Psalm 46:10 tells us we can “be still and know,” but we can also “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:17). Here are some of my favorite ways to combine movement with prayer.
Walking a Labyrinth
The movement of walking has also been associated with prayer. In Greek mythology a labyrinth was a maze used to hold the Minotaur (half-man, half-bull) captive. Medieval Christians used the pattern of a labyrinth to simulate the movement of a pilgrimage for people who could not afford traveling to the Holy Land.
Unlike a maze, which may contain many choice points and dead ends, a meditation labyrinth contains a single continuous path from the outside to the center and back to the outside. Thus, there is no getting lost in a labyrinth. There are many recommended ways for walking a labyrinth. One common approach involves letting go of things (e.g., sins, concerns, losses) while walking to the center, pausing at the center to make a specific request, and listening for God’s response as you walk back to the outside
Learn more about labyrinths from The Labyrinth Society
Prayer Walking
Prayer walking is an activity that combines walking with intercessory prayer (on behalf of others) on location. You can certainly engage in intercessory prayer at home, but being “on location” may help to focus and intensify your prayers. Prayer walking can be done anywhere, any time and at any pace. You can pray for anyone along your regular walking route, especially for the groups of people or types of needs they represent. Each prayer walk typically includes a series of prayer locations where you may stop for prayer or simply focus on the needs those locations bring to mind as you walk by.
Mindful Movement
Mindfulness is our ability to be aware of what is going on both inside us and around us. It is the continuous awareness of our bodies, emotions, abd thoughts. Through mindfulness, we avoid harming ourselves and others, and we can work wonders. If we live mindfully in everyday life, walk mindfully, are full of love and caring, then we create a miracle and transform the world into a wonderful place.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Mindful Movements: Ten Exercises for Well-Being
Mindful movement can take many forms. At its core it involves moving your body while noticing and feeling what your body does. The goal is not to fix the body, but to simply notice what happens to your body as your move. Some people use mindful movement to relax and reduce the impact of stress. Others use it as a way to become more rooted and grounded in their own skin.
Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong each employ a mind-body approach to physical movement with the goal of improving mental well-being. Breath work is an essential component of such practices. Such practices can be beneficial to people of all ages.
Click here for a video of Ten Mindful Movements
Interested in Learning More?
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, originally developed his series of Ten Mindful Movements as stretching breaks between long sessions of sitting meditation. They are now a popular tool to reduce stress and