He Breathed His Last and Breathed Again: Rediscovering the Gift of Breath

Leaving the New Age Behind and Embracing the Breath of Life through Scripture By Pamela Horton, Holistic Biblical and Executive Coach

Dear friend,

When I became a follower of Jesus, I walked away from many things, including systems of thought I had once trusted and the New Age practices I had mastered and leaned on to help manage stress and performance. Even breath-work.

At one point, I saw breath-work as a helpful tool for self-regulation. But when I met Jesus, I didn’t want to rely on anything that did not come from Him. I wanted to live fully rooted in biblical truth.

So I laid it all down.

I stopped the practices.

I turned away from everything that glorified self over Christ even if it once “worked.”

That included breath-work.

Even though my body had benefited from it, I didn’t want to carry anything into my walk with God that was spiritually unclear or connected to deception.

I stepped away.

And for a long time, I left that part of my life behind.

As I grew in the Word of God, I began to notice something that stunned me:

Breath didn’t begin in the New Age.

It didn’t originate in science or wellness.

It came from God. God the Most High. The Creator of everything.

In Genesis 2:7 NLT,

“Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”

This was not just oxygen. It was divine power.The Hebrew word Ruach, used for Spirit means breath, wind, and life-force.

From Genesis to Revelation, breath is used as a picture of God’s presence and life-giving power:

• Job 33:4 “For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

• Ezekiel 37 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again. I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (This is part of the Valley of Dry Bones passage; the breath imagery is most prominent in verses 5–6.)

• John 20:22 — After His resurrection, Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, “Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

What I once considered spiritually dangerous, I now saw with new eyes not as a practice to manipulate, but as a truth to honor.

Breath is not a wellness technique.

It is worship.

It is a witness.

It is a gift from God, the Most High.

The Cross, the Breath, and the Empty Tomb

This message became even clearer to me as I meditated on the cross during Easter.

In Luke 23:46, we read:"Then Jesus shouted, 'Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!' And with those words he breathed his last."

His final act was breath surrendered.

And then three days later He rose again.Breathing. Walking. Alive.

In John 20:22, the risen Christ appears to His disciples and breathes on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

His breath, once given in creation, then surrendered on the cross, is now imparted again through resurrection life.

I No Longer Use Breath to Fix Myself

We can use breath to both regulate our emotions and nervous system as a calming method and we can use our breath to remember who gave it.

It is not a tool for self-mastery.It is not a leftover ritual from another worldview.It is simply a return to God’s original design.

Now, when I feel overwhelmed or unsettled, I pray with my breath:

Inhale: “I belong to Jesus.”Exhale: “You are my fortress and my refuge. I place all my trust in You, God the Most High.”

This is not breath-work.It is not performance.It is presence.It is worship.

A Resurrection Invitation

If you’ve ever questioned whether breath practices are biblical, I understand.If you’ve come out of the New Age, or laid down systems of self-help or self-reliance, I honor your courage.

This is not a call to pick those things back up.

This is a call to see what God has already written into creation.

That the very breath in your lungs is a gift from Him.

And this Easter, as we remember the cross and the empty tomb,We can also remember that every breath we take is a reminder of the One who gave everything to make us new.

Take a breath.Let it be holy.Let it be worship.Let it be His.

Wishing you a peace-filled Easter,Rooted in the Word,Secure in His grace,And breathing deeply in the light of His resurrection.

With care and in Christ,Pamela

P.S. If you’d like a printable version of the breath prayer or a short Scripture-based reflection to guide your quiet time, just reply or leave a comment I’d be honored to share it with you.