Redefining "prayer"
Prayer.
It's a bit of a loaded word, with lots of connotations (and perhaps some assumptions).
As someone who lives a deeply spiritual life and values the connection between myself and something greater, I'd love to share some insights on this word and what it means to me.
It's worth mentioning that I didn't grow up with any formal faith, and that to this day my divine connection doesn't fit into an organized religion.
and yet, I believe in the power of prayer.
Not only as a put your palms together and make a plea to God for what you want gesture, though that is one definition.
What feels more real, more palpable and more practical for me is what I think of as a living prayer.
That is, to ritualize our lives, to infuse intention into our actions, and to literally walk the path with prayer constantly in our hearts.
Prayer does not need to be spoken, or even thought. Prayer can be a deep knowing of the vision you hold for yourself and for the world, and then a conscious decision to hold that knowing, an invisible mantle to carry with you.
Prayer can come through stillness, through song and dance, through meditation or making love or acts of simple but divine creativity.
Many years ago, I was inspired by my friend Ishmiel to start a Sunday morning ecstatic dance gathering, which I decided to call Dance Church. This was a space where people came together to pray and express themselves through freeform movement. The reclaiming of the word "church" was thrilling to me, and invited me into a process of dismantling stigma and replacing my previously understood definition with something that felt more authentic, more far-reaching, more inclusive.
This past Sunday morning, I gathered with 10 people for a Sing Your Prayers workshop. One song was birthed and then followed by another. Basking in our collective and individual creativity, I made a comment that while some people were gathering in church to share their prayers, we were here singing our prayers instead.
Someone replied "this is church!" I smiled, looking up at the tree tops and hearing the crow's call, and nodded in agreement.
I've heard it said that there are only 3 essential prayers which all others fall into:
Thank you.
Help.
Wow!
I love this concept :)
Is there a prayer, large or small, that you're holding in your heart at this moment? If so, which category does it fall under?
Instead of attempting to put your prayer into specific words, can you feel the texture or tone of it? Can you visualize yourself walking with it, feeling it pulse through your veins, moving it in and out of your lungs with each breath?
Reclaiming words and concepts that may not have previously felt like they belonged to us is a powerful practice.
Prayer is an ancient technology that lies far beyond the realm of words. And yet, it can be expressed in so many ways. I hope these musings give you some soul food to chew on, and perhaps some inspiration for how to integrate "prayer" into your daily life in an easy, potent way.
With a prayerful song on my lips,
