Thoughts from a Yahweh Yoga Teacher Candidate

My First Day in the Desert: Thoughts from a Yahweh Yoga Teacher Candidate

We have come to the desert to complete a journey we began together online weeks ago. We have traveled here from bustling cities on the East Coast, laid-back towns in the West, and many places in between. We are moms, grandmothers and twenty-somethings. We are the incoming class of candidates at Yahweh Yoga’s prestigious teaching academy, and today is our first day on campus.

We’ve left our last-minute deadlines, mountains of laundry and carpool schedules at home. We’ve worked hard to pull it all together for the sole purpose of our gathering: to fulfill our dream of becoming a professional Christian yoga teacher. Our minds brim with facts we’ve acquired and mastered online. Our hearts beat with anticipation of teaching the Christian yoga we love and feel called to share.

Christian yoga has become a cherished part of my walk with Christ. Through it, I’m learning to be still and to meditate on God’s magnificent Word. I find joy in worshiping my Creator as I strengthen the vessel of my body through my Christian yoga practice. I’m becoming stronger in body, mind and spirit. What a privilege–and awesome responsibility–to lead my future students in Christian yoga, to share Scripture with them, to pray for and with them.

Our first day of onsite training was a living food feast. We savored and sampled everything from fresh almond milk to vegetable-filled nori wraps. Our taste buds reveled in the flavors and textures of organic delicacies prepared by Raw Food Chef and Yahweh Yoga Graduate, Dawn Jones. We learned why our bodies love raw food. Dawn mixed edible red and yellow with deep greens like an artist with a palette.

I’ll spend the next 14 days of teacher training indulging in this savory cuisine, without having to prepare any of it myself. I plan to try it all and enjoy the luxury of a two-week vacation from planning and preparing meals. I imagine how fun it will be to grow radish and broccoli sprouts with my first-grader when I return home. She, my family and my future Christian yoga students will glean from what I’ve learned today. It’s only Day 1, and I’ve filled the first few pages of my journal with stuff I don’t want to forget.

From the Textbook to Life: Anatomy Takes on New Meaning

The human body came to life today for us, as anatomy moved from the textbook to the yoga mat. As Yahweh Yoga students, we already had studied key anatomy principles online. I have to admit that my creative mind struggled at that point with memorizing the bones and muscle groups.

But that struggle ended today, as industry expert, Christy Burnette, helped us understand the mechanics and importance of proper body alignment in yoga postures. She skillfully demonstrated poses, then helped us understand how muscles and bones make the posture happen. We learned to observe and analyze fellow students’ postures; an important skill for us as Christian yoga instructors. I walked away with two key learnings from an intense day of anatomical instruction: 1) We, indeed, are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by the genius of our loving Creator, God; and 2) I have a great responsibility to help my students practice safely. I never imagined I’d enjoy studying anatomy so much.

Today was a day to celebrate, too, as our first group of Certified Raw Food Chefs graduated!
I’m determined to return sometime soon for this training from Raw Food Chef, Dawn Jones of True Light Yoga. You just haven’t lived until you’ve tasted her veggie enchiladas or chocolate mousse….

On Becoming a Teacher

When I was a little girl, I loved to “play” school. Of course, I always was the teacher. Who knew that 30-some years later, I’d be learning how to be a real teacher–a Christian yoga teacher at Yahweh Yoga?!

My journey continues at teacher training. Today, we learned from one of the best in the Christian yoga industry; DeAnna Smothers, EYRT. We each took the seat of the teacher, as we practiced reading Scripture in front of a class, and even how to guide a safe and effective warm-up. I’ll confess….I am a complete newbie at this. My teaching debut was humbling.

My chagrin reminded me that to be a Christian yoga teacher requires more than just great technique. To be a great Christian yoga teacher is to allow Christ to work in and through me as I teach; to accomplish His purpose through a less-than-perfect vessel (me)….so that He can work in and through my students who want to worship and possibly hear from Him through their own practice. It’s an awesome and exciting responsibility to teach Christian yoga.

With 10 days left before graduation, I know that I’ll learn what I need to boost my confidence in my teaching skills. I have an awesome group of teachers to support me here. But most importantly, I possess the unconditional love and acceptance of the One who has called me to become a Christian yoga instructor. He will enable me to do what I never could do in my own strength. He who called me is faithful; even when I’m on my yoga mat.

