You might have heard of “Reckless Love,” one of the biggest worship songs of the past decade. Artist Cory Asbury has a new album out this week and the opening moments of it caught me by surprise. I knew going in that it was going to be a heavy listen, so I was surprised at the gentle instrumental opening, and I found myself breathing just a bit deeper. (You can read my full review here.)
I’ve learned the incredible importance of a deep breath. 5-7-7. A five-second inhale through the nose, a seven-second hold, and a seven-second, slow exhale through the mouth.
Doing this just once is like a reset for your brain. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system (nerd alert!), which signals safety, eliminating the need to fight, flee, or freeze.
Works great if you can remember to do it.
Maybe more albums (and days) need to start with an instrumental. And a deep breath. Try it out this week and let me know how it goes.