Yoga and Christianity

A friend of mine posted this article on my page the other day.  You can read it here: https://www.edendecoded.com/blog-2/item/yoga.  The whole “Yoga and Christianity” debate is annoying but one I’ve tried to stay out of mainly because putting it down on paper has been a challenge.  “We all have our convictions” has been my mentality until I read the article and in the comments a young lady wrote “I am so devastated to read that yoga is not for Christians. I had no idea. It was recommended from my Dr. so as to help my illnesses, Chronic Fatigue and migraine, that yoga is gentle and a simple exercise for these illnesses. I have been going for about 10 months and has helped me alot. Now to learn I am displeasing God, I must quit for nothing is worth going to hell for.” 

The origin of Yoga doesn’t so much concern me for 2 reasons:  1.  It works.  2.  The Bible says in Colossians 1:16 “For in Him ALL things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”  Satan didn’t come up with anything.  He uses the things that God creates and perverts them for his benefit.  I believe this is the case for yoga.  And I’m taking back what the Devil has used for centuries to confuse people and bringing it back to God’s original plan: to restore balance, to maintain health and to bring glory to His name.

There’s no denying that yoga is an integral part of Hinduism, but so is fasting.  Christians also fast.  Yoga and fasting are not religions.  Hinduism and Christianity are religions.  

The word yoga means to “unite.”  We are uniting the mind, body and spirit by using Asana (physical postures or shapes we put our bodies into to gain strength and flexibility), Pranayama (breath control) and Meditation (focus).  I do not believe any of these things are offensive to God.  3 John 1:2 says “Dear friends, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you even as your soul is getting along well.”  (You can google what scriptures say about physical health and meditation and find a plethora of links.  I won't list them all here.)

From a clearly practical standpoint: the postures were created to allow for longer “sits” - where they would sit and mediate on whatever to whoever.  But it’s like the author of this article thinks that just because we sit like they did, our brain will automatically and forcefully go to what they thought of.  The science (or common sense) behind yoga is there: If you warm up your legs and stretch your body before you sit for an hour, you will be more comfortable.  But guess what, you have a brain and you can meditate on whatever you want to meditate on.  The same concept goes for the breathing techniques.  These techniques have been proven to improve concentration and endurance, sends clean oxygen to the brain, releases tension, breaks irregular breathing patterns and the list goes on.  Same goes for meditation. 

If a Hindi comes up with the cure for cancer are Christians not going to try it?  What if he dedicated his findings to some god or even said some god that you don’t believe in gave him the idea.  It wouldn’t matter to us.  We would be all over that!  Then why wont you practice yoga?

There is no doubt that Jesus used yoga to heal me.  I knew Him before yoga but something shifted afterwards.  This practice allowed me to open up, to be still and to hear His still small voice.  He didn’t find it offensive.  He met me there.  Yoga has brought about an awareness that can only come from a living God.  I’m not conjuring up spirits when I practice yoga, I’m doing something that’s giving me more flexibility and strength, not just on the outside but on the inside as well.  I’m not opening myself up for evil influences, I’m opening myself up to Jesus.   

My God is bigger than any tradition or religion.  If a person comes to his/her mat genuinely seeking “something” and is putting in the time to sit and wait, then who’s to say Jesus won’t show up?  He says to “seek me and you will find me.”  I believe with yoga blowing up like it has that there is an even bigger opportunity for people to hear God speak and feel Him move.  The people who wrote this article make it sound like Jesus crosses his arms and snubs his nose to the air when someone gets on their mat.  Shame on them.  That’s not the Jesus I serve.  

Namaste

P.S.  I also found the pictures in this article to be a little annoying so here are some different pictures with sarcastic comments. :)  

 

Here I am praying.  Jesus probably didn't hear me because my legs are folded like this.  

Here I am, face down, honoring Jesus, overwhelmed with gratitude for the practice of yoga.  He probably didn't appreciate it, since he can't see into my heart and all.  

Here I am in Tadasana.  We also do this posture in church.  BLASPHEMY!

Deadly Thoughts

The mind: it can be a crazy, dark, beautiful, chaotic, place.  The mind is an amazingly complex organ that not only runs your body but can greatly affect your life and determine your future. Every action you take begins with a single thought.  I remember when the thought “you’re a lost cause” popped into my head after a week of bad decisions.  That’s the night I tried to take my own life. 

