Yoga in the Nave

Dear St. Paul’s family,

This week parishioner Anita Martinez will begin her series of yoga classes in the nave. I have heard some questions about the spiritual nature of yoga, and Anita has offered some reflections which I have incorporated into this letter. St. Paul tells us that our bodies are spiritual temples (1 Corinthians 6:19), and the many stories of Jesus healing physical ailments are proof that Jesus himself valued physical health. So, in a sense, any exercise is a spiritual endeavor. But there is an intentionality to yoga which makes it especially suitable for a place of meditation and prayer.

Yoga is about developing a healthy body, mind, and spirit, through postures, breathing, and meditation. It can lead you to a spiritual or godly place within yourself. Yoga is a spiritual discipline more than a physical discipline. Yoga urges you to go beyond and into your own personal experience to find spiritual growth.

Yogis (practitioners of yoga) seek to refine their emotional reactions and release attachments, so as not to reinforce those tendencies. This in itself can be spiritual. Yogis seek to experience and become aware of the spirit (God, in Christian terms).

Yoga postures can be physically challenging, and regularly practicing yoga develops strength and stamina. Yoga is also a mental practice where you work through emotional stress and psychological challenges – including meditation.  You learn to use your breath, stay focused, and stay in the posture.  You can train the nervous system and the mind to be steady and calm in the face of any challenge, stress, or adversity.  If you can do this on the mat, it helps you to be able to do the same with life’s challenges.  You learn to tap into the power and strength within.

Yoga doesn’t promote a particular set of beliefs. It’s not a faith-based paradigm.  It’s a system interested in behavior, a spiritual investigation.  If you are curious about the very fundamental aspects of being human, yoga guides you to personal insight about yourself and about the divine presence that holds us in life.

I hope that you will join Anita in this spiritual exploration over the next few weeks, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, starting on July 17.

Your sister in Christ,
Penny

Yoga, Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. & Thursdays 3-4 p.m.—Join parishioner Anita Martinez for a 60 minute Vinyasa yoga class. Please bring a mat, water, & any props you may have. Please wear comfortable layers suitable for movement. 7/17-8/28. Cost: $10 per session. Drop-in. Please note, the session on 7/19 will start at the later time of 4 p.m. 

Tai-Chi, Wednesdays 10-11 a.m. — Join George McCandless from the Taoist Sanctuary for a 60 minute Tai Chi course. Wear comfortable clothes that you can move in and flat shoes. 6/27-8/29, no class 7/4. Cost $15 / session.