Mandy England Cole, Alliance vice-president, associate pastor, Alliance-affiliated Sardis Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C.

There is this tension knot in my shoulder that is my constant companion.  For years it has been reliable and predictable.   As my schedule becomes chaotic, as unexpected stress creeps up, as I butt up against all the things that are frustratingly out of my control, the knot radiates its pain and beckons me to pay   attention to this body that I am. 
 
A lack of taking care of this body is nothing new.  I’ve ignored doctors' advice to exercise and be more mindful of what I eat.  Most recently, while pregnant with Carter, I continued to push my body even as my blood pressure spiked and the doctor demanded rest.  And really, I know better.  I know that this is the only chance at a body that I get; I know my genetic disposition; and I know, I know, I know.  Something has shifted within me, however, and now I am connecting my life as a body with my life as a spirit.

While in California during the Alliance of Baptists annual convocation, I participated in a worship service that introduced me to the spiritual practice of movement.  Cynthia Winton-Henry (one of the founders of InterPlay) stood up to lead worship and simply radiated a combination of peace and power.  She led us to use our bodies in worship by taking a deep breath and letting it out with an audible sigh.  She also encouraged us to run our hands over our skin to remind us that we are indeed a body.  We swayed and stomped as we sang songs and we even let our hands dance.  It was all very California and it did bring out the skeptic in me.  But beyond my discomfort at trying something new (and a little silly), it was as if something snapped into place within me.

So, when I saw that she was offering a workshop the following day I was excited at the chance to learn more.  I admit that it really pushed me beyond my controlled comfort zone.  But my reward for doing so was one of the most lovely prayer experiences of my life.  And so my journey towards worshiping God with all that I am, even this body I am, began.

In these months following my introduction to movement as spiritual practice, I find myself changed.  For the first time, I understand and know how intrinsically connected mind, sprit, and body are.  The incarnation has taken on new life as I embrace the ways God is breathing in my own being.  I notice when I’ve been rushing around physically and pushing my limits, and as I take a few minutes to breathe, center, or pray with my body I feel myself grounded once again.  Even as I use the weight equipment at the gym I sense my spirit growing stronger through the joy of my body growing stronger. 

And what of that pesky tension knot?  Well, it still comes up from time to time although not as chronically.  However, I now welcome it as a reminder to pay attention to nurturing my body as spiritual practice.  It is my body’s call to prayer; a call to dance in the worship of the God who danced in creation.