First quieten yourself through the awareness of sensations
in various parts of your body.... Sharpen your awareness by picking up even the subtlest
sensations, Not just the gross and evident ones.... Keep your
hands on knees. Now very gently move your hands and fingers so that your hands come to
rest on your lap, palms facing upwards, fingers joined together.... The movement must be
very, very slow.... like the opening of the petals of a flower.... And while the movement
is going on BE AWARE OF each part of it.
Once your hands are resting on your lap, palms facing upwards, become aware of the
sensations in palms.... Then become aware of the gesture itself, this is a gesture of
prayer to God.... What meaning does this gesture have for you? What are you saying to God
through it ? Say without words, merely identifying with the gesture... It may give you
some taste of the kind of prayer you can make with your body....
When you pray with your body you give power and body to your prayer. People fail to
attend to their body in prayer; they fail to take their bodies along with them into the
holy temple of God. When they themselves visit temples or places of worship, they stand or
sit in the presence of God, but they are carelessly slouched in their seat or standing in
a very slovenly fashion.... They are still not gripped by the living presence of the Lord.
Therefore, a devotee of the Lord should try to understand the meaning and purpose of
Body Prayer. The gestures suggested are merely samples. A
devotee may invent his own gestures to express his Love,
Praise, Adoration, Surrender,
Gratitude....
Close your eyes. Quieten yourself through one of your awareness exercises. FEEL you are in
the presence of God in a very devout way, hands devoutly joined in front of you, slowly
raise your face upwards towards God.... Let your eyes continue to be closed.... What are
you saying to God through your upturned face? Stay with that sentiment or communication
for a few moments.... Then become as fully aware as possible of the position of your
face.... of the sensations on your face.... After a few moments ask yourself once again
what you are expressing to God through your upturned face and stay with that for a
while....
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