Practicing Grace
There are days when I step onto the mat, whether to teach or practice for myself, and I can feel it in my body right away: I’m not going to be able to go as far today.
Maybe I didn’t sleep well. Maybe I’m recovering. Maybe I’m just not there physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally. And in that moment, whether I’m alone or with 40 people in the room, I still have to choose to honor where I am.
Sometimes, I even name it out loud when I’m leading a class:
“Today I’m honoring what my body is asking for.”
And what I’ve found is that when I do, it helps others honor where they are, too.
Because yoga isn’t about matching the person next to you. It’s about listening to your body, your limits, your needs, your God. And that starts with grace.
Grace on the Mat
There are moments, scrolling through social media or stepping into a class, when I catch myself comparing, judging, or wishing I looked or moved more like them. Or I’ll open a yoga video and find myself frustrated before I’ve even made it to the first posture.
But over the years, something has shifted in me. I’ve learned to listen more closely. To extend more grace. Not just to my body but to my whole self.
The journey hasn’t been about mastering a shape or pushing past every limit. It’s been about showing up each day as I am. And letting that be enough.
Yoga has taught me that my body is not the same every day. Some days it’s strong. Some days it’s tired. Some days it surprises me. And some days it feels like I’m starting over.
But the point isn’t to always progress or perform. The point is to listen well and honor where I am today.
The Problem with Comparison
Comparison is sneaky. Sometimes it whispers, “You should be able to do that by now.” Other times it shouts, “Look at them…why even bother?“
But the truth is, God didn’t create us to be carbon copies of each other. After all, how boring would that be!?
And in Christian yoga, the goal isn’t aesthetic, it’s connection. It’s worship. It’s showing up in our God-given bodies and meeting God there.
The more I’ve let go of what I think I should look or sometimes even feel like, the more space I’ve found for joy, breath, and stillness.
I’ve learned to smile when I catch myself listening to my body instead of overriding it. I’ve learned to see that moment of listening as a spiritual practice. A form of prayer.
Working With, Not Against, My Body
This doesn’t mean I’ve stopped challenging myself. Growth matters. Effort matters.
But I’ve learned that working with my body rather than against it changes everything.
Some days I need to rest. Some days I feel like moving deeper. Some days I’m recovering. Some days I need to play. And all of that is holy.
By honoring what’s true in the moment, I take care of this gift I’ve been given. And I stay connected to God, to my breath, and to what’s happening inside me.
If I Can’t Offer Grace to Myself…
This practice of embodied grace has reshaped how I live off the mat, too.
- If I can’t have grace for myself, how can I authentically offer it to others?
- If I don’t listen to my own body and respect what it’s telling me, how can I listen well to others or to God?
Yoga has helped teach me empathy from the inside out. It’s trained me to recognize and release judgment. To pay attention. To meet myself with kindness and extend that same posture of grace to others.
Biblical Grace for the Body and Soul
There’s a moment in Scripture I come back to often: 1 Kings 19. The prophet Elijah, after a great spiritual battle, is burned out, afraid, and alone. He wants to give up.
And what does God do?
God doesn’t scold him or tell him to keep pushing. God sends an angel to tell him to eat, drink, and rest. Then Elijah sleeps again. And the angel returns with more food and rest.
“The journey is too much for you.” (1 Kings 19:7 NIV)
This is grace. Grace that sees the limits of the body and honors them. Grace that doesn’t ask us to push through at all costs, but invites us to receive what we need, right where we are.
Grace Is Foundational
This is the invitation of grace:
Not to do more.
Not to be more.
But to receive more of God’s love, God’s presence, and God’s peace right now.
And the more I return to my mat with this mindset, the more I experience yoga not as performance, but as communion.
Grace isn’t the reward at the end of a “good” practice.
Grace is the starting point. The ground beneath your feet.
A Few Reminders for the Journey
If you’re in a season where your body feels different, where comparison is creeping in, or where frustration is louder than peace, let me offer a few reminders I return to often:
- You are not behind. You’re right where you need to be.
- You are not failing. You’re learning to listen.
- You don’t have to earn rest. God gives it freely.
- You don’t need to force your body. It is already good.
Let grace be the breath that carries you.
Let compassion shape your movement.
Let kindness lead the way.
Want More Grace-Centered Christian Yoga?
If this reflection resonates with you, I’d love to invite you to explore our YouTube channel. There, you’ll find Christian yoga classes that are gentle, thoughtful, Scripture-rooted, and filled with grace for wherever you are today.
You don’t have to come strong or flexible or perfect.
You just have to come as you are.
God will meet you there.
