Why Do We Have Yoga Classes?

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

In the 1990’s, I was a Parish Nurse/Counselor at National Presbyterian Church in the North Washington DC area. Part of the focus of a PN’s work is to develop “Faith and Health” programs that motivate the congregation (and staff) to care for their bodies, minds, and spirits in holistic health promoting ways, valuing the “body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.” This theme has flowed into my work as a Pastor here at PCM. While providing pastoral care I think of your whole person in body, mind, and spirit as I pray for each you.

Last winter, I organized a “Coping with Depression” group and planned an exercise class in coordination with the group timing because regular exercise often decreases the severity of depression. Yoga was chosen for the exercise method because a certified Yoga instructor in our church family was looking for ways to share her gifts and talents with the church. This presented a perfect opportunity to combine the talents of Susan Jones with our need for an exercise class to follow the depression group! (Recently, Susan moved to Florida, but the group of 12+ dedicated class members kept the yoga class going with various devoted amateur instructors).

Although Yoga was originally practiced 5000 years ago as an Eastern religious practice, it is now widely accepted in the West as a peaceful way of exercise that promotes health and mental wellbeing. The original goal of Yoga practice was the uniting of the spirit with the cosmos. Our class applies "Hatha Yoga" which is a physical fitness yoga allowing us to focus on the movements in a holistic practice that benefits body, mind and spirit without the eastern religion emphasis. The Sanskrit term “ha” means sun energy and “tha” refers to the moon. The Hatha Yoga poses focus on a balance between opposites (right and left) and breathing while stretching, relaxing, and strengthening.

People take up yoga for a wide range of reasons: to gain flexibility, to tone-up or lose weight, to improve their ability to relax, or for the challenge of learning something new. Regular practice of yoga improves general fitness, balance, and strength, with each class ending with a peaceful relaxation time. Yoga has the potential to make each of us more fit disciples of Jesus Christ. Join us for Yoga on Saturday mornings at 10am in the Parish House. Your body, mind, and spirit will be glad you did! (For more information contact me or any of our current pool of instructors: Carolyn Westerdahl, Christine Volinsky, and Milton Argueta Jr.)