Under the Lemon Tree

Lessons From a Lemon Tree

At first, no one really noticed the solitary lemon tree that stands in the backyard of the house. In Phoenix, a lemon tree’s beauty blends in with the breathtaking landscape of blooming hedgehog cacti and Delphinium.

When our class convenes at the house for group meals, our ravenous appetites turn our attention to the table, not the windows. We overlooked the lemon tree. Until today, that is. Dawn Jones, our Raw Food Chef, noticed it first. She returned from the grocery store in a quandry. Lemons, it turns out, were a scarce commodity in the produce section this week. For whatever reason, regular shipments hadn’t arrived. Not one store had lemons for sale.

Lemons are a staple in living food preparation. Chefs use them to marinate, flavor and enhance myriad recipes. As Dawn unloaded the grocery bags back at the house, she casually glanced out the back window. There stood the abundant lemon tree, flourishing in the Arizona sun.

She donned her apron and stepped outside. She stood beneath the lemon tree’s foliage and gently tugged at one of the lemons. The lovely fruit was at the peak of its growth and gave way without resistance, waiting to be picked. The unmistakable scent of lemon oil filled the air as Dawn gathered lemons, too many to count, within the hems of her apron.

He is Jehovah Jirah, the God who provides. Today, in the boughs of a lemon tree, He provided for His daughters who came to the desert to study Christian yoga. On this day, God used a bitter fruit to teach us all a lesson about the sweetness of His provision.

Introducing….Raw Food Chef Certification at Yahweh Yoga!

Many of you have shared with me that you wisely want to adopt a predominantly living food lifestyle, but don’t know how to make the transition. For this very reason, we are now offering Raw Food Chef Certification courses for our students. You will learn how to prepare many different and delicious living food recipes while earning your certification, which will then allow you to you to teach others with your new teaching skills.

We’re pleased to announce that fellow Yahweh Yoga graduate, Dawn Jones, who is certified as a Raw Food Chef through raw food industry leader, Alissa Cohen, will offer Level 1 and Level 2 Raw Chef Certification for our students during November as indicated below:

Each class is limited to 4 people.
3 classes each of Level 1 & Level 2 are being offered.

Level 1 Certification:

Level 1 is one day only, 3 classes of Level 1 will be offered the dates below,
please choose one date from below:

(Cost is $200 for Level 1 alone and includes your food for the day)

Class 1 -Saturday April 2, 2011 8am-8pm

Class 2 - Wednesday November 10, 2010 8am-8pm

Class 3 - Sunday November 14,  2010 8am-8pm

Level 2 Certification:

Level 2 is 3 days, however, Level 1 is a prerequisite to taking Level 2.

(Cost for Level 2  alone is $650 and includes your food during each day of training.)
The cost for both Level 1 and 2 taken together is $850.
(You my take Level 1 first and Level 2 at a later offering if you prefer.)

3 classes of Level 2 will be offered on the dates below, please choose from below:

Level  2 - Class 1:

November 7 - 9th, 2010:

Sunday November 7th, 8am-2pm and 4pm-8pm;
Monday November 8th, 8am-2pm and 4pm-8pm;
Tuesday November 9th, 8am-2pm and 4pm-8pm

Level 2 - Class 2:

November 11-13, 2010:

Thursday November 11th, 8am-2pm and 4pm-8pm,
Friday November 12th, 8am-2pm and 4pm-8,
Saturday November 13th, 8am-2pm and 4pm-8pm.

Level 2 - Class 3

November 15-17, 2010:

Monday November 15th, 8am-2pm and 4pm-8pm,
Tuesday November 16th, 8am-2pm and 4pm-8pm,
Wednesday November 17th, 8am-2pm and 4pm-8pm

According to an ever-growing number of leading doctors and health experts, a predominately organic living food lifestyle is known to be the healthiest of lifestyles, it makes you feel so very good, keeps you vibrantly healthy and also gives you the “glow” of health that can only be achieved by a lifestyle rich in living foods. Benefits include: re-evaluating your life, losing weight, clearer thinking, breaking bad habits, growing closer to God, family and friends, learning self-control and purifying body and soul. If you want to transition into this lifestyle and become certified, please let me know as soon as possible as space is limited.

deanna@yahwehyoga.com

With love and respect,

DeAnna

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and that your body may keep well, even as your soul keeps well and prospers.” 3 John 2

A Perfect Raw(mostly)/Vegan Food Plan for Radiant Health

By DeAnna Smothers

I’m beginning to view pursuing radiant health as something that is really fun and challenging, instead of “work”. Being radiantly healthy is much different that being pretty healthy, it makes you literally glow from the inside out and that means we shine more for Him.

