Group fitness instructor Tara Galles says people were meant to praise God with every fiber of their being — mind, body and soul.
She says people often get the mind and the soul parts down, and with a new Christian-based yoga class she is starting to offer, she hopes people will connect their bodies with worship as well.
“I want people to have a medium to connect with God, or to help them have a greater connection with God,” said Galles, who will kick off the program with a free class, open to the public, Saturday in Foster Park.
The purpose of the class is two-fold: introduce people to yoga and introduce or strengthen people’s relationships to God.
Galles plans to read Scripture between songs for participants to focus on and will play Christian music throughout the class. Finally, the group will conclude with a 10- to 15-minute Christian meditation at the end of the class.
“Some people have been turned off by church,” said Galles, the group fitness director at Club Fitness 24. This kind of relaxed atmosphere might make it easier to connect, she said.
But make no mistake, she said, she hopes veteran Christians will attend as well.
Galles said it’s easy to fall into patterns in church of what is done and not done — and that kind of monotony is what she hopes to shake up with this class.
“In church, we’ve made the traditions the religion instead of an open heart for prayer,” she said.
She said stepping out of the comfort zone might be just the thing some seasoned Christians need to connect further.
Galles said she has been studying the Bible seriously for the last 12 years since becoming a Christian, and when she started looking a the Greek translations, she noticed “soul” and “spirit” more closely translated to “breath.”
She said the Hebrews understood praise to be physical as well as mental.
“With the modern culture, you’ve lost the physical aspect of worship,” she said. She said standing up and raising hands during a song might be the extent of someone’s physical worship, and she hopes to help people use their total bodies to praise.
But she said she would be remiss if she didn’t mention the laundry list of physical benefits that come from yoga, including strength, flexibility, increased range of motion and greater circulation, to name a few.
Galles said she’s gone through a year of personal hardships and the 13-year veteran fitness instructor turned to yoga to help her through the tough times.
“Yoga has helped me a lot in hard situations to focus and to find peace, and God has as well,” she said.
Galles had the idea for the class more than a year ago, but said the timing was never right for her to launch it.
But with the arrival of the fourth Baby Galles, 5-month-old Aiden, she said she felt a new wave of hope and she knew it was the right time to start the class.
“I think I was just waiting for God’s timing,” she said.
After Saturday’s kick-off class, Galles said, it will be offered weekly at Club Fitness 24.
• Erin Shultz is the Kokomo Tribune Life and Style editor. She may be reached at 765-454-8587 or erin.shultz@kokomotribune.com.
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