Customer Reviews

Praying With the Body: Bringing the Psalms to Life (Active Prayer Series)

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Catholics have long been known for "pew aerobics." Stand up, kneel, sit down, hands in prayer position, head bent, stand again. But how many of us stop to think about why? What does it mean? Why do some people kneel and others lift their hands up, outstretched, to the Creator? Are there times when one prayer position might be more appropriate than another?

In this book, Roy, a Benedictine Oblate, brings a richness and depth to body prayer that goes far beyond a set of folded hands and a set ritual. He asks us to stretch our bodies, thereby opening our heart and breath to a greater understanding of the link between our physical, created selves and our spiritual, ethereal selves. I believe that understanding this link in a more complete way will help us do what we are called to do on this Earth: be dedicated stewards of creation.

Roy's message is one of abundance in expression, and the book itself is beautiful. Small, artfully drawn figures lead you through the prayer sessions, and the spine is cleverly designed to lie (mostly) flat at the page you are using. The text and drawings leave plenty of room for personal interpretation, and yet provide concrete guidance to those new to whole-body prayer. I highly recommend it, even for non-Catholics and those who have never tried yoga-inspired meditations before. It's a gorgeous path to living life in the glow of the Divine.

As a "spiritual" yet not necessarily Christian individual, I came to this very skeptical. But if you take Roy's advise and just "listen to the words with your heart and hear what speaks to you" we all can be touched and taken deeper into whatever spiritual practice we embrace. Roy's ritualistic system in this book takes you into places that just sitting in prayer may not take you. He helps to take you deeper and deeper into those quiet places, and brings you back out into the world a better person. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to find more peace within themselves.

I am really enjoying this book as a companion to my meditation practice. And although I am not a religious person, I find inspiration and comfort in the selected texts and the body work linked to prayers. The author's main contribution, however, is his call to translate the lessons and reflections in the book to expression in everyday Life. We could all do more of that!

Praying with the Body is in the Active Prayer Series from Paraclete Press, a publisher that emphasizes Benedictine spirituality and publishes books from diverse traditions, cultures and centuries.

Christianity is about God's incarnation in the human Jesus of Nazareth.and the goal of living in Christ is to become like him, both fully human and completely divine. People often refer to Christianity as spiritual, though the way of Jesus is heavily economic, highly political and hardly ascetic in its celebration of gifts from the ground, in its perspective that insists on the interdependence of all life, in its historical affirmation of human sexuality and in its charge to care for all creation, the natural environment that surrounds us, envelopes us and that is not incidental but remains integral to God's action in history.

Roy organizes the book into Alleluia, Sanctus and Amen types of prayer sessions. "Alleluias" are about new beginnings. Although intended for the middle of the day or mid-endeavor, "Sanctus" prayer sessions could be adapted to any time of day or year. Somewhat parallel to compline, "Amen" prayer sessions are for the close of day or "at the conclusion of an activity or project, or at a milestone." Each prayer session includes an introit, a section of a psalm. a Silent Reflection, illustrated suggestions for "Praying with the Body, Heart and Soul," Sitting in the Presence (similar to centering prayer), a possible way to live your prayer, an original Contemporary Psalm and concluding prayer.

The margins have plenty of space for the participant's own notes and each discrete session features a pullquote from the psalm one might choose to contemplate or concentrate on--or possibly not at any particular time. Similar to possibilities of praying the canonical hours, although each office has evolved and developed a specific form for a particular time of day, prayers in Praying with the Body can be appropriated for other times than specified. The book includes many line drawings of bodily prayer positions, but those too do not need to be replicated exactly in a person's own practice.

This book is a great addition to my library. I have been using it for about 4 weeks now on a daily basis. Its easy-to-follow and adaptable format make it a joy to use. I have also introduced the alleluia prayers (for the morning) to my two teen-aged children, who have welcomed this change of pace family devotional time. Starting the day praising God with mind, BODY and spirit is a routine I hope to keep the rest of my life!

I am a graduate level student working on a degree in Christian Ministry, and was excited to happen upon a book like this in our student library--a practical, motivating book rather than a commentary or heavy theological text. I was working on a paper about the Psalms and happened upon this book among the crowded and dusty shelves at the Graduate Theological Union library in Berkeley, CA. The bright, inviting cover caught my eye--it had an appealing look compared with all the other Psalm-centered books on the shelf.

It was the first week of Lent, so I began to read the book as a daily Lenten devotion. This book provided a great introduction to prayer utilizing the whole body. In my life prior to school, I was an elementary school teacher and know that people learn best through different modalities. I found myself and my prayer life energized each morning as I completed the different devotions. I could see this book working well for kids and adults of all ages. We all need times for reflection and times for movement.

I particularly enjoyed that the Psalms are divided into different sessions: Alleluia, Sanctus, and Amen. The author guides the reader how to determine which reading is appropriate for the day. I tried, and am still exploring, several of the prayers. I found myself going back to several of them as I worked through something specific in my prayer life. I look forward to using this book for continued guidance. I also appreciated the introduction to prayer using the body. It is never to soon to learn how to connect with God from the heart through the body--I wish I had learned this sooner.

I personally have enjoyed this beautiful book and it has helped me to enjoy yoga in a way that actually draws me closer to my God as well as how the author presents the yoga postures with each prayer affirmation. I am amazed at the simplicity of the book that keeps me from being distracted yet is so beautifully and deeply moves me to a place of peace and worship. I am deeply uplifted by the Psalms and feel the healing presence of the Divine and His unconditional love for me; so much so that I am going to share it with my yoga students...especially now during Lent. Thank you, thank you Ron DeLeon. Wendy Chapman

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Again, just exactly what I was looking for~ I'm a Christian and teach Christian stretching classes as an alternative to yoga. perfect book!

It was a gift for a friend! We've been doing yoga for over a year now. She was contemplating how to incorporate pray with body movement---