The Secret of Sweating While You Pray

[Guest guest]

http://www.soulfulliving.com/sweating_prayers.htm

by Suzanne Falter-Barns

I first stumbled onto the concept of spiritual exercise because of a

nagging pain in my back. It was a pain that would not go away despite

hours of ice, heat, stretches, and chiropractic adjustments. " I know

what the problem is, " my chiropractor finally announced one day. " Your

spiritual practice stinks and you're in lousy shape. "

He was right on both counts. While I kept meaning to meditate and

exercise regularly, life as a working mother constantly intervened.

And so I began to get up early and walk, and while I was at it, to

save time, I prayed.

An amazing thing happened. By meditating as I exercised, my body

became charged with positive energy; my head felt clearer and my soul

lighter. Unlike the phantom exercise programs of my past, this one was

made me feel so great it was easy to stay committed to it. The back

pain disappeared as my body grew stronger. My days, in turn, became

both productive and peaceful. I thought I'd invented something

miraculous.

But, in fact, combining spirituality with exercise is as old as the

hills. Since religion began, pilgrims have walked, Sufis have whirled,

and yogis have stretched, all with prayer as their guides. And the

trend continues. For the last twenty years, Bible Belt Christians have

merged prayer with everything from rock climbing to kid's baseball and

step classes, as part of an effort to build community. 'Fitness

ministries' with names like " Fit for Him, " " Body & Soul, " and

" Praisercise " have sprung up across the country. Meanwhile, most yoga

has become the 'next big thing' in the US, with most American health

clubs now offering several types of yoga throughout the day. Yet,

since most health clubs still maintain rules prohibiting religious

teaching, you're more likely to find exercise classes, with an overt

spiritual basis, in churches, temples and community centers around the

country.

At the S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles, Judy Greenfeld, a

fitness trainer and cantorial singer, joined forces with Tamar

iel, a religion professor to create a unique class that begins

with standard aerobics, then moves on to traditional Jewish prayers

and ancient Hebrew chants. Greenfeld choreographed these with simple,

symbolic movements -- a moving meditation she described as 'dancing

from the inside out.' According to one long-time participant of

Greenfeld's classes, " Sometimes I am moved to tears. Sometimes I

really feel the divine spark of God's energy going into my hand in one

of the movements. And then I place it into my heart. I really feel

that happen. That's above and beyond what normally happens to me in a

traditional synagogue service. It brings it more alive because my

body, mind and spirit are feeling it all at once. "

At a similar, non-denomenational class, " Sacred Fitness, " the focus is

on stretching to induce relaxation, then deep meditation and prayer.

By completely removing tension accumulated throughout the day,

participants are able to reach a deeper spiritual level. For one

participant, " It was almost like I was on another plane. I didn't even

fully realize where I was... just deep in thought and in prayer. It

was like I wasn't even lying on my mat on the floor. "

I contend there is something real and physical that happens when you

raise your heart rate and sweat. Suddenly you become more open to your

spiritual connection; ideas flow, messages are delivered, a sense of

spiritual well-being floods your body. For this reason, your workout

can be an excellent place to receive information about your projects

and goals. How often have you lain in peace at the end of a yoga

workout, thoroughly enjoying corpse pose, when a thought pops into

your head that solves the two week dilemma you've been wrangling with

at work? By bringing your soul work into the workout with you, and

staying open to any messages you might receive, you very well can

advance that cause as well.

Of course, you don't have to go to an organized class to find such

inspiration. Guided by spiritual exercise gurus like le Roth,

women are learning to 'sweat their prayers' on their own. Roth's

books, tapes and workshops urge seekers to abandon themselves into

" the freedom of ecstasy, " a looseness and freshness that comes by

letting go as you dance, wildly and freely.

Then there's my friend , who found God on a hike and has carried

that energy with her on many subsequent hikes. was hitting some

kind of personal nadir in her life when she felt the urge to hike one

of the neighboring mountains near her home in the Adirondacks. She

reached a stopping point where she sat on a rock and began crying,

feeling she could move neither forwards nor backwards in her life, but

knowing she needed divine guidance. " ... an inner voice spoke to me as

I sat on the rock crying. 'WALK' – it said - 'the light is within

you.' So, I got up and plugged on to the top of the mountain. Along

the way I made a cairn, each stone representing a character vice I was

seeking to overcome -- selfishness, stubbornness, jealousy,

materialism, fear, anger, resentment, etc.. When I finally reached the

top, exhausted and emotionally and physically drained, I stripped away

all that hid who I was ... A cool April breeze seemed to carry away my

pain of loneliness. I knew that I did not understand, but that I was

not alone. "

From then on, created a personal ritual of bringing a stone home

from each hike she went on, for a spiritual cairn she keeps on her

porch. As lessons are revealed and growth takes place, her pile of

rocks grows. " To me each stone represents the significant milestones

in my progressive journey through life, " she explains. And the cairn

serves as a reminder of how far she has come.

Many of us have found similar solace on the ancient path of the

Labyrinth. Dating back to the Middle Ages, a labyrinth is a tightly

coiled pathway with no dead ends, but a specific, circuitous route of

less than a mile, which one walks in prayer to deepen their connection

with God. At the center, after the grounding, calming experience of

walking this slow, winding path, one often finds answers,

encouragement, or a simple sense of release in this private, focused

moment with God. The pattern one walks never varies, from labyrinth to

labyrinth, and looks like this:

[picture -- just go to the link -

http://www.soulfulliving.com/sweating_prayers.htm]

Labyrinths are not affiliated with any particular religious

denomination. They've found their way into Presbyterian, Lutheran,

Unity, Unitarian, Episcopalian, and even American Baptist churches.

