Be Free Photography/Stephanie Moors

Holy Yoga combines worship with yoga postures.

By Kristin Kalning

Jessica Heller liked what power yoga did for her body. But she loves what Holy Yoga does for her body and spirit.

Heller, 29, found the Christian-based yoga practice when she moved back to her native Phoenix from Denver. To her, the environment was more inviting, and more like a community than at a regular yoga class. And, it brought in a spiritual element that aligned with my personal belief system and resonated so much more deeply, she said.

Millions of Americans do yoga for its well-known mental and physical benefits. But some devout Christians are uncomfortable with yogas Eastern roots, and its association with Hinduism. Holy Yoga, and other Christ-centered practices such as Yoga for Christians, Scripture Yoga and Praise Moves offer the advantages of yoga, without all the "om"-ing.

We can absolutely service the people who are afraid of yoga because they thought yoga was incompatible with Christ, said Brooke Boon, founder of Holy Yoga. An avid yogi since 1998, Boon stopped practicing when she first came to her faith. But then she began spending alone time with the Lord, on my mat, and it totally awakened my practice. And in 2003, Holy Yoga was born.

Classes begin with a Bible scripture that forms the theme for the class. The poses are the same ones youd see in a secular yoga class, though instructors sometimes opt not to use the Sanskrit names. Chaturanga becomes high-to-low push-up, and Savasana is "corpse pose."

Holy Yoga classes are, according to Boon and Heller, as good or better than any class youd find in a studio. Even world class yogis will say this is amazing yoga, said Boon. And its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, with 400 instructors in 43 states and 10 countries.

Be Free Photography/Stephanie Moors

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Christian yoga: Trading 'om' for 'amen'