I genuinely believed and loved God.  I was going to church, part of a small group and actively involved, but something wasn’t quite right.  Why couldn’t I “be good” consistently?!?!  If you’ve read my previous blog, you know I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety (so that explained a lot).  In one of my weakest moments, Satan saw the perfect opportunity to attack.  I was mentally weak and felt absolutely nothing on the inside.  He didn’t come to me in a dark, creepy voice.  He’s smarter than that.  He knew I’d recognize him if he used his voice.  The voice was my own.  “You’re a lost cause.”  I grabbed a hand full of sleeping pills and immediately thought of Anna (another deadly thought arose); “she’ll be better off anyway,” and down they went…and then some more.  

Praise God my life was spared that night.  It wasn’t pretty and the road to recovery was long and hard but one I was willing to go down.  I had been given a second chance.  A second chance to be who God created me to be; a second chance to really know Him and love Him; a second chance to be an amazing wife and mother; a second chance to be someone who has just enough crazy in her to think that she can change the world and the courage to actually do it.  

“So how did you do it,” you ask?!?!     

1. Think about what you’re thinking about; I’m pretty sure that’s a Joyce Meyer’s quote!  I had to tune into my thoughts.  My mind was like a freaking rat race.  I would sit up for hours just staring at the ceiling, thoughts going 90 miles a minute.  But, when I stopped to think about each thought, they did start to slow down.  
2. You don’t have to believe everything that pops into your head, i.e. “you’re a lost cause.” When you start to think about what you’re thinking about a few recurring thoughts may come to mind.  You may have returned to this thought for so long; you have allowed it to become who you are.  Thoughts of I’m unworthy, I’m ugly, or I’m not good enough.  Those are all lies!  You need to recognize those thoughts and combat them with truth.  Who does God say you are?
3. Breathe!!  One of the greatest tools I have to focus my mind and to calm my nerves is my breath.   I breathe with the Ujjayi breath.  The sound alone is naturally calming to the central nervous system, and when you’re focused on your breathing, it’s hard to think about anything else.  Breathing fully brings the air all the way up into your chest where we carry stress and tension and helps relieve those burdens.  Focusing on your breathing is also a form of mediation….which brings me to my next tip.
4. Meditate.  Meditate means to think deeply or carefully about.  I remember many nights just repeating the name of Jesus over and over and over trying to go to sleep or calm the tornado inside my chest.  I would meditate on a scripture and repeat it over and over like a mantra:  “I am set free; I am set free; I am set free; I am set free.”  “I have the mind of Christ; I have the mind of Christ; I have the mind of Christ.”  My most favorite mantra is “let go.”  I loved it so much I had it tattooed on my arm.  It was the first mantra I heard about when I started my yoga journey, and it made all the difference in the world for me.  Inhale “let;” Exhale “go” of all of those things that you have no control over, the things that do not serve you: anger, bitterness, resentment etc.   
5. Know that someone needs you.  The devil wants you to feel shame and guilt over what you’ve done or what you’ve gone through.  He wants you to feel shame and guilt over your thoughts and the feelings you have.  He wants you to feel all alone so you don’t talk about it with anyone!  But someone needs to hear it!  You’re not the only one!  A story of hope and of grace.  A story of a life resurrected by Jesus Christ.  A story of beauty from ashes. I came across this quote the other day:  “If we stand where others have fallen, it’s to raise our hands to heaven in praise and to spread our arms as shade for the weary. The Lord enables us to be a tree of rest for others.” So if you’ve gone through something and made it through then you have two things to do: Praise God and help others.  

There is a process of healing that needs to be done before you start sharing with others.  I certainly couldn’t, after a month fresh out of the hospital, start sharing my story just so others could feel sorry for me.  And there are stories yet to be told because I’m still processing. :) I don’t want to just share my story.  I want to share hope and encouragement and that God is good and He happens to be madly in love with you so if there's something you're struggling with then maybe you just need to let go of it and let him do his thing.  He does a much better job running my life than I do.    

Writing these words, the memories are still very fresh in my mind. I remember everything from that night.  I remember feeling absolutely dead on the inside.  I remember feeling like a lost cause.  I remember the pain on my husband’s face; I remember the hospital and straps and tubes and people everywhere.  I remember, and I’m glad I do because if I forget what I went through then I forget what He brought me through, and I don’t ever want that to happen.  He fought hard for me that night.  He is fighting just as hard for you. 

