For the better part of January I have been knocked down by the flu virus. More than the usual sniffles and body aches, I was immobilized by chest congestion that brought wheezing, a non-stop cough and loss of breath.
A book I’m reading on Christian mysticism brought a new perspective on the simple act of breathing.*
In the Judeo-Christian tradition the name of God is Yahweh. Written in the Sacred Hebrew tetragrammaton: YHVH (yod, he, vac, and he) it was considered unspeakable by the Jews. This unspeakability has been recognized for a long time but some see it deeper way, not only as a word formally unspoken but a word breathed. Many are convinced the correct pronunciation of Yahweh is replicating the sound of inhalation and exhalation.
Imagine… our first and last words entering and leaving this world, the one thing we do every moment of our life is actually speaking the name of God. This should make me have more respect for my lungs and the breath given me by the Holy Spirit!
Try this meditation/breathing technique: Breath in whispering Yah. Then breath out whispering Weh.
YAH-WEH… YAH-WEH… YAH-WEH… YAH-WEH… YAH-WEH…
*RESOURCES
The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See by Richard Rohr
Image credit: stylephotographs / 123RF Stock Photo
