Although the Church has never condemned the practice of yoga, some Catholics avoid it because of its roots in Hinduism. As a result, there are Catholic alternatives to yoga that seek to foster physical, mental and spiritual health through exercise and meditation.
One such alternative is Pietra Fitness, which has certified instructors throughout the United States and in Australia.
Locally, Maria Elliott, a wife and mother of four who attends Worthington St. Michael Church, became a certified Pietra instructor in 2018. Before her involvement in Pietra, Elliott practiced yoga but wanted a program that incorporated her faith as well.
“I wanted something that honored the interconnectedness of my body, mind and soul and the truth of who God created me to be,” she said. “I searched the internet and found Pietra Fitness. (It) offered an alternative that provided the same fruits that I was seeking: strength and renewal of body, mind and soul that included the goodness, beauty and truth of the Catholic faith.”
Because no classes were offered in her area, Elliott participated in Pietra via DVDs and was certified through online learning. She now offers classes for women and children that can be scheduled through her website, viribuswellness.com.
Each class is roughly an hour long but can be shortened to 30 minutes for certain groups. The Pietra classes for kids are described on Elliott’s website as “Child-centered (classes) and meditations to build strength, confidence, and relaxation.” The classes can be taken by youth sports teams, for example, to enhance performance.
Pietra offers three class levels, dependent on participants’ goals. The gentle level provides relief from stress and anxiety while the intermediate level promotes strength and invigoration. The advanced level develops strength, flexibility, balance and endurance.
Elliott said she opens each Pietra class with prayer intentions. These include “the intentions of the pope and all bishops, priests and religious, including the chaplain of Pietra Fitness.”
The organization’s chaplain, Father Ezra Sullivan, OP, is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Joseph. He has studied yoga extensively and written articles on its origins and purpose that can be found on Pietra’s website, pietrafitness.com.
Following prayer intentions, Elliott’s class moves onto the Sign of the Cross, an opening prayer and a Scripture reading. Participants then engage in deep breathing “to calm the mind and nervous system,” she said.
“(We then do exercises) of strengthening and stretching. Several times (throughout) the workout, a bodily prayer posture is held (that is) based on the bodily prayer poses of St. Dominic, while a prayer is offered.”
According to the Racine Dominicans, a community of Catholic sisters and lay associates who claim St. Dominic as one of their patrons, the saint was often called the “athlete of Christ” because he “prayed in ways that were physically demanding, … (and) he prayed with great grace and agility.”
He is mentioned on Pietra’s website along with Sts. Francis, Benedict, Teresa of Avila and others as saints “whose prayers, teachings, and examples have guided us along our journey.”
The main patron saint of Pietra, however, is St. Peter. According to the organization’s website, the name Pietra was chosen because it means “rock” in Italian. “St. Peter is the rock of the Church,” the website says. “We are confident that his intercession will keep Pietra Fitness firmly grounded on the strongest of foundations: Christ himself.”
Elliott said that a crucifix is displayed at each Pietra class, “(and) sacred Gregorian chant music (is) offered at the final resolution pose and prayer.” There is no chanting or verbal prayer throughout the class. “Pietra is more of a contemplative practice,” Elliott said. Participants “prayerfully participate without reciting prayers, but silently listen and pray.”
Asked about her own practice, Viribus Wellness, Elliott said it’s “in the beginning stages of becoming a wellness and counseling practice with a mission to help individuals and families to become strong, healthy, and well in mind, body and spirit.”
She said she plans to “provide mental/emotional health counseling, nutrition education and counseling, and various other programs for women, men and families seeking strength and renewal.”
Elliott, who has worked in ministry and counseling with families and individuals of all ages, said she is passionate about “helping someone live their true, pure self – the self that God sees and God created.”
For more information, or to schedule a Pietra class, visit Elliott’s website, viribuswellness.com.