Transforming Experiences

We have space for more to join us this Saturday for an all day Scripture Circle. This is one of the most impactful teachings we encounter. Sign up today. Cost includes lunch!! https://mailchi.mp/togetherinthemystery/pentecost-in-my-living-room-june-scripture-circles

Recently, I (Kim) finished training to be a PAUSE Breathwork Facilitator. Breathwork is a very powerful bottom-up healing modality. When we experience shifts and healing in the body first, inevitably shifts in the mind will follow. This is different than the top-down processes (talk therapy, CBT, etc.) which work to change or reframe our thoughts without going into the body.

“Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to adapt and change based on experiences or learning. Breathwork is a powerful practice that has been shown to stimulate neuroplasticity in the brain.” (PAUSE manual)

Curt Thompson tells us that “our brains change in relationship.” Breathwork is one of the ways this can take place.

As we established this week, our very breath is the Breath of God in us. Sacred Breathwork can be used to bring about the healing within our bodies, that then shifts the mind. In Sacred Breathwork, the Holy Spirit Breath is invited into the space to bring about the deep healing the body needs in order to become more whole and freer.

A few of the benefits of Breathwork include:
*increase lung capacity
*boost immune system
*promote healthy digestion
*regulate your parasympathetic system
*stimulate neuroplastic processes in the nervous system
*increase attention and focus
*increase overall well-being
*establish an anchor with our breath so that we pause and therefore can respond to life with less reactivity more awareness and more easily move through ebbs and flows of life

A typical Sacred Breathwork session starts with setting an intention for the time, then talking about the possible effects of the breathwork to our bodies and emotions. We begin with a gentle body scan, followed by 30-40 minutes of breathwork, utilizing two different breath patterns. (An introduction to one breath pattern will be our Midday Meditation today.) Then we gently come out of the space and end with a time of reflection and spiritual direction, with a followup of post-care tips.

If you would like to learn more or experience Sacred Breathwork, please contact Kim at [email protected] (or even book a session at https://calendly.com/kimteltd/30-minute-integrative-breath-clone).

Artistic Afternoons: 93 Percent Stardust
by Nikita Gill

We have calcium in our bones
iron in our veins
carbon in our souls,
and nitrogen in our brains.
93 percent stardust,
with souls made of flames
we are all just stars
that have people names.

Consider your body and your makeup: 93% stardust. Have you thought about the gift of your own body? About how your very breath (nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen) sustains your body on a daily basis? Gives life to your soul? What do you feel as you sit with these truths? How do you feel about your body and breath? Are you grateful your body and breath have sustained you this far? Perhaps sketch some parts of your body and your breath that you are grateful for in this moment.

Are you dealing with shameful images, hurts done to the body by others or yourself? Do you feel your body and breath have betrayed you? Take time to draw images of where you are in the body right now. Take some deep breaths. Sit with God with the place that might need healing.

Adele Calhoun says, “The body is the soul’s address.”

Robert Mulholland says, “The soul is the place that God is most present to us.”

Wonder at the goodness of your body that holds the place God meets with you, in one way, through your breathing.

Or perhaps create your own version of yourself as stardust with a collage or paint.
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Guest post from Kim Nielsen Van Natta. You may reach out to Kim at [email protected] or check out her website at www.transformingexperiences.org.

Midday Meditation:

James Nestor says, “The greatest indicator of life span wasn’t genetics, diet, or the amount of daily exercise…It was lung capacity…Prayer heals, especially when it’s practiced at 5.5 breaths a minute…The perfect breath is this: Breathe in for about 5.5 seconds, then exhale for 5.5 seconds. That’s 5.5 breaths a minute for a total of about 5.5 liters of air.”

Give yourself a midday breathing break.

Find a comfortable place to sit, preferably away from a work area.

Set a timer for 7-10 minutes.

Then begin to breathe in for 5.5 seconds then exhale for 5.5 seconds. Repeat this pattern for the duration of your time.

How does your body feel now?
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Guest post from Kim Nielsen Van Natta. You may reach out to Kim at [email protected] or check out her website at www.transformingexperiences.org.