Soul Care Yoga ✨ Soul Care Yoga ✨

Soul Care Yoga ✨ Soul Care Yoga ✨

Soul Care Yoga fuses the spiritual practice of Yoga with Contemplative Practices and Spiritual Direction style questions and reflection. It is movement, meditation, reflection and awareness of self and God to enrich and nourish your soul. It's a space of grace on your mat to be and become, and to connect intentionally with the Divine.

Learn more about Soul Care Yoga below.

About Soul Care Yoga

‘What do you do that is outside of your body?’ It sounds like a trick question and, I suppose, it kind of is...

Everything we do happens within our physical selves. Our brain sends electrical signals through our body to make our arms and fingers move, our eyes are helping us read, our belly grumbles and we notice we are hungry, we feel joyful and we notice our heartbeat skip and face smile. Bringing our body into our practice of intentional connection with God allows for us to live fully embodied, acknowledging our bodies as good and our full lives as full of the Divine.

Yoga (asana (seat/posture), pranayama (breathwork), dhyana (meditation)) is a spiritual practice that has the ability to connect body, mind and spirit in a beautiful way that can result in a deeper understanding and acceptance of self, can draw you deeper to God and has the ability to facilitate an embodied spiritual discipline you may find yourself coming back to again and again.

When Yoga is fused with Contemplative Practices that invite us to become aware of and rest in the Loving Presence of God, and Spiritual Direction style contemplative and evocative questions to explore our current understanding and awareness of God, we enter into a truly embodied experience, leaving out no part of our selves as we enter deeper into relationship with ourselves and the Divine.

This is Soul Care Yoga. This is embodied spirituality.

What is Soul Care Yoga like?

A class of Soul Care Yoga often focuses on a specific theme. From this theme, we reflect on our understanding and application in our life, learn more the topic itself, move on our mats, journal reflections, and meditate to invite a deepening understanding and facilitate intentional connection to God.

We begin our session with a time of theme exploration involving getting curious about our current understanding and awareness of the theme and how it relates to us and our relationship with God. This time may involve journaling, or taking time to notice our internal and external reactions and responses.

From there, we move into a time of deepening of breath and a breathwork, before entering into our movement. The theme is brought into the class, allowing the ideas and concepts we are exploring to move through our body, getting energy moving, and perhaps inviting a new depth of understanding or surprising experience.

As your teacher, I am here to guide the movement by verbal and physical cueing, to offer points of rest and pause throughout the movement for additional reflection and to ground us back into our theme, and to encourage each student to move in a way that honours their unique and beautiful body.

The session ends with a guided contemplative practices to further ground into Christ and the theme of our session. From imaginative prayer to Lectio Divina, this is space to intentionally spend time being with God, and to enjoy the presence of the Divine. It’s a space of attentive ‘be-ing’ with God. Students may be encouraged to journal additional reflections as the class ends.

  • Here's what people are saying about Soul Care Yoga

    "Thank you so much for the time and energy you put into this and the thoughtful design. You're a gifted teacher! I really appreciated being able to attend virtually as it's hard for me to get out to a class. And the replays were very useful! Some of the meditations at the end were really impacting, in particular when we envisioned anticipating the arrival of Jesus and imagined ourselves in that setting long ago."

  • Here's what people are saying about Soul Care Yoga

    "I have never done a public yoga class, so I was relieved to find it accommodating yet challenging. Aelea made me feel comfortable through her clear instructions and the reminder that it is our practice and therefore not to compare ourselves to others. I focused on my breaths, my intentions and my own movement. It was wonderful!"

  • Here's what people are saying about Soul Care Yoga

    "I love the variety of classes and how you introduced a yin session and a peak pose session. The use of the strap was also interesting to learn and try something new. It’s [the meditation at the end of class] one of my favourite parts where I truly get to unwind and be in complete relaxation so I can connect with God."

  • Here's what people are saying about Soul Care Yoga

    "I appreciated the inclusivity of the movement portion, that welcomed the full range of attendees, from yoga teachers to rookies, enveloping us all in a seemingly effortless swoop of gentle leadership. It was beautiful. The movements so thoughtfully woven into the soul-pouring journaling, with the grand finale of being immersed in sprinkles was priceless. Inexplicable, really. If a moment could be captured, bottled, held on to in a way that could be revisited, I would love for it to be that moment."

Let’s Practice Together

When is the next virtual session?

Virtual Soul Care Yoga sessions are held over Zoom seasonally, running for 4 or 5 consecutive weeks. Click HERE to see which session is coming up next, and how to join!

When is the next in-person class or retreat?

In-person Soul Care Yoga classes and retreats are held periodically throughout the year. Click HERE to see when the next class or retreat is!

Can you come to my small group, church, or retreat to share?

I would be honoured to! Continue scrolling to find the ‘Guest Instructor’ form to fill out.

  • Soul Care Yoga is for any person who is curious to explore their faith and current relationship, experience, and understanding of God through the modality of yoga.

  • YES! You are welcome to join if you've never stepped foot on a mat before!

    You may be surprised by how many of the shapes you've already made with your body just while standing, sitting, and stretching.

    I am here to guide you through the class and will both cue verbally, describing how to get in and out of each shape, and will demonstrate with my own body.

    During the class, I will encourage you to both listen and respond to your own body, finding what feels best for you in your body, and encouraging autonomy.

  • While we are rooted in Christ, I acknowledge that we all come together with different beliefs, experiences, and understandings of what it looks like to explore our faith.

    The umbrella of Christianity is wide and holds space for all denominations and beliefs. While there are moments of teaching on our theme for our class or series woven into each class, you are then offered space to explore this and how it shifts, expands, or challenges your own understanding and experience of God.

    Chances are, we all believe things a little differently, and that, to me, is a beautiful representation of the mosaic of the kingdom of God here. on earth.

  • There are many different styles of yoga. You have heard of of names like Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, or more. Each of these is a different style of yoga with a different focus.

    Soul Care Yoga would be considered Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of Devotion. We are practicing the yoga of devotion on the path of Christ.

  • If you are joining a Virtual Soul Care Yoga Series you'll need;

    • Zoom, which is available for free and can be used on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. For classes, I recommend on a computer (perhaps even streamed to your tv!) or a tablet.

    • A workout mat. Any kind of workout may will work. It it used to add grip and cushioning while you move.

    • Comfortable clothing that is easy to move in.

    • A water bottle.

    • Optional; a journal. For times a journal is needed for a portion of a class, you will be informed before the session so you can be prepared when you arrive.

    If there are ever any 'props' you need, you'll be informed before the class. A prop might include a pillow, or something like a yoga strap like a scarf or a tie. It's all about accessibility and working with what you have available to you.

  • Yes! I would absolutely LOVE to join you for a Soul Care Yoga class tailored to your specific group and event!

    Click HERE to learn how I can serve you and your group with Soul Care Yoga, facilitating additional sessions, or Spiritual Direction.

    OR fill out the form below.

    I am so excited to share my practice with you.

FAQs

Guest Instructor

If you’re planning a retreat or gathering for a large or small group, or are part of a ministry hosting a retreat or gathering, and are interested, I am more than happy to join you and offer Soul Care Yoga for those attending. .

If you’re interested, fill out the form below and let’s connect about your upcoming retreat or gathering and how soul care yoga can enhance your time of rest, nourishment and intentional connection to God.

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