Connecting Deeper: Breathwork With Intention As Prayer

In my earlier posts on breathwork, we looked at how the simple act of noticing your breath can help you discover the Divine right under your nose. We also explored how coherent breathing offers a simple reset for calm and resilience by soothing the nervous system.

Once we know how to use the breath to slow down and create a sense of internal safety, we can explore more active breathwork. While gentle practices like coherent breathing focus on balancing the autonomic nervous system, Conscious Connected Breathing can connect us on a deeper level.

The practice uses a continuous, circular pattern of breath – where the inhale merges seamlessly into the exhale without any pause. It is an active, flowing rhythm that helps turn down the volume of the analytical "chatter mind”. I use the Conscious Connected Breathing practice in most of my group sessions and when working one to one. It is a powerful active tool that uses the breath to release tension from the body and nervous system, help ground you back into the body, turn down the frantic mind and thoughts, promoting greater self-awareness and connect you to a deeper sense of presence.

It is best experienced with guided support, in a group or one to one setting. With that in mind I won’t say too much more about it here, other than invite you to join one of our breathwork group sessions.

When guiding people I usually invite participants to set an intention for the session – and it is that which I want to turn to now.

Combining Breathwork With Intention Setting

Setting an intention has become a popular ritual for many in the wellbeing world. But when viewed through the lens of spiritual direction, setting an intention can be far more than a motivational exercise or mental focus – it can be a form of prayer.

For many, the word prayer carries heavy expectations. We might think it requires formal words, rigid theology, or convincing a distant God to listen. But at its ancient heart, prayer is simply orienting the desires of our soul toward the Divine.

Setting an intention can transform a Breathwork session – whichever breathing technique you are practicing. It can work on different levels. You might be seeking clarity on an important decision or you might be exploring how you would like to show up in the world. Using the natural pattern of the breath can be a helpful way in. Using the inhale to breathe in what you want more of, and the exhale to release and let go. You might choose – inhaling self compassion, and exhaling compassion for all. Or it could be inhaling your strengths and gifts, and exhaling to let them flow through you, into the world.

1. Set the Direction Positively

Before the breathing practice begins, spend time discerning your intention. Always frame it positively – focusing on what you want to invite in rather than what you are trying to fight.

• Instead of: I don't want to feel anxious anymore.

• Try: I invite quiet trust into my heart.

2. Carry It with Gentleness

An intention in spiritual direction is not a target to achieve through willpower; it is a direction of travel. As you begin the breathwork session, you carry your intention softly. You don't need to force it or analyse it. You simply let it rest in the background like a compass point while your breath does the work.

3. You Hold It with Curiosity

Spiritual growth rarely follows a straight line. During Breathwork, unexpected emotions, memories, or physical sensations may surface. Carrying your intention with curiosity means holding space for whatever arises without judgment. You might ask: I wonder what my body is trying to show me right now? or How is Spirit meeting me in this feeling?

Think of your intention as setting the sail of a boat. It determines where your heart is facing. The breath is the wind – the Spirit – filling the sail and moving you forward. An intention can remain an intellectual idea stuck in your head, but combined with the breath, it creates a space where thoughts drop away, allowing a connection to body, mind and spirit.

A Simple Practice to Try

You don't need a full workshop to start bringing gentleness and intention to your breath. Try this 3-step anchor:

1. Pause & Listen: Place a hand on your heart and ask: What does my soul need to receive today? Allow a simple, positive phrase to emerge (e.g., I am safe to rest).

2. Breathe with the Intention: Take a few breaths – inhaling the intention into your body, and gently releasing any tension on the exhale.

3. Release with Curiosity: Drop the words and simply stay with the rhythm of the breath, noticing with soft curiosity where your body feels open or where it holds resistance.

Ready to Deepen Your Practice?

If you would like to explore how breathwork and in particular the Conscious Connected Breath, can help you process life transitions, release stored stress, or rediscover a felt sense of Divine connection, you are invited to join one of our upcoming group sessions or book an individual session.

Sign up for our Newsletter to receive upcoming Breathwork dates and guided practices directly to your inbox.