Pastoral Yoga
What Is Pastoral Yoga?
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, verses 36-50, we encounter an unnamed woman who reveals her suffering through her weeping. She is a woman who understands that her deepest need is that of welcoming the healing love of God into her being, and because of this, she is given renewed life and new courage to go forth and live. Jesus, moved by the woman’s total welcoming of him, says to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Go in Peace Pastoral Yoga is, in essence, prayer- prayer that uses the body and breath to create space for welcoming the healing love of God. Pastoral Yoga draws upon breathing practices, guided visualization, simple chanting, and gentle yoga postures, along with holy scripture and Christian thought, to help create stillness, quiet, and space. Each session is taught by the Rev. Brooke Eryn Pickrell, an ordained Presbyterian (PCUSA) minister and certified yoga teacher. Students of this discipline practice in order to come closer to the heart of who they are- that being a loved-one of God. This love sets us free to move towards knowing we are whole, and thus to go in peace.
As Christians and/or the Church have, at our best, relied upon pastoral care and pastoral counseling to support and encourage healing for individuals experiencing grief, loss, fear and anxiety, shame, disorientation, and depression, as examples, so, too, Pastoral Yoga focuses upon supporting those who are searching for the healing of their spirits, and, literally, breathing renewed life into their bodies.
As a pastor serving in congregations for thirteen years, I experienced many life-giving experiences. I also witnessed, often, a complete absence of care for the body and breath, and a lack of understanding about the spiritual healing that was possible through paying attention to and nurturing our God-given and named-as-good bodies- these bodies in which we live and move and experience the entirety of our lives. This is why I have developed Pastoral Yoga- because I believe that Christians have more tools and practices available than we regularly utilize to gently help us in our search for God’s peace to be upon us.
Pastoral Yoga is a practice for both lay and clergy alike. Because of my years in ministry, I am particularly aware and sensitive to the exhaustion and disillusionment that can accompany clergy life. If you are clergy, consider Pastoral Yoga as a possible practice to nurture you in the midst of your tiredness.
Go in Peace Pastoral Yoga is, in essence, prayer- prayer that uses the body and breath to create space for welcoming the healing love of God. Pastoral Yoga draws upon breathing practices, guided visualization, simple chanting, and gentle yoga postures, along with holy scripture and Christian thought, to help create stillness, quiet, and space. Each session is taught by the Rev. Brooke Eryn Pickrell, an ordained Presbyterian (PCUSA) minister and certified yoga teacher. Students of this discipline practice in order to come closer to the heart of who they are- that being a loved-one of God. This love sets us free to move towards knowing we are whole, and thus to go in peace.
As Christians and/or the Church have, at our best, relied upon pastoral care and pastoral counseling to support and encourage healing for individuals experiencing grief, loss, fear and anxiety, shame, disorientation, and depression, as examples, so, too, Pastoral Yoga focuses upon supporting those who are searching for the healing of their spirits, and, literally, breathing renewed life into their bodies.
As a pastor serving in congregations for thirteen years, I experienced many life-giving experiences. I also witnessed, often, a complete absence of care for the body and breath, and a lack of understanding about the spiritual healing that was possible through paying attention to and nurturing our God-given and named-as-good bodies- these bodies in which we live and move and experience the entirety of our lives. This is why I have developed Pastoral Yoga- because I believe that Christians have more tools and practices available than we regularly utilize to gently help us in our search for God’s peace to be upon us.
Pastoral Yoga is a practice for both lay and clergy alike. Because of my years in ministry, I am particularly aware and sensitive to the exhaustion and disillusionment that can accompany clergy life. If you are clergy, consider Pastoral Yoga as a possible practice to nurture you in the midst of your tiredness.