Learning to Listen: How Christian Yoga Teaches Me to Feel and Live More Fully
One of the greatest gifts Christian yoga has given me is the ability to listen better.
I don’t just mean generally as in “pay more attention to my body.” I mean specifically. Tangibly. In a way that’s actually changed how I live, move, and connect with God and others.
We all know what it means to “feel in our body,” but yoga has helped me realize that there’s a depth to that which I had never touched before. It’s not just about being present in a general sense. It’s about paying attention in a way that’s mindful, curious, and rooted in the specific moment.
Getting Specific on the Mat
Christian yoga has taught me to name what I feel and to be precise about it. That’s when transformation starts.
In Mountain Posture, I notice the weight of my feet pressing down into the mat. I feel the way my toes spread and how the arches of my feet or fall. I sense the balance of weight from left to right, heel to ball. These small cues help me feel grounded, not just physically, but spiritually.
In Warrior 2, I feel my legs wake up. The distance between my feet changes the entire experience. My front knee and the angle of the knee bend, my back leg and the distance between my feet, my hips and their rotation, my arms stretched wide and the strength through my arms. I even notice where my eyes are focused and what that says about my inner attention.
In Cat/Cow, I feel my spine move with my breath. I notice how my belly button pulls toward my spine in Cat and how it expands in Cow. I feel the way my shoulders shift and the openness, or resistance, in my chest.
It’s all so specific. So embodied.
And these specific observations aren’t just physical. They become spiritual. They help me recognize where I am emotionally, mentally, even relationally. The physical helps me go deeper. It’s like a window to see what’s going on underneath the surface. So while I’ve always had a body, I haven’t always listened to it. Not like this.
Specificity Becomes a Spiritual Practice
You might think it’s silly that noticing my feet in Mountain would help me notice my kids at the dinner table. Or that feeling my shoulders in Eagle Arms could help me hear the Holy Spirit in a hard conversation.
But it does.
Because the way we show up on the mat often reflects how we show up in life.
When I slow down enough to notice the sensations in my body, I learn to slow down and notice the sensations in my spirit. When I honor the limitations and strength of my body, I become more gracious with the limitations and strength of others. When I notice that my right hip feels different than my left, I remember that my friend or spouse or neighbor might be carrying something I don’t see.
Listening to the body becomes a doorway to living more compassionately.
The Body Is Not a Barrier
I think for a long time, I thought my body was a bit of a barrier. Something to deal with, to push through. Something that got in the way of prayer or stillness or worship. I didn’t always feel safe in my body, or comfortable, or present.
But I’ve learned that my body is not the enemy of my spiritual life. It’s the place where I meet God. It’s the place where I live out love. It’s a space of wisdom, presence, and connection.
Christian yoga has helped me experience that in a real, lived way.
It’s made me a better listener not only on the mat, but at the table, in conversation, in prayer, in ministry, and in rest.
From the Mat to the World
This is why I teach Christian yoga.
Because I want others to experience what happens when we slow down, breathe deeply, and actually listen, not just to God in the abstract, but to God in this very moment. In the body. In the breath.
When we learn to listen specifically, to name what we feel, to be present with our bodies and our thoughts, we begin to notice what God is saying, where God is moving, and how we might respond with grace.
Christian yoga gives us space to practice that. To develop a spiritual rhythm of listening and honoring. Not just to get more flexible or calm, but to live more fully. To live more like Jesus.
And that, to me, is a practice worth returning to again and again.
Want to Experience It for Yourself?
If you’re curious about what it means to feel more present in your body, deepen your connection with God, and live with greater awareness, we’d love for you to explore our free Christian yoga classes on YouTube.
And if you’re ready to go deeper, our membership includes guided practices, resources, and a supportive community to help you grow in body, mind, and spirit.
Your body is not a barrier to God. It’s a space to meet God. Let’s practice listening, together.
