"A MOURNING MOMENT" by BOB WILLIS

Breath IN Peace . . . breath OUT Stress

"You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair"
- Martin Luther
...
Everyone will experience loss in life...everyone, no one is exempt from the pain of grief. But we can find ways to overcome the sadness and prevent it from consuming our life.
Negative and hurtful thoughts can flood our mind, but we make decisions on whether they have a place to stay. It is very easy to focus on the negatives when positives are so difficult to see. It is also easy to be discouraged and down on ourselves when hurtful thoughts seem to take over.
Someone made me aware of an exercise that helped them. I tried it and it DOES make a difference. 

​Sit in a quiet place with your eyes closed...breathe in slowly through your nose as deeply as possible...hold the breath for 10 seconds...then exhale through your mouth until your lungs are empty.
Now add another element. As you breathe in through your nose...imagine slowly breathing in the cool and refreshing blue color of peace into the deepest part of your lungs. Hold this peace for 10 seconds. Then as you breathe out through your mouth imagine it contains the red color of hurtful and negative feelings...empty your lungs and continue this exercise until you sense a release of stress and become more relaxed.
Breathe in PEACE...breathe out STRESS. Don't knock this until you try it...lol.
Over the years I have noticed grievers do NOT take deep breaths...unless it is a big sigh. This exercise allows fresh oxygen to enter your system...a healthy process for everyone. No cost, no special equipment, only a decision to breathe deeply.
Bob Willis, author
"A Guide for Grievers"
"JESUS: The CRUCIFIED CAREGIVER"