Yoga, Your Temple, and The Purpose
I started doing yoga almost two decades ago. It was very different from the exercises I did at the gym and I felt it was a great addition to my workout routine. At first I hadn’t paid attention to the spiritual aspect of it and truthfully was unaware that some religions use it. To me it was a workout and that was it.
As I practiced yoga more, I started going to different studios to see what they had to offer. The practice of stillness mixed with movement and breath is just what I needed. A few years in, during a yoga class, I started feeling uncomfortable with what the instructor was saying. It was the first time that I had experienced this. The things being said didn’t line up with my beliefs and I began to repeat Jesus’ name over and over to myself. I left not knowing what all this meant. Not sure if yoga was something that I, as a Christian, should do. I rode home lost in my thoughts with no radio on. In the silence I heard in my spirit “Christ Centered Yoga”. A term I had never heard before. It intrigued me, so of course when I got home I started researching Christians and yoga. I did actually find a studio called Christ Centered Yoga but I found much more written that warned Christians to avoid yoga. Other religions were using yoga as a means to worship their gods. With the experience I just had in class and the amount of negative responses regarding Christians and yoga I stopped practicing.
Three years later the Lord led me back to yoga. He showed me that every good and perfect gift is from Him and what others choose to do with it is not my concern. I found a book on Amazon called “Stretching Your Faith” by Michelle Thielen. In the book Michelle used her testimony and taught yoga as an act of worship through postures of prayer. I felt a connection with what she expressed. I felt the Lord sharing similar things with me. I eventually flew to Seattle, WA and got my 200 yoga teacher certification through YogaFaith. That week was an eye opener for me. It was one of the most spiritual weeks I had ever experienced. Yes, I was getting training to be a yoga instructor, but I was also getting healing from past trauma. God was gently making me aware of places in my heart He still wanted to heal.
Yoga is now so much more to me than exercise. It’s a way for me to honor my temple (body), sit in stillness and listen for that still small voice (the Holy Spirit), and pray through movement. When I shift my perspective and set my intentions on the things of the Lord, my yoga practice becomes a beautiful act of worship.
Yet a time is coming and has now come when true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. John 4:23
Below I have listed the benefits of yoga and the benefits of worship. I believe when you combine the two it opens the door to an opportunity to experience the presence of the Lord in a new and unique way. I also believe that inviting God into our yoga practice will only magnify the benefits of yoga.
Where the presence of the Lord is there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17
Yoga benefits backed by science:
can reduce stress
may reduce inflammation
could improve heart health
improves quality of life
may fight depression
could reduce chronic pain
could promote sleep quality
improves flexibility and balance
could improve breathing
may relieve migraines
promotes healthy eating habits
can increase strength
Benefits of Worship:
satisfies our soul’s longings
readjusts our perspective
prepares us for prayer
develops a relationship with God
ushers in God’s presence
opens doors
closes doors that need to be closed
chains of spiritual bondage and strongholds are broken in His presence
healing comes
deliverance takes place
evil flees
we receive wisdom
fullness of joy
we are refreshed
our faith is strengthened
Article written by:
Melisa Petty, Certified, Christian Yoga Teacher