Breath prayer
Perfect peace
Isaiah 26 · for a mind that will not stop
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3 · King James Version
The rhythm
- 4 counts in — Thou wilt keep him
- 7 counts held
- 8 counts out — in perfect peace
How to use it
This is not a relaxation technique with a verse attached to it. Breathing slowly is simply what a body does when it is not afraid, and doing it on purpose tells your body the truth before your feelings have caught up. The words are the point. The breathing is the pace.
The lines, in order
- In: Thou wilt keep him · Out: in perfect peace
- In: Whose mind · Out: is stayed on Thee
- In: Trust ye in the LORD · Out: for ever
- In: In the LORD Jehovah · Out: is everlasting strength
- In: Thou hast ordained · Out: peace for us
- In: With my soul have I desired Thee · Out: in the night
This is not mindfulness. It is the old Christian practice of praying one line of Scripture on the breath — a phrase going in, a phrase going out — which predates every wellness app by roughly seventeen centuries. If you feel light-headed, stop and breathe normally; if you have a heart or lung condition, ask your doctor before making a practice of it.