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