Deep Breathing

I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

Have you noticed that in the Bible, thanksgiving and singing go hand-in-hand? Singing praises to God seems to be a natural out-growth of being thankful. Many verses combine thanks and praise: “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises to our God on the lyre.” (Psalm 147:7) and “Come before Him with thankful hearts. Let us sing Him psalms (songs) of praise. “(Psalm 95:2, The Living Bible) Singing with thanksgiving was documented by Ezra after the Israelites laid the foundation of the temple in Jerusalem: “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord.” (Ezra 3:11) Jonah, recognizing that God had rescued him from destruction and given him another chance, prayed “I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving.” (Jonah 2:9) Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied “Joy and gladness will be found in her (Israel), thanksgiving and the sound of a melody.” (Isaiah 51:3) and “Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving.“ (Jeremiah 30:19)

Psalm 69:30 states “I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving.” (Verse 31 goes on to say that this will please the Lord better than sacrificing an ox or a bull!) It caught my attention that when we give thanks to God, we magnify Him. We are saying how great God is and we exalt Him. Mary did this when she sang the Magnificat in Luke 1:46: “My soul exalts the Lord.” (New American Study Bible) or “My soul magnifies the Lord.” (Revised Standard Version).

As Thanksgiving approaches, think of ways you can thank God for what you have. We are to “give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Have you considered singing a song to God as a way of thanking Him? Be mindful that thanking God is a way to exalt Him.
Those of you who sing in a choir know that the best sound and breath control comes from breathing with your diaphragm. That is the muscle we will exercise this week.

The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that separates your chest from the abdominal section of your torso. When you pull air deeply into your lungs, the dome (which is concave downward) contracts and flattens out. When you exhale, it relaxes and resumes its usual dome shape. You might have heard someone say “breathe with your diaphragm.” What they are saying is to breathe deeply, and this gives your diaphragm its own work-out. It is simple to do and can be done anywhere, anytime.

When you first practice deep breathing you will want to wear comfortable, loose clothing, such as pants with an elastic waistband. You can stand, lie or sit. (But make sure your spine is lengthened so you have plenty of room for your lungs to expand.) Slowly breathe in through your nose (This helps warm the air.) while letting your waistline and abdominal area expand outward as air completely fills your lungs. Pretend a balloon is being blown up inside you. To pace yourself, count to five as you inhale. Hold for a moment and then exhale through your mouth to the count of five. As you exhale, you may contract your abdominal muscles (Pull you navel inward toward your spine) to assist in emptying your lungs. If you feel dizzy, take a break. You may continue for a couple of minutes (or longer, if you wish). I sometimes will do deep breathing in bed at night to help me fall asleep.

Deep breathing has its own benefits: More oxygen is delivered to all areas of your body, including your brain. Your heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels will be lowered, and the organs in your torso will get a massage from the gentle movement of your diaphragm. Best of all, deep breathing kicks in the body’s relaxation response so you will feel relaxed –reason enough to get started!