CorePower Yoga is running a series of web ads under the title, "Benefits of Yogi Training." I read through the list (pretty impressive) and thought to myself, "Self! Why aren't we followers of Jesus espousing the benefits of 'practice'?" Why don't we talk about "the practice" of getting our witness right, or refining our community engagement, or perfecting one expression of our ritual?
The ad goes on to make the following claims for the offerings of the Core Power Yoga community:
Yogi Training is personal training for your yoga practice.
Attain tools to strengthen and refine alignment in your yoga postures & inversions
Receive one-on-one personal coaching, feedback and small group support
Become part of a supportive community of people on a similar yoga journey
Don't know if you've found this to be true, but Yoga training is pretty rigorous. It is not for the half-hearted or the feeble-minded. It is challenging; it requires commitment and you fall over alot, especially at the beginning.
Yup, imagine advertising a faith community with a similar description! Imagine describing a faith community where (like the Yoga communities I know) you are welcomed to fall over and fail and make mistakes and constantly begin again! You'd be inviting people into a community of practicing pilgrims on a similar Faith journey. There's be high expectations of commitment and faithfully showing up.
Last I checked, there are more weekly Yoga practicioners in the Asheville area than there are weekly attending Episcopalians in this same area. Might we have lowered our expectations so much that the "practice" is no longer a part of being a faith community?
A friend of mine tells me that the average member of her Yoga studio spends $4500 each year on dues, clothing, gear and retreats. Sounds like there's a whole lot of commitment to practice in that studio!
Hmmmm . . .
