Louise Fisichella...
Louise Fisichella has studied Comparitive Religions,Yoga, nutrition and health for over 30 years
Yo Prayer and Meditation -
Part I
Normally I don't stray much from Yoga and diet, however lately prayer and meditation has been the topic of more than one conversation. And, so I thought that some discussion was in order. I want to start out by defining the word prayer. Some people might confuse prayer, mantras, and chanting. They are different and even though many religions practice two, or even all three, that is not necessarily always true.
Pray is usually taken to mean the person "petitions" a deity, asks for a favor, gives thanks, requests guidance, or seeks communion with god. Almost every religion on Earth has some form of prayer. Many times the religion might require some act that accompanies prayer such as: anointing with oil, ringing a bell, burning incense, lighting a candle, making the sign of the cross, or facing a certain direction. (like Mecca for instance).
The act can be traced back as far as 5,000 years. The exact origin of the word is hard to trace. One form can be traced back to the writing of T. Maccius Plautus (254 B.C. - ?) Some anthropologists suggest that humans have always practiced something we would recognize as prayer. The major forms of prayer are: primitive, ritual, Greek cultural, philosophical, mystical and prophetic.
Not all cultures stop at just speaking prayers in words. Some Christians bow their heads, fold their hands, and get on their knees, or some other form of reverent gestures. Native Americans consider dancing as a form of prayer and some Sufis whirl as prayer. Orthodox Jews sway, Muslims kneel and prostrate and sway while reading the Quran. Quakers pray in silence.
Praying to god insinuates a number of things. Mostly prayer assumes the “finite” can communicate with the “infinite” and that the infinite is interested in communication. Some use prayer to assist in change of attitude or behavior. Others believe the power of prayer can change the very reality of people or even the World reality. Many believe prayer can heal the sick or wounded, or bring about a change in the circumstances of the individual or the group. It also assumes that god or whatever deity is being prayed to appreciate the prayers and will give favor or reward to that person or group. People often pray for protection.
The use of prayer in our daily lives gives depth to our connectedness with others as far as I can tell. At least it does me. When I pray, I pray for the whole human race each and every “light-being” here on Earth. That is how I see us now, all light beings clothed in the physical, surviving in the physical plane. We all need lifting up and praying is one of the ways I help shoulder that responsibility. My prayers ask for the relief of suffering of all peoples. What I do not pray for is a new car or job, nor do I pray for my team to be the one to win. My prayers are limited on a personal level to the relief of suffering as it happens for us all here on Earth.
Because this topic is so broad and intense I am going to split up the articles into as many as it takes to cover Mantras and Chants. Then move into meditation. In the meantime, if you have any stories on the subject you would like to submit contact me at Louise@Higher-Ground.com.
Study, Meditate, Serve,
Louise
As always you can e-mail me and I will help guide you towards more learning and exploration of alternatives to traditional Western eating!
Contact Louise at Go Figure Body Works
E-mail: Louise Fisichella
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