Connected with Truth — Yoga
If you were to hop over to YouTube and search for yoga practices, you would have numerous options from which you could choose. But as a Christian, it is important to understand the framework of what is being taught. Rooted by the River Yoga aims to connect mind, body, heart, and soul with the truth of Jesus through the tools of yoga and meditation. This is the framework, the basis from which I teach.
How yoga helps us connect
Yoga builds self-awareness. Yoga is a journey of self-discovery. Most yoga classes start with a moment of checking-in. There is, typically, a pause to reflect on how you are arriving on your mat. This can begin with simply taking inventory. Noticing physically how you are feeling; any stiffness or soreness, the depth of your breath and how it feels in your body. As you begin to move, you become aware of how your body feels in the various poses and flows. You begin to notice the patterns and what your body needs. Then, you begin to notice your mind; the patterns of your thoughts, an awareness within the moments of challenge or discomfort. After this, there is a layer of emotional awareness and how it manifests physically in your body. Tension in the shoulders, stiffness in the hips, soreness in the lower back.
This growing awareness helps us to be present. Each day is slightly different from the last. And in this presence we become aware of patterns. When I don’t sleep well for consecutive nights, I am clumsy and my muscle reaction is slow. As women we can begin to notice how our hormonal cycle affects our body, our thoughts, our emotions, and even on a spiritual level, we can begin to notice any shifts in our perception of and obedience to Christ. Our self-awareness gives us tools to problem solve and surrender both the problem and the solution to Christ.
Yoga teaches us to breathe intentionally. Breathing is something we do without thought. Our body needs oxygen and therefore the breath is automatic. In yoga, a breath practice is called “pranayama.” The breath is a significant component of any yoga practice. You learn to deepen your breath, move with your breath, and focus on your breath. When we learn the power of the breath, we can use it as a tool to: slow down our thoughts, be still and focus; calm our nervous system; and soothe our agitated emotions.
Yoga is a practice, not a performance. Yoga is not about nailing the perfect pose or fitting your body into a specific shape. Most significantly, it is a practice. It requires regular repetition. Through this regular repetition your body can shift and change, become stronger and more flexible, but it is more than that. It is a practice of being present and aware. We do not just flip a switch and suddenly we are able to be fully present in every moment and aware of our every thought, feeling, and sensation. This grows over time. Yoga is not a destination, it is a direction. We continue to practice because in the practice we grow and develop these skills of breath and awareness.
We bring truth into our practice. We have seen the obvious need to align our mind, body, heart, and soul with Truth. A yoga practice offers an opportunity to practice applying truth on the mat so we can apply that same truth off the mat.
Here are some ways that I do this with my own practice and in the classes that I teach:
Theme/Focus of the class:
Many yoga teachers use themes to develop their class sequence and messaging. I use God’s Word as my guide in choosing themes, like God’s faithfulness or prayer; or I use a Scripture passage and read through the passage as the class progresses.
Breath prayer:
I have already mentioned the use of breath prayers. I sometimes either begin or end my practice with a specific breath prayer, often connected to the “theme” that I have chosen.
Pausing to Meditate:
there are moments in a yoga practice when we are invited to check-in, to return to the breath and notice how we feel. This is a good opportunity to pause and be still in God’s presence or to recite a thematic verse or even to come back to a breath prayer.
Use yoga to prepare for a focused time of worship or study:
For years, my morning routine begins with yoga and then moves into my quiet time with Jesus. I find that yoga helps to slowly ease me into the day and wake me up gently. Furthermore, because yoga helps us to focus, I find that when I study God’s Word and spend time in focused prayer right after yoga, I am able to dive deeper and remain still with Jesus better and longer. The days that I skip my yoga practice, I am still able to focus on my study and in prayer. Yoga is not a prerequisite to these things. However, I tend to feel more scattered and it takes me a little longer to really get into a zone, if that makes sense. This ability to use yoga and movement, especially connected with the breath, is also not a tool I use exclusively for my quiet time. As I have been preparing to launch this business, I have found that taking a “movement” break, doing a quick 10 minute yoga or yoga workout practice, helps me to come back to work more focused and mentally energized.
Yoga is a tool that can help us be present and connected. As Christians, we long to be and stay connected to Jesus. John 15 uses the analogy of the Vine and the Branches. John uses the term “abide.” I have often been drawn to this term. Essentially, it means to remain. We are to “remain” in Jesus. This is a continual connectedness. For me, practicing and becoming aware of this connectedness in my yoga practice has helped me to “remain” connected throughout the moments of my day. And while some seasons are more difficult than others, we always have a place to come back to, Jesus is always ready and waiting for us, lovingly and tenderly guiding us back to Himself. So we continue to practice aligning our body, mind, heart, and soul with His truth, His guiding Word.
