EMBODIED LIVING: KEEP YOUR HEAD LIFTED

In a recent poem I wrote during my morning quiet time with God, I included the line, “…I lift my head, not holding it in shame, because Jesus didn’t come to shame or blame…” (Romans 10:11)

Lifting his head is exactly what King David demonstrates in Psalm 3 after fleeing from his son, Absalom, who had betrayed him. Naturally feeling overwhelmed by this tension between him and his son, whom he must have loved dearly, King David decided to shift his focus from his head to The Head, and what a positive difference that made for him.

Thanks to God’s loving mercy and grace, King David could peacefully rest his body, mind, and spirit, and rise again with praise to God despite the discord he was experiencing: “I lie down and sleep; I awake again, because the Lord sustains me,” he says in Psalm 3:5. As a shield around us, God demonstrates His protective grace. As our sustainer, God reveals his loving mercy.

Psalm 3 shows us that God is both our protector and stress reliever. As a Christ-centered movement instructor, I am grateful to see through the lens of embodied movement: the physical body working in tandem with the mind and spirit. This combination, working as one, can help us knock down internal walls and external distractions to receive God’s love, mercy, and grace with open arms and hearts.

For example, let’s connect our physical bodies with the thought of keeping our heads lifted spiritually (Psalm 3:3). Sitting or standing, straighten your spine. Inhale the gift of your breath from God. Exhale, allowing your shoulders to relax. Placing your hands on your heart or wherever they feel most comfortable, slowly and gently tilt your head to look up. Return your head to a neutral position and focus your mind and heart on Jesus. Closing your eyes may help.

Inhale as you lift your arms outward and upward, internally saying: Lord, you are the shield around me. Lower your arms while exhaling and internally saying: Thank you for lifting my head high. Keep this breath-prayer rhythm going (with or without arm movements) for as long as is comfortable; you will more than likely start to feel relaxed. You might even yawn and sigh deeply. Sometimes, my eyes water as my body releases and relaxes into God’s love, grace, and mercy.

Thank You, God, for Your grace and mercy and for being the Head of my head. Please help me to keep my head lifted and focused on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Throughout this day: Remember who lifts your head high. Explore some gentle movements of your head and neck, such as tilting your head up and down (chin toward your chest) at a comfortable pace and then rotating it side to side. You may hear some crackling sounds, which is normal; however, you do not want to move to the point of pain. You can also tilt your ear toward your shoulder, holding for a few breaths while enjoying a neck stretch. Return your head to the center and repeat on the other side.