Autumn

Early Autumn Part 4: Who Am I Becoming?

We become who we practice becoming. This idea has become a refrain that I repeat over and over and over again. Yoga teacher and author Donna Farhi says that we can only judge the effectiveness of our practice based on who we're becoming through it. If we want to live a life of intention, meaning, and mystery, we must pause and regularly ask ourselves: Who am I becoming? This question is at the heart of our sermon this week. It's the final sermon in the early autumn series and it's an important one. It explores hope and justice ... (Continue Reading)

By |2021-10-16T14:43:29-07:00October 20th, 2019|Autumn, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|2 Comments

Early Autumn Part 3: Turning Toward the Light

Last week (click here if you missed part 2) we talked about identity and explored what it means to live in connection with the Eternal in the midst of everyday life. I ended the sermon with a short practice: Slow down. Turn inward. Be still. And listen. In this week's sermon we dive more deeply into what this practice actually looks like. And we explore how we can work to stay rooted in the Light Within rather than remaining constantly caught up in our attachments... This sermon points to the reason we often feel stuck and anxious, so please, do your ... (Continue Reading)

By |2021-09-23T17:59:39-07:00October 13th, 2019|Autumn, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|0 Comments

Early Autumn Part 2: Something Beyond Death

Something Beyond Death REFLECTION QUESTIONS AFTERLIFE | What did your family of origin teach you about what happens to us after we die? Do you have any current beliefs about what happens to us after we die? IMMORTALITY | Ravi Ravindra talks about the difference between everlasting and eternal. What do you think of the distinction he's making? IDENTITY | At some point, everyone asks "who am I?" One take on this question is "where do I find my identity?" What do I root my identify in? SPIRITUAL ... (Continue Reading)

By |2021-10-02T08:58:19-07:00October 6th, 2019|Autumn, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|3 Comments

Early Autumn Part 1: Accepting Change and Death

Accepting Change and Death REFLECTION QUESTIONS What are you afraid of? What do you care about? What connections do you see between your fears and the things you care about? From these points of connection, what action do you feel called to take? In the Northern Hemisphere where I live we’ve just celebrated the fall equinox, a time when the earth gives forth abundance. And the sun and moon model balance, giving us all equal day and night—equal light ... (Continue Reading)

By |2021-09-23T16:45:30-07:00September 29th, 2019|Autumn, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|2 Comments

Spiritual Practices for the Fall Equinox

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Spiritual Practices for the Fall Equinox A few years ago I asked my students to share something about how this time of year makes them feel. Several people expressed how much they love the fall. They were excited about sweaters and warm soup. But one woman raised her hand and exclaimed: "All I can think about is compost." Yes! As British author and teacher Jilly Shipway writes: At the autumn equinox there is a shift of emphasis from sun to moon, light to dark, action to contemplation, growth to dormancy, fruitfulness to ... (Continue Reading)

By |2021-09-17T18:14:36-07:00September 22nd, 2019|Autumn, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|6 Comments

Keeping Time (fall equinox part 2)

As promised, here’s part 2 of the fall equinox sermon. Last week we rooted ourselves on the ground. And this week we explore the practice of keeping time. One of the ways we mark time at our house is by greeting every new season with a morning fire. We take a moment out of regular life to pause and notice the energetic shifts happening in the natural world and to notice how these shifts are showing up in our own lives. We reflect on the intentions of the past season and set new intentions for the months ahead. ... (Continue Reading)

By |2021-07-28T17:49:59-07:00September 29th, 2018|Art, Autumn, Books, Creativity, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|6 Comments

the Ground of all Being (fall equinox part 1)

Yesterday—in the northern hemisphere where I live—was the fall equinox and it was my full intention to offer you a sermon in celebration of the season change. But when I sat down to write, something else entirely poured out of me... The fall equinox feels like a very earthy thing and apparently something inside of me needed to root us on the ground before I could actually begin writing about the season change. So you're getting the fall equinox sermon in two parts over two weeks. The Ground of all Being (fall equinox part 1) ... (Continue Reading)

By |2021-07-28T17:44:50-07:00September 23rd, 2018|Art, Autumn, Books, Creativity, Embodiment, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|4 Comments

Reflections for the Autumn Equinox (2015)

The autumn season is officially upon us. Time to start wearing scarves and drinking more hot tea. The equinox is the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator (referred to as the celestial equator), making night and day approximately equal in length all over the planet. Today we will have the same amount of light and dark. From this day of balance, we will begin to slowly move toward more darkness than light. I always enjoy the changing of the seasons. The change provides us with a moment to pause and reflect every few months. Please enjoy ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T15:05:47-07:00September 22nd, 2015|Art, Autumn, Cooking, Creativity, Embodiment, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Recipes, Relationships, Spirituality|0 Comments
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