“Now you belong to him who was raised from death in order that we might be useful in the service of God.” Romans 7:4

Live Like a Warrior

This may come as a shock to those who know me now, but I grew up angry.  And for no particular reason either.  I had (and still do have) loving parents who would do anything for me.  Nothing traumatic ever happened to me.  I just remember being pissed off.  I’ve put holes in doors with anything I could get my hands on.  I’ve thrown a telephone and a wrench at my brother.  Even as an “adult”, I’ve punched through glass, smashed phones, and screamed and yelled to get my point across.  The smallest conflict seemed to be an outright war and this little chick liked to fight!  But on the opposite end of the spectrum, I was also very kind and loyal and would do anything for you.  I loved people and enjoyed serving others.   

I knew the way I responded to certain situations probably wasn’t the best way to go about it, but it’s like something would snap and I HAD to do those things to get my point across.  To let you know that I am not to be messed with or pushed around.  

My sister made a comment to me one day that opened my eyes.  She said “You have a beautiful, God-given personality.  You need to figure out how to direct that energy to combat evil and do good.”  Wait a second!  Isn’t that what I’m doing?  I’m standing up for myself!  I’m standing up to the arrogant pricks who think they can do whatever they want to whoever they want!  Isn’t that combatting evil and doing good?  Uh, no.  Not the way I was going about it.  And in that moment, I realized I was getting in the way of my desire to do good.  

I realized that I was “fighting” the wrong person.  Your war is not with your spouse, it’s with the Devil who wants to destroy your marriage.  Your war is not with your kids, it’s with the evil one who wants to destroy their lives!  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

I also realized my tactics were all wrong.  I thought power/strength meant brute force!  I was actually giving my power away when my response was loud and brash.  I learned that there is power in not saying anything.  There is power and strength in calm.  Through my practice of yoga, I learned to breath when I felt like spitting fire, to break out with that naturally calming Ujjayi breath and to think about what I want out of the situation before I start reacting and then respond appropriately. The Bible tells us exactly what we need for battle: peace, faith, salvation, the holy spirit, truth and righteousness.  When we allow those characteristics to envelop us, only then are we truly living like a warrior.

Namaste

Do Not Be Led By Your Emotions

"Feelings are like waves.  We can't stop them from coming, but we can choose which ones to surf." - Jonatan Martensson

I woke up Tuesday morning and did NOT want to get out of bed.  I took Anna to school, came home and got right back under the covers.  There is an ice storm coming and it’s supposed to be pretty bad.  The thought of having to get out in this cold, rainy weather is torturous for me.  I’m frantically checking my phone for cancellations!  Dear God, please let them cancel!  I can sense my dread and then anger.  And then I thought:

Just like I can’t change the weather outside, I can’t change how I feel about it either.  HOWEVER, I am in control of my response to those feelings.  I can choose to stay under the covers until the very last second and then rush to class.  I can dwell on the fact that it’s cold and wet and gross outside.  Or I can think and act differently.  And in that moment, I threw the covers off, fixed some coffee and put a smile on my face....not because I FELT happy but because I refuse to be ruled by my emotions and quite frankly, it’s not all about me.  I would soon have a room full of students waiting on me to teach .  And I knew once I got there, in that warm room, with those sweet, dedicated folks, I would be just fine. 

I spent most of my life thinking I had no control over my emotions or my thoughts.  That’s a very scary place to be and honestly right where the devil wanted me.  You can be perfectly put together on the outside and there be chaos in your heart and in your head because you’re allowing every emotion and thought to toss you around like a rag doll.  

I know everyone struggles with this on some level, but for those of us who have been diagnosed with a mental illness such as: bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety, it requires a little more effort.  If this is where you are (whether you struggle a little or a lot!), decide right now to not be led by your emotions.  And then know that you can’t get it under control on your own.  I tried for years and I’m pretty determined; if it could be done, I would have done it.  You need to talk to God, the One who created you and every single one of those big beautiful emotions.  He says in John 16:33 "I have told you all this so that you will have PEACE in me.  You will have many trials on this Earth, but take heart, I have overcome the world."  If you are a Christ follower, you already have everything you need to manage your emotions and your thoughts.  All you have to do is ask and He will send you His Spirit and you will realize that you become aware of your reaction sooner than you used to.  You'll notice that you don't react as quickly or as harshly.  Because “the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”  Galations 5:22.  Post these things on your wall, your mirror, everywhere as a reminder that you are in control of your feelings and thoughts, not the other way around!  

