John 15:13

John 15:13 (New International Version)

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13 (The Message)

“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.

Whatcha Waiting For?

By Joan C. Webb, Author Speaker/Life Coach www.joancwebb.com “I thought I would make intentional decisions about what I would do with my life after my son left for college,” said Susan, a business owner from Minnesota. “Then it dawned on me: ‘Why not make the most of these years . . . before he leaves?’” How often have you said (aloud or silently), When I finish school. . . or After I get married. . . or When the kids are all in school. . . or As soon as I get that promotion. . . or When I pay off the bills. . . or If my spouse would just shape up. . . or When my children are on their own. . . THEN I’ll get serious about making goals and partnering with God to follow-through? Today is a gift from God, worth enjoying, savoring, planning for and living. Puts a new spin on the verse, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”*, doesn’t it?

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118: 24 NLT

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (New International Version)

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (New International Version)

Run in order to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to get a gold medal that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

Take care of yourself and respect your temple.

An open letter from DeAnna

Dear Friends,

I feel called to post something for times such as these. This summer has been very interesting (not always in a good way) for me, my family and my friends. So many are suffering, ill and stressed.

I’m writing because for the first time in my life I got depressed watching the news last night. Things are truly getting very rough for people; I know vital, intelligent people who are ill and can’t afford medication, who are abandoning their homes and moving in with family, who have been unemployed for months even though they are diligent about seeking employment in this “jobless recovery”, who have suffered deep disappointment.

For me, I believe that staying steadfastly centered with Christ and relying on His promises for miracles and not forgetting them is what will ease the pain and stress of the struggles so many of us are experiencing.

Practicing Christian yoga regularly at anytime, but especially in times like these, is utterly important in keeping ourselves centered in Christ and not buying into the “world” and its (all too real) doom and gloom. Being of and maintaining a sound mind that relies on His promises of miracles for us takes focus, fellowship, prayer and regular practice.

As we return October 1st to our studio class schedule, if you are in a situation where you cannot afford classes, please just let us know and we will scholarship you until you can.

If you are in a situation where you can afford our low prices it will help us be good stewards in the operations of Yahweh Yoga and we are so grateful for you. Either way, let’s come together to regularly practice in October in a way that is stronger in fellowship than ever before, fasting, praying, building health and mind/body/soul strength together so we remained bathed in our full confidence in Christ knowing He never lets go of us.

As believers the one thing we know is that we can count on and expect His miracles in His timing and that if we stay there in our minds and hearts, we will move through times such as these with full confidence in God, less stress on our minds and in better health and expecting miracles to help heal and prosper us. Praying, fellowship, eating well and light, sweating, meditating….all these things work together to help us endure these times together in love and much less stress.

I for one, cannot wait to see you and practice with you in October, I have missed you over the summer. Until October 1st then…let us remember together:

“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will he hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.” John 5:14-15

“We need to remember that God always keeps His promises. He will never forsake you nor leave you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (NIV, bold)

“Give thanks to the Lord and pray to him.Tell the nations what he has done. Sing to him; sing praises to him.
Tell about all his miracles. Be glad that you are his; let those who seek the Lord be happy.
Depend on the Lord and his strength; always go to Him for help.
Remember the miracles He has done;remember His wonders and His decisions.
You are descendants of His servant Abraham, the children of Jacob, His chosen people.
He is the Lord our God.His laws are for all the world. He will keep his agreement forever;
He will keep his promises always.” Psalm 105, Verses 1-8 (New Century Version)

Lynn Singer: Turning Grief into Healing

When Laura Lynn Singer—Lynn to her friends and students—says that Christian Yoga has given her an opportunity to find peace, you can be assured that she does not make this claim lightly.

Struggle and Pain

As a single parent from a broken marriage, Lynn struggled to raise her six children in rural Alaska.  She walked through a time of betrayal and anguish with the discovery that one of her children had been the victim of abuse. After this, Lynn was diagnosed with cancer which she battled with chemotherapy and radiation.

But none of these trials compared to what was to follow. Lynn experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when she lost her son, Jordan, in a horrific automobile accident.

“I was in a very dark, very lonely valley for a long time,” Lynn says. “Although I had given my life to Jesus as a teenager, this experience made it difficult for me to quiet my mind and listen to the Lord. I was angry and felt that God had betrayed my trust in Him. How could He allow this to happen? Why?”

God Had Not Abandoned Her

Lynn found yoga after a Christian grief counselor suggested that a visit to Yahweh Yoga might help her work through her pain. This experience, Lynn believes, was God’s way of reaching her.

One day, after counseling, Lynn decided to visit the Yahweh Yoga studio. “There was a class in session,” Lynn says. “Afterward, I just burst into tears and said: ‘I just lost my son.’ DeAnna, Courtney, Janet, and Jenni were all there and they just hugged me and prayed with me. This was the beginning of my return to life.”

Yoga classes became Lynn’s refuge and a place where she could still the gnawing pain and seek God’s peace. “Faith began to rise in my heart,” Lynn says. “It took practice for me to quiet my mind, but Christian Yoga helped me do so.”

Hearing God’s Call

After taking classes for a while, Lynn once again felt God’s call to take her life in a new direction.

“I was exhausted,” says Lynn. “In addition to my grief, I was working 12- to 15-hour days as an RN on a Med-Surg floor. One night Deanna asked me, ‘Have you ever thought of teaching yoga?’ Actually, I had thought about it, but had just dismissed the idea.”

Lynn knew what to do with this question: She prayed about it. “As a prayed, I knew that God was calling me to give back to others and to be available to for Him to use especially for those who have and are experiencing grief related to the loss of a loved one,” she says. Lynn graduated from Yahweh Yoga’s teacher training program in 2008, and now teaches Rest, Relax, and Restore classes at the Yahweh Yoga studio in Chandler, Arizona.

Helping Heal Others

To help others navigate through grief, Lynn offers her students a one-hour respite from the cares of this life. She explains: “He alone is the healer of the heart, the mind, and the body. At Yahweh Yoga we facilitate each person’s very personal journey into His presence.  This is done through providing an environment of praise, worship, fellowship, and fun along with our Yoga Practice.”

Of course, Lynn has experienced physical benefits from her yoga practice, too. She has increased flexibility and strength. “I am 54 years old and was recently was able to scale three different routes up a 45-foot rock wall which I never could have done before beginning yoga,” she says. “It does feel great to be strong.”

Lynn uses her newfound strength to help others navigate through sorrow. “It is my joy to be a part of providing a sanctuary of hope and peace for those who are distressed, or experiencing despair and depression related to grief,” she says. “I can truly say that God is faithful, He is my refuge, and He is good.”

If you would like to take a class with Lynn, please click here.