Week 5/52 week challenge!!!!

MEDITATION/MESSAGE


This pose is called the windmill pose. A windmill is a device that harnesses a natural source of energy; the wind. God is in the wind; the wind is the Breath of Heaven. Our device to draw close and harness the Ultimate Power has always been a quiet contraption that lies deep between our hearts and lungs. It is there that the Breath of Heaven gets caught in the blades of our soul and is transformed into His perfect energy source. This pose is about His transforming Power and His Promise to always be at work within us; drawing us nearer to Himself. Finishing the work He began....Capturing us and releasing us as He infuses His breath, His strength and His steadfast Love, again and again! The verse for this pose is from Psalms the book we can all find ourselves in; our delights and our doubts, our triumphs and our struggles, our praises and our cries. The one that fits this pose best seems to be Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

I do not know if you are in the valley at the moment or at the top of the hill but either way we need the Power source. However, we often only tend to recognize we need it in the valley; perhaps this is why God invites us into the valley to begin with... He calls us there to connect back to the Power source. He wants our attention and affection and He invites us there out of His own steadfast Love for each of us. If you have ever seen a field of windmills you will recognize that whether they are at the top of the hill or deep in the valley they are still turning, still capturing whatever wind they find there. May you find God in every breath and ask Him to be your power source whether in the valley or on the peak. May you sing praises as you turn, twist and twirl in His Wind; as you delight in the Breath of Heaven. May your soul find the promise of a pure heart and the energy of a steadfast spirit renewed by the Wind...


WINDMILL POSE DESCRIPTION
~ Starting from Mountain pose, gently lift your right knee
~Hugging it with both hands and drawing it in towards your chest as you are able
~ You can stop here. You can spend time here breathing and learning to draw near the Source
~If you would like to go deeper keep your left hand on your knee, keeping the knee hugged in tight
~rotating your chest towards the right side of the body
~then extend the right arm out and away from your midline
~rise up through the crown of the head and create length and breath deeply of His Promise
~If you have it available you can begin to extend the leg, holding onto the thigh, calve, blade of the foot or wrapping two fingers around the great toe
~only extending as you are able and then connecting through breath and prayer back to the Wind
~Hold for 10-12 breaths
~Repeat on the other leg


SONG SUGGESTIONS
Breath of Heaven by Sara Groves
Spark by Andrew Ripp
Please Be My Strength by Gungor

MEDITATION/MESSAGE

BUILDING STRENGTH ~Being human, we have an inherent predisposition to sin, and living the “Christian life,” the way God calls HIS people to live, can be quite a challenge. We may find ourselves weak and lacking the strength to turn away from our natural instinct to sin. Everyday trials can be discouraging. In times such as these, we need to be reminded that our strength does not come from ourselves, but from the Lord. The Holy Spirit, who lives within every believer, supplies the power we need to overcome. As our relationship with the Lord is strengthened, we begin to experience a shift from our human nature to sin into HIS perfect way.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Throughout the Bible, there are stories of men and women who actually failed and rose back up to face their challenges by learning how to obtain strength from God. I pray that these Scriptures will strengthen and encourage you in your walk with Jesus.

this is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1

The Psalms of David are filled with references to strength. David found through life’s tribulations that God was always a present help. In fact, David is the model of someone who didn't’ always get things right the first time and would need God to come to the rescue. Even though David was imperfect, the Bible calls him a man after God’s own heart!

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

DOLPHIN POSE DESCRIPTION

Starting from hands and knees,

·         Bring the forearms to the ground

·         Elbows directly under the shoulders

·         Hands directly in front of the elbows

Once the connection between the base of the pose and the shoulders has been established,

·         Take your gaze back towards the feet

·         Tuck the toes under to lift up into Dolphin

·         Press the hips back and up as if going into Downward-Facing Dog

·         Letting the head hang freely to release tension in the neck

·         Evenly lengthen the front and back of the torso

·         Notice what the spine is doing, working to lengthen it by slightly bending the knees if necessary

·         Keep stretching down through the heels and lifting through the inner thighs. Breathe into the shoulders and melt the heart toward the shins

Hold for 10 to 15 breaths and then release your knees to the floor and sit back in Child's pose

Dolphin is a great pose for building strength in preparation for more challenging inversion poses, like, headstand and forearm stand. Developing strength in the muscles of the shoulder girdle, stabilizing the scapulae and teaching you to carry weight on the forearms, which is necessary for protecting the head and neck. Dolphin Pose also opens the chest and aligns the shoulders, and serves as a starting point for lifting the legs into the full inversion.