I find myself sharing this breathing technique with my clients often and thought it would be good for me to write it down as a reference for anyone who was looking for a breathing technique that will help you respond to intense emotions. There are many breathing techniques one can use. I find this one to be my favorite and most effective because it incorporates prayer, breath, and imagery.
Prayer
You will want to memorize this short prayer or have it written on something that you would have access to throughout the day.
It is called the Jesus Prayer.
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
Breath
We will add rhythmic breathing as you recite the prayer.
Take in a deep breath, through your nose if you can, and say to yourself:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God”
Hold it for a few seconds
Exhale through your mouth and say to yourself:
“Have mercy on me a sinner”
Imagery
When you are breathing through your nose, say to yourself “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God”, imagine you are breathing in the Holy Spirit.
Hold it for a few seconds
When you exhale through your mouth, say to yourself “have mercy on me a sinner” , imagine the intense emotion you’re experiencing right now leaving your body.
Repeat a few times or as many times as you need.
Additional Tips
This breathing exercise works and it’s very effective but here’s the kicker…
You have to practice when you’re not upset or not flooded by emotion. If you don’t practice this technique you are less likely to remember to use it when you need it.
Consider practicing this prayer throughout the day. You can set a reminder on your phone to practice throughout the day. As this becomes a tool at the forefront of your mind, it will be easier to use it when you are feeling overwhelmed.
It won’t take away all the negative or intense emotions but it can certainly lessen the intensity so you can respond to your situation in a way that’s more effective.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
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