Strengthening Bodies and Souls

By Emily Chaffins -

PINECREST | Ashley Marie Anduiza first attended a SoulCore class at St. Louis Parish in Pinecrest in 2021, changing her life forever. The experience of praying the rosary while engaging in light exercises designed to encourage contemplation had a profound impact on the young woman.

“It was a small class, only about six of us,” she recalled. “I remember feeling that really peaceful, prayerful atmosphere, being able to use my body to express my interior prayer life.”

As time progressed, however, SoulCore classes were not as widely available in the Miami-Dade area as they were in Broward, .

“I couldn’t find any ongoing classes at that time, so it sparked my interest to become a teacher to help further spread the SoulCore practice in my local area,” said the young pharmaceutical distributor account manager from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Kendall.

Anduiza became a certified SoulCore instructor and initiated her first public class at St. Louis Parish on July 27. While meditating on the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary, participants engaged in full-body exercises, from the neck lo legs stretches, as well as performing core-strengthening exercises. The session lasted about an hour.

The turnout exceeded Anduiza’s expectations: more than 30 people, mostly women, lined up on exercise mats throughout the St. Louis Family Center. Participants ranged in age from teenagers to seniors citizens.

Anduiza believes that SoulCore caters to the community’s interests.

“I think I really saw, because of the turnout and the pre-class responses, that there’s a need and hunger for SoulCore,” she said. “Nowadays, people are paying attention to their health. SoulCore gives them the chance to exercise and move their bodies with prayer.”

According to Anduiza, SoulCore provides an important counterpoint to yoga. As the SoulCore website explains, “A movement all its own, SoulCore is not affiliated with any other fitness disciplines. More specifically, it is not yoga, nor are yoga poses or Sanskrit referenced at any time.”

In American society, there is a “confusion with yoga,” Anduiza said.

During the SoulCore class at St. Louis, participants spread out their fitness mats on the floor under string lights, while relaxing guitar music played in the background. The lights were dim. A statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was front and center, surrounded by roses and candles to promote a prayerful atmosphere.

Before beginning the rosary, Anduiza introduced participants to three key exercise positions.

The first position, which accompanied each “Our Father,” was push-ups.

The second position, known as the “surrender position,” came into play during the “Glory Be.” First, participants prostrate themselves as they silently pray for specific intentions. They have upturned palms in an attitude of “receiving the graces Our Lord and Mother Mary are showering down on us,” as Anduiza put it.

The third position is the “resting position,” in which participants lie on their stomachs with their eyes closed as they meditate on the Gospel readings and reflections before each mystery of the rosary.

During each “Hail Mary,” participants engaged in various stretches and exercises. The physical element is intended to enhance rather than distract from prayer, which is evident in exercises such as doing squats while folding the hands in prayer.

Some exercises were directly related to imaginative prayer, such as a form of stretching that accompanies a prayer to God the Father, as described by Anduiza: “Wrap your arms around your chest and bow forward. Think of our Father, God, with his big, strong arms around us. Think about how he’s taking care of every situation in our lives. Now open your arms, opening up your chest, give it right back to him.”

After the rosary, participants spent time in silence recalling the fruits of the Joyful Mysteries: humility (the Annunciation), charity (the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth), detachment from the world (the Nativity), purity of heart (the presentation of Jesus in the Temple), and piety (the finding of Jesus in the Temple). The goal, as Anduiza said, is to “turn my life and will over to the will of God and act on it.”

SoulCore promotes “getting stronger in our bodies as we strengthen our relationship with the Lord,”  Anduiza noted.

Kayla Duque, a Pilates instructor from Sacred Heart Parish in Homestead, agreed that exercising while praying enhances the experience of prayer.

“Our bodies and souls are connected,” Duque said. “When we include the body in prayer, it’s the full expression of what you’re trying to offer to God.”

Duque also pointed towards the social benefits of SoulCore. “It’s a nice way to come together and form community. It’s good to exercise together.”

Maria Rosero-Barros, a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes and a kindergarten teacher, came with a female friend. Rosero-Barros pointed out the benefits specifically for women .

“Women are non-stop, whether they’re single or married,” she said. “SoulCore forces you to stay still for one hour – except you’re being active [with your body,] and without realizing it, a whole weight is lifted. As women, we try to have control over everything, and with SoulCore, we realize we’re God’s disciples.”

She also spoke about the physical benefits of mixing exercise and prayer.

“My old Emmaus leader did a meeting about being intentional, and she said when she goes to the gym, she dedicates the workout to God, and she noticed that she works out harder,” she said. “It’s like when you pay for something, you’re going to do it. When I dedicate my workout to God [or other people], as I do it for them, I sweat harder. I feel so good because I’m doing it for someone.”

Frank Anduiza, Jr. – Ashley Marie’s brother, who attended with his sisters and mother – also pointed out a third dimension to SoulCore’s benefits. “It’s good for mental health,” he noted.

Ashley Marie Anduiza plans to provide SoulCore classes in St. Louisat least twice a month, as well as to expand into the Kendall area. Her goal is to keep the SoulCore movement active for the men and women of Miami-Dade.

FIND OUT MORE

• To learn more about upcoming SoulCore classes at St. Louis Parish contact Ashley Marie Anduiza at [email protected].
• For those who live outside of  Miami-Dade, Blessed Trinity Parish in Miami Springs and St. Bonaventure Parish and St. David Parish in Davie also host SoulCore classes.