I’ve been so taken lately by Matthew 5:13 which says “Let me tell you why you are here.  Here’s another way to put it: “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world . I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine”.

Additionally, my friend and I have been studying Joyce Meyer’s The Battlefield of the Mind. I am seeing that we allow the enemy to entice us with strongholds such as focusing on toxic thoughts and human “reasoning” of the flesh first,  then actions of the flesh that continue to help us destroy ourselves..you know, eating too much, drinking too much, judging too much, not trusting enough.

I love Joyce Meyer’s statement “I had exhausted every way I knew of to destroy myself” when describing the shift that happened for her when she realized she didn’t have to believe every thought that dropped into her head - that if the thought didn’t align with scripture, then toss it. If the food and drink weren’t something that would upgrade her health, she didn’t want to partake. That she finally realized to shine her brightest, she had to exercise and take care of her physical form. We have free choice, such a gift especially when used wisely. The Book of Proverbs is the book of wisdom in the Bible, whatever is there is the way to live in order to experience the best possible. By the way, have you seen Joyce Meyer lately, she looks better than ever!

My big Ah Ha moment was when I realized after studying Proverbs that if I choose not to live that way, that I am being disobedient, something that hurts my soul because I know it will not please my sweet Savior.  The mind shift I have had is motivated primarily by a desire to be obedient at a higher level. Have you seriously read Proverbs and what it has to say about eating and drinking too much?  It’s pretty clear that our mind, body and soul health are seriously important to God. No guilt now, He wouldn’t like that. I just want to move forward to brightly shine and glow for Him and it’s fun seeing what thought patterns, foods, drink and activities help me do that best. Right now I’m kinda glowy, but I have some serious room for growth and I’m excited!

God’s Word instructs us to shine, it even goes so far as to say that that’s why we are here. I realized a year or so ago  - finally wonder of wonders, that I could not shine  radiantly for God, myself, my family, friends, profession with a toxic mind, body and soul AND that I had them all! Not to an extreme mind you, for I have been progressing to a healthier mind and mostly raw for a while now and lost about 30 pounds and started feeling amazing! But then I got complacent for a while and stayed where I am, now I am ready for the next level.

Anyhow, I realized that for me living a mostly raw 90%/Vega Lifestyle helped me shine more radiantly for God, drop unwanted pounds fast and the lifestyle itself delivers a glow that cannot be achieved with a diet of toxic thoughts not in agreement with scripture, cooked foods and animal food and dairy no matter how you cut it. But it’s organic meat you say, yes so it doesn’t have hormones and pesticides that’s good, but it still clogs your arteries, sorry.

Here’s how my radiantly glowing friends typically live their lives each day and when I do it I am radiant too!  I’m trying to do this six days a week.  It’s a fabulous lifestyle and with delicious food and you have all kinds of energy.

• Go to bed early enough to get 8 full hours sleep.

• Awaken early enough to have some alone time and unhurried morning tea/coffee at least 6 days per week

• Practice Christian yoga in any form 6 times per week, Rest & Restore, Gentle, Flow, Power…mix it up if you like.

• Read and listen to inspirational music/messages on CD/Dads by Christian people they admire in the car, home, walking, Christian yoga.

• Hang around other like individuals.  Joining a Christian yoga studio/group is one way to do that.

• Have no more than 2 cups of coffee/tea in the morning…organic, of course

• Have a vegan Pea Protein drink in fresh home made almond milk with berries each day preferably 45 minutes after practice or working out, this is key. Vegans need protein and creamy taste, this was the missing link for me to move ahead.

• Have two large fresh organic green juices per day, or one juice and one green smoothie..best juicer for fast preparation and clean-up - Breville

• Eat a delicious greens salad with some raw goat cheese, organic sunflower seeds, avocado, tomatoes, any kind of veggie you like, everyday!

• Find restaurants that are organic and dressings that you like there.  After a meal at the restaurant, bring home some side orders of dressing for your week’s salad.

• Most radiantly healthy people don’t eat bread very much at all but if they do Once In A While,  it’s Ezekiel

• Most love chocolate and learn how to make the recipe below for yummy raw dehydrated chocolate macaroon’s.

• I also love making Popsicles with fresh organic almond milk/raw organic cocoa powder/coconut/stevia or other negligible insulin spike sweeters, this makes very yummy Popsicles; just get yourself a set of Popsicle holders, put ingredients in a blender, pour into Popsicle holder, put in freezer 4 hours and voila’! You can also just juice any fruit and pour it in the holders.

