Through pūjā we take refuge not in a world of time and structure but in what the mind knows. We take refuge in knowing the heart can open to suffering.
When we make effort to disengage and avoid the unskillful, we enter the Dhamma domain, the domain of patience, clarity, sensing. Then the Dhamma potencies, not self, naturally do the work of untangling the self-saṇkhāras.
There is an innate interest in the body to release itself. If we can meet what arises with the right kind of invitation – a mind of goodwill, patience and trust – breathing will act as a messenger and carry these qualities into the body. These then act as healing energies.