Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Winter 2015 Issue | Page 13

Kendall Martin

The practice of yoga often begins and ends with the exchange
“Namaste,” which can be translated to, “The divine light in me bows
to the divine light in you.” Much like prayer, worship, Bible study and
stewardship, yoga offers participants spiritual discipline. And as churches
begin to explore alternate methods of connecting, both within and
outside their church walls, yoga can offer a framework for intentional
community and spiritual engagement.

When members of Buck Mountain,
Earlysville, formed their Health &
Wellness Committee over two years
ago, they had no idea the reach their
donation-based yoga classes would have
outside their church walls. After taking
an ad out in the local Earlysville paper,
the congregation has seen as many as 22
community members participate. With
an average attendance of six to 12, the
class is a mix of ages and skill levels, and
includes three or four church members.
The instructor, a member of the local
community, advertises the class as a
place where they “bring together heart
and mind.”

The classes involve a combination
of stretching, vinyasa yoga and gentle
yoga movements, with accommodations
made so that all participants gain
something from the practice. “It’s a
place where there is no pressure or
competition,” said Buck Mountain
member LeAnn Mitchell. Participants
are well informed that yoga is a part
of Buck Mountain’s outreach ministry,
and receive printed materials about the
various programs offered. “It’s pure
and it’s so healing to see people come
from the community and ask about Buck
Mountain and ask about our health and
wellness and share what they are doing
in their particular church or what they
do for a profession,” says Mitchell.

Yoga as a means of meditation
and stillness is what prompted Trinity,

Fredericksburg, to offer a meditative
yoga class during Lent over 12 years ago.
When the five weeks were up, the group
members proposed that their classes
become one of the church’s Monday
night small group options. While the
ratio of church to community members
has changed over the years, there are
still three or four Trinity members in
their class of 12-15.

Because their group has
formed “strong bonds of love and
community,” they made the decision
to keep the class going when their
yoga instructor, Debbie Pascus, passed
away last May. While they don’t see
the class bringing people into worship,
they do see a community connection.
“It’s nice for the church to feel like
it’s a part of the community and
[for folks to know] you can
come to our church
whether or not you are
a communicant and still
feel comfortable,” said
Robin Barrett, one of three
members of Trinity who
regularly attends the
class.

For Trinity,
Manassas, weekly yoga classes
offer an opportunity for members
to join one another in fellowship
and community. With four different
worship services, some of the
participants only connect and build

relationships with one another during
their gentle yoga classes, which begin
with a time for fellowship and prayer.
With an average attendance of five to
eight members, the group has been
meeting for over 10 years and sees
the class as a bridge for participants
to gather and reconnect, even though
they may not see each other in the pew.
“We catch up with one another, do
some yoga, and leave feeling physically
and mentally refreshed and a little bit
more connected with our fellow family
members in faith,” said Jennifer Smith, a
member of Trinity. t

Churches that Say ‘Namaste’
In addition to the churches we highlighted in this story, Leeds Parish,
Markham; St. James’s, Richmond; St. Stephen’s, Richmond; St. Andrew’s,
Richmond; and Emmanuel, Woodstock all offer some form of yoga classes
to parishioners and community members. Have a yoga story or class to
share? Post your pics at Facebook.com/EpiscopalDioceseofVirginia!

WINTER 2015 / Virginia Episcopalian

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