Holidays

Easter in two parts: Jesus and Salvation

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Easter (originally posted in 2019) Happy Easter! Easter is a holiday that helps us welcome spring and renew our sense of hope in the world. This Easter I decided to dedicate my sermon to my beloved niece Julianna. (photo credit: Holland Rhodes Photography) She recently asked her mama: "Who's Jesus?" What a good question little one! But a question without a simple answer. Here's one answer. The answer of an auntie, wanting her niece to learn about this important figure from the perspective of love. Part 1: ... (Continue Reading)

By |2022-04-15T15:53:58-07:00April 21st, 2019|Books, Embodiment, Holidays, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|5 Comments

Intentional Experiments with Change (Lent & Kriya Yoga)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. March 10th, 2019 Change is constant. Everything about life is changing every moment of every day. And yet, making an intentional change is hard. How are both of these things true?? I don't know. But they are. Right? So I've got some resources to help you work within this reality... (Please note, this is an especially jam packed post! After you've watched the sermon, make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom!) Intentional Experiments with Change (Lent & Kriya Yoga) Watch: or Listen: ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:43:39-07:00March 10th, 2019|Art, Creativity, Embodiment, Holidays, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Pranayama, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|1 Comment

A Ritual of Ash and Dust

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons March 3rd, 2019 How often do you pause to remember how short life is? I've been taught that yoga practice prepares us for the moment of death. In some ways, I think all philosophical and religious traditions are trying to do this. Because death is a difficult reality. Taking a moment to remember our finitude helps us to stay connected with the reality that every moment we're able to experience Being is utter gift. In this morning's sermon I wrote: "We were made of dust. And we’ll return to dust. But ... (Continue Reading)

By |2022-07-18T14:59:38-07:00March 3rd, 2019|Art, Books, Creativity, Embodiment, Holidays, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|3 Comments

Intention, Goals, & Identity | Free Journal Pages! (New Year 2019)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. January 6, 2019 Intention, Goals, & Identity - A Journal! We're officially living in 2019. How's it feeling so far? It's already been somewhat of a roller coaster for me... I had to make a difficult choice this week, which came with all the feelings. But I've been reflecting on what I said in last week's sermon about the importance of language (remember my example of saying "anxiety is strong right now" instead of "I AM anxious") and I've been putting it into practice. I have to tell you, it works! Naming ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:46:23-07:00January 6th, 2019|Books, Creativity, Embodiment, Holidays, Meditation, Practice, Pranayama, Scripture, Spirituality, Training, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|1 Comment

Who Sets Your Goals? | The New Year (2019)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. December 30th, 2018 | Happy New Year! With a New Year comes new goals, new commitments, and new dreams. And I want to hear all about yours! But first, I want to invite you into a conversation about identity. This week's sermon is designed to support you before you dive into the hard work of making changes in your life. It's designed to help you think about the strange question of "Who sets your goals?" (It's a good one, based on the first teachings of the Yoga Sutras.) And once you've had a chance to watch ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:50:10-07:00December 30th, 2018|Art, Books, Embodiment, Holidays, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|8 Comments

The Wild Willingness of God | Christmas 2019

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. December 23rd, 2018 This week I've got a short sermon to help inspire your Christmas celebrations. However you're spending the holidays this year, I wish you joy and ease. The Wild Willingness of God Watch: or Listen: or Read: I’ve had a ever shifting relationship with the holiday of Christmas throughout my life—maybe we all have to some degree. But last year, just after Christmas was over actually, something strange happened for me. As I was decompressing from the activities of the holiday I was struck with wonder ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:50:25-07:00December 23rd, 2018|Art, Books, Creativity, Embodiment, Holidays, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|1 Comment

Waiting in the Cave of the Heart | Advent 2019

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. December 9th, 2018 As promised this week begins our exploration of the stories we tell this time of year. And we begin with the season of Advent. It's not a story I personally grew up with, but one I've loved bringing into my practice. We'll explore the cave of the heart (a topic we'll examine in more depth at the Yoga Church Annual Retreat next summer) and the spiritual practice of waiting. What's the call of your heart this season? Can you hear it? Waiting in the Cave of the Heart (Advent) ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:50:45-07:00December 9th, 2018|Art, Holidays, Meditation, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|8 Comments

What’s the Story I’m Telling? (Welcome to the holidays!)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons. December 2nd, 2018 I've experienced a heavy dose of personal transformation in my life (maybe that's why I ended up teaching transformation for a living?) And it turns out (why am I surprised?) that this practice of writing sermons for you every week has its own transforming power. Remember the Thanksgiving Sermon a couple weeks ago? The one about gratitude as a quality of being? Well in that sermon I said I didn't like holidays. But I'm not sure that's true... Because this past week I've been plotting out an entire month ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:50:58-07:00December 2nd, 2018|Art, Books, Cooking, Holidays, Meditation, Nature, Recipes, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|8 Comments

Gratitude is a Quality of Being | Thanksgiving (2018)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons November 18, 2018 | Happy Thanksgiving! We're officially heading into the holidays. Are you excited about this? Anxious? Both? I know it can be a complicated time of year. In my work as a yoga teacher and yoga therapist I teach people how to transform difficult emotions and one of the main tools I use is the practice of awareness. If holidays cause you stress, try this: Set a goal to pay attention to what’s real. Take little mini check-in moments throughout the day. You don’t have to leave the room and no ... (Continue Reading)

By |2020-11-28T08:35:02-08:00November 18th, 2018|Books, Cooking, Creativity, Holidays, Recipes, Relationships, Yoga, Yoga Church Sunday Sermons|7 Comments

An Earthy Christmas Sermon (2016)

On Christmas morning I had the pleasure of bringing the message at Spokane Friends Church, which is a place that nourished me deeply when I had big, confused questions about God and spirituality and the world. I was honored to be asked to speak on Christmas morning and was surprised at how difficult a Christmas sermon is to write. What I came up with is deeply influenced by the earthiness of my new home (pictured below), by the love of Winter Solstice that I received from my grandmother, and by the Quaker dedication to Light that informs my understanding of God. ... (Continue Reading)

By |2019-10-08T14:52:37-07:00December 29th, 2016|Books, Embodiment, Holidays, Nature, Practice, Relationships, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality|1 Comment
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