How do we conceptualize the body as Christians? What does it mean that we have a body? Is that just what happened when God decided to create human beings, or is there a deeper meaning behind it?

Often, we ignore our bodies when developing our relationship with God. So much of the emphasis on spiritual practices relates to the mind. But what about our bodies? What role do they play in our spiritual practice? We hear about meditation, yoga, breathing, and breathwork and sometimes are conditioned to associate these with Eastern religions. But Jesus came to earth in a body, and he healed bodies and took time away for prayer and meditation. There are multiple clues in the way that God created us that reveal that things like movement, breathwork, meditation, and rhythms of work and rest are at their deepest foundation biblical. It’s just that our Western traditions have forgotten that somewhere along the way.

Kristen is an expert on this topic as a former ballet dancer and currently a coach and fitness trainer. She reveals the majestic way that our bodies are essential to imaging God, serving others, and drawing us deeper into our faith. She experienced a severe disconnection from her body through a severe struggle with an eating disorder as a ballet dancer and later through the accumulation of untreated complex trauma. Kirsten grew up going to church, reading her bible, and pursuing a relationship with God, but she still viewed her body as a machine, mechanistically, something she should try to “keep healthy.” Kirsten didn’t see it as a part of her spiritual life. It wasn’t until Kirsten set out to become a fitness coach, training to coach pilates, indoor cycling, and barre, that she learned so much about how the body, muscles, and nervous system are all designed in such a beautiful way to work together to build strength and endurance and she marveled at the way physical training also has such an incredible impact on our thought life, our mental health and well-being. Now when Kirsten works with coaching clients or sings with the worship band in her church, she has a different viewpoint. She sees the majestic way that our bodies are essential to imaging God, serving others, and drawing us deeper into our faith.