Why use a yoga mat for Christian stretching?

Hoppy Easter: we jump for joy! ​
You could say I was feeling a bit out of place last Wednesday night when I jumped into esteemed Author and Mentor Denise Stemple’s Zoom yoga class with nothing but a glass of wine and the incorrect assumption it was girl chat time.  Seeing everyone but myself on their rubber mats alerted me to the notion that I was there to do some stretching: not drinking.  Video muted, check!  Ditch the adult libation, check!  Find an open spot on the carpet, check! Video back on, check!  Now, I could join in.

I’m fairly certain this is the only time I’ve EVER taken class without a yoga mat underneath me. 

What I came to discover is that I felt boundary-less.  There was no definition of where I was supposed to be.  I didn’t have a sense of safety and security of my familiar green mat with the frog logo.  Sure, the carpet was soft and plush but, placing my body on the rug was a little itchy and I wondered about dog hair, dust and the things you shouldn’t be thinking about when taking a mindful meditation such as Christian yoga.  To put it plainly, I didn’t know my limits.

Why is our mat so important when it comes to enjoying the benefits of a moving meditation? It represents our beginning and our end, our personal space and the sure footed-ness that equips us off the mat and into the world.  The mat defines what is me and what isn’t and that I’m solely responsible for the health of the temple of the Holy Spirit.  (Galatians 6:5 - for each one should carry their own load.)

What I get from Cloud and Townsend of Boundaries is that God designed a world where we all live within ourselves – we inhabit our own souls and have to deal with what’s there.  Boundaries define that.  We are responsible to God, to others and FOR ourselves.  Practicing on the mat grows us in maturity, creates independence of functioning and freedom and opens the mind to truth about who we are.  We listen to the body when it says yes, that’s mine and no, that’s yours, by moving at our own pace.  Students are in full control on their own mat.

At Frogpose there's the freedom to pass on a pose if we aren’t feeling it in our body. Being flexible in the body is not necessary in order to benefit from the effects of the class. We believe that God is healing bodies by integrating his truth with our hearts and our inner being through personal acceptance.  The mat is where we are spiritually stretching our feelings, desires, choices, love, resources and gifts, beliefs, thoughts, values, limits and self and others, and behaviors.   All we ask is that you set yourself up for success with a yoga mat or a taped off boundary on the floor, some water and a flexible mindset.  You will be met with a teacher who will gently guide you through a healthful moving meditation, which incorporates deep breathing, stretching, and hearing from God's word.

3 class offerings this week:
Frogpose Facebook page Facebook live Tuesday night at 7pm, and Wednesday at noon (both 60 minute flow)
Instagram, Friday at 3pm on Red Rocks Sports (30 minute tune up)

---