Seated in a yoga class, we are encouraged to enter not only into exercises for physical growth but also for spiritual. And my vision for yoga is that, in the midst of creating a peaceful, tranquil mind, we also fill it with the truth of Christ. The desire of my heart is to have no other gods other than the God of Jesus Christ. Yet as I have grown, I find it harder and harder to rid my life of idolatry. Continue Reading…
Looking back, I used to eat a lot differently than I do now. It started with giving up meat. And I remember the sacrifice and struggle I felt making the choice. Initially, you process feelings of drudgery and despair as you think of all of the things you will not eat anymore for the sake of health. It makes you feel hopeless. Continue Reading…
What’s the big deal with yoga anyway? There have been endless exercise fads over the years. What is it about yoga that is timeless?
This is what you can expect with my upcoming classes: A stretching of the body. Strengthening of the bones and muscles. But yoga is not just breath and sweat. It’s music in your ears. It’s scripture meditation for your soul. A dim room with candles circles your bodies. And the smell of lavender touches your senses. Yoga is an experience. And that is what I believe sets it apart from many other styles of exercise. Yoga is an opportunity to participate in an experience with others. Continue Reading…
We have all experienced it, that awkward tension between you and the stranger next to you. You and your party are attending a movie and file into a row of your choice, do you sit down next to the person already seated in order to make the most available space for others coming in? Of course not! In fact, they probably have already placed their coat and belongings firmly in the buffer seat in order to prevent anyone from sitting next to them. Continue Reading…
One thing that yoga has taught me is that you cannot be a “show off.” When you think of yoga, it is common to imagine people in crazy, contorted positions. They are standing on their heads, or wrapping their leg around their neck. But yoga is so much more than inverted positions and advanced flexibility.
Yoga teaches us to be aware of our bodies. We breathe deeply and learn our limitations. Yet we do not judge ourselves or anyone else around us.
We simply accept where we are in our practice, thanking our bodies for doing what it can, and gaining the benefits of each pose.
It is when our ego gets in the way that we injure ourselves. When our eyes stray and look at the body type next to us, we get into trouble. We are all so very different; we each have our own fingerprint on the yoga class. Yoga says, listen to your body.
We need to be good to our bodies. If we focus on our breath, and let the body comparisons around us fade, then we find our own yoga mojo.
Have you ever injured yourself in a yoga class? What happened?
“A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
This was our scripture meditation in class last week. And earlier that day when I started reciting it over and over in my head, I became unhappy with my choice. This statement seemed too simple at first but as I thought more deeply about peace and what that means for my life, it became more complex than I had ever expected.
The word “peace” is thrown around a lot. It is a very meek word. You will hear it a lot as a main theme in yoga culture and I love the idea of it myself. Peace is very biblical. We are told to be peacemakers in the world. But what does that mean to live a life of peace? At first, I thought it simply meant being slow to anger and patient with all people, loving them above yourself etc. But as I thought harder, I realized there is a flip side to being a peacemaker.
You see, I can be all kinds of patient and kind, anything passive. But when the needed attitude is making peace with your neighbor, an active approach, I shy away.
For me, it is harder to take an active approach: to admit you were wrong and apologize to someone. Or even more than that, confront someone who has hurt you and let them know the state of your heart. In light of that, peace is not such a meek word after all. It is bold and vulnerable. It stands up for love by confronting hurt.
Which side of peacemaking comes easiest for you: passive or active? Tell me about a time you put it into practice?
Seth made me earrings for Valentine’s Day. Cheap. Simple. And from the heart. I love them!
Yoga teaches us to live simply. To find peace with ourselves and with God. Principles of Contentment and Simplicity are key elements to surviving a financial crisis. Let me explain why.
Being content coupled with discipline helps us when we need to learn to live under our means. This will help you save money where you can. Yoga is one of the first disciplines I developed as a young adult and it became a pathway for other disciplines to fall into place in my life. Continue Reading…
What do we do that isn’t an obligation? Some days everything feels like a chore. Yet there are things that we choose to do with our lives because we have a burning passion for them. For me, yoga is one of those things. Even if I am not teaching, I will find myself always doing yoga.
This is what I know. I am a student of life. I am a student of yoga. As long as I am burning with a passion for yoga, others will take hold of that passion too. Continue Reading…
Peace is a word you hear a lot in yoga culture. I teach peace in my classes. I use scripture to remind my students of the peace that comes from God. But what does it look like to live a life of peace?
Maybe someone who is not easily angered? Someone who is patient or someone who is happy and content? Yet I have been thinking about peace a lot lately and I realized that peace does not exclusively relate to our current conditions. Continue Reading…
