From Steadiness to Freedom

     Recently I went to a yoga workshop weekend.  The emphasis was on steadiness and freedom.  “Freedom,” the teacher said, “only comes when there is steadiness.”  Each day he taught us how to find steadiness through alignment of our bodies so we could find freedom of movement in yoga postures.

     One of my favorite poses that we practiced was Supta Padagusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose).  We got into the pose and as we were lying on our backs, we took the right leg up and over to the left and held it there by holding onto a strap around the right foot with the left hand.  We then took our right arm out to the right, then reached over to the left, then out to the right, then over to the left, several times, back and forth.

     As we held to aligned steadiness, continuing to hold the right foot in the strap with the left hand, we discovered more and more freedom in our right shoulder. Soon the right shoulder blade was hugging the yoga mat as much as the left one.

     Freedom to expand and open the right shoulder came from the steadiness of holding the right foot in an aligned position with the left hand.

     As I lay there experiencing the wonderful easy tight challenging openness, I remembered a similar lesson on freedom that comes from steadiness:   "Jesus told the people who had faith in him, 'If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”'  John 8:31-32 (CEV - emphasis mine)

     Just as yoga helps me find freedom in my body’s joints and muscles through steadiness of alignment and consistent practice, so Jesus helps me find freedom in my soul as I hold steady to His mandates and apply them consistently, daily, to my life.  When tough questions bombard me, I go to Him for enlightenment.  I hold steady to His tutelage.  I exercise His precepts over and over again, until they are my own, and from that steady routine of obedience, I find wildly wonderful freedom.  

     As the yoga workshop came to a close a chant was sung in Sanskrit to Ram, the passionate, victorious heart.  Gathered in a semi-circle, everyone sat with eyes closed swaying to music and singing in unison.  It was a sweet melody and I love to sing, but for me the song was off base--Intoning praises to the heart of Ram contradicts Jesus’ teaching of the Greatest Commandment.  So I unobtrusively rolled up my yoga mat and left a bit early.

     By adhering to Christ’s instruction, I possessed freedom to not join in with the yoga crowd and chant the yoga song.  Freedom to leave ahead of time, without shame or apology.  Freedom to be confidently me, a daughter of Most High God.  

“Which is most important of all the commandments?”

Jesus  said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; 

so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ 

Mark 12:28-30 (MSG)