I am occasionally reminded of a beautiful line in the Gospel according to St. Luke, 11:1, where Jesus prays to God asking to be taught how to pray. Jesus asks not what to pray for; he does not pray for this or that. He asks how to pray.
I think we need similar instruction about breathing: Dear God: teach us how to breathe.
Teach us how to breathe beautifully. Teach us how to breathe truly.
Teach us how to breathe deeply. Teach us how to breathe in spirit.
Teach us to take in a breath that is connected to a healing spirit.
In many languages, the words for breath and spirit are connected. I am reminded of this when I look at our word: Respiration. In the middle of that word, respiration, the very process of breathing, is spirit.
The Bible begins with the wind/breath/spirit hovering above the waters. We do not breathe air. We breathe in spirit.
Omid Safi, Learning How to Breathe Again