Breath as Prayer-Session #6 Creative Prayer-Alcohol Inks




 "Have you ever felt out of control when you're afraid or extremely stressed? There's a physiological reason that happens. When you nervous system senses danger, the amygdala, [sometimes called the emotional brain] takes over and literally bypasses the frontal lobe [sometimes called the logic brain] in order to prepare your body for fight, flight, or freeze, in a process that psychologist Daniel Goleman first called 'amygdala hijacking.' Your body reacts automatically, without intentional thought, and the result can often leave you feeling like you have no control over you reactions or behavior in that moment. Anxiety sets in. The limbic system serves your body well when you're facing an actual threat, like a bear attack for example, but it's not as helpful when the 'danger' is merely a stressful situation. These are the times when breath prayers, especially when practiced regularly, can be very helpful. As you slow your breathing, you're telling your nervous system that there is nothing to fear, which allows your amygdala to chill out a bit and lets your logical brain begin to function again."--Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker

Practicing reciting the various scriptures in the book, even 5 minutes a day can help with anxiety, fear, depression, and worry.

Such as: INHALE-"You do not give a spirit of fear."

              EXHALE-"But of power and love and self-control."

In the book, Breath as Prayer, the ancient practice of deep breathing with the reciting of scripture, not only slows the heart, regulates the mind, but it also helps to focus and calm the anxious random thoughts with deliberate words of truth, not the lies that our minds make up. Jennifer Tucker has written out lines of scripture truths from scripture verses to inhale and exhale, along with a short explanation. The illustrations are beautiful and the practice is a lost art that has the healing properties of correct deep breathing.

You can use your own two phrases of scripture, but here are a few examples from Breath As Prayer, by Jennifer Tucker:

INHALE; THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD---EXHALE; I HABVE ALL THAT I NEED

INHALE; YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET---EXHALE;  YOU LIGHTT UP MY DARKNESS

INHALE; YOU CREATED MY INMOST BEING---EXHALE; I AM FEARFULLY & WONDERFULLY MADE

INHALE; I WILL WAIT FOR YOU LORD ---EXHALE; GIVE ME STRENGTH AND COURAGE

INHALE; I HAVE PEACE IN YOU----EXHALE; YOU HAVE CONQUERED THE WORLD

After practicing this deep breathing with scripture, we aligned breath practices with blowing breath through a straw with alcohol inks and 91% rubbing alcohol to help move the ink around the special alcohol ink paper.  We limited the ink to small drops and few colors in order to slow down, slow our breaths, slow our bodies to listen and watch the ink transform and move into the various shapes and forms.



















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