My Journey Towards Being a Yogi

In years past, devotion to God and taking care of myself meant hour-long quiet times at Starbucks with the latest Bible study or listening to the latest praise and worship CD for hours on end. As I’ve stretched my idea of spirituality a bit in the last few years – I feel sure that devotion and spirituality can be found in the most unexpected of places and in the most surprising ways. I’m thankful for a place like Journey that values the many facets of worship and spiritual practice – a community that sees God in art, music, serving humanity – and sometimes even serving ourselves.

For me personally, reading books, good music, journaling and spending quiet time – are all great resources to sense God’s presence in my life. These same things are also crucial for me to remain grounded and calm in a chaotic world. However, recently, I’ve found something that helps me see myself and see God in a new way. Yoga has given me an inner peace lately, and a lot of physical strength. Yoga originates in India and most of the “yogic” terms have their roots in Hinduism. As a group of ancient spiritual practices that encourage connection with the Divine and your own personal existence, yoga is something that stretches the body and mind. However, most churches discourage the practice – because it is not a Christian one. Because yoga finds its roots in another religious practice, I can remember worrying that I should steer clear of such “teachings.” However, something about yoga has always been a draw for me – and this year I’ve made it a regular part of my week.

I think communities like Journey and my yoga class are on to something. If God is within us and we are the present-day manifestation of His presence in our world – then doesn’t it make sense to participate in something that allows us to look inward? Doesn’t it make sense to know ourselves mentally and physically? I imagine people experience more of a “Divine” presence about me when I’m relaxed, feeling cared for, and whole – rather than when I’m frazzled, spread too thin and overwhelmed. Maybe this is the one holy truth within yoga – and something I have decided is worth my time. I don’t think God is as interested in what specifically we are doing to find Him and know ourselves – I don’t think there is a one-way ticket to becoming a “spiritual person”. For me, yoga contains a thread of truth – that in being quiet and strong, we are being spiritual. At the end of a busy workday, there is nothing more substantial to me than stopping, being quiet, taking care of myself, honoring my body and soul, and in that – I often remember that God cares about these things too.

I read in my new favorite book, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert that “If humanity never evolved in its exploration of the divine, a lot of us would still be worshipping golden Egyptian statues of cats….and this evolution of religious thinking does involve a fair bit of cherry-picking. You take whatever works from wherever you find it, and you keeping moving toward the light.” For me, I’ll keep moving toward that, and maybe along the way – I’ll finally be able to touch my toes.
-Michelle Randall