Yoga Church Sunday Sermons

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Fall 2020 Svadhyaya: Exploring the stories that shape us. REFLECTION QUESTIONS These are big questions and I encourage you to explore them on your own and with the people you love. You were born into a family and a country that gave you holidays. What are the holidays you were taught to celebrate? What’s the traditional story and history of these holidays? And what’s the story of the holiday in your family? Do these two stories have anything to do with each ... (Continue Reading)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Fall 2020 Sometimes strong emotions—like anger or despair—make us feel uncomfortable or guilty. Sometimes we're tempted to push strong emotions away. But our emotions keep us rooted in our humanity. And our world needs our humanity right now. We've got to build the capacity to stay with (and learn from) our strong emotions. This sermon draws on the wisdom of Valarie Kaur, Donna Farhi, and the Upanishads to help us remember the importance of feeling our feelings. The Beauty of Feeling REFLECTION ... (Continue Reading)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Fall 2020 There’s so much happening in the world right now and we need to meet it as our best selves. (Please know when I say "best selves" I'm not talking about notions of perfection or false happiness.) Our best self is the part of us that yearns to reach our highest potential. And in this moment, reaching our highest potential requires a willingness to feel our feelings and face the discomfort of uncertainty. Reaching our highest potential requires a willingness to be present with what’s real. So I decided to ... (Continue Reading)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Fall 2020 | Living in Right Relationship We're coming to the end of our study of the yama-s (for now...) and I'm excited to share a guest sermon written by my friend and colleague Marci Becker. She offers deep personal reflection (that I know so many people in this community will relate to) and her hope for what's possible in this life through practice. Lady Gaga, Jesus, and an angel walk into a bar... (A recap of the Yama-s) REFLECTION QUESTIONS What ... (Continue Reading)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Summer 2020 | Living in Right Relationship This sermon dives deep into the final yama, which is non-grasping or non-attachment. How does our need to acquire and possess keep us from living in right relationship with the world? This question is important. In fact, it's so important that the yoga sutra-s link it to the meaning of life. Yoga Sutra 2.39 Aparigraha (& Freedom) HOW TO APPROACH THE YAMA-S This practice is based on Yoga Sutra-s 2.33 & 34, which outline the ... (Continue Reading)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Summer 2020 | Living in Right Relationship This week we're exploring brahmacarya—which is quite possibly the most confusing yama. This sermon explores the many facets of brahmacarya and asks good questions about how we build, contain, and harness our energy so that we can move toward Divine Mystery and practice loving better. Yoga Sutra 2.38 Brahmacarya (& Energy) HOW TO APPROACH THE YAMA-S This practice is based on Yoga Sutra-s 2.33 & 34, which outline the practice of pratipaksa-bhavanam. We're told that ... (Continue Reading)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Summer 2020 | Living in Right Relationship In this sermon we continue our study of the yama-s. The yama-s are the first limb of the 8-limb path of yoga practice. There are five of them: non-violence truthfulness non-stealing energy containment non-grasping The yama-s are considered the great vow of the yogi. They describe the path of living in right relationship with others. In this era of illness, upheaval, and disparity it seems right to explore our ethical code. Depending on your own family and religious traditions, you probably have other ethical ... (Continue Reading)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Early Summer 2020 | Living in Right Relationship This week begins our exploration of the yama-s (the ethical underpinning of yoga). We begin with ahimsā, which is most often translated as non-violence, but is so much more than the suppression of violence. Ahimsā is an inner attitude of reverence for all beings that simply doesn’t allow space for violence to arise. This sermon explores possibility and limitation. It explores violence and love. It includes the wisdom of Pandit Rajmani, Ravi Ravindra, and bell hooks. It dives deep into the klesha-s (the afflictions ... (Continue Reading)