St. Paul's Yoga | A Wellness Ministry
Jun 15, 2024
By Evan Jeske, Council President
St. Paul's Lutheran Church | Rye Brook, NY
Health and wellness are integral parts of the spiritual journey. We all must stay physically, mentally, and spiritually fit to fulfill our goals and purpose and walk along with our God, loving and serving fully in his name.
To this end, a yoga group started meeting in February 2022. It was a trial run that became popular and has continued 2-3 times a week ever since.
Over the past few years, acceptance of yoga has been growing in Christian churches. It easily fits into Christ’s teachings of loving your neighbor as yourself. We must care for ourselves in our bodies, minds, and spirits to do this. Our yoga ministry goal is to synchronize all facets of our being. You could call it “Holy Yoga,” wholeness emphasizing the Christian way.
The classes take place in a beautiful space in the back of the church, which has been converted into a communal area for smaller group meetings in circle formation, which promotes a more intimate setting. The background music, movements, and breath work are making a holy practice to our Lord with prayer and meditation integrated throughout and ending with a refreshing feeling of calmness and openness to the living God. We strive to keep our yoga ministry truly compatible with others as churches and their stabilizing influence decline, and mainline churches in our area have dwindled in members; some even have closed their doors.
St. Paul’s has remained sustainable throughout COVID and all the major events that have filled the media. With a yoga ministry added to the other ministries St. Paul’s offers that are open to all, we can promote inner calmness and strength through faith to maintain hopefulness and a sense of wholeness and balance throughout these increasingly troubling times. We are brought together in yet another way through Christian Yoga to pray, love, and serve our Lord Jesus Christ. As we step off our mats, we walk with Jesus and know we are not alone in our journeys.
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? Therefore, honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Let us embody our prayers as followers of Christ.