SHANNON URTNOWSKI
Living Editor
The lights illuminating the room dimmed. A string of white, glistening light bulbs on the floor was covered with nothing but four blue mats. Music gently played in the background.
Though images of formals may enter the minds of some, this is far from the effect that Kathryn Linehan, owner of Seattle-based Studio Ignite and instructor in the art of stretch and scripture, seeks for when she prepares for her Monday night Stretch and Strengthen with Scripture. Her stretch and Scripture method is a mixture of Pilates and the embodiment of prayer.
The class, which is held Mondays between 7 and 9 p.m. in the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center, is one centered around FORM, which stands for Faith Order Rotational Movement.
“FORM is really movements that rotate, with a focus on Psalm 23,” Linehan said. “We want to be a free-form class — not too structured or rigid.”
The idea for a class centered around stretch and scripture was one that Linehan dreamed up in 2001 after feeling the need to move and stretch during a Bible study she attended with sports medicine professor Dr. Priscilla MacRae.
“She saw what I was doing and went crazy for it,” Linehan said.
Linehan created her first FORM video in 2003 and was ready to teach in 2005. MacRae encouraged her to bring her techniques to Pepperdine, and she began teaching her first class in the spring semester of 2006.
“It incorporates two things that I think are really essential to leading a well-balanced life: having a good foundation in certain scripture and also being able to stretch and relieve daily tensions of the day,” said junior Kyna Pak, a student in Linehan’s class this semester. “They are both vital to finishing the day off really strong.”
Eight students are enrolled in the class this semester, PE 592 Stretch and Strengthen with Scripture, which can be taken for 1 elective credit.
Though the class is small, Linehan said she accepts and loves it the way it is.
“There is so much feeling between all the girls,” Linehan said. “I prayed it would be a quality class, and I didn’t care how many came.”
The class is made up of all women, but Linehan said men interested in taking part can also sign up for the class.
The students in the class say they recommend it to everyone, as it provides people with ample time to grow both spiritually and physically.
“It is such a blessing to have a time of peace and reflection each Monday night,” said senior Kayleigh O’Donnell. “It is a way to memorize scripture — really dig deep into the message and to find peace and comfort within our Lord.”
The class starts with a gathering of the women around mats, listening to music that promotes calm and serenity. They discuss journals they had written earlier in the week, as they are required to write three pages a week.
“I never read their journals — it is just time for us all to reflect,” Linehan said. “It is important to just listen to God.”
Afterward, the group reads a passage from the Bible together. The passage is chosen depending on the theme that the class is scheduled to discuss during that meeting.
“She does different themes and just kind of goes with it,” said senior DeeDee Garman, a student in Linehan’s class. “It promotes physical and spiritual health, which is exactly what students need to de-stress.”
The class centers around four main themes, including calm, centered, strong and agile, and each week the girls go through 12 different movements, including lunges and arm stretches, to express these themes.
Linehan said that no matter the movements, participants are always encouraged to feel safe in their space.
“It’s a safe, spirit-led class where the girls feel so supported,” Linehan said. “It’s the spirits working, not me. We allow the space to happen and just see what comes from it.”
And, the women are encouraged to take advantage of the freedom.
“We improvise a lot,” Linehan said.
The women in the class say they appreciate Kathryn and the support she provides in whichever direction they choose to take their movements.
“Kat is an amazing, and inspiring woman of strength that dedicates herself and gives so much to the class,” O’Donnell said. “She is an incredible resource, source of hope and a spiritual motivator.”
Junior Jessica Scott, another student in the class, agrees that Linehan has been a great motivation.
“She really encourages us to think of our own movements, and, when your trying to think of various movements to put to put to Scripture, it’s hard because it’s not something you would ever really do,” Scott said. “She helps us really think about the words of the Scripture and how to express it for ourselves.”
Linehan’s class will change its name next year, but she said it will have the same core values. It will be called PE 292 FORM: Faith Ordered Rotational Movement.
Her class materials, such as her DVD, Stretch and Strengthen with Scripture, which costs $25, and pamphlet, which costs $5, can also be purchased in the Pepperdine bookstore.
Whether students take the class or purchase her materials, Linehan encourages students to explore their faith through movement.
“Movement and fellowship make Scripture so much deeper,” Linehan said. “And, this school is really ahead of its time, because Pepperdine is the only campus in the nation with this class.”
For more information on Linehan’s class or inquiries about learning how to be an instructor of FORM, visit studioignite.com.
11-09-2006