Centering Body Prayer

Our bodies are wiser than we give them credit for most of the time. I’ve heard several people say recently that they aren’t sure how to pray. Maybe letting our bodies pray instead of our minds will help something shift for us. I’ve been thinking about the need to pull in my energy when (usually stressed or exhausted to start with) I find myself getting frantic or desperate or upset. I hadn’t thought about this body prayer for a while, but when it came to mind, it seemed like a gift for me and hopefully will be for others.

I love starting a group with this prayer. The room starts out distracted and unsettled as people come in from different activities in a variety of states of mind. As we pray this body prayer together, the energy in the room grows calm and evens out and people feel settled within themselves and with one another. As with all body movements, honor your own body’s limitations and do no harm. While I ask people to stand as they are able to do this prayer, some may prefer to do it lying down or in a seated position. Listen to your own body’s wisdom and let it speak for you.

In the audio I go through the prayer two times. In the first I use a lot of words, in the second I primarily give the motions. Folks who have adopted this prayer as a daily practice tell me it shifts from day to day.