Hi,
And thank you so much for joining me.
I'm Shannon,
And grateful that you're with me today.
As an interfaith spiritual director and Reiki teacher working with energy,
I often see the benefits of connecting more deeply with the world when we spend some time in prayer.
However,
What prayer is or can be is the question that we're going to be spending time with today.
First,
I'd like to share a poem with you that I wrote about all the different things that prayer can be.
And then I'd like to spend some time after the poem in contemplation,
Allowing you the opportunity to also sit with yourself and the idea of prayer,
What it can be for you,
How it helps you connect with not only yourself but with the world.
I hope you enjoy the poem and this contemplative time together.
The title of the poem I'm sharing with you today is called What Prayer Is What is a prayer but a wish from the heart?
So many things that prayer can be,
But I say not many things that a prayer is not.
Prayer is the morning when daylight breaks across the fields or mountains or rivers or lakes.
Prayer is the call of the cardinal who sings from the mesquite tree,
Whose song is carried on the wind's steady breeze.
Prayer is a person on bended knee,
Hands folded,
Eyes closed,
Talking with spirit like a friend,
A listening,
A heart to heart.
There are so many things prayer can be,
But not many things a prayer a prayer is not.
Prayer is crying and sobs at death,
Grief,
Or loss,
A heart breaking open,
A river of tears flowing free.
Prayer's a flag rainbowed in color,
Flown to honor one another in love,
In peace,
And in charity.
Prayer is the dance of naked feet upon mother earth's clay back,
Feeling each and every one of her surfaced cracks.
Prayer is laughter of community joined in feeding each other with food and with song,
All caring for one another.
There are so many things that prayer can be,
But not many that prayer is not.
Prayer's a lit candle in a hushed empty church to illuminate hope at a time when darkness intrudes.
Prayer is yoga,
An asana,
A pose,
Like a warrior building strength and inner fire to stand and to stay.
Prayer's a painting that captures the hue of life,
The hand of the painter,
Channeled spirit's own creation,
The light and the shade.
So many things that prayer can be,
But not,
I believe,
Not many things in our world that prayer is not.
This poem is my prayer to you on this day,
And may your life be a prayer in return.
Namaste.
Take a deep breath in,
And exhale.
Now I'd like to give you the opportunity to spend some quiet time in contemplation about what prayer is for you,
What it means,
How you connect more deeply with yourself,
With the world around you.
For this part,
I encourage you either to move into a place of meditation where you can contemplate the questions that I give you time to sit with,
Or if you'd like to,
I know what helps me is to be able to journal my responses that come through my heart,
My mind,
My spirit.
So either of these is a good way to connect in contemplation with these questions.
Do what feels best for you.
I'll have you move into a space of meditation or journaling at this time now.
I'll have you close your eyes and connect with this first question,
Allowing your soul,
Your higher self,
Your body,
Your mind,
Your energy,
To connect with you during these questions and see what you see in your mind or feel in your body or hear within.
Take a deep breath in,
And exhale.
Now I'll have you connect with this first question.
After hearing the poem,
What Prayer Is,
And all the different things that prayer can be,
What is prayer for you?
What came up for you during the poem that would represent a way that you connect with yourself in prayer?
Over these next few moments of silence,
Allow yourself to meditate or journal about this question.
Listen to your inner self now.
Now take a deep breath in,
And exhale.
Now connecting with this next question.
How does this help you connect more deeply with your inner world,
The deeper presence of who you are?
Take this time to listen,
Contemplate,
And journal about this question.
Take a deep breath in,
And exhale.
Now we'll contemplate on this third and last question for our practice today.
In what ways does connecting with your own form of prayer and that deeper connection within help you connect more deeply with yourself?
In what ways does connecting with your own form of prayer and that deeper connection within help you connect more deeply with the world around you?
I'll have you take this time to listen,
Feel,
Hear the answers from within.
Take this time now.
Take a deep breath in,
And exhale.
I thank you today for joining me for this poem and contemplative practice.
Know that there are so many different ways to pray and connect with your inner world.
This helps you stay grounded and yet open to the conversation with your higher self,
With spirit,
With that deeper connection with all of life.
May knowing how you connect in prayer to yourself then make you more open to the world around you.
You can now pray for yourself.
I wish you a joyful and beautiful day.
Namaste.
