my body carries my soul

One of my yoga students asked a really great question a couple of days ago.  She said, “Rachel, in [holy] yoga class, you said that the body and soul are one. I have just always viewed the body and soul as 2 separate beings so I wanted to understand what you meant by that.”

I’m not a theologian or an anatomy expert, but I will venture to share my thoughts on this one.  I speak from personal experience.

I believe that we are created with a body, mind, and soul.  Though they are individual parts and each part serves a different purpose, they cannot be separated.

I’ve noticed that the more I connect with, and care for my own body, the more intimate is the relationship with my Creator and the more peace I have in my soul.  In fact, I’ve connected more deeply with my God in the woods or on my yoga mat than I have in a church pew, with a still body.  It makes perfect sense that movement invites my soul to be restored; after all, my body carries my soul.

My body also carries my mind.  When I’m stressed about an issue with my work, I’m probably storing it in my belly or shoulders. I may not notice it right away, but it’s there. And, it’s likely to stay there, piling up and holding tension until I give it some attention.  Yet, if my mind is clear and still, my body feels lighter, stronger, calmer.

I liken the relationship of my mind, body, and soul to the relationship of the father, son, and holy spirit in the Trinity.  If you’re familiar with the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, you know that the three are different and have distinct offerings. The father is not the son.  The son is not the holy spirit.  The holy spirit is not the father.  Yet, they are all God.  My body is not my soul.  My soul is not my mind.  My mind is not my body.  But, they are all me. To fully receive what my God has for me, I must get to know each of his parts.  And to fully live as I’m created to live, I must get to know (and care for) each of my parts.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this!  What do you notice about the connection between your body, mind, and soul?  Are they balanced or does one of them dominate?