Breathe: A Unique Yoga-Based Prayer Service

This is the first of a three-part series on Yoga Shalom. 

Sometimes, we could all use a reminder to breathe. Cantor Lisa Levine walks you through a simple breathing exercise in this two-minute refresh:

“How does one embody prayer?" Cantor Lisa Levine explores this question in Yoga Shalom, an instructive and rejuvenating volume that includes both a CD and a DVD for follow-along yoga practice.

Many people have their own ideas about what is Judaism and what is yoga. How can those two go together? “The more I thought about it, the more I began to connect certain yoga postures with certain prayers, like the Sun Salutation with Yotzeir Or and the forward bend with Bar’chu,” says Levine, who serves her community as a both a cantor and yoga practitioner.

In Yoga Shalom, Levine creates a yoga practice that is accessible to all, regardless of skill level or age. “Yoga Shalom is meant to be adaptable to your own needs, skills, and comfort level, so feel free to be creative and personalize your practice,” writes Levine in the introduction. “ “You’ll notice that there are advanced poses offered for each posture. You may wish to flow into these poses as you become stronger and more accustomed to the content of the service. There are also modifications for less experienced practitioners and those with health challenges.”

Yoga Shalom is available for purchase here. Looking to host a yoga event with your congregation? Contact us to discuss quantity discounts.

If you are attending URJ Biennial 2017, you’ll have a chance to practice yoga with Lisa Levine. She will be teaching chair yoga at 7 am on Thursday, December 7. She’ll also be teaching a session on Chaplaincy Through Music & Spirituality on Wednesday, December 6, at 3:45 pm. Bring your copy of Yoga Shalom to Biennial and Levine will be available to sign books.