The eight principles of health · 7 of 8
Air
Every breath is a gift. The Bible says God breathed life into the first man, and we have been breathing His air ever since.
- What it is
- Fresh air indoors and out, and full, easy breathing.
- Why it matters
- Air is our most urgent need. We can go only moments without it.
- Where to start
- Open a window for ten minutes each morning.
Key verse
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Our most urgent need
We can go some time without food, and a shorter time without water, but only moments without air. Dr Horst Müller uses breathing to show how dependent we are. We cannot make our own oxygen; we have to take it from the air around us.
He writes that “God has determined from the outset where we get our oxygen from, from the air and not from the water” (Why Do We Get Sick?, page 89). What we need, and where we get it, were settled by our Maker.
“You can use chemicals or machines and extract the oxygen from other molecules and concentrate oxygen into a container, but you cannot create oxygen from nothing.”
“Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;”
Acts 17:25 (KJV)
Fresh air, indoors and out
Open a window for a while each day, even in winter, to let stale air out and fresh air in. Air out the bedroom in the morning. In a cold or damp house, open up for a short while, then close up again and keep the room warm and dry.
Time outdoors, in a garden, a park, the bush or by the sea, is good for body and mind alike.
“Sleeping rooms should be so arranged as to have a free circulation of air day and night. No room is fit to be occupied as a sleeping room unless it can be thrown open daily to the air and sunshine.”
Breathing well
Sit and stand tall, so your chest has room. Ellen G. White warned against stooping over our work, because in that position it is hard to breathe deeply (The Ministry of Healing, pages 272–273). A few slow, deep breaths can help you feel calmer when you are tense or worried.
Keep away from tobacco smoke, including other people's, and keep your home and car smokefree.
“The lungs should be allowed the greatest freedom possible. Their capacity is developed by free action; it diminishes if they are cramped and compressed.”
“In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.”
Job 12:10 (KJV)
Out in God's creation
There is something about being outside, under the sky, among trees and birds, that settles the mind. Ellen G. White called nature “God’s physician”. A walk in the open air brings fresh air, daylight and movement together, three of the eight principles at once.
“Nature is God’s physician. The pure air, the glad sunshine, the flowers and trees, the orchards and vineyards, and outdoor exercise amid these surroundings, are health-giving, life-giving.”
“Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:”
Isaiah 42:5 (KJV)
Breath and praise
The Bible's book of songs, the Psalms, ends with this line. Every breath we take is a reason to thank the One who gives it.
“Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
Psalm 150:6 (KJV)
Something to try this week
- Open a window for ten minutes each morning.
- Go outside for a walk, and breathe slowly and deeply as you go.
- Check how you sit at the table or desk, and sit up tall.
- Take three slow breaths before you pray or sit down to a meal.
- If you are often short of breath, see your doctor.
These pages are general health education, not medical advice. Everyone is different, so if you have a health concern, or you are thinking about a big change, please talk with your doctor first.
Where these words come from
Every Bible verse on this page is from the King James Version, quoted word for word, so you can look each one up for yourself. The other quotations are copied exactly from these books, with the page they are on:
- Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing Read free in our health library
- Dr Horst Müller, Why Do We Get Sick? Download the whole book free
- Dr Mark Sandoval, The Law of Life Read the first chapter free
Keep reading
The eight principles, in order. Choose any one to read next.