On March 1-2, 2018, I attended a SoulCore retreat in Indianapolis that would forever change my relationship with prayer, exercise, and my outlook on life. I humbly ask that you read this post in its entirety (and I promise to keep it as concise and focused as possible). This has been an extremely powerful experience in my life and the time you take to read this means so much to me.
Discovering SoulCore
Last August, as I was working on my classwork for my health coach certification, I began searching for exercise alternatives to yoga (I am a devout Catholic and I did not feel comfortable participating in yoga poses that were derived from another faith practice – message me for more information about this, I’d love to chat). I stumbled upon the website for SoulCore, which at a first glance appeared to be “Catholic yoga.” The website (www.soulcore.com) was very impressive and out of curiosity I purchased one exercise DVD to try it out myself. When it arrived a few days later, I excitedly downloaded it on my computer and started my first workout – which showed me very quickly how out of shape my core muscles were! I continued practicing the workout, and within a few weeks I could feel the muscles of my entire body getting stronger.
I have always had a strong devotion to the Rosary (the Catholic prayer which is the focus of these workouts) and I enjoyed the background of prayer and reflections given throughout the workout. I started pondering the possibility of sharing this experience with others by leading SoulCore classes in my area. I decided that I needed to learn more about SoulCore, so I purchased the remaining workout DVDs and submitted a preliminary application to become an official leader. Little did I know, this would be the beginning of a beautiful spiritual and physical transformation.
Over the next few months, I gradually practiced each of the other workouts (each workout is focused on a different set of meditations of the Rosary, which involves meditating on specific events in the lives of Jesus and His mother, Mary). My application was accepted and I was invited to attend a retreat, which I booked the same day I was extended the invitation!
The Retreat
Two flights and a rental car later, I arrived at the Marian Retreat Studio in Noblesville, Indiana. I had a rush of excitement as I first saw the studio in person! I had been watching the DVDs for months now and I was finally in the place where they were filmed! All of the 16 retreat participants were given an incredibly warm welcome by the retreat leaders, Colleen, Deanne, and Anne. (I recognized Colleen and Deanne immediately, as they lead the exercises in each DVD!)
The first activity was to experience our first in-person SoulCore workout together, which was so humbling and calming. We rolled out our mats and Deanne led the group in a beautiful workout and prayer sequence.
One thing that really struck me was that there were people of all ages, backgrounds, ability levels, and body types. Everyone was praying and exercising together, and I specifically noticed a strong sense of peace and serenity in the room. I would soon discover the reason for that peace.
The Heart of SoulCore
After the workout, we gathered upstairs and Colleen shared with the group the very moving story about how SoulCore came to be. This is a very long, beautiful, and personal story, which Colleen and Deanne refer to as “the Heart of SoulCore,” since it is the meaning and essence behind the powerful prayer routine. Colleen shared the struggles and heartbreak that she and her family experienced over many years, and how her faith and the Rosary was what held her and family together amidst their struggles. The Rosary provided a strong source of peace and healing for her and her relationship with the Blessed Mother grew tremendously.
Colleen began praying the Rosary while she was running, which was an opportunity to incorporate body and soul into the prayer, but when a friend suggested that she add core exercises to her routine, the inspiration to combine the Rosary with core exercises was conceived and SoulCore classes were born.
The Power of SoulCore
Remember how I said that there was a strong sense of peace and serenity when we were all present, praying the Rosary together? Well the most important revelation I had during the entire retreat was that SoulCore is a prayer paired with exercise, not exercise paired with prayer. The power that could be felt during the class was the result of 18 people bringing open hearts, willing minds, loving souls, and able bodies together to make a beautiful union of prayer first and exercise second.
So what all is involved in this powerful workout experience, you may wonder?
- All participants are positioned in a circle. (There may be 1 or 100 people, and it can be done either alone or in a group.)
- The leader walks everyone through the sequence. (Some of the exercises are always the same and some vary by session.)
- The Rosary is a meditative prayer, including 5 “decades,” or mysteries, during which events in the life of Jesus are meditated upon while reciting 1 Our Father and 10 Hail Mary prayers for each decade.
- SoulCore pairs the 1 Our Father with push-ups and the 10 Hail Mary prayers with different exercises which not only strengthen the body, but also help the participant to meditate deeper upon the specific mystery.
- Before beginning each decade, the leader announces the name of the mystery, which is the specific event in the life of Jesus (ex: the Birth of Jesus), the fruit or grace of the mystery (ex: Detachment from Material Things), and then reads an applicable Bible verse or quote.
- The entire prayer and workout ends with a brief period of rest and meditation before concluding in a short prayer of thanksgiving.
Can anyone participate in SoulCore?
YES! YES! YES! SoulCore is a prayer experience first and a workout second. At the beginning of each session, the leader clearly reminds the group to:
“Do what feels right for you on this day. This is your prayer time. Honor your body. I will model different variations for each exercise. If you need to rest at any time, please do so.”
SoulCore is typically done on exercise mats on the floor, but Silver SoulCore also exists for older adults and can be done from a chair.
During the retreat, some of the participants were discussing the possibility of offering classes based on ability level, but Colleen and Deanne clearly explained that separation is not the intent of SoulCore. Rather, SoulCore brings community together to pray. SoulCore nurtures humility, perseverance, and patience in all participants. The focus is the prayer, NOT ability.
Do you have to be Catholic?
No, not necessarily. People of all faiths are welcome to join.
Participants are silent during the entire routine. The leader says the first part of each prayer out loud and each participant silently prays the second half of the prayer in his or her mind, so it is completely alright if you do not know the prayers.
This silence is intentional, as it fosters contemplation and provides an opportunity to listen to God. Often prayer consists of talking, asking, pleading, singing, and praising – but not much time listening to and discerning God’s response to our many intentions and requests.
This meditative experience provides the opportunity for God to speak to our hearts and minds more clearly than He would otherwise be able to do amidst the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives.
Remember how at the beginning of this post I said it was an incredibly powerful experience? Well this was just one aspect of the beauty of this retreat.
Final thoughts…
There is so much incredible depth to this beautiful prayer experience. In an effort to keep my blog posts concise, I think I am going to continue this in a second post because I do not want any details to go unnoticed. I strongly encourage you to continue following my journey because there is so much more than I can explain right now. It is simply a beautiful and powerful prayer that has changed my life and the lives of countless others.
After the retreat, all participants continue a period of 60 days of discernment, prayer, and specific alignment training before becoming official leaders. I am approaching the 30-day mark, and I am appreciating the SoulCore experience more each day.
My goal is to begin offering SoulCore classes in Columbia, SC this summer. I will share more details as it gets closer, but I encourage you to consider giving SoulCore a try!
I have shared the SoulCore DVDs with two of my friends, who have enjoyed it so much that they each asked for another DVD with an additional set of mysteries!!
I thank you so much for taking the time to read about my SoulCore experience and please keep an eye out for future updates on this journey of faith & fitness!