They can be laid in tile, painted on asphalt, mowed into a hay field,

constructed from wood, even painted on portable burlap panels that are

Velcroed together. The walk takes an average of twenty minutes, and

covers a space about 35 feet in diameter.

The beauty of walking the labyrinth, like much of spiritual exercise,

is that it provides just enough activity for a person's thinking

processes to relax and go on auto pilot. When your mind is empty and

your spiritual self is allowed to surface and take over, what's left

is communion with God. Unlike seated meditation, you are on a path

with a destination in sight. And if you can just quiet down enough as

you walk, which the circuitous route supports, you can have remarkable

experiences.

I know from my own walks on the labyrinth that there can be

distractions. Children might wander or run this way and that, and you

find yourself entertaining your own fear of 'doing it wrong' and

somehow stepping off the path. And yet, when you reach the center,

it's as if you've prepared the stage for God to come in and you are

now quite ready to receive. I have had moments of tearful ecstasy at

the center of the labyrinth and received critical blessings on my work

-- just as I have known moments of peaceful calm and an 'everything's

just fine' tranquility. At the very least, the labyrinth provides an

entry point for God that you might not otherwise be able to access. So

it becomes another valuable tool for supporting the life you want to

live.

For more information on where to find labyrinths, go to Grace

Cathedral's Labyrinth Locator, which lists labyrinths all over the

country.

Participants of spiritual exercise classes report remarkable trickle

down effects. They talk about naturally being kinder to people, and

more able to observe life's vicissitudes, instead of just reacting to

them. They find themselves becoming vegetarians, or doing community

service for the first time in their lives, simply out of the grace

that comes with such intense doses of God-based physical exertion. One

woman who took the Sacred Fitness class, said the deep connection she

felt there " enables you to forgive yourself so you can move forward. "

Others talk about " finally feeling whole. "

Whether you practice spiritual exercise with a video at home, a yoga

class at the nearest Y, or through a program of your own devising, the

most important thing is to stick with it. Some of us like variety, so

different types of spiritual exercise work well. Personally, I like to

combine a weekly power yoga with meditative walks, skis, hikes, and

bike rides. In fact, any kind of repetitive exercise will do, as long

as God is invoked along the way and you allow that spiritual energy

into your routine.

For those of you who've traditionally avoided exercise, shift it to a

new context. Instead of seeing it as body-required drudgery, try

seeing it as a necessary tool for your creative and spiritual

well-being, instead. Spiritual exercise not only gives you the

necessary juice to function at max, it puts you in closer contact with

your spiritual source. And by doing so, your workout becomes more

fulfilling … and more necessary.

Here's how you do it:

Want to try some spiritual exercise? Choose any quiet, repetitive

exercise such as swimming, rowing, biking, walking, running, skiing,

skating, hiking, or circuit work on exercise machines. Choose a sport

you know well and don't have to think about too much. (This isn't as

well suited to competitive sports such as tennis, paddle ball,

basketball, baseball, or squash. If you're doing aerobics, look for

those taught in a spiritual context, so the music, etc., helps instead

of hinders.)

Before you begin exercising, take a few moments to sit or walk

quietly, and say a short prayer of thanks. Then begin your workout. As

you do, use favorite mantras or affirmations to connect as you work

out. Maybe repeat a treasured prayer, or simply repeat " I am the

light, " or " I move with God " or a similar phrase that seems to link

you up spiritually.

The rhythm of the exercise will naturally help your mind open to what

you're creating, making the affirmation more effective. Also stay open

to what God has to say as your consciousness deepens, and you become

more open to Spirit.

Answers may present themselves, along with inspirations and ideas. If

so, consider bringing along a tiny digital recording device, such as a

instant messager that fits on a key ring to record ideas you want to

save. If you're exercising on machines, consider playing some

spiritually soothing music on headphones to work out to, instead of

cranking the TV news.

Finally, be sure to end your workout with a short prayer or nod of thanks.

Some Recommended Spiritual Workout Videos:

Tantric Toning

's Tantric Toning; The Stress-Free Workout (Goldhill Video)

This is an innovative hour-long workout that combines full body

toning, strengthening, and balance work from yoga, tai chi, chi kung

plus a tad of aerobics. Plus, there is a color light meditation at the

end. This workout really feels great!

Womenpower Workout

Flow motion, veil dancing, and tribal style belly dance on a one hour

workout video. An excellent workout that combines cardio with stretch,

plus the soul-enriching movements of traditional belly dance.

Available at www.worlddancer.com and www.fcbd.com

Yoga

Molly Fox's Yoga; Yoga Stretches and Relaxes

An excellent 45-minute yoga tape that doesn't hold to any particular

'school' of yoga; simply the essentials of yoga in a routine anyone

can do. Led with clarity and grace by a New York City fitness pioneer.

Yoga Zone's Introduction to Power Yoga for Beginners

Two twenty minute yoga routines that combine the strength building and

challenge of Power Yoga, with the stretch and relax poses we all need.

A good place to start.

Yoga for Round Bodies, 1 & 2, DeMarco & Genie ee Hadden

Yoga led in the gentle, soothing Kripalu style by two large women who

can coach those of all sizes to develop a solid practice. Includes the

use of helpful props. " For people not built like Gumby, " as one

reviewer put it.

Helpful Websites

www.yogajournal.com

Includes a national locator that lists more than 50 different types of

yoga classes around the country, so you can find the one nearest you.

Lists all things yoga, including spas, retreats, and where to find a

good yoga mat.

www.power-yoga.com

Home of The Hard & Soft Ashtanga Yoga Institute, Beryl Birch's site

for power yoga enthusiasts. Ms. Birch is one of the forerunners of

this type of yoga, and a master at teaching this practice. Has books

and videos for sale.

Copyright © 2002 Suzanne Falter-Barns, www. howmuchjoy.com. All

Rights Reserved.