A man marching with Dr Martin Luther King Jr in Alabama explained his experience by saying,"My feet were praying."
That is how I felt on Saturday morning as I participated in the Salvation Army 5K Walk/Run.
When I first decided to take part in this event, I knew it was a worthy cause and that by walking in it I would be supporting many individuals and families. Proceeds from the event went to benefit the Salvation Army Anew Center in Jamestown NY which provides comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, rape, and child abuse.
As I walked, I prayed. I prayed for all those who need help in those ways. And even though there were other people around me walking and talking, I silently prayed. And because these physical actions accompanied prayers, I was experiencing Embodied Prayer. "My feet were praying."
You see, our bodies can be places where prayer is actively happening. We can use our bodies to express ourselves in spiritual ways - and these physical expressions can be prayers too. The meaning in our heads can become the meaning in our bodies. When we use our bodies with spiritual intent, both our bodies and the occasion have become sacred.
Our actions and movements can be expressions of prayer to God. We shouldn't just THINK our prayers. We can show and express in our bodies what we say and express in our minds. This is prayer in motion and it takes practice. This is embodied prayer.
The Anew Center empowers individuals and the community to end violence and begin anew. At the event, there were individuals and families who have needed and utilized the Anew Center's wonderful services - they were part of the grateful group cheering us at the finish line. To me, they represented the culmination of my prayers.
I encourage you to experience embodied prayer and to use your hands and bodies to speak to God and to enrich devotion in word and process. Perhaps this is through a personal form of embodied prayer such as daily devotions, yoga, or spiritual dance. Or perhaps this helping out in a soup kitchen, mentoring a troubled teen, tending to a sick parent, or parenting your child with patience and love.
Discover for yourself what is a perfect self-expression of Divine Good. And pray with your entire being.
That is how I felt on Saturday morning as I participated in the Salvation Army 5K Walk/Run.
When I first decided to take part in this event, I knew it was a worthy cause and that by walking in it I would be supporting many individuals and families. Proceeds from the event went to benefit the Salvation Army Anew Center in Jamestown NY which provides comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, rape, and child abuse.
As I walked, I prayed. I prayed for all those who need help in those ways. And even though there were other people around me walking and talking, I silently prayed. And because these physical actions accompanied prayers, I was experiencing Embodied Prayer. "My feet were praying."
You see, our bodies can be places where prayer is actively happening. We can use our bodies to express ourselves in spiritual ways - and these physical expressions can be prayers too. The meaning in our heads can become the meaning in our bodies. When we use our bodies with spiritual intent, both our bodies and the occasion have become sacred.
Our actions and movements can be expressions of prayer to God. We shouldn't just THINK our prayers. We can show and express in our bodies what we say and express in our minds. This is prayer in motion and it takes practice. This is embodied prayer.
The Anew Center empowers individuals and the community to end violence and begin anew. At the event, there were individuals and families who have needed and utilized the Anew Center's wonderful services - they were part of the grateful group cheering us at the finish line. To me, they represented the culmination of my prayers.
I encourage you to experience embodied prayer and to use your hands and bodies to speak to God and to enrich devotion in word and process. Perhaps this is through a personal form of embodied prayer such as daily devotions, yoga, or spiritual dance. Or perhaps this helping out in a soup kitchen, mentoring a troubled teen, tending to a sick parent, or parenting your child with patience and love.
Discover for yourself what is a perfect self-expression of Divine Good. And pray with your entire being.
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