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Christian Yoga Association

Celebrating Mothers On The Mat

2023-10-21T23:47:50+00:00

This is the weekend we celebrate Motherhood, a special role given by the grace of God.  Motherhood taps into all that we exercise in yoga - the mind, the body and the soul.  The more we yoke those elements to Christ in our daily lives, the richer the relationship between a mother and child.  Come to your practice with the intentions to nourish your mind, body and soul so that, as mother and/or child, you can love each through the power of God’s love. Opening Meditation Prayer:  Lord, on this special day set aside to honor Mothers, thank you for the [...]

Celebrating Mothers On The Mat2023-10-21T23:47:50+00:00

HOW WE “TREAT” TRAUMA

2023-10-21T23:45:58+00:00

Standard My husband might suggest to you that I’m addicted to the BBC series Call the Midwife, and, perhaps he’s correct. I recently viewed a powerful episode that dealt with the issue of trauma, and more specifically how we “treat” those who’ve been affected by trauma, particularly in our early response to trauma. In my mind, it conjured thoughts of sterile emergency rooms and even more sterile conversations with those required to gather evidence…  of not-so-well-meaning statements of “should’ve-known-better” judgement and “if-I-were-you” advice…  of well-meaning friends who try so very hard, but still fail in their offerings… In Call the Midwife (series 5, episode [...]

HOW WE “TREAT” TRAUMA2023-10-21T23:45:58+00:00

Yoga Malas, Mantras & Stones

2023-10-21T23:46:31+00:00

  What is a mala? A mala necklace is a string of 108 beads that are used in a meditation practice. It is a tool to help you count mantras and to act as a tactile guide. A mala has a guru bead or stone to start and end the round of mantra or meditation session and often has a tassel. The guru bead represents a space where we can draw in our mantra and sit in stillness. Guru means remover of darkness. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who said, ”Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine [...]

Yoga Malas, Mantras & Stones2023-10-21T23:46:31+00:00

Yoga Teachers And Invitational Language

2023-10-21T23:47:59+00:00

I had an experience in a yin yoga class recently that has me reflecting on the power I have as the teacher in a yoga class or the practitioner in a yoga therapy session. In this class, the well intended teacher, set us up for a wonderful hip opening session. She encouraged us to find our breath, even counting the inhalation and exhalation, and then she told us to settle in and find stillness. Notice I said told, not asked. This was a command. Be still. Her follow up language was something along the lines of “ I know you will [...]

Yoga Teachers And Invitational Language2023-10-21T23:47:59+00:00

EMBODIED :: POSTURES OF PRAYER & PRAISE

2023-10-21T23:49:08+00:00

Postures of Prayer & Praise are “outer representations of an inner reality” In Luke 10, when the lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, he asked him how to inherit eternal life. Like a learned rabbi, Jesus turned the question back to the lawyer, who answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus confirmed his answer as true, with a command and a promise: “Do this and you will live.” When I teach on embodied prayer [...]

EMBODIED :: POSTURES OF PRAYER & PRAISE2023-10-21T23:49:08+00:00

RECLAIMING YOGA AS A CHRISTIAN HEALING TOOL

2023-10-21T23:49:26+00:00

For real change to take place, the body needs to learn that the danger has passed and to live in the reality of the present. ~Bessel van der Kolk, MD (pioneer in the field of traumatology) in The Body Keeps the Score I have already written about my journey listening to the voice of God as I’ve explored yoga as a creative Christian practice. I also want to share another reason behind my exploration of yoga as I’ve sought the Lord’s will and wisdom in this somewhat tricky and controversial issue as a follower of Jesus Christ. I am deeply passionate about [...]

RECLAIMING YOGA AS A CHRISTIAN HEALING TOOL2023-10-21T23:49:26+00:00

The Four Agreements

2023-10-21T23:53:45+00:00

I first saw the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz collecting dust on a shelf at my first job at the Yoga Garden. I vaguely knew what the actual four agreements were. What I did know was that this was one of the yoga books. I would not exactly say that there is a yogic literary canon, but most people accept this book as one of the common texts for yoga training. When I finally decided to pick this book up off of my own shelf, it collected dust for about a year. I was amazed at how fast I flew [...]

The Four Agreements2023-10-21T23:53:45+00:00

The Comparison Trap…A Distraction from Your Dharma

2019-04-04T14:52:44+00:00

  Psalm 139:14  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com “If you’re your authentic self, you have no competition.”  — author unknown Last year I was in a particularly challenging yoga class after taking several months off from any physical activity.  I was especially happy that I completed the entire 75 minute class without croaking.  As I rolled up my mat, feeling very content, I heard the teacher and a student discussing what a “beautiful practice” a particular student had.  Enter my ego.  My satisfaction with my practice [...]

The Comparison Trap…A Distraction from Your Dharma2019-04-04T14:52:44+00:00

Meditation and Prayer

2023-10-21T23:57:03+00:00

  Prayer is a huge part of the Catholic church. There are a ton of prayer practices that are recognized by the Church such asking a saint to intercede, praying a rosary, saying a novena, etc. The entire liturgical celebration is in itself a prayer. But what exactly does it mean to pray? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says, “Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times)” (CCC [...]

Meditation and Prayer2023-10-21T23:57:03+00:00

Where is Your Focus? The Transformation of My Yoga Practice….

2019-01-16T00:31:41+00:00

A few months ago, I was in yoga class practicing a balancing pose.  Normally I find a focal point on the wall to help maintain my balance.  For some reason, I became fixated on a crazy design on someone’s shirt.  That person fell, and, of course, I lost my balance as well.  I felt the Lord say gently to me, “If your drishti is on man, you will fall.” Drishti is a yoga term which means focus or concentration.  It not only refers to focus while you are holding a posture (or asana) in yoga, but also refers to focus when [...]

Where is Your Focus? The Transformation of My Yoga Practice….2019-01-16T00:31:41+00:00
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