Pray like you mean it

Fifteen years of diligent pursuit of the meaning of “yoga” and one of my favorite descriptions of the practice is still the introduction to Iyengar’s “Light on Yoga”, a must-have resource for the serious yoga student. Iyengar says that yoga isn’t a religion; rather it’s the study of religion.

Sue & I attended a three hour service at the Greater Bethlehem Temple Pentecostal Church in Lynn last night.

OMG. First of all to my Bhakti Yoga brethren and sisters (btw – Pentecostal devotees refer to each other in family terms as well) you HAVE to go to a Pentecostal service! They take kirtan (devotional chanting) to a whole new level!

The only difference between the two services (admittedly, I’ve only been to one of each) – aside from length – was the name of God they use to evoke a sense of union with the Divine. Technicalities and semantics aside, both Jesus and Krishna are perceived by their devotees as manifestations of God.

Well, there WAS one other difference: when you get a church full of devotees dancing and chanting, professing their love of God, the entire building literally shakes! At times last night’s service was reminiscent of a rock concert held in honor of God and love! It was truly awesome!

Services intended to evoke a deeper connection with the Divine are one way communities pray together. We get together to hear testimony, sing, and if the spirit moves us, to move with it – and otherwise express humility and heartfelt gratitude. It’s all beautiful……

……the fellowship made all the sweeter by, as Sue and I were reminded by the Bishop’s wife last night, living right OFF THE MAT!

It strikes me that what I teach, Raja Yoga, or living Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, is nothing more or less than a routine for “living right off the mat.” ❤️

God bless.