How to Transform Chaos to Calm | Bonnie Gray

Breathwork and mindfulness may be all the rage, but did you know God is the original author of breathwork? Obviously, our bodies need to breathe to survive. But God also designed our bodies to naturally calm themselves with intentional breathing. Bonnie Gray, this week's podcast guest, calls it “God's CPR.” I like that. Bonnie is the author of Breathe: 21 Days to Stress Less and Transform Chaos to Calm and she hosts Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast.  When Bonnie was suddenly plagued with panic attacks, she couldn't understand why. This sent her on a ten-year journey of healing. She shares that in addition to good counseling, God helped her discover that she could refocus her mind and calm her body with a few simple practices. If you're ready to stress less, listen in for some helpful resources.  If you’re ready to learn how to calm your own anxiety and stress, this is a good place to start. Some highlights: Bonnie shares her story of the sudden onset of panic attacks and how she started her journey toward healing. Bonnie knew Jesus invited her to love him with her heart, mind, and soul. She understood how to love him with her heart and mind, but she had no idea what it meant to love him with her soul, so she started exploring the Scriptures to discover how to do this. Along the way, God led her to Psalm 46: “Be still and know that he is God.” She always resisted being still because she thought it meant stopping. But she discovered it really meant to relax. This led her to start wondering how she could relax. And what brought her relaxation. Bonnie shares some of the research she’s discovered about breathing and how it starts a rest and relaxation response in our bodies. The Lord helped Bonnie see that she needed to start savoring little bites of his Word in this season. She started using lectio divina to help her read Scripture slowly and notice a word the Lord had for her. She then used this word as a breath prayer. Breathing in one part of the verse and exhaling another part of the verse. Bonnie created a soul care quiz (link below) to help us discern which area of soul care we most need: emotional, spiritual, physical, or social wellness. Finally, Bonnie and I discuss Matthew 11:28-30 and why this verse is important to her. You can connect with Bonnie at: https://thebonniegray.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebonniegray/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebonniegray Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBonnieGray Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/thebonniegray/ Get a copy of her book: https://thebreathebook.com/ Take the Soul Care Quiz: Soulcarequiz.com If you’re interested in the podcast we discussed on toxic relationships, you can find it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s2-e8-quieting-imposter-syndrome-toxic-people/id1498959893?i=1000542120177 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.