BATH — A three-part worshop series — Yoga for the Soul — will take place July 13, 20 and 27 at the Bath Church of the New Jerusalem.

The simple, discussionstyle service — designed especially for the summer — will focus on the usefulness of the Sabbath, soulcare and self-care.

“We North American Protestant types tend to have difficulty in allowing ourselves rest. I know that I certainly have a driven quality to my nature that makes sitting still and ‘doing nothing’ very hard for me,” explained Pastor Alison Longstaff. “But resting isn’t ‘doing nothing.’ Resting is a thing in itself, with benefits vital to our souls and bodies. In yoga, the final pose is the resting pose, and it is one of the most important. The tendency in North America is to want to skip that pose. It is considered a throw-away pose by some — a waste of time.

“But rest is never a throw-away activity; it is vital. It is so vital that God built it into creation. The seventh day was and is for ‘rest’ though we mortals have struggled and continue struggle to understand what that means,” she added.

Bath Church of the New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) is located at 876 Middle St. in Bath. For more information, call (207) 389-4080.