by Heidi Green
Scripture
The sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young;
by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God. Psalm 84:2
Spiritual Focus
“Those who think that the rewarding things in life are somewhere beyond the rainbow—‘Burn their toast a lot,’ said Pooh.”
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Breath Prayer
Inhale Abide
Exhale In me
A documentary on Netflix called Penquin Town chronicles the exploits of mated South African penquins attempting to build nests and raise young. The nest location is critical to the penguin parents’ ability to successfully raise chicks. An unfortunate location may result in nests being destroyed by flash floods, attacked by predators, or exposed to high heat, cooking the eggs. Choosing a home is tricky.
It’s tricky for humans as well. This summer the news has been full of stories about the vulnerability of our human housing structures to wildfires, floods, and most recently, war, hurricanes, and earthquakes. The old adage “home is where the heart is” probably brings little comfort to the homeless. Shelter is a basic necessity.
Yet, in the companion gospel to Psalm 84, found in the lectionary, Jesus challenges us to see beyond our physical needs and shelter in God’s love, inviting us to abide in me. No preaching about rewards for being good followers. No miraculous loaves and fishes to feed hungry bellies. In an unsurprising response, many of the disciples grumble that this is a “tough teaching.” John 6:60.
The yoga limb of dharana, may help with this “tough teaching.” Technically translated as focused attention, dharana is the practice of sacred seeing, of abiding. People of faith have long noted the importance of paying attention as a vehicle for spiritual growth. Poet Mary Oliver writes “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” While Barbara Brown Taylor in her book, An Altar in the World explains that in paying attention,
“For once, you are giving yourself entirely to what is right in front of you, and what is right in front of you is returning the favor so that reverence is all but unavoidable…”
When we practice dharana on the mat, we exercise our attention muscle by keeping our focus trained on our breath or the sensations of an asana. But dharana is a practice whose greatest benefit, may perhaps be found off the mat. When we pause, and place our full attention in the present, we are inviting reverence and devotion into our ordinary day-to-day life. We create sacred space, little altars in the world, sheltering our hearts a little closer to God.
