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 2: really hard season when I was recovering from panic attacks 148 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 2: as a mom with two young kids, and at night 149 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 2: when my heart was racing, my thoughts were racing, I 150 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:16,959 Speaker 2: would slow my breathing and count slowly to eight using 151 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 2: the breath prayers eight times and just quietly calm my body. 152 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 2: And over time it was something that I use not 153 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 2: just in hard moments, but even as I begin my day. 154 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 2: And I shared this in our last podcast in Podcasts 155 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 2: two eight, that I start with a morning prayer and 156 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 2: it's just a breath prayer, and at end the day 157 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 2: by letting go again using this breath practice. Now, the 158 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 2: breath prayer is a way of praying using your natural 159 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 2: breathing rhythm, and it will help calm your body and 160 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 2: reconnect your heart with God. And as you breathe, you'll 161 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:58,559 Speaker 2: not only be oxygenating your brain, but you'll be inviting 162 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 2: God's presence into your soul, and that is really helpful 163 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,559 Speaker 2: in getting out of our heads. We just bring God 164 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 2: into that moment and you can talk to him. Now, 165 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 2: there are three ways to pray a breath prayer. The 166 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 2: one we do every week with this podcast is to 167 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 2: breathe in scripture right, come away with me and rest 168 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 2: a while. That is one way. The second way is 169 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 2: just saying God's name. You could just inhale Jesus, exhale Jesus, 170 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 2: just saying his name. Or a third method is just 171 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 2: by sharing how you're feeling or a request you can say, Lord, 172 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 2: help me. Go ahead and just use any of these 173 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,720 Speaker 2: ways to just connect with God. And as you do, 174 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 2: you will be able to bring yourself back to a 175 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 2: place of rest with Jesus when you realize God's right 176 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 2: there beside you, holding your hand or holding you in 177 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 2: his embrace. And that is the breath prayer and why 178 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 2: this is such a big part of wellness with Jesus 179 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 2: helps your body and your emotions. Now, what would be 180 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 2: your breath prayer this week? Well, let's pray Jesus, thank 181 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 2: you for inviting us to come away with you, even 182 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 2: if it's for just one minute. Help us to step 183 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 2: away from the noise, from the striving, from the busyness, 184 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 2: and rest with you and just help us to listen 185 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 2: and receive the beauty, peace and joy you have right 186 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 2: there with us. 187 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: Thank you, amen. 188 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 2: Well, friend, I hope you'll join me by encouraging a 189 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 2: friend to listen today's episode. As you have felt encouraged, 190 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 2: share this with someone else. I'd love to ask a favor, 191 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 2: take a moment to write a rating or review, and 192 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 2: you can help this ministry get to more hands and hearts. 193 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for your support, and I'd love 194 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 2: to see you in the soul care courses. I'm making 195 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 2: them available one last time. Just look at the links 196 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 2: in the show notes to learn more about the soul 197 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 2: Care courses. I remember that you're loved and you're cherished. 198 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 2: Just rest and I'll see you next time. Breathe the 199 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 2: stress Less podcast is a production of Life Audio and 200 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 2: Sale Media. If you like what you heard today, please 201 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 2: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 202 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 2: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 203 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 2: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 204 00:15:50,880 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 2: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.