Yoga Bits -- "Prayer Schmayer"

CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES!!

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Yoga Bits
Morsels of yogic wisdom and information

Sept. 17 - 23, 2012

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Prayer Schmayer

How is mumbling to myself going to help?

"I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until

I prayed with my legs."

-- Frederick Douglass, escaped slave

Get ready for some typos and perhaps even a dangling preposition or two. I'm writing this week's Yoga Bits at the last minute and under some stress so may be an inelegant composition.

Sat Siri Kaur before blessing the attendees of International Peace Prayer Day at 3HO Summer Solstice 2012, New Mexico.

Everything kind of flew out the window this week after I heard that one of my beloved teachers, Sat Siri Kaur, was rushed to a hospital in Washington state with a perforated appendix and severe infection. There are hundreds of people (that's an actual low estimated figure) in the yoga, alternative healing and Native American communities now supporting her in hopes of a full recovery. I have been praying and meditating like a fiend.

Does prayer really work?

You know what? I don't freakin' know. I think it does but maybe you disagree and there's nothing wrong with that.

I have anecdotes galore of times I personally benefited from prayers. And if I weren't so tired, I'd have trolled around online and found articles to cite about studies that show the healing impact of prayer and meditation But never mind all that for the moment. Let me just tell you what I believe to be true from my own experience.

I do not believe prayer always fixes everything. No, I definitely do not believe that.

What I do believe is that thought is vibration and since everything in existence is vibrating, it seems to make sense that thought can have an impact (science can back me up here but, again, you'll have to do your own research on that today because have I mentioned that I'm tired?). The kind of meditation I do is mostly chanting ancient sounds that are considered healing frequencies.

Now let's say for the sake of argument that prayer and meditation do not "work." That this is all a bunch of bullshit and all my concentrated effort will have absolutely zero effect on the positive or negative outcome of Sat Siri's health. Okay. Sure, that is most definitely a possibility. But there is one effect that can not be refuted: my time spent engaging in prayer and meditation for her is time not spent panicking, raging or despairing. If absolutely nothing else, it gives me something to do.

I'm a thousand miles away from where she is being treated and I have no medical training -- that leaves me with few options and a tremendous amount of nervous energy. Not a good recipe. Although my mind has been tempted to run away with itself into worst-case scenarios, by meditating I'm able to bring it back to a calmer, more balanced state. That balance doesn't last for long, though, which is why I sit down and do it some more. It keeps me out of trouble and that's good enough for me -- and why I recommend it to my students. As Søren Kierkegaard said, "Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays."

Note: While I was finishing this edition of Yoga Bits I learned that Sat Siri made it through surgery successfully! The prayer and meditation continues to help her deal with the aftermath of surgery, including tremendous pain and fever. Please visit the Healing Circle for Sat Siri Kaur blog if you are interested in actively supporting her continued healing through a donation of consciousness or a financial contribution to medical expenses. Thank you.

Sat Nam,
Mary

Regular Kundalini, Hatha and Restorative classes at my home studio in North Hollywood are now $25 each and can be scheduled upon request. Private sessions are $75 and consist of a 30- to 60-minute consultation, a custom recipe for a personal practice based on your individual needs, and 30 minutes of follow-up instruction by phone or in person.

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The techniques and suggestions presented in Yoga Bits are not intended as medical claims or to substitute for proper medical advice. Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program. If you are elderly or have any chronic or recurring conditions such as high blood pressure, neck or back pain, arthritis, heart disease, and so on, seek your physician's advice before practicing.