Summer

In this week's sermon we're focusing on the yama of asteya, or non-stealing. It might seem really easy to say: "I don't steal. Check!" But just like everything, stealing is a much more complicated issue than that. Stealing is related to greed. And not just on the material level. Stealing can happen energetically, spiritually, and on and on. The yama of asteya is about equal exchange. It's about cultivating an internal sense of abundance. Yoga Sutra 2.37 Asteya (& Abundance) HOW TO APPROACH THE YAMA-S This practice is based ... (Continue Reading)

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 that cause us trouble everyday). And it ends with a ... (Continue Reading)

Yoga is a state of being AND the practices that help us reach that state of being. The practices of yoga are laid out in an 8-limbed path that includes everything you would suspect: movement, breath, meditation. But it begins with ethics. It begins with relationship. This week's sermon is actually the beginning of a new sermon series. For the next several weeks we'll explore the Yama-s, which are the ethical underpinning of yoga practice. This first sermon is an introduction. It helps us explore the question: How can we increase our capacity for discomfort so that we can ... (Continue Reading)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Spring 2020 Let's begin with our simple mantra. Let's presence ourselves: Here we are. Here we are in this moment. This complex and potent moment. We've been facing a global pandemic for months. And now, in the US, white people are grappling with the reality of white supremacy in a way that feels different than anything I've experienced in my lifetime. Here we are. I invite you to notice your breath. Feel your feet on the floor. And direct your attention inward. How's your body responding to all that's happening? ... (Continue Reading)

Welcome to the Yoga Church Sunday Sermons Late Spring 2020 Do you ever look at everything happening in the world and feel overwhelmed? Me too. But we can't get lost or frozen in the feelings of overwhelm. No matter how small we feel, our actions matter. Our actions create the world. Think about that: Our actions create the world. (This is a big deal!) I've got a new sermon for you this week that explores the root of our actions and the ways our practice can support our efforts to act with intention and move toward love. ... (Continue Reading)