If you follow me on any social media platform. You’ll see me praying and moving outside regularly. It’s prompted many questions and conversations about my why and my journey of God with it. Worship dance and movement doesn’t have a boundary of 4 walls. It’s a gift and intention that God gives to everyone. But I choose to prayer dance outside specifically for my conversations with God? Here are my 5 key reasons why to develop a practice of prayer dance outside is important.

Closer to God’s creation

The outside world is simply stunning. Everywhere you look there are unique marvels of a world God had crafted carefully, thoughtfully and with love. You can look at it through a window, but to step outside, be in it and experience allows moments of wonder and awe. Our senses come alive with all that’s around us. God speaks to me through the skies, I see Him, feel Him and become enriched with what He whispers into my heart through the gift of my senses. Taking prayer dance outside allows my movements and choreography to weave into the shapes and sounds of creation alongside the response of my heart.

Space to Breathe

There is something quite special about activating our nervous system in an outdoor environment. Which fills our lungs not only with good air. But the possibilities of registering a pause to pray. Air outside works our lungs harder, oxygenating the blood to help our heart work more effectively. This in turn is utilised in our muscles as we walk, run, jump and twirl. Breathlessness that might come from moving draws more of God’s wonderful breath in filling your chest to stand taller and relax your shoulders more. Maybe prayer dance outside is one step too far for you. But why not instead, simply step outside and stand, concentrating on your breathing and taking a moment to register what happens to your body.

Things to see and prompt

The outside world provides a veritable feast for the eyes. Not just shape and texture, but colours, light, shadows and form. Each moment the rays from your eyes fall on something, your beautiful neurons are having a dance party themselves sending you signals to decipher. All the nuances that your brain picks up are little prompts from God. Encouraging you to deepen and strengthen your conversations with him. Let’s take this image of the leaf canopy. As my eyes rested on this it immediately gave me a sense of calm, belonging and an opportunity to savour and stay in that moment. The different greens help me recognise that my faith is continually growing and changing. Shifting across space to the light it needs, the moment it needs it. As my eyes drink in that goodness, I transpose it to movement bringing external what is internal. Pause for a moment and see what God wants to say to you from this picture, can you then transpose that into movement?

Prayer dance outside opens opportunities

The thing about moving outside, is that it requires you to be brave. Stepping out of your comfort zone to release your prayers. There are still times now when I want to wait until ‘The coast is clear’ before I move. Despite this I will always choose to step up and be brave and feel that closeness with God. Prayer dance outside also opens many tools for movement creation or growing your movement bank. Taking inspiration from how leaves and flowers present themselves against a backdrop of spikey gnarly tree trunks for example. Choosing to use the space outside to help you think wider about the movements that you create will help further the production of movement for you in the future.

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ Acts 17:28

The verse in Acts is just one verse that calls us to use our body as part of our relationship with God. Living in Him isn’t passive, it requires action, movement, conversation, breath! Breath takes us through our movements.

Intentional moment to pray outwardly

Often our prayers can feel like they are churning inside and formulating them into a coherent sentence or even sequence of thoughts can feel somewhat debilitating. Choosing to push those thoughts and feelings into a movement, allows your mind to gain space. If you’re muddled inside and you move out muddled movements externally, mentally and physically there is a change. A weight is lifted from your mind and your body feels lighter as you throw off what has been consuming you.

Let’s do a little exercise.

Step outside into your closest outside space – if you’re not feeling brave enough yet for that simply move to a different room.

Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out.

Identify one thing that you are feeling and do the first thing that comes to your mind as a movement. Repeat it. Repeat it again, each time with more strength.

Now imagine God doing that movement with you. How does it change, what different does it make. That’s it.

That’s a prayer dance, there are many ways to develop this, but for now just concentrate on taking one feeling, moving it, then inviting God to move it with you.

I’d love to know how you get on!

Want to know more?

There are weekly Prayer Dance Bite sessions held online on zoom on Tuesdays alternating between 09:30 and 20:00 GMT. These are 20-30 minutes in length and offer a chance to read some Scripture, discuss and respond with movement and prayer. No prior experience necessary. Details available here.

Monthly Christian Dance Workshops also run at a venue in Farnham, Surrey, UK. These, and all our other events are on the Events page here.

To explore further check out my book ‘Movement, Prayer and Scripture’. You can purchase it in the shop here. Or its available on Amazon and to order at local bookshops.

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