Resources – Generous Wisdom

Yoga as Service: An Interview by Christians Practicing Yoga

Greetings

Hi, Yoga Friends,

How are you doing?

How are you being?

No, really – how ARE you?

I hope you’re able to answer that you’re basically okay. And even in the midst of some really hard stuff, you might be uncovering some joys.

I’m basically okay. And when people ask me how I’m doing I say, “Okay.” And then when they stare at me, or when they remain silent on the phone, I follow up with, “You know, I’m just taking it hour by hour.”

You, too, right?

One friend tells me, “I’m taking it minute by minute!”
And I think, Yes, this is also “okay” and right!

Interview

Karma Yoga or Seva Yoga is the yoga of service, and it’s a beautiful path to walk in the world. I consider myself ridiculously lucky to have had an opportunity to serve fall straight into my lap four years ago. Managing editor of the Christians Practicing Yoga Blog, Molly Metzger, recently interviewed me for a post on Seva, and it was published on their website earlier this week. You can find it here and learn the story of how I came to teach yoga for veterans in my local community, and now to all the corners of the internet.

Christians Practicing Yoga (CPY) is “an organization that studies the intersections of yoga philosophy and Christian theology—and the practices of both—in order to provide support, education, and community for an interdenominational Christian audience. ”

You can find out more about the history of CPY here, and you can read the awesome story of the naming of Christians Practicing Yoga here. (The level of intentionality in their naming is the reason I reached out and wiggled my way into this powerful, gentle, passionate community.)

If you’re interested, here’s the link to the interview:
Trauma-Informed Yoga with Veterans.

Blessings

May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.

May you be blessed like crazy,
And may you have the strength to bear it.

And may you know the sweetness of ease and rest
as the morning grasses know the delight of dewfall.

Keep Practicing, Friends,
minute by minute,
just 120 seconds a day,

Amy

The Universal Yogi

PS

Please pass this on to anyone who might benefit from some free yoga for veterans, and to anyone who might benefit from the awesome discussions and discourse taking place at Christians Practicing Yoga.

Striving & Savoring

Dear Friends,

Right now is a new moment. Breathe in and feel the new breath in your body. Breathe out and feel the old breath release. Every breath takes in the new and releases the old. There might be sadness here or tentativeness; there might also be sweetness and joy. Notice what is present with a spot of kindness. Offer yourself any amount of compassion for whatever you are feeling in this moment.

STRIVING

I’ve done a lot of striving in my day, and I bet you have too: striving for the best education, the best job, the best partner, the best family, the best meal, the best soap, the best meditation, the best yoga practice, and on it goes, possibly without end.

I invite you to join me in not striving – for a moment (or even two) – as you take in the words of Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman who speaks of striving in her poem “The Hill We Climb:’

“And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn’t mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and
conditions of man
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside”

Sometimes striving is necessary. And sometimes savoring is what’s needed.

SAVORING

I invite you now to look back and notice the good work you have done, just one tiny nugget of goodness you gave to the world, whether it was earlier today, yesterday, or 20 years ago.

Perhaps it was a smile, a delivery of groceries or a warm meal. Maybe you drove someone to work, school, or an appointment and then drove them home, walked your dog, or picked up trash that wasn’t yours. Or, you gave yourself permission to go for a walk, or to sit and rest.

Our striving is not for perfection, friends. It is for a life with purpose, to compose a song filled with various rhythms and key changes, dotted with eighth notes and swept with drawn out phrases and pauses, a life of tiny little nuggets of goodness. Not perfection, but purpose.

My invitation to you today: Savor what is sweet and leave the rest.

Yours in Practice,

Amy

The Universal Yogi

PS – Follow the links above to learn more about Amanda Gorman and hear her reading “The Hill We Climb.” My encouragement is to listen twice. Once with your eyes closed and once with them open (in either order).

PPS – I didn’t want to leave this out in case it might be useful: try savoring your yoga practice, instead of striving throughout the whole thing, trying to get somewhere you think you’re not. Do the yoga as something to enjoy, not to cross off your list. Practice as play.

Go play some yoga 🙂

Honoring & Releasing

Hello, Yoga Friends, Happy today!

Here’s an offering of practices for you.

This class is Yoga for Body-Mind & Heart: Practices for Honoring & Releasing. It was inspired by my teacher, and begins with seated centering, followed by a meditation of honoring and releasing. And then gentle moving, stretching, and opening the front body using the floor as a yoga prop.

Gather some pillows, blankets, or towels and a yoga strap or scarf. These items are not necessary but might make things feel more supportive.

To the casual observers, it might look like we’re just rolling around on the ground, but we’ll know the good playwork taking place. Expect opportunities to stretch the shoulders, chest, hips, abdomen, back, & sides. When you feel like something’s missing. Just add it in!

May you be covered in the blessings you most need right now,

Amy

The Universal Yogi