In this episode, Brother Richard explores the sacredness of the breath, a theme shared across spiritual and contemplative traditions.
He reflects on the meaning of ruah in Hebrew and pneuma in Greek, showing how breath has long been understood as life, spirit and presence. Brother Richard explains how our emotional reactions are mirrored in the way we breathe, and how learning to notice the breath gently reverses habitual patterns of reactivity.
Through simple guidance, listeners are invited to practice breath awareness not as control or effort, but as a way of resting in deeper stability and equanimity. The breath becomes a place of return, always available, always alive.
This episode offers a moment of calm, whether you are pausing during the day or winding down before sleep, helping you reconnect with the quiet rhythm that sustains you.
00:00 – Introduction
00:43 – Ruah in the Hebrew tradition
01:06 – Pneuma and the breath
01:43 – Breath, life and person
01:58 – The depth of ourselves
02:17 – Emotion and patterns of breathing
02:47 – Mastering the breath
03:00 – Monastic attention to the breath
03:20 – Stable equanimity
03:25 – The bell
03:30 – Taking the seat
06:30 – Noticing the breath
07:58 – A moment of panic
08:20 – Subtle movements of breathing
08:30 – The nostrils
10:20 – The elements we breathe in
10:55 – Breathing out generously
11:17 – The divine breath
11:57 – Recognising a shared breath
12:09 – Resting in the breath
12:30 – An action for the rest of the day
13:05 – Closing bell