Since I started practicing yoga decades ago, I’ve had lots of discussions with folks brought up in the Christian faith who are curious but skeptical about the practice. For me there’s no reason to separate Christianity and yoga, but I understand some of the hesitation I’ve encountered. For whatever reason, some people believe yoga is … [Read more…]
This morning, I attended a meditation and heard some words I needed to hear. The words, which my yoga teacher read, were from Swami Satchidinanda. Since I don’t have the text, I’ll paraphrase. The basic idea was God is always there. Things often seem mysterious, and the meaning of life eludes us. We question why … [Read more…]
As a devoted yogi with strong Christian roots, I’ve been scolded more than once for practicing yoga. Happily, I’ve found far more support than not among Christians. That’s good, because it turns out there are many yogis in Church history! Of course, they’re rarely identified as such and probably would not have thought of themselves … [Read more…]
In a yoga class a few years ago, my teacher read some verses about the power of gratitude. They were timely words for me, because just that week, I’d started a simple gratitude journal. It’s something I hadn’t really done before, not because I’m ungrateful, but because I was always distracted with other things. Several … [Read more…]
Today before yoga class, the lovely yoga instructor who was subbing in the class I attend every Monday asked how my mom is doing. Since she also comes to the class as a student, we’ve chatted often, so she knew about my mom’s medical issues. We chatted briefly about caring for loved ones who are … [Read more…]
The very first step on Patanjali’s eight-limbed path of yoga is the first yama: ahimsa. The word means nonviolence or non-harming. It can also be thought of as kindness. Understanding the First Yama Practicing ahimsa means doing no harm. We act with kindness toward other people, other beings, and the universe itself. Most of us … [Read more…]
If you often feel like you’re dragging through the day, you’d probably like to know how to feel more energetic. If that’s the case, you can practice yoga for energy! Yoga creates harmony between mind, body, and spirit. When you’re tired, there is often an imbalance in at least one of these areas. Why Yoga … [Read more…]
As we tap into the fire of tapas and learn more about ourselves through the practice of self-study, we begin to strip away layers of ego. Eventually, we reach a point beyond our intellect. At that point, we need faith in a higher power to go further. Faith in a higher power is the fifth … [Read more…]
My yoga practice has taught me a great deal about overcoming obstacles. It used to be that every one of my emotions was tied to the events of my life. The good things that happened brought joy and happiness. The bad things left me feeling less than, depressed, and victimized. The way I saw it, … [Read more…]
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t met a lot of angry yogis. I’m not referring to yogis who get angry. I’m talking about yogis who are angry at their core. It’s not that anger is not a trait among yogis (in fact, a lot of us turn to yoga to deal with emotions like anger), but because dealing … [Read more…]