Namaste :)

What To Work On During Practice

     Tonight was a very special night for me.  I had a client come to her first hot yoga classt!!  I can't even tell you how proud I am that she even showed up.  And you know what? She did great....tight hamstrings and all!  I’m just beaming with pride, right?!  I looked over and asked several times if she was good and she smiled back.  There was a time when she dropped back into child’s pose, took a few deep breaths and then picked right back up.  For your first hot yoga class, dropping into child's pose once is awesome!  It gets up to 95 degrees in that room!  Having had the opportunity to introduce her to yoga and then witness her first yoga practice in a group setting, I’m so excited I can’t even focus on my own practice!!!  Before I know it, we’re bringing it down to the mat for savasana.  We rise...Namaste....class over.  

     I throw my head to the side, eyes wide and mouth open “So?!?!”  She responds, “That was so humiliating!  That was like high school athletics all over again.  I probably won’t ever come back.” My mouth fell open…”Say What?”  Was she not in the same class that I was in?!?  How could she not see how good she did?!?!  I was so confused.  Maybe I missed something....what I missed was everything going on in her head!  This was a great example of what we, as instructors do NOT want you to do in yoga but we, as practitioners, know this head trip is what we're really working on anyways.     

Here’s a list of what to work on during your practice. :)

• Get out of your head and into your body:  if you’ve ever taken yoga...Baptiste in particular, you’ve heard this saying.  “I’m the only one struggling....Why is this so freaking hard...Everyone can see me fumble around my mat...This is pointless....Holy crap I just fell....This is so embarrassing!”  <---- THAT is being all in your head.  When you recognize that’s where you are, deepen your breath and get back into your body.  Start with your feet and work your way up.  Tune in to how the pose makes you feel.  Where is there tension?  Where is there ease?  And when emotions or "stories" (i.e. high school athletics!) come up, just notice them.  You don't have to believe everything that pops into your head.  You also don't have to judge yourself for what does come up.  Just simply observe.  

• Be okay with where you are today:  You are different on different days.  Some days you need to go all out and some days you need to modify.  Either way, be okay.  

• Your pose is not going to look like her pose:  So get over it!!  Our bodies are different.  There are scientific terms like compression, where bone on bone hit and will not allow you to go as deep or as far as Susie Q over in the corner.  It doesn’t mean she’s better or you shouldn’t be here.  It’s like she forgot she had tight hamstrings and weak ankles.  

• What anyone else thinks about you is none of your business:  If you think anyone is judging your practice (which they probably aren’t, but maybe), remind yourself of this.

• Cut yourself some slack (every now and then):  It's just yoga.  So what if you can't stand on your head after 1 month??  This is a life long practice.  So sit back and chill out.  It's going to be a loooooong bumpy ride if you're already worrying about things you can't do.  And I'm not judging.  I deal with this too.  I've been practicing 5 years, I should be able to jump into crow…and land it….every single time.  But guess what, I don't.  Beating yourself up won't get you into the pose any faster.  So cut yourself some slack. (every now and then).    

Peace, Love & Namaste :)

Brutally Honest

Can you really be mad at someone for being 100% honest with you?   You know those people who seem to have no filter.  If you ask a question, you will get the truth whether you want to hear it or not:  Are people who are brutally honest just jerks or do they just not care what anyone else thinks about them?  Could it be the person on the receiving end of said honesty?  

Well I live with someone like that and it can be really funny when he’s being brutally honest about something or someone OTHER than you, his wife!  Now let me tell you a little bit about his wife:  I have some pretty thick skin.  I’m not “needy”.  I also have a strange sense of humor and it’s what attracts me most to my husband.  So on the surface, when I told my husband I ran seven miles, and he said that didn’t impress him, it was initially funny....and then I got pissed!  I had to go and get all in my head about it!  “Well your my husband and you SHOULD find that impressive....why doesn’t he support me....why can’t he just like running....he doesn’t like anything I do...wah wah wah!”

This is what us yoga teachers are talking about when we say “get out of your heads....”  I turned that one statement into something much more than it was.....and when I really think about it, he’s always hated running...long before I started!  He thinks it is the most pointless activity there is.  I actually caught him watching a race on tv one day and he was just sitting there shaking his head and said  “It almost angers me how stupid these people are.....look at ‘em, babe.....they’re just running.” So why would I take a statement like that personally?!?!  He was just being honest.  And, to give him credit, right after he said it, he looked me in the eye and said “I’m sorry.”  - like I’m really sorry I feel that way...and I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut!  

Taylor Swift has a song called All Too Well and in it she says “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise, So casually cruel in the name of being honest...”  And we listen to that and think, “What a jerk?!?”  How dare he tell her how he really feels!  We want honesty, but we get our feelings hurt when it’s not sugar coated or given in the way in which we think it should be.

