I began practicing yoga as a safe way to challenge my body and work out. But when I trained as a teacher and explored the rich history and meaning of yoga, I came to see that yoga is so much more than just a physical practice.
I believe body, mind and spirit are intertwined and, when we use all three together, we can create a full space for living.
My beliefs in a blurb:
I am a Christian and I trust and follow Jesus Christ. I believe that God is Holy, has created us in His image and desires to spend eternity with us. However, we have broken our relationship with him by choosing our ways over His. This all began when Adam and Eve fell into Satan’s temptations long ago. But, since God loves us so much, He sent his son, Jesus to die in our place for the eternal forgiveness of our sins (self-pleasing actions and choices). When we accept this forgiveness, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit within us, to help us stay close to God while we are living here on Earth. After death, we can spend eternity in Heaven with God because his Son’s death has wiped our sins clean, making us His pure loving creation again in union with Him.
Through my faith journey, I have developed a relationship with God. Because I love Him, I try to make the best choices I can to take care of His creation, and this includes my own body. Yoga has provided me with such an amazing opportunity to praise God; it gives me time and space, on my mat, to praise Him with my whole self.
The practice of asana challenges me physically and helps me enjoy the strength I’ve been given. I also soak up the stillness and peace within each breath. God gives us His peace that transcends all other peace. When we focus on our breath, we can connect to His peace wherever we are. God also carries us with His strength when we are weak (physically, mentally and spiritually) so we can embrace that inner strength through the awareness of our physical strength in our practice.
I incorporate prayer through the mindfulness of the movements and awareness of breath; it’s a chance to be just as fluid with my prayer life, on the mat, as I am with the physical. Communication is key to any great relationship, so the more I learn to listen, to ask wise questions, and to share my struggles and my hopes and dreams, the closer we grow together, getting to know one another better, and the relationship flourishes.
Through the practice of yoga, I have deepened my spiritual life. I have become more aware of what a gift life is – each physical and mental moment is something to give thanks about. His goodness is all around us and in each of us, for we are “fearfully and wonderfully created” – Psalm 139:14
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on Him.
Then, your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:7
Then, your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:7
Amy Donais