09/25/2025
Recently, someone asked me why, when we practice gratitude during yoga, I always say, “take a few rounds of breath to give gratitude to your higher power.” That’s a very good and valid question. I made a conscious decision when I opened the yoga studio five years ago to welcome anyone. While, I am a Christ-follower and have a Bible verse on the wall of the studio and a yoga poster about God on the other wall of the studio and while I accepted Christ at a young age and have deeply studied the Bible since my teenage years and am one of those “woke” Christians that believes Christ meant everything He said in the gospels, I have never felt that it's necessary or good for me to force God on anyone else. I won't change that because first of all, I have had great success in my life in having people of other faiths and of no faith ask me about Christ and the Bible after I respected their beliefs. As a result, I have had the privilege of leading more than one athiest out of athiesm and towards Christ because I genuinely love and respect them. (If you don’t believe in God, don’t worry, I’m never gonna force Him on you, but I’m happy to talk about my beliefs if you ask.) Second, I respect people’s rights to their own beliefs because I don't see any examples in the Bible of Christ forcing Himself on anyone. Now, I know that forced conversions is a big part of the history of America with the Conquistadors forcing conversions before killing indigenous people and with the first Americans forcing slaves to convert to Christ to justify slavery, but that's just never sat well with me personally. Personally, I don't think forced conversions are real conversions anyway, so I will continue to leave room for those of other faiths and of no faith in my yoga studio and in my home and in my life. One of my instructors in Yoga Teacher Training had actually helped plant churches and then one day her pastor said, “you need to stop going hiking on Sunday mornings and be in church.” She said, “but I feel even closer to God in the park surrounded by Creation than in the building.” Her pastor responded that if she was a real Christian, she’d be in church on Sundays. She’s never been back to church and I’m not really sure what she believes now. I made it a point when heard that story to never be like that pharisee who said such a harsh and unloving thing to someone who was loving God through the nature I believe He created. I hope that helps you understand me better. I love every single person who has passed through the studio doors and that will not change. In the Bible, Jesus chose to eat with sinners rather than the religious people at the temple. How can I not choose to do the same when I’m a far bigger sinner than all of the people I know?