Wings and Prayers is a beautiful, calming yoga exercise that can take you from a state of stress and anxiety to a place of quietness and calmness. All you need is your breath and a willing mind.
- Sitting Prayer. Begin by sitting in the yoga "easy pose." Sit tall with your spine long and your head erect. Allow the hips to relax. If your knees are higher than your hips, sit on a blanket. Press your thumbs toward your heart. Sigh a deep breath and allow your body and mind to relax.
- Raised Prayer. Begin to inhale and lift your "prayer hands" up to the heavens as high as you can comfortably raise them. Gaze your eyes slightly upward and inhale thoroughly and completely.
- Sitting Prayer. As you begin to exhale, bring your hands back down toward your heart. Gaze eyes toward your thumbs and continue to exhale thoroughly and completely.
- Wings Position. Next, begin to inhale slowly extending arms wide into the "wings" as far as you can comfortably stretch, open your chest and your fingers. Gently close your eyes and inhale thoroughly and completely.
- Sitting Prayer. Finally, as you exhale, bring your hands back together into your "prayer" position. Gaze eyes toward your thumbs and finish exhaling thoroughly and completely.
Continue this routine unremittingly until you feel your body begin to relax and your mind become at ease.
Note: When you exercise the "Prayer Position," think of a prayer you wish to extend to the heavens. When expressing the "Wings Position," imagine relinquishing your prayer.
