Yoga Body Prayer (Divine Mother Make Us Your Channels Of Peace)
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury: pardon;
Where there is error: truth;
Where there is doubt: faith;
Where there is despair: hope;
Where there is darkness: light;
And where there is sadness: joy.
Oh Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
~ St. Francis of Assisi
In the past month the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi has been brought to my awareness, and it was during the celebrations of Paramhansa Yogananda and Sri Yukteswar Mahasamadhi, that I remembered that I had included this beautiful prayer when I wrote my own funeral script for myself. I never realised how important this prayer was to so many people. Also the second time I read the prayer was in the online book “Finding God In Your Family” in Chapter 1 The Task Of Motherhood Is Holy by Mary Kretzmann. The words in this chapter and book are very inspirational to me and was what I needed to hear during the pandemic as they brought to me peace and hope.
I love the above saying by Paramhansa Yogananda. “In spite of the sorrow and the dance of life and death we know that God is love”.
God is love and love is God, to add more love, light and harmony into the world I included below The Peace and Harmony Prayer Video on Youtube by Ananda Sangha Worldwide. I first heard and was taught this powerful prayer by the Late Nayaswami Anandi during an Online Satsang for India during the time of the pandemic, as India was faced with the highest deaths rates at the time. I am still yet to spend time deepening into the stillness and effectiveness that this deep and empowering prayer has to offer, but I have witnessed and heard the testimonials of how much this prayer has touched so many lives. And I will be forever grateful to Nayaswami Anandi for sharing the prayer with us. I will also hold in my heart the prayer called The Caravan Of My Prayers Is Moving Towards Thee from the book Whispers From Eternity by Paramhansa Yogananda that Nayaswami Anandi shared on what I believe was her last Sunday Service in Ananda Village titled How Democratic Is The Truth that I attended online, I included the link for you to watch Here. I resonated with this prayer because it had been one of my many dreams to have my own Mobile Caravan one day, but this is know longer my dream any more, and now I have the essence and the source of this beautiful prayer.
The Caravan Of My Prayers Is Moving Towards Thee
The caravan of my prayers is moving toward Thee. In the eyes of kindness I behold glimmers of Thy mercy. Even the bare trees of dark lives flicker with a myriad glow‐worms of Thy shining life. The caravan of my prayers has been working its way slowly through dry wastes of arid doubts and furious sand‐storms of despondency. Yet, at last, far‐off glimpses of Thy oasis of silent assurance have roused me in my drooping efforts. Eagerly I await the moment when I can dip into Thy revivifying water my parched, thirsty lips of faith, and there drink deeply from Thy well of bliss.
I pray that this Yoga Body Prayer Video & The Peace and Harmony Video brings more peace and harmony into our lives.
Ananda Yoga Postures that are included in the Yoga Body Prayer Video
1 . Hero Pose (Firm Pose) Vajrasana
Stillness is the altar of spirit
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
2. Child Pose (Balasana)
Every morning I offer my body, my mind and any ability that I posses, to be used by Thee, O infinite creator, in whatever way Thou dost choose to express Thyself through me. I know that all work is Thy work, and that no task is too difficult or too menial when offered to Thee in loving service
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
3. Bound Angle Pose or Butterfly
(Baddha Konasana)
Retire to the center of your being, which is calmness.
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
4. Seated position with intuitive stretches
Before embarking on important undertakings sit quietly calm your senses and thoughts and meditate deeply. You will then be guided by the great creative power of Spirit.
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
5. Supine Bound Angle
(Just to note that the video link is the same as butterfly/ bound angle pose. When you click the link and forwarded it to 3.30 you see the full demonstration of the pose).
Bathe your mind and body in peace
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
6. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
I am thine be thou mine
~ Paramahansa Yogananda
Music: The Desire For Inner Change and Make Us Channels of Thy Peace by Swami Kriyananda
Blessings & Love
Rev Dinah Pemberton
