by Rev. Cindy Senarighi RN
Introduction ~ This week we wrap up a devotional series on slowing it down. The hoped for outcome is that people will adopt a practice, in addition to their yoga practice that lives off the mat and serves them in the busy season ahead. This week’s devotion is about sitting. When we sit intentionally, we sift through our thoughts, discarding thoughts that don’t serve us any longer, and soon find we have created sacred space to BE with God.
The Scripture ~You who sit down in the High God’s presence, spend the night in Shaddai’s (one name for God in the Hebrew bible) shadow, Say this: “God, you’re my refuge. I trust in you and I’m safe!”
Psalm 91: 1-2 The Message
The Spiritual Focus ~ “When the Buddha was asked, “Sir, what do you and your monks practice?” he replied, “We sit, we walk, and we eat.” The questioner continued, “But sir, everyone sits, walks, and eats,” and the Buddha told him, “When we sit, we know we are sitting. When we walk, we know we are walking. When we eat, we know we are eating.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
The Breath Prayer ~ Inhale – God is my refuge, Exhale – In God I trust
The Devotion ~ In our last devotion in our devotional series on Slowing it Down, we consider setting aside a time to sit and BE present. Fr. Richard Rohr has a practice that he does and encourages others to do when they attend his “Living School” in New Mexico. The practice is called the 20 minute sit. He finds, as do others, when he practices the sit, he is able to sift thoughts that are not needed in the present moment, if at all and BE present with God. Interestingly, while he talks about breath, he doesn’t offer a specific practice of pranayama (yoga breath techniques) he simply says practice sitting for 20 minutes a day and see what happens.
Perhaps one way to integrate our faith and yoga practice of slowing it down is to pick our 3 favorite poses, using a brief asana practice to settle our body so we can sit. Then just …sit…for 20 minutes….suspend all expectations and just BE.
