Flow; Growing a Spiritual Yoga Practice in Church
Full disclosure: I practice yoga. It is a respite for me, despite the fact that I often have a toddler hanging off my back as I move from down dog to a lunge into warrior one. I appreciate how there is flux in my practice, never moving through the series of poses the same way and experiencing new lengths and pulls depending on how my day has gone. During the pandemic, I was able to use grant money to provide yoga instruction for our local elementary school students via Zoom, allowing them to stretch their minds and bodies as a respite from the uncertainties of their days. However, I could not call the ministry ‘yoga’ and had to use ‘stretching’ instead, as some people had great difficulty with yoga meshing with their understanding of Christianity. I wish I had had Flow; Growing a Spiritual Yoga Practice in Church by Susan W. Springer to refer to as I walked that tightrope of conflict, as this book beautifully lays out how yoga and Christianity are compatible.
Springer, an Episcopal priest and rector, began practicing yoga in her midlife years. She notes in the introduction that as she began to help her body unfold into the yoga asanas in the practice, she simultaneously began to help her mind unfold into the understanding of the complimentary practices in Christianity and yoga. Whereas she (and I, too) heard that yoga would shift one’s focus from what we are as Christians, Springer found that the two not only complimented, but augmented one another. Her book is laid out into five sections; explaining how yoga can enhance the ministries of a congregation, how yogic and Christian teachings can parallel and enhance each other, a pathway for how to launch and root a yoga ministry in your church, and potential issues to address before they become problems. Written by Springer, but peppered with practical advice and other contributions from Sirena Dudgeon, Springer’s instructor who honors her Roman Catholic background while she practices yoga. If only I had this resource a few years ago, I could have easily helped hesitant congregants with understanding how the teachings and practices can bring about a deeper understanding of one’s faith. I could have seen some of the potential pitfalls before I hit them.
Are you a congregation that is critically examining how to be in effective ministry in your current setting? This book will help you see what we usually consider ‘of this world’ through new lenses. Are you looking to establish a yoga ministry? This resource will be quite valuable as you vision. Are you someone that is concerned about how yoga and Christianity mesh? This book will help you discern truth. Do you want to read something that will help you stretch your mind? This book will do so. There are many possibilities for use of this resource; I’m thankful the publisher sent me a copy!
