Rev. Amy Snow on balance in life

'Existential' Yoga

Yoga as a form of exercise and meditation—strengthening body, mind and spirit together—really appeals to me. I am not an avid practitioner, nor do I know many poses, but I have been known to cajole my colleagues into joining me for a non-coffee break once in a while.

Three weeks post-Caesarean delivery of a healthy baby boy, I did not have too much time for yoga. Sleep had priority, at least over physical yoga. I found myself practicing a different kind of yoga, though – the existential kind.

As yoga is made up of poses that challenge flexibility and balance to produce strength and wellness, so functions my "existential yoga." My gurus or teachers are my three children, 21-month-old twins and my new baby boy. The twins have been actively teaching me since their birth, but I have become aware of these lessons only as I have had time to reflect while nursing my new one.

Flexibility is key to yoga just as it is to being a working mother. When I am too rigid and controlling, my children remind me I am not the only one with an agenda and my priorities are not shared by everyone else. Getting dressed can happen after a book has been read rather than the other way round.

There are times when routine can be changed and rules can be bent. Soap bubbles can be blown indoors, which actually makes cleaning the kitchen floor easier – the soap’s already there! This lesson on flexibility has translated nicely into my work as a pastoral caregiver. I need to focus on the people I meet and on their needs instead of on my own agenda. Flexibility at home and in the workplace is an important lesson to learn.

Most folks I meet, myself included, need to work on balance in their lives. My practice of existential yoga has reminded me that God has issued three calls in my life, and no one call takes precedence over another: I am called to be a wife to my wonderful husband, I am called to be a mom to my three children, and I am called to be a pastor serving as a hospital chaplain.

Though I may need to shift emphasis from one call to another during the different seasons in my life, there is no hierarchy of call. All of these blessings and responsibilities come from God and must be balanced for my well-being. When I pay attention to my little gurus at home and learn the all-important messages they teach me, I am a better pastor. When my relationship with my husband is nurtured and we are communicating well and enjoying each other, I am a better parent. Exercising the specific gifts and talents God has given me for being a hospital chaplain helps to challenge and fulfill me mentally and socially so I am able to be a better mom and wife when I am at home.

Yoga is a challenging form of exercise. It takes quite a bit of practice to be able to bend oneself into the more difficult poses and then hold them. But with practice, the process becomes easier, less painful and leaves one feeling energized and at peace.

When I am mindful of flexibility and balance and how to utilize the lessons of existential yoga in my life, I too feel more energized and at peace. This does not mean I am never bent out of shape. I am constantly being stretched and challenged, but when the perspective of increasing flexibility and the ability to balance are applied, I find I am all the stronger in the end.

Parts of this article were originally published in the Argus Leader on 2/25/06.

Do you have thoughts about spiritual development you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send an e-mail of any length to info@PlainViews.org.