Thursday Yoga on the Lawn

First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood is pleased to offer a weekly summer yoga session on the church side lawn.  Led by Heather Derby, Yoga on the Lawn will run for 6 consecutive Thursdays beginning at 6:30PM on June 26 and ending July 31, 2025.  If rain, the session will move indoors to the Gathering Place for a chair yoga exercise.

Yoga on the Lawn is open to all and will operate on a "pay what makes you happy" donation model.  Bring a mat and join us on Thursday, June 26!

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Why Yoga?
In recent years, the practice of yoga has found its way into various aspects of Western life, including discussions within Christian communities. For some, the Eastern origins of yoga raise questions about its compatibility with Christian faith. However, for many, including Christians practicing yoga, it offers a profound path to holistic well-being that can deepen their spiritual lives.
 
The question "Can Christians do yoga?" is often met with a resounding "Yes" from those who approach it with a deep sense of gratitude and respect for its ancient history. The intention is not to "Christianize" yoga, but rather to embrace practices that contribute to a holistic Christian spirituality. Yoga, at its core, is a discipline of mind, body, and spirit, fostering mindfulness, physical strength, and inner peace – all elements that can complement a life of faith.
 
One aspect of yoga that offers rich theological reflection for Christians is the greeting "Namaste." Often translated as "The divine in me bows to the divine in you," or "The light in me honors the light in you," Namaste resonates deeply with our understandings of Christ’s incarnation—fully God and fully human.
 
Considering the incarnation, Namaste speaks to the truth that God, in Jesus, took on human flesh. The "divine" fully entered and honored "the human." When we offer Namaste, we acknowledge the inherent dignity and the image of God present within each person, because God has come to dwell among us and embody humanity. It is a recognition of the sacredness infused into Creation through the very act of God becoming human. “Namaste” is an affirmation that every human being carries the imprint of a divine design, ultimately pointing to Christ, and it acknowledges the Spirit’s indwelling in each of us.
 
For Christians, practicing yoga and using greetings like "Namaste" can become a powerful embodied prayer, a way to honor God's presence in others, and a tangible expression of Christian love and respect for the sacredness of human life, rooted in the truths of our faith. It's an invitation to find common ground in shared humanity while deepening our understanding of Christian truths.
 
Namaste.