CHRISTIAN
YOGA

The Sanskrit
word, yoga, means 'yoke' - to couple or unite. Christian
Yoga is a way of uniting with Christ. As Jesus tells us,
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29).
Our Christian
yoga program weaves together body postures with breath,
sacred and classical music, prayer of the heart and body, and
meditation. We bring ourselves to God as a whole being
body, mind and spirit. St. Paul wrote, "Do you not know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which
you have from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19) Our bodies are
the intimate habitat of God. As we relax the body, and quiet
the mind, we are better able to be still in meditation and open
ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit. Physically our participants
improve flexibility, balance and coordination; build strength;
feel happiness, healing in the body, and an improved sense of
well-being.
The community
of men and women participating in Christian yoga at Manresa
is growing the programs are offered Mondays and Thursdays
throughout the year. Christian yoga is used to complement
retreats offered for caregivers and women. It is especially
effective when used in conjunction with meditation retreats
and by private retreatants, who often join in a class while
at Manresa.
The
2009 Spring & Summer Series
You
are invited to Manresa each week to share a time away from your
busy world
a time for solitude and silence
a time
for prayer and meditation
a time to refocus your attention
on God
Come join with us in our prayer of Christian Yoga.
Our program will create
a space for peace and meditation within you and provide for
an "upward lifting" of your mind, heart, and spirit
to that of Christ. Classical yoga postures, with flowing therapeutic
movements, blended with Scripture, and sacred music, will be
used to quiet your being and allow God the inner sanctuary within
you - it is a part of your movement to a new and more holistic
life.
We invite the person
of prayer to receive rather than to offer
it is a time
for listening rather than for asking or speaking - listening
to the inner voice of God and the leading of the Spirit
a time to rest in the presence of God.
Come and join our community
- you will find it to be a special place.
Leader:
Grace Seroka (Certified Yoga Instructor and commissioned intern
of the Ignatian Spirituality Program. She also has completed
the Spiritual Exercises.)
Equipment: Please bring your exercise mat and blanket
or towel (some extra mats are available for your use.) Therapeutic
bands are needed and are available for purchase at a cost of
$ 7 at the first meeting.
Registration: Mail your
name, address, phone number, and your check payable to Manresa,
or register on line.
Equipment: Please bring your exercise mat and blanket
or towel (some extra mats are available for your use.) Therapeutic
bands are needed and are available for purchase at a cost of
$ 6 at the first meeting. When the weather is warm we often
gather outside. Bring a sweatshirt.
Spring Session I: Monday Evenings 5:30 - 6:45 PM - April 20,
27; May 4, 11, 18; June 1, 8
Spring Session II: Thursday Mornings 8:45 - 10:00 AM - April
30; May 7, 14, 21, 28; June 4, 11
Summer Session I: Monday Evenings 5:30 - 6:45 PM - June 29;
July 20, 27; August 3, 17
Cost: $70 for each spring session, $50 for the summer
session, paid in advance.
Single classes are $12 the day of the class. Payments can be
made the day of the class
We think you will
find that Christian yoga will enrich your prayer, meditation,
and exercise all in one practice. It is truly a way to pray
with every cell of your body. Visit the Manresa Web site for
details on our programs. This is your invitation
"Come,
Join Us!" For information about some other Christians
who practice Yoga, click here.
When
I first practiced yoga over thirty years ago, I appreciated
the physical benefits of flexibility and balance as well as
the mental tranquility it produced. Christian yoga, however,
has taken my awareness to both a deeper and a higher level.
I feel a wholeness-- an integration of body, mind, and soul.
I think of the Scriptural injunction to "be perfect",
that is, "complete", and Christian yoga leads me closer
to that goal. Rosemarie Gancer
Christian Yoga started me on the path to a deeper trust
in God's hand in my life. In easing the stress from my body,
it quiets my mind to help me trust God's presence in the challenges
of my daily life. Susan Raymond
Christian yoga is a form of prayer for me, involving mind,
body, and spirit. I also find it especially helpful in quieting
my entire being before a Christian mediation "sit".
I experience Christian yoga as a strengthening of my body, as
well as a nurturing of my entire being as a temple of the Holy
Spirit. Christian yoga plays an important part in my relationship
with God, others, and myself! Artemae Anderson
I've been doing yoga since September and my flexibility
has increased tremendously. It seems to have helped with my
golf game and has given me much better focus in day to day activities.
It has actually made me look at food differently also. I do
not eat as poorly as I did before. It has been a real blessing
in my life. Andy Szombat
Often for me, Yoga class is like a beautiful
spiritual experience in which the mind, body, and spirit are
moving together in harmony. Deanna Tabar
Yoga at Manresa is a gift from Grace Seroka. Her encouragement
to find God in our physical and emotional bodies allows us to
deepen our faith. When I attend class, I feel a sense of tranquility
and peacefulness. Rosemary Fox
When I meditate at the end of the session and you read to
us from scripture, I feel like I am floating and hearing the
words of an angel speaking to me. Thanks from the bottom of
my heart! Leslie Krajewski
I have always wanted to take a yoga class and this one fit
into my schedule but what a blessing waited for me! I expected
the class to be special because of the Christian aspect but
it did not prepare me for the Spirit-lead peacefulness that
was truly evident in our sessions. Thank you for a fantastic
experience! Alice Kolbasa
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A Note on Church Teaching and Manresa's
Christian Yoga
The documents of the Catholic Church contain two basic
references to yoga. In October 1989 the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith issued a letter On Some Aspects
of Christian Meditation. In August 2003 the Pontifical
Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue issued a provisional report called Jesus Christ,
the Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian reflection
on the "New Age." The first mentioned yoga
once, in a footnote, as an example of an Eastern form of
meditation; the second mentioned yoga twice in general fashion
with other Eastern methods. While the documents allow that
methods of prayer deriving from non-Christian religions
can help Christians in their prayer, they warn that discretion
needs to be exercised to avoid syncretism and to see that
elements do not creep in that are contrary to the fundamental
nature of Christian prayer and practice. At Manresa we are
dedicated to the promotion of Christian prayer. We wish
to assure any who may be concerned that we do exercise due
discretion here, and that Manresa's Christian Yoga courses
do not contain elements about which the Congregation and
Councils are concerned.
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