HEALTH and Wellness
Yoga stretches the body and the brain
By Kay Panovec
Twelve hours before giving birth to her third child, Lisa Morrison was practicing yoga, a series of postures and breathing exercises. Three years ago, she was a totally different woman. Her life was wonderful but stressful. The mother of two small children, a job, a husband, a home, Morrison’s body started to respond to the stress especially in the neck and lower back. 
A friend stepped in and invited her to attend a yoga class. A few sessions later, she was hooked. She attended a week-long retreat learning relaxation techniques and practicing yoga. Several people approached her and encouraged her to become a yoga instructor.
“I thought they were crazy and had lots of reasons why I could never teach. I don’t stand on my head, I don’t have great balance, I don’t look like a yoga teacher. ... I’m a Christian. Then in the months that followed yoga became such a passion of mine that I could no longer NOT teach. I wanted people to have this tool to health and wholeness,” she said.
Now, Morrison is a certified yoga instructor who leads classes at Spencer United Methodist Church, where her husband Tim serves as pastor.
“Let me be clear, there is no compromise of my Christian values and beliefs. Practicing yoga does not require a change in religion,” Morrison said.
She begins each class with a brief devotional time and ends each class with a statement of Christian love.
Morrison said that practicing yoga reflects how we move through life. “When we practice yoga postures we can practice noticing without judgment – such as ‘my right shoulder is tight’ instead of, ‘What’s wrong with me? She does this pose better than me.’ When we stop judging ourselves on the yoga mat, we can carry that sense of acceptance into our daily lives,” she said. Morrison also believes that the practice opens people up to experience the Divine.
“We are so hard on ourselves. We are so quick to think that we are inadequate in some way. But that’s not how God sees us. We are His beloved. God doesn’t wait until we are perfect to love us. God’s grace and love meet us where we are, right now. How transforming it could be if we could meet ourselves with that same sense of unconditional love,” she said.
Robin Coleman, who attends Morrison’s class at Spencer, has felt the difference in her own body and soul.
“Yoga has helped me by loosening all of my tight muscles. I am better able to move than before I started it. It is also a good way to relax. I think yoga is spiritual in that it allows me to be better in tune with my body, which is what God asks us to do. To treat ourselves well. Lisa reminds us of God’s love and that we are beautiful, so while doing the yoga I am drawn to God,” she said.
Morrison encourages anyone who is interested in learning more about yoga to seek a certified instructor. People with physical or medical conditions or who are not as flexible should seek an adaptive or modified class. Morrison uses some yoga practices with the patients at the Hospice of Medina County where she works as a spiritual care coordinator.
“Anyone can practice yoga. Just listen to your body, find acceptance with your body, relax and have fun,” she said.