My husband and I got into a “heated discussion” after I stewed a few weeks over his brutal honesty.  I learned that even though he could work on being a little more tactful in his words, that I could work on not taking things so personally.  To get out of my head and if my initial reaction is to laugh, then laugh and move on.  

He isn’t so much working on filtering his thoughts but being really honest in other areas:  like calling me beautiful (which  he says will stop the day I wake up ugly), and telling me how cool I am that I don’t hound him about going hunting.  And after our “discussion” he says, “Babe, we just need to not be so mean to each other....and by “we”, I mean “you” because I’m an ass hole to everyone.”  LOL  Gotta love him.  :)

What I learned in my 20s & why I'm embracing my 30s

September 25, 2013

1. Self-Development is key!  You have to want to be better...to do better.  Don’t think you already know it all!  So put the trashy novel down because you’re husband hasn’t given you enough affection and pick up a book on how to pray, how to be an effective leader; pick up a book on Dreaming BIG or how to learn Italian.  Never stop learning!
2. Embrace your body and share it with your husband....often!  It will make you a happier couple, not just because he’ll be happy....but I promise, you’ll be happier too.
3. Being emotional is OK!  Embrace it!  It means you have a big ole heart and you’re not afraid to let people see it.  So when someone says “You are so dramatic.”  Just say “Thank you.”  
4. Do NOT be led my those emotions!  Be emotional, but know that emotions and feelings come and go like the ocean’s tide.  Don’t be knocked around by them.  Stand firm in what is TRUE.  
5. Being rebellious is OK!  In my early mid teens to early 20s I was rebellious for all the wrong things.  But that rebellious personality is a God given trait...you just need to direct that energy to combat evil and to do good.  (Thank you Shannon)
6. When you believe in something, don’t let ANYONE tell you “I sure hope it works out that way for you.”  Use that aforesaid rebellious personality to prove them wrong. 
7. Do not underestimate the power of prayer.  Know that God adores you and wants to talk to you and wants good for you.  
8. Read the Bible and NEVER question what God’s will is for you.  It’s all right there.  I believe people use “If it’s God’s will” as an “out” in the event things don’t work out the way they hope.  You are too much in the future if you’re already thinking that way, so BE BOLD and claim those promises RIGHT NOW!  
9. When things are tough....dance.  Seriously, it doesn’t matter how pissed off or sad you are, if you put on some funky music and dance around like the free spirit you are, you will feel soooo much better.  AND it pisses the devil off and we rebels love to piss the bad guys off!  
10. Be humbly confident.  Drop the ego and get a full understanding of who you are and who you were created to be.  You gotta know how freaking awesome you are; yet how small you are all at the same time.  How insignificantly significant you are.  Once you grasp that, insecurities seem to melt away and you are FREE to be you.
11. You can only change you.  I repeat.....YOU can only change YOU! 
12. You are not responsible for anyone else’s way of being, actions, emotions, etc. That shhhhh is for the birds!  Decide right now not to take that on.  
13. Love is not enough to keep a marriage going.  There are certain skills a couple must learn to be successful in marriage.  Effective communication is #1!  
14. Do YOGA!
15. It’s not all about you....Say wha?!?!?!  I am the baby of 4 so this was a pretty hard pill to swallow!  Trust me, it’s not always easy, but I promise you’ll be much happier because of it.  
16. Know that you can choose your thoughts.  You can choose to think on certain things.  Once you realize where your thoughts have taken you, you can choose to stop thinking about it or continue.  Embrace the power in choosing your thoughts and choose wisely.  Your past does not define you.   
17. Take care of your body NOW!  Don’t wait until you have a “problem area.”  You have only one body, strengthen it, put good things into it and stop smoking.  
18. Have your children rate you as a parent from time to time.  Parents can really screw their kids up...unintentionally, of course, but screwed up nonetheless.  You may be doing something that will affect him/her for the rest of her life and not even know it, so every now and then ask them to rate you.  So far, my girls’ only complaint is that I don’t give them enough candy.  WINNING!!
19. If you’re angry at God, let him know.  He’s a big boy and can take anything you throw at him.  He appreciates your honesty.
20. Forget about trying to impress people and inspire them instead. 
21. Being pretty on the inside is WAY more important than being pretty on the outside

BONUS:  When your going through a hard time, surround yourself with people who are going to hold you accountable, people who aren’t just going to tell you what you want to hear, but people who are going to speak truth into your life.  

Thank you to all of my family and friends who held me accountable, prayed like crazy, spoke truth into my life, jerked a knot in my tail, supported me, ran with me, danced with me, cried with me and LOVED me.