Yoga and Prayer: The Psalms of Ascent
For yoga today I did a sequence of poses and had a verse from the Psalms of Ascent that went with each pose. We got into the pose and then I said the verse that went with it. A lot of the poses were repeated throughout the sequence and each time the same verse was read with them. For me there is something very powerful about hearing a verse and also feeling that verse as your body is in a specific position and having that same experience over and over again. In a way it’s like the verse begins to sink into more than just your conscious thoughts, it starts to sink into your muscle memory and your psyche.
For music today I used the cd, Rounds, by Four Tet
So, here’s what we did today:
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Upward Salute - “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Standing Forward Bend - “Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy”
Low Lunge (right leg back) - “I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.”
Downward Facing Dog (bend each knee one at a time like you are walking in down dog) - “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.”
Low Lunge (left leg back) - “I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.”
Plank Pose - “If the Lord had not been on our side – let Israel say - If the Lord had not been on our side…”
Child’s Pose - “...the raging waters would have swept us away.”
Upward Facing Dog - “We have escaped like a bird. The snare has been broken, and we have escaped.”
Downward Facing Dog - “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Standing Forward Bend - “Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy”
Upward Salute - “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Warrior I (right foot back) - “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mountain Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.”
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Warrior I (left foot back) - “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mountain Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.”
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Warrior II (right foot back) - “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mountain Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.”
Extended Side Angle Pose (right hand over head) - “The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.”
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Warrior II (left foot back) - “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mountain Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.”
Extended Side Angle Pose (left hand over head) - “The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.”
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Wide Legged Forward Bend - “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Tree Pose (right leg up) - “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’ Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.”
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Tree Pose (left leg up) - “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’ Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.”
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Chair Pose - “My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
Mountain Pose - “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.”
Hero Pose - “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
Bharadvaja’s Twist (to both sides) - “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”
Seated Forward Bend - “Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.”
Bridge Pose - “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev.”
Half Shoulder Stand - “The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more.”
Corpse Pose - “May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life… Peace be upon [you].”
Peace be with you.
If you live in Prague and you are at all interested in joining us in this Prayer and Yoga experiment please let me know :)
Rejoicing in the journey - Bethany Stedman