When You Pray for Animals,
You Pray for Your Body, Too!
When I was doing the power prayer for animals the other night, I realized that my body is included in and benefits from my prayers. After all, my body is an animal. Here’s a reminder about our biology that I found in Wikipedia:
Humans (variously Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens sapiens) are primates of the familyHominidae, and the only extantspecies of the genusHomo.[2][3] Humans are distinguished from other primates by their bipedal locomotion, and especially by their relatively largerbrain with its particularly well developed neocortex, prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes, which enable high levels of abstract reasoning, language, problem solving, and culture through social learning. Humans use tools to a much higher degree than any other animal, and are the only extant species known to build fires and cook their food, as well as the only known species to clothe themselves and create and use numerous other technologies and arts. The scientific study of humans is the discipline of anthropology.
Further contemplation reminded me that one of the most helpful teachings I’ve learned on the spiritual path is that this journey is a balancing act between spirituality and biology. Flow occurs when your body and your soul/spirit complex reestablish a cooperative, co-creative relationship, both accepting and allowing that they are two integral pieces of a whole. Flow occurs when your (1) body is aware that your soul/spirit complex acknowledges that your body is its holy container, providing physical presence, communication and mobility and (2) body stops resisting situations that your soul would like to experience for its evolution. The way I now see it is that spirituality isn’t about the soul escaping the body, as in out of body experiences, but about the soul seated firmly in the body flowing energy between non-ordinary and ordinary realities.
This is the best reason I know of to develop a care routine for my body, as part of my daily spiritual disciplines. In the coming days I’ll be sharing tools I’m using and hope you will comment on what works for you.