lessons from yoga.

So I took yoga as a 1-hour class this past semester, and it was pretty fun, considering it was my first exposure/experience with yoga, ever. I realized how flexible and inflexible I can be, and the most intense thing I got to do was an elbow stand and a backbend (!). Pretty crazy. Anyway, sometimes our teacher would say things that struck me immediately in terms of how they apply to my spiritual walk. I don't think he's a Christian, but who knows? God still spoke to me through him:

1. do vs. be--Yoga is not just about doing poses, but also about just simply "be"-ing. He would have this corny joke: "If all you do is 'do' poses, then you'll just be a pile of 'doo-doo', so you need a combination of 'do' and 'be', so you can have a nice 'doo-be-doo-be-doo'."
Sounds silly, but it's so true. Especially in my time with Jesus...it's not just about doing. There's so much joy in just sitting at His feet and being with Him. As a type-A, logistics-loving, plan-making person, I need to constantly remind myself not to be a Martha (Luke 10:38-42).

"Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men.
With great delight, I sat in his shadow, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. "
-Song of Solomon 2:3

2. consistency--Yoga, according to our teacher, is all about consistency. You can start small--5 minutes a day, for example--but just because you do 30 minutes one day, it doesn't mean you can skip the next few days. You still have to do 5 minutes the next day.
Ahh, so true. This really struck my heart because I've had so many struggles in the past with consistency in my daily quiet times, and it's so easy for me to get myself down when I miss one day, then two, then three. Such a comfort to know that Jesus is always waiting there for me with open arms, and He longs to just spend time with me. What else can captivate my heart like that?

3. criticism--In our class, our teacher would sometimes call out the mistakes of one certain guy in the front, and he would get frustrated easily. But, our teacher reminded us, his criticisms of that one guy would benefit the whole class because we could all see what he was doing wrong and correct the mistake in ourselves (since we were probably making the same ones).
Just a reminder to not despise the Lord's discipline, for He disciplines those whom He loves, like a father who disciplines his child for his own good! (Proverbs 3:11-12)



Guess I got to learn more than just how to stretch :)