Suzanne Jackson Suzanne Jacksonis the owner and director of The Awakening Arts. She is a Kripalu-certified yoga teacher and is the creator of the YogaSing Method. She brings projects to the world to encourage spiritual connection and the strength to follow one's dreams. She is the author of the children's book and musical entitled Penny the Piano and is a resident singer with the Washington National Opera.
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, and activist who writes about the intersection of spirituality, social activism and community building. He is a former college instructor and pastor, and he blogs BrianMcLaren.net
Lisa Reagan is a veteran performer, a diversely talented composer, producer and recording artist. For more information visit LisaReagan.com
Karen Gowen has over 20 years experience capturing memories for families, corporations and non profit organizations. For more information visit
KarenGowenPhotography.com
Be Still and Know...
Wordless Prayer is an invitation to a new prayer form. By weaving movement through prayer, the body, mind, and spirit combine into a whole body prayer bringing an innate connection to God, the creator. Poses from Yoga and QiGong and postures of silence combine to create a flowing river of moving prayer.
Yoga (which means union in Sanskrit) originated in South Asia. Yoga helps practitioners to unify or harmonize their outer (physical) and inner (soul or spirit) worlds. It does so through a planned succession of physical postures.
Tai Chi, Chi Gong, and related practices originated in East Asia. They also use postures or moves in a planned succession. Practitioners of these disciplines develop strength, balance, harmony, and flexibility in the body, and they experience inner benefits as well - reducing stress, promoting relaxation, and improving emotional health.
Some may wonder if there is an inherent conflict between contemplative Christian faith and Yoga, Tai Chi, and related disciples. Can Christian contemplative practices be integrated with postures and movements originally developed outside the Christian community?
In the tradition of Thomas Merton and many others,
You may be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist or you may be from a secular background, or alienated from religion due to some hurtful experiences in your past. You might consider yourself a spiritual seeker.
Whatever your background, we believe this integration of physical postures and spiritual practices can help you develop both outer and inner harmony and balance to help us all deepen our love for our Creator, ourselves, and others.
Whenever we make more room for God's Spirit in our hearts, we're transformed. And whenever we're experiencing transformation, the world is nudged a little closer to what it's capable of becoming. In the words of Jesus, God's kingdom or commonwealth comes, and God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. May that be so.
Suzanne Spangler Jackson and Brian McLaren
A physical preparation for prayer and meditation through body movements, stillness and breath. Postures are seated.
The physical preparation moves gently to poses to prepare the soul for prayer. Postures are supine.
After completing the Postures for Body and Soul, the body is relaxed and free to enter into meaningful Soul Prayers for the healing of yourself and the world.
POSTURES FOR BODY AND SOUL