Weeks 59-60: The demons of exercise

The beginning of a new contract/school year, a new schedule, a lack of actual classes, and the beginning of the end of my time here. I felt like I needed to re-vamp my life in some ways so I could be refreshed and ready to do a third year of very rewarding but intense and stressful work. I want to get the most out of this year and become who God really wants me to be. Of course, when seeking these things, the answer is to turn to God and seek the spirit in order to renew and prepare your spirit. And while I am doing those things, I also turned to other things- lifestyle changes like exercising regularly. So I joined a gym and began taking fitness classes about 4 times per week so I actually work out. Sounds pretty good in theory, right? Nothing wrong with exercise.

Well, if you're thinking that, you're forgetting who you're dealing with here. If there's anyone who can turn something like taking fitness classes and turn it into the catalyst for an existential crisis, it's this girl. Who else goes to a fitness class and thinks about the theology behind what the instructor is saying?

Nonetheless, let's explore this. Let's take a theological trip through the many fitness classes of my gym. First, I went to Zumba, one of my favorites and something I had done before. It's a really fun workout that you don't realize is a work-out. Lots of modified salsa/latin (and a touch of hip hop) dance. And while I love it, a lot of the moves are pretty sexual and in a way, it's not exactly biblical as if you did these moves in front of anyone (and didn't suck at it, like I do) you might be "leading your brother to sin." A large focus of the moves is looking sexy and cool. Zumba's motives are fun and fitness with a hint of lust and vanity.

Next you have spin which is really not that terrible except that you spend an hour spinning in circles not going anywhere, listening to angry music to push through the pain with no forward movement. And besides, you get just as much of a work out from riding a horse for an hour and it's much more fun (albeit more expensive). If there's anything good about spin it's that there are old ladies in those classes who can kick your butt. At least it humbles your pride.

I have gone to a number of yoga classes at my gym- some very different from what I'm used to. I have been going to yoga on and off for years and found myself enjoying a class that was less of a boot-camp/pushy work out and more of the spiritual side of yoga. But then it hit me, and after talking to my friend, really began to bother me that yoga in many ways was idolatry. First off, it is used as a religious practice in some ways and yoga in hinduism is not comparable to communion in Christianity, imagine how Christians would feel if some new age-y craze swept India and people began having communion but altering it to suit their needs- maybe turning it into some kind of party (pass the wine!) or simply partaking in all the traditions without truly believing it. In Yoga in America we use the same phrases, we bow, we speak of things like the "third eye," but we practice them without believing them. Aside from all this, as it is religious practice, in a way there is idolatry in that aspect if you are going along with really any of the spiritual aspects of yoga. Additionally, simply the phrases and beginning/ending of yoga practices have a self-focus. Yoga asks us to turn into the self, give ourselves gratitude, bow to ourselves and one another- in a way, it is self worship. In many ways in yoga, you make yourself an idol. Then there are the salutations to God's creation- but in many ways, if we are not careful, we find ourselves worshiping the created and not the creator. Of course, the creator is given much credit in Yoga- but there is too much credit ALSO given to the created (including ourselves).

All of these thoughts really bothered me. I love yoga and loved attending but found myself torn at a few yoga classes. There is nothing wrong with yoga as simply an exercise but the problem comes when it is misused- primarily when people do not see the danger. Typical yoga classes simply include phrases (like, "give yourselves gratitude," "bow to yourself")that are not scriptural and are bad theology so when we here them or think it is ok to adopt them, things can get very sticky. I found that I was ok with yoga as long as I turned my thoughts out to God and skipped the bowing to myself/using phrases that implied theological statements I would not agree with. But for a while, I began to have a yoga crisis. Ridiculous, I know.
So, there you have it- Yoga bring idolatry in the form of self and nature/creation worship.

Finally, I tried a Body Combat (Les Mills) class. Body Combat was incredibly fun and a great workout but I could not get over the ideas behind it. Part of my issues go with my job related instincts to defend, hold, and contain rather than attack, punch, and knock down. But at the same time, these instincts are healthier and of he spirit, I think. In Body Combat the instructor would yell things like, "take that person down! These are not aerobics knees, these are cracking-someone's-head-on-your-knee knees!" Or, "I don't know what this person did but they deserve it- elbow them in the face!" "Look at that person and punch them! Knock them out!" The aggression, the anger behind the movements was bothersome. Most of all, the concept of retribution and justice that we take it upon ourselves to enact rather than forgiveness or rehabilitation. So, here you have not doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, aggression and rage.

I punched and kicked through Body Combat class, enacting some twisted justice on an invisible opponent and wondering if all the theology behind so many forms of exercise was rooted in some sin/some terrible theology. But here's the thing about group fitness rooms: They have mirrors. The instructor then said, "take a look in front of you at your opponent," and there I saw myself. All this sin that I pointed fingers at in all of these exercise classes was just a product of the self- and in my case, MYself. My only opponent in exercise, in life- the only opponent I am taking down in body combat is my (intentional space) self. Hopefully this year I can do a little bit better with killing my self off and replacing it with the Spirit.