To be honest, I am not sure when I started combining yoga and prayer. I feel so relaxed and renewed after spending time in a yoga class and when I spend time with God, so I guess I just thought to combine them. Honestly, it makes sense because yoga is a way of challenging your mind, body and spirit, and when we take the time to focus on those three things we can really listen to God.
The biggest thing that I think about is focusing on my breathing. With every breath I take, I remind myself that God put this air in my lungs. I ask myself "what am I using my breath for?" Am I using my breath to share the word of God with others? Am I using my breath to delight in fellowship and community with my brothers and sisters? Am I using my breath to praise God? Am I using my breath to worship?
As I focus on each breath that I take, I imagine I am breathing out negativity and breathing in the spirit of God. If I continue to breath out my problems and everything that is weighing me down and breath in grace, I feel so much lighter.
The second thing I focus on is when my muscles hurt and my body shakes because honestly, I am very weak. As I push my body further and further with each yoga session I channel the pain into my prayer. I think about how many people experience pain worse than this, that could be either physical or emotional, and I pray for them. I think about how God only gives us obstacles we can overcome and I know that this pain I am experiencing now will end.
I think of Romans 8:18:
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
I'm positive my sore muscles aren't exactly what Paul was talking about, but you get the point. I think about how we fail to thank God for allowing us to struggle and go through hard times and I thank God for this pain because I know that it will make me stronger.
The third thing I pray through is working on my flexibility. As I stretch my body further and further, I am reminded that God is always pushing me out of my comfort zone. If I were to stay in my routine, where I am comfortable, I would never learn anything about the world we live in, other people, or God and his love for me. I pray that God would continue to push me and challenge me. I pray for God to send me further than I have been. I pray for God to continue to push me out of my comfort zone so that I can rely on Him. (Just think about that one. I wrote an article similar to this idea.) I pray for God to continue to shape and mold me so that I become less like me and more like Him.
Overall, every yoga session I do is my chance to ignore everything else and focus on what really matters. As I clear my mind of everything that is happening around me, I am able to have meaningful time with God.
I know this may not look like how you typically would pray and I understand it seems odd. But this is new for me as well and it is working out very well for me.
I am not saying that this should take place of going to church, reading the word of God, serving God and so on, but this is one of the many ways I walk with Christ and build a relationship with Him. Regardless of how odd this seems, I truly cherish this time I spend with God and I have learned so much about myself and my Heavenly Father, and that is not odd at all.
Namaste and Amen.
