Enlivened by the Holy Spirit - Adult Liturgical Yoga Sequence for Pentecost
Pentecost Scripture Reading - Romans 8:14-17
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Theme: Enlivened by the Holy Spirit.
As Christians we are meant to live in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Through our Moving Meditation we will reconnect to what happened on the first Pentecost and what continues to happen to us today by flowing through a sequence of poses known to ignite the energy and spirit we are called to radiate.
As we hold heat-building poses, focus on your breath and repeat a word or phrase that stood out to you from the scripture.
Alternatively, I invite you today to consider…
Whether you rely on the power of God’s Spirit;
Whether you pay attention to the guidance of God’s Spirit; and
Whether you are an open channel for the fruit of the Spirit.
Moving Meditation
* Do three rounds of the sequence from Downward-Facing Dog Pose to Cresent Lunge Pose Prayer Twist (a round is the sequence practiced on both the right and left sides). In round 1, hold each pose for five breaths. In rounds 2 & 3, hold each pose for one breath. At the end of round 3 hold Downward-Facing Dog Pose or Child Pose for 5 breaths before moving into the second sequence of three rounds.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Low Lunge Pose with arms raised
Lighting Warrior Pose with arms back
High Cresent Lunge Pose with arms raised
Cresent or Low Lunge Pose Prayer Twist
* Do three rounds of the sequence from Warrior II to Downward Facing-Dog Pose (a round is the sequence practiced on both the right and left sides). In round 1, hold each pose for five breaths. In rounds 2 & 3, hold each pose for one breath. At the end of round 3 hold Child Pose for 5 breaths before coming to Easy Seated Pose to pray.
Warrior II Pose
Three-Legged Dog Pose
Plank Pose
Side Plank Pose
Gate Pose
Downward Facing-Dog Pose or Child Pose
Prayer
God, help me break free of false limitations and know that I am filled with the fulness of your Spirit.
Contemplation
Recline onto your back. Let your feet fall out to the sides. Extend your arms down along your sides with your palms facing up. Let go of your deep breathing. Let go of the word or phrase from the scripture. Simply let go and rest in the silence and stillness of a loving God.
Afterwards: Share the word/phrase that you recited during your Moving Meditation or an insight you had during the practice in the comment section below!
Note: The contents of this post are a portion of Ombrella's Liturgical Yoga session for the date specified above. Liturgical Yoga is designed for adults to resurrect the ancient teachings of the Christian tradition through body movement and in doing so experience their bodies as sacred places for dialogue with God. This weekly practice uses scripture from the Lectionary text as it follows the seasons of the church year. The format is inspired by Lectio-Divina, a way of reading the scriptures. Interested in bringing Liturgical Yoga to your congregation? Connect with Michel!
