Like a Prayer

I began practicing yoga when my son started Kindergarten and he’s heading to high school this fall. Which means I’ve been doing yoga and writing about my yoga journey for nearly that long on this little blog! Well, tonight in “Stretch and Relax” something totally new happened that has never happened before.

I laid on my back, my legs wrapped up cocoon-style in a blanket and inclined up a bolster, my eyes closed for savasana, final resting pose. Slowly the class started to stretch and awaken our senses, gently rolling to one side, sitting up with crossed legs and our heads slightly bowed, our palms together at our sternums. 

“The light in me sees and honors the light in all of you…” our teacher said to close our practice, And in my mind I reflexively replied… 

 “In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.” 

“Wait, What did I just say?” - I thought to myself, as we all “Namaste’d” one another. 

Did I just sign off from my practice as I would after saying grace at the dinner table? Did I just bring Jesus into yoga with me? How unusual after 9 years of yoga to have this expression come rolling out of my subconscious with no warning, no forethought and no “Now I Lay Me” preceding it. 

But those words and their sudden appearance in my mind, made me smile and made me consider something new. 

For all the times I lay on my mat and have such peace and calm and stillness wash over me, and all the times I leave class feeling renewed and restored, how have I never put this together? 

My time in yoga is an hour-long meditation of love and gratitude and hope and release that gives me inner peace and calm. When I thought about it more, I knew the words did not come out of nowhere. They actually made total sense. Because for me, my practice is like a prayer. 

In Jesus’ name we pray… Amen.

Namaste.