The Prayer Thread is a collection of teachings and practical prompts to help as we learn to pray in community. This text was originally delivered on November 20, 2024 as a short teaching at our online weekly prayer sit.
When I lead groups and introduce chant as a spiritual practice, I like to point out that when we chant, we stimulate our throats, and our throats are located right in-between our heads and our hearts. Therefore, when we chant, we are reminded of our wholeness, in the holistic sense of mind, body, and heart.
To chant, to offer our voice in song is to go all-in, to give ourselves over. Similarly, we often hear the phrase, “to sing is to pray twice.” Singing is praying twice, precisely because of that all-in quality.
It seems that song as prayer can do it all. In song, we can feel joy. In song, we can feel sorrow. In song, we can be inspired and lifted up. In song, we can feel deeply bonded and connected to others. In song, we can get through boring days and hard times. In song, we can aspire to make a better world. The total embodiment of song in prayer taps the all-in quality that makes it powerful and transformative.
May we each live and pray with a song in our minds, hearts, and throats today!
