With Elizabeth Gross CYT-500

8 Weeks: March 1st-April 16th (weekly date/times listed below)

Christ the King Episcopal Church / 3021 NY-213, Stone Ridge, NY 12484

By donation

Out of the Depths is an 8-week series of in-person contemplative yoga and lectio divina classes, meeting weekly from Saturday, March 1st through Wednesday, April 16th (60min). This class series is for you if you want to turn your focus to Lent in a deeper way through contemplative practice.

Lent is the liturgical season when we reflect on Christ’s journey toward death on the cross, preceding Easter. It’s a time when we can compassionately witness suffering within ourselves and our world as a crucial step toward deeper growth and healing.

During this lectio divina series, we will make space to connect with the sacred role that surrender plays in our lives. We will spend our time together for yoga asana, a practice of prayerful movement, and lectio divina, a practice of reading and reflecting on a contemplative text, before sitting quietly for breath-work, meditation and prayer.

Each class within this series will blend accessible yoga postures with lectio divina (contemplative prayer on a sacred text), breath connection and journaling, so you can experience a well rounded, introspective practice during our time together. My intention is that by the end of the 8 weeks, you'll have a deepened appreciation for Lent and feel anchored within a contemplative prayer practice as you move through your daily life.

Who this class series is for:

This class series is for those who would like to:

• connect to the deeper significance of Lent

• explore core principles of contemplative spirituality

• learn contemplative practices such as lectio divina and yoga asana in an accessible way

• engage or re-connect with an authentic spiritual practice

• receive encouragement, support and care alongside others also fostering an embodied faith practice

What we will be doing during our time together:

This contemplative yoga class series is intended to help connect your life in a deep and meaningful way to the season of Lent through your body and heart, which can often lack attention in our busy, modern lives. This class is appropriate for both beginners to yoga and/or contemplative practices/a deeper exploration of faith. 

With a spacious time for practice, we will:

• explore yoga asana which support the body’s natural processes associated with both Lent and our guiding text

• reflect on the Cloud of Unknowing (Translation by William Johnston), our guiding text, through journaling prompts and sharing

• practice lectio divina, or contemplative prayer on the meaning we find within our guiding text

• digest our experiences within stillness through breath-work and meditation

• explore how to apply our practice to our lives off the mat for a contemplatively rooted Lent season

The yoga practice we will engage with during the course of this series will be a slow paced sequence of accessible postures, suitable for beginners. If you are new to yoga or would like to ease back into your practice, Lent is a great time to start. We will explore foundational postures of yoga with a gentle approach. Variations will be offered for those who want either greater challenge or a lighter approach to the yoga practice.

If you can’t attend all of the classes:

Though you will get the most out of this series if you attend all of the classes, if you need to miss one or two:

• Continue to read along the text for the week, which is listed below

• Engage in your own practice at home using the framework of our previous classes together

How to Register for Out of the Depths:

If you’d like to join this course, please do the following:

• Email Reverend Marcella Gillis at rector@ctkstoneridge.org to secure your spot for this course. 

• Add class dates and readings/themes to your calendar: 

  • Session 1: Sat 3/1 10-11am / Settling into our practice

    Session 2: Wed 3/5 (Ash Wed) 4-5pm / Introduction and Forward (p. 1-35)

    Session 3: Sat 3/15 10-11am / Chapters 1-8 (p. 36-51)

    Session 4: Sat 3/22 10-11am / Chapters 9-22 (p. 51-69)

    Session 5: Sat 3/29 10-11am / Chapters 23-36 (p. 69-84)

    Session 6: Sat 4/5 10-11am / Chapters 37-49 (p. 84-100)

    Session 7: Sat 4/12 10-11am / Chapters 50-62 (p. 100-118)

    Session 8: Wed 4/16 (Holy Wed) 4-5pm / Chapters 63-75 (p. 118-134)

• Make sure you have access to the following materials:

  • A journal and your favorite writing utensil

  • A copy of The Cloud of Unknowing by William Johnston

  • Optional:

    • Your own yoga mat and additional suggested yoga props: a bolster, 2 yoga blocks, a yoga strap and blanket. Yoga mats and props will be provided if you do not have your own. 

    • The podcast Turning to the Mystics with James Finley: Season 5 on The Cloud of Unknowing (first episode can be found here), which can be listened to as our sessions progress in order to help further break open our guiding text.

• This class series is made available by donation through Christ the King.

  • If you would like to offer a donation, you may do so all at once at the beginning of the series, or each week you plan to attend class. Suggested donation is $10-15 per class, or $80-$120 for the series. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Elizabeth Gross (BA, CATP, CYT) is a contemplative care practitioner based in Kingston, NY. Elizabeth helps individuals experiencing life and death transitions navigate grief and loss as journeys towards deeper self awareness and reverence for the mystery of life. Elizabeth weaves her training as an herbalist, yoga instructor, end of life doula, Thai Yoga bodyworker, and willow casket weaver into many of her offerings. Her Catholic upbringing and adult reclaimation of Christianity through its mystical and contemplative traditions greatly influences the way she approaches her work with her clients and students.

Have a question about this series?

Ask below! Please allow for 1-2 business days for a response. Thank you.