The Yoga Church follows a Seasonal Rhythm
Many of us (especially those of us who’ve experienced a sense of spiritual homelessness) desire a way to move through time—move through life—with a deeper sense of tradition and connection.
Thankfully we don’t have to try and make something up. We don’t have to try and create something new. All we have to do is step outside and engage our senses. Mother Earth is an amazing teacher and year after year she guides us through cycles of fertility, growth, abundance, and dormancy.
Eight times a year—as the seasons shift and change—the Yoga Church community takes time to acknowledge, honor, and celebrate the cyclical nature of life and being.
Through this practice of intentional season keeping:
- We reconnect with the rhythms of the earth and the festivals our ancestors celebrated.
- We let our souls rest in our intrinsic relationship with nature and begin to remember that we are nature.
- We find healing from the stress, depression, anxiety, and general spiritual malaise that affects so many of us.
Our Seasonal Retreats include:
Part 1 – REST
We practice the technique of Yoga Nidra, which is a fully guided meditation practice designed to lead us into a state of consciousness somewhere between waking and sleeping. It diffuses our attention and leads us on a journey through all levels of our being. It’s an utterly nourishing practice that offers deep relaxation for the body, mind, and heart. It’s a practice that helps us remember and reconnect with the truth of our being.
Part 2 – INTENTION
Through an ancient practice of yogic meditation, we connect with the Hridaya Guha (the cave of the heart) and listen to our inner voice of Wisdom. From deep within the heart, we look closely at what’s real in our lives and articulate the direction we want to go. We make commitments. We offer prayers. And we allow our seasonal intentions to arise from our Inner Teacher.
Part 3 – RITUAL
Through the practice of ritual we honor and bless the ever changing seasons. We build seasonal altars and offer prayers to the Pancha Maha Bhutas (the 5 great elements). The year is an ever shifting circle and nothing happens all at once. One season slowly gives way. Another season slowly becomes. Through the regularity of this practice we begin to root ourselves in nature and pay better attention to the ever shifting energies giving way and becoming around us and within us.
