body prayers are prayers in which the whole or parts of the body are used to express feelings and emotions . they are closely related to yoga and meditation as a method of feeling both at peace with oneself and in the presence of God . some people find these more valuable than spoken prayers as they do not need to find the ‘right words’ to express themselves and communicate with God

we usually explain a body prayer first so people understand what it is we are doing . we begin with some relaxation exercises and try to focus on God

one way is to use breathing as a focus and metaphor, encouraging people to take deep breaths in and out and then focus on what those breaths mean:

breath in good, breath out evil
breath in forgivness, breath out sin
breath in light, breath out darkness

this can be a prayer in itself or a preperation for a meditation that uses a reading, poem or prayer as a focus for further thought and to prompt personal prayer

we have found that body prayers can be very powerful as people explore their feelings and innermost thoughts, so it is wise to have someone trained in conselling present when using a prayer that explores powerful emotions and feelings, especially if young people are present at worship

see also our confession body prayer

Share This