When we were born our parents were charged with the duties and concerns of our stewardship and as we entered young adulthood, our parents’ temporary stewardship responsibilities shifted to us.
As stewards of our body and mind we are reminded of personal responsibilities as noted in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. As we age, our personal body and mind stewardship combines with broadened responsibilities for immediate and extended family members, pet care concerns and work demands. Our bodies and minds naturally start to decline as we age and we have to find ways to maintain and sustain our health. One way to achieve that goal is to make a commitment to attend a consistent exercise program and Saint Ambrose in recognition of that need within its own community and beyond, initiated an onsite health and fitness program, which is open to everyone.
We start our class by sharing a moment of prayer as follows…
Heavenly Father, you knitted me together in my mother’s womb and designed my muscles, tendons, bones, and nerves. Help me to celebrate these gifts by guiding and protecting me as I engage in my activities today. Grant me the strength to take care of my body through healthy choices and habits and fill me with energy, vitality, and resilience which will help me to maintain a balanced, peaceful mind; free from anxiety and stress. In your holy name, I pray. Amen.
We then perform sessions involving a range of whole body exercises focused on various joints of the body. We continue with targeted anatomy discussion which enhance understanding of how different parts of the body interact. Our fitness session then continues with the eastern practices of Qigong, Shibashi and Tai Chi. The various postures of these eastern practices assist with balance, flexibility and circulation through mindful gentle free flowing movements. These intentional activities are purposely designed to make our brain state move from “distraction and overactivity” to a brain state that is “present and in the moment.” We then conclude our fitness session with a breathing meditation and the following prayer…
Heavenly Father, I praise You for the gift of health and life each Day holds. Thank you for this activity today which will help me to stay committed to improving my immune system, renewing my energy, and keeping my body strong and resilient. Please continue to help me to stay committed to my health and be a good steward of my body and mind. In your holy name I pray. Amen
As we move through life we must make choices in reference to how we are going to sustain our goal of being a good steward of our body and mind. Consider Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 – For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to breakdown and a time to build up.
Take this time to build up your body and mind stewardship…choose a fitness class, any fitness class that will help you to meet your needs and comfort level.
Authored by Angela Mitchell, St. Ambrose Parishioner
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