DeAnna King, Certified Life Coach, Reiki Master & Yoga Teacher, ERYT-500, YACEP

Prayer is personal. I have known many people who do not pray and the very word makes them uncomfortable. Some of those people are very spiritual, still. They just have a different way of communicating. I use the word “prayer” for communication to the Divine, but it can take on whatever name you feel most comfortable with. I have witnessed many different kinds of prayer: guided prayer in church, the humbled crying prayers when there has been a tragedy, chanting, and many people praying all at once, as in some religious practices, praying in tongues and silent prayers. I don’t think that there is a “right” way to pray but, I think that there are practices that can really help someone truly open and take their prayer to a deeper level. One practice that has helped me immensely is “centering” – finding a stage of calmness and focus before engaging in prayer.

My prayer life has always been a moving target. As a child, I recited the “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” prayer with a cute little plaque on my wall. That was a good start, right? As I grew older, my prayers morphed into desperate pleas for popularity or that coveted Christmas doll. Teenage me became a pro at seeking forgiveness (trust me, a lot of that). Finally, young adulthood brought prayers for guidance, a desperate plea for a roadmap through life’s maze.

But then came a period of silence. My prayers felt unanswered, a one-way street into the void. Maybe I was doing it wrong? Everyone else seemed to feel this incredible connection with God, a warmth that eluded me. Lost and forgotten, I stumbled into yoga.

Yoga, with its emphasis on stillness, became a turning point. The focus was quieting the mind, that constant chatterbox inside my head. It was about observing my inner world without judgment. Slowly, in this quiet space, a connection bloomed. Not to a specific deity, but to something far greater, a warm embrace of my soul. It felt like returning home, a homecoming to a place I never knew existed.

These moments of connection were fleeting glimpses of unconditional love, and I craved more. So I deepened my practice, a journey that continues to this day. Yoga has grounded me in my spirituality more than anything else, a practice that allows me to truly connect with the source of my being.

Place your feet flat on the ground. Sit up straight in a comfortable way. Close your eyes. Inhale through your nostrils, while paying attention to the sensations that arise as the air enters your body, becoming your breath. Take a few deep breaths just focusing on this. Relax your facial muscles. Soften your shoulders. Relax every part of your body that you can relax while keeping the integrity of your posture. Listen to your exhale. Let it signal to your mind and your body to relax even further. Soften your being; just be open to everything that you are feeling without any judgment of what things “should” be. Feel your inhale and your exhale. Notice any sounds around you without judging them. Just be aware of the world around you, but without thinking much about what you hear. Just simply notice it. Now, open your heart. Focus on the feelings of love and gratitude. This is the simplest way to practice mindfulness. Now, anything that comes from you is coming from your most natural state of peace and calmness. This can allow you to approach your Source with an open heart.

Now, let God in.

Start off in a state of appreciation for all of the many great things in your life. Things both big (health, family growth, etc) and small (the butterfly that graced you with its presence on your walk). I like to include gratitude for any guidance that has been given to me as simple nudges and whispers in the form of my intuition. Then, speak about whatever comes to mind, from your heart. Be vulnerable.

For those of you who practice energy work, adding a practice like balancing your chakras or whatever you feel called to do can take it even deeper.

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I hope that this is a practice that helps you in your spiritual growth. If you are interested in learning more, I’m always here to help you out.

DeAnna King, Spiritual Life Coach & Yoga Teacher

Certified Life Coach (CLC), Registered Yoga Teacher – 500 (RYT-500), Experienced Yoga Teacher – 200 (ERYT-200), Yoga Alliance Certified Education Provider (YACEP))

https://deannakinglifecoach.com/