I don't know about you - but I've been feeling it lately. That particular brand of exhaustion that comes from juggling too many things at once. Wrapping up year-end responsibilities at my call in pastor life while simultaneously trying to build momentum in my personal business. Making connections, following up, planning ahead - all before Lent arrives and the rhythm shifts again. And in the middle of all that spinning, my workout routine has fallen by the wayside, which only adds another layer of weight. Not just physical weight, but the weight of knowing I'm not showing up for my body the way I want to.
It's in these moments - when I'm most stressed, most scattered, most convinced I don't have time to slow down - that I need to remember the very thing I'm writing about today.
When life feels heavy and the walls seem to be closing in, there's one simple truth your body already knows: this moment will pass.
The Breath You Forget
In the midst of stress, anxiety, or overwhelm, something subtle happens. Your breath becomes shallow. Your chest tightens. You might find your shoulders crawling up to your ears. Sometimes you might even catch yourself holding your breath entirely, as if bracing against an invisible impact.
Your body is responding to perceived threat the way it's designed to - but in our modern lives, most of our "threats" aren't actually physical dangers. They're deadlines, difficult conversations, financial worries, relationship tensions. And yet, we hold our breath just the same.
The Anchor That's Always There
It never ceases to amaze me that your body knows what your racing mind sometimes forgets: your breath is an anchor to the present moment. It's the bridge between your conscious and unconscious mind, between tension and release, between panic and peace.
But it's more than just a physiological response. In the Christian tradition, breath has always been sacred. The Hebrew word ruach means both "breath" and "spirit." When God breathed life into Adam, it wasn't just oxygen - it was the very Spirit of God. Every breath you take carries an echo of that first divine breath, a reminder that you are filled with God's presence, sustained by God's Spirit.
When everything feels permanent - the pain (however that presents), the frustration, the fear - your breath reminds you of a fundamental truth: everything is in motion. Everything changes. And through it all, the Spirit breathes in you, with you, through you.
Each inhale is a beginning. Each exhale is a letting go.
Nothing Is Permanent
The very hardest moments of your life have this in common with the very best: they don't last forever.
That argument that feels insurmountable right now? It will shift. That mistake that feels catastrophic? Time will provide perspective. That grief that feels unbearable? It will transform, even as you honor it.
Please do not read this as a kind of toxic positivity or spiritual bypassing. It's simply the nature of reality. Clouds move across the sky. Seasons change. Wounds heal. And you - you keep breathing.
A Practice for Right Now
Here's what I'm reminding myself, and what I'm offering to you: even when there's no time for the full workout, no space for the perfect self-care routine, no room in the calendar for everything we wish we could do...we always have our breath.
The next time life feels too heavy, too much, too hard, try this:
Pause. Just for a moment, stop what you're doing.
Notice your breath. Don't change it yet - just observe. Is it shallow? Held? Rapid? Notice without judgment. This is God's breath in you.
Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly. Feel the rise and fall. Feel the Spirit moving.
Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four. Feel your belly expand.
Hold gently for a count of four.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. Let your shoulders drop.
Repeat three to five times, or as long as you need.
This practice is not about fixing anything or making the difficulty disappear. It IS about remembering that you have this tool, this wisdom, this anchor - always. Even when the gym membership sits unused. Even when the to-do list is longer than the hours in the day. Even when you're running on fumes trying to get everything done before the next season demands your attention.
Your body doesn't need perfection. It needs presence.
Your Body Remembers
Your body has survived every difficult moment you've ever faced. It has carried you through heartbreak, through loss, through uncertainty, through fear. And it's still here, still breathing, still ready to support you.
And that breath? It's holy. It's the same Spirit that hovered over the waters at creation. You carry this with you, always.
When your mind spirals into catastrophe, your body can guide you back. When everything feels permanent, your breath - God's breath - reminds you: this too shall pass.
Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.
You're still here. You're still breathing. And that's enough for this moment.
What does your body need you to remember today?
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