Rev. Michelle's Message August 14, 2025

For this week’s Sunday lesson, I will be answering a question that came in from our community: How can we use Unity teachings to cope with stress?

I’m excited about this lesson because this is an area I have a lot of experience with and I feel I have a lot to share about it. Also, I know that we all have stress in one form or another and would all benefit from reducing our stress and finding more peace in our lives.

As I have shared with you a number of times, over the past three years or so breath work has become an absolutely essential part of my own anti-stress practices. And since I want to use my time on Sunday to talk specifically about Unity teachings, I thought I would use this space to once again promote the practice of breath work.

Breath work does not have to be complex. I can be as simple as sitting quietly and taking some slow, deep belly breaths. You can start by breathing in through your nose for a count of 3 and exhaling through your mouth to a count of 4 or 5. Then begin increasing the length of your exhale so that it becomes twice the length of your inhale. This extended exhale signals the parasympathetic nervous system to come online and begins to put you into the state that is commonly called “rest and digest.”

I promised you last Sunday that I would come up for my own name for this state, so how about “be still and chill” or “stay and pray”?

So that you can actually try out some simple breath work practices, here are a few links:

This meditation is one of my favorites that I use multiple times a week to settle into a calm state before beginning any other type of prayer or meditation. It incorporates some very simple breath work elements and leaves you feeling great: https://youtu.be/rP8Pnv7Psv4?si=J8EcE4CiXvWwk5_U 

This is another short meditation I use frequently that involves taking some deeper breaths fairly quickly and then doing some short breath holds. The deep breaths increase your oxygen intake, helping to calm your mind and body: https://insig.ht/S2E0exr9NVb?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=content

And lastly, here is a fun one that is actually a video that you watch while you do it. It incorporates two common elements of breath work—short breath holds and making your exhale longer than your inhale. Check it out!

https://youtu.be/4MLUbRAsvyY?si=39WF5WV1Ou713I_0 

I hope you will give these short meditations a try and see what works for you. I keep talking about breath work because it has been absolutely life changing for me. I use some type of breath work pretty much every day before bed, which is also when I meditate. It calms my nervous system, quiets my mind, and prepares me for meditation and sleep. I know it is helping my body cope with the stress of every day life, and I believe it can help you, too, to find more peace and calm. Good luck and happy breathing!

Stress-Free Blessings,

Rev. Michelle