Ma Pose - 11
Praying
Praying while holding forearms with hands in several positions in front of the breast and the heart.
Male and female ancestor statues in eternal praying, Mesopotamia, from the archaic tepee of Ishtar in Assur (2400 BC).
Medwyn's MA Pose 11 Praying June 20 2016
I am standing between Nané and Barbara facing the view of sky and trees from Nané’s third floor picture window in Vancouver. We have decided to hold the pose together for seven minutes and I am unsure how this will be for me to stand for this time.
As I settle into the pose and calm my breathing I notice ease and softness moving into my body with the stillness. My rib cage lifts and my body begins to feel lighter seeming to expand and begin to float in this ease of simple devotion. Outside I see the leaves shiver in the breeze and cloud shapes change in the blue sky above, stretching and connecting to form new shapes one to the other.
I noticed a warm flow through my body softening into prayers, gifting me with that prayerful composure that comes with simple silent stillness focussed on devotion. The intention of devotion wrapped me in the soft warmth of my stance and intention. To devote, hold devotion, be devoted to the mystery outside of me, the mystical wonder-lands between spaces of present and now. A resting place where simplicity celebrates authenticity, no rules, just an interval in the day where devotion is offered space.
The chimes rang for the seven minutes surprising me that the time had passed so quickly.
Barbara's MA Pose, June 19, 2016 - 7 minutes
Double prayer with Nané. A candle is lit for Mary Madeleine and we stand facing the altar. Eyes are wide open for this pose. My eyes want to droop, finding it difficult to keep them open and instead my mouth wants to hang open. It is hard to focus the gaze. Prayer eyes wander around the altar until I rest my gaze on the Mary Madeleine post card from Paris.
Pray for all. Prayer for all. Prayer for all. Prayer for all. Prayer for all.
When the 7 minutes are up my eyes are sore and burning and I long for tears to soothe them. Much more work needs to be done in this pose. This feels like the initial settling into the prayer only. I find myself extremely tired and follow this pose with a nap.
Barbara's MA Pose, June 20 - 7 minutes
I am with Nané and Medwyn at noon on this day of the Strawberry full moon on Solstice. It is the first time since 1967 that there has been a Solstice with a full moon. We three standing in a row in front of Nané's large french windows. Tibetan prayer flags hang on her balcony in front of me. I look out at the sky and the tree tops. Clouds move slowly by. I find it easy to focus my wide open stare at the the open sky. While I gaze outward at the sky I feel the beat of my heart through my hands placed on my chest. I am aware of my face constricting and I work to open my entire face and not just my eyes. I focus the prayer upward and outward towards the sky and the tree tops. As my face constricts I fall into a rhythm of deciding again and then again to open my full countenance to receiving and giving.
At the close of the pose kneel down and place my forehead on the ground. Grounding the prayers back into the earth. Similar to the pose yesterday I am very tired after this pose and feel there is still more prayer work to do. I decide to invite Tannis to do the pose with me during my upcoming visit with her.
Barbara's MA Pose, June 21 - 7 minutes
I am with Tannis and we include a small Solstice ritual with the Prayer Pose. Tannis lights her altar candles and invokes the mother of us all. We bring in the four directions before entering the Prayer Pose. We are side by side facing Tannis's window into her garden. Birds fly in and out of the bush where her Tibetan prayer flags hang. I stand firm in this pose with my eyes wide looking into the garden. My eyes immediately tear up. My lower eyelid rims are heavy with salted tears and this makes it easier for me to keep my eyes wide open.
Pray for us all. Pray for us all. Love us all. Love us all.
Pray for and love all the dark and wounded forces that are so present in our world. Dark forces emerging each day to be seen and healed.
Pray for us all. Love us all
Tannis MA Pose, June 21 - 7 minutes
Barbara and I stand facing the garden after casting a circle.
I feel my heart beating and I see the Green Man dancing to my left and drumming with sticks. I hear the beat:tum - tum - tummmmm. There is a female being to the right, very large, with a shawl. She is kneeling and stirring a huge caldron of thick dark brown substance - the universe?. I hear a high tone of 'Ahhh' then I hear screams of pain to the right my my shoulder - I know this is from Orlando. This subsides....I realize that everything is Eternal. My breath eases and I settle into my body, into the earth. There is a large star - pentacle on my forehead and roots from my feet grow into the earth. A flood of light - a geyser - flows from the earth up into my body and out of my head. Throughout I hear the chickadees and see the polyganum tendrils waving gently.
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