• Drink 6-8 glasses of reverse osmosis water or pure water everyday. This keeps toxics moving through and out your body.

• Once a week, my very radiantly glowy friends pretty much eat what they want, but not to extreme as toxics get you to crave more toxins. So if you are going to indulge, do it lightly and be mindful that you want radiant health and too many toxins will quickly steel your radiance.

• Read a book you like before bed, dare to just read for enjoyment.

• Be obedient to Scripture, take the time to learn it better. The Book of Proverbs is the book of wisdom in the Bible.  Just start there.  Whatever it says is true and righteous.

• My radiantly healthy friends all have their vitamin k2, B12, Thyroid, D3 levels checked annually and if they need these commonly needed supplements, they purchase them from Life Extension because they are the cleanest around and they are reasonable in price. You can get your blood tests there too.

Thinking of you all, sending love and peace your way.

DeAnna

Recipe:

Delicious Raw Chocolate Macaroons

• 3 cups unsweetened organic dried coconut

• 1 1/2 cups raw organic cacao powder

• 1 cup raw organic light agave or raw organic yacon syrup or Stevia to taste

• 1/2 cup raw organic coconut oil

• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Mix, roll into balls, dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12 to 24 hours

Lower the temp or shorten the time for softer macaroons

For those without dehydrators place on lowest temp in oven for several hours

They are good even without dehydration, just fresh!

Christian Yoga Teacher Training: Food, Glorious Food!

Proper nutrition is key for our trainees’ energy levels

Since we have gotten such a positive response from you on our peek into the world of our teacher trainees, we thought you might like to see what our students eat while they are here for the 15-day intensive Christian yoga retreat.

Light and Nutritious Food for a Health Transformation

Let’s face it, how many of us think about the fuel we put into the bodies God gave us? Most Americans grab processed, unhealthy “food” and wonder why they feel tired, sick, and unhappy.

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
–3 John 1:2, New International Version

One of the things we believe at Yahweh Yoga is that eating a whole-food, unprocessed plant-based diet is important to good health. And since most of trainees enroll in our program to jump-start a personal change (as well as a professional one) we wanted our students to experience the best food possible so they could experience for themselves how good a clean diet can feel.

Chef-prepared Vegan and Raw Selections

Does the idea of a plant-based diet scare you a little? Don’t worry, many people feel that way at first, but we find that this reaction is typically a reaction to the unfamiliarity of vegan and raw food more than anything else.

So we decided that if our students are willing to go outside their comfort zone, we should give them food worthy of the effort they are making. We hired Chefs Julia and Starlyn from Whole Foods who have kept our students fueled for rigorous yoga and intensive learning sessions — all while introducing how beautiful and delicious healthy food can be.

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Are you wondering if Yahweh Yoga’s Christian Yoga teacher training is the right step to start your professional, personal, and spiritual transformation? Please see our Teacher Training FAQ for more information, or contact us to speak with us personally.

A letter from DeAnna on transformation through Christian Yoga

Treasured Students and Friends,

So many of you have been asking me how at 65+ years of age (and having healed myself naturally of breast cancer) I am able to have the health and stamina that allows me to run a company and kick the booty of 21 year olds in my yoga classes. My reply is always “through personal emotional, spiritual and physical transformation”.

Lately, in our teacher training program I am seeing more and more students who want a “personal transformation” to transition once and for all into a healthy lifestyle just as much as they want to become Christian yoga teachers.

Our graduates tell us everyday their experience in our teacher training program greatly exceeded their expectations. It is our blessing to hear students comment that they never expected such inner-personal growth emotionally, spiritually and physically.  We find ourselves having more and more students who want the personal transformation of immersing themselves in the knowledge and practice of the Christian yoga lifestyle.

If you’ve been looking for a personal transformation this opportunity awaits you. We still have a few spaces left in our November RYT program and you are welcome to take the course for your own personal growth. Of course, you never know where these new credentials will take you. People worldwide call us everyday for teachers in their area and we simply can’t meet the demand.

Perhaps your heart has been pulling at you to take our course. Perhaps now is the time. If so, please contact us and register for your personal transformational experience. Financing terms are available. Please see our teacher training FAQ for more information.

In His Service,
DeAnna

If you want an introduction to our nutrition program come this Saturday to our Eating and Healthy Living workshop, meet some of the students in our current teacher training program and check it out for yourself.