This week our group had a great PraXis session lead by Pastor Phil Vestal of Ruah Space.
The group started off with 20 minutes (recording below) of sanctified or Christian Yoga, and then went right into 20 minutes of Centering Prayer. For the last week, Jamie and I have been using the coupon code (PRAXIS) for Ruah Space classes and combining a morning workout with Centering Prayer. Here are the results we have been getting:
- The morning routine, about 40 minutes, is grounding us in a daily practice that helps us reset each morning
- Both of our fitness practice have gone to pot during COVID, so we are finding the Yoga is a great way to rebuild core strength before we relaunch into weight training or more rigorous exercise.
- After the Yoga, our bodies are very relaxed. In Centering Prayer, all my bodily awareness sort of melts away. I’m much more centered and resting in my heart and mind on being still with God. The urge to scratch, wiggle in my chair, or move around disappears.
- In this state of mental relaxation, I also am not as frustrated by thoughts arising in my mind. In Centering Prayer or Ceaseless Prayer, thoughts will come and go and when they do we observe them and then return back to our sacred work or short prayer. This can be frustrating when it happens over and over and over again for 20 minutes. But after Yoga, I find myself in a relaxed, excepting state of awareness. I am much more at peace with my body and thoughts.
You can try to practice along with on with this video, or join us at our new time, Thursday nights at 6 pm, PST, via MeetUp and Zoom.
As we move deeper into Lent, we will also try to include a little shared plant-based fasting meal after our sessions. Keep following for more.
Afraid of Yoga? More about the dos and don’ts of Christian Yoga.
Check out our YouTube Channel, FB page and Podcast.
PraXis 