<![CDATA[Nurturing Divinity - Christ-Centered Yoga Blog]]>

<![CDATA[Nurturing Divinity - Christ-Centered Yoga Blog]]>Sat, 05 Nov 2022 14:31:17 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Love God with All Your Soul]]>Mon, 07 May 2018 01:24:14 GMThttp://www.nurturingdivinity.com/christ-centered-yoga-blog/love-god-with-all-your-soul

Most times in the scriptures, it seems that the word “soul” refers to the spirit, or something different than the spirit or the body, but I love the clarification given in the Doctrine and Covenants: D&C 88:15 And the spirit and the body are the soul of man. According to this, our “soul” is the combination of our spirit and our body. These next scriptures shed some light on what happens when our spirit and body connect (or disconnect): D&C 93: 23 Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth; … 33 For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; 34 And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy. So we are spirit/truth and we cannot receive a fullness of joy unless we inseparably connect with the elements.

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL TO ME. Gaaaaaaaaa….

And here is where Eastern understanding of spirit can help fill the missing gaps in Western understanding of spirit. At least in my LDS culture, we speak often of our spirits, but there is not much more detail given other than what the scriptures above teach--truth, eternal, etc. In the West we have explored (and continue to explore -- link water body thing) the details of our physical body--we understand that we are a big system of systems. Nervous System, Endocrine System, organs, blood, cells, etc. Eastern understanding has explored (for centuries) the details of our spirit body (or “energetic body”), which I think is a wonderful way to get to know our spirit body better so that we can more fully CONNECT our body (elements) and our spirit and receive that fullness of joy.

Examples of Western Physical Body Systems

Example of Eastern Energetic Body Systems (Chinese Meridians)

Example of Eastern Energetic Body System (Basic Chakras)

In simplistic terms, like the physical systems in our bodies, our spirit (or energetic) body has systems too. This makes total sense to me! If all things are created spiritually before they are created physically, (Genisis 2:5 5 For I, the LORD God, created all things of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth) then of course my spirit body would have just as much detail, intricacy, functionality, and interdependence as my physical body. I believe that the more we understand these aspects of our spirit/energetic bodies, the more we will be aware of them and thus find greater connection between our body and spirit.

And connecting back to our main theme - the more we understand what encompasses ALL of our Soul, the more we understand how to Love God, Ourselves, and our Neighbor with All of it. As we practice yoga and meditation with an intention of connection and awareness of our soul, the more able we are to Love will All of it.

(*I will say that I am not yet sure if our energetic bodies are something we inherit as we come to earth, or if they are an aspect of that “Spirit of Truth” that we began as. My inclination is there is more distinction between our spirit and the elements of energy than I address here, but exploring things in the way that I do in this post still leads me to a greater understanding of the connections, as I hope it does for you. Would love to hear your thoughts!*)

My thoughts on a yoga/meditation practice:

Figure out your intention. I like connecting it back to those scriptures: I want to connect my Body and Spirit (or my Elements and my Spirit) so that I can more fully receive and experience Joy. As always, this is possible because of our Savior. When I connect my intention through Him and His Atonement, more miraculous miracles happen.

Experience the Energy: Hold your hands in front of you and rub them together really fast for a minute or two. Then hold them a few inches away from each other and feel what you feel. You most likely will feel heat and energy. Then think about and imagine sending energy from one hand to the other. Feel what you feel. Maybe close your eyes to focus your ability to sense. Pull your hands a little further apart and see if you can keep sending the energy back and forth.

Find some guided meditations/youtube yoga practices that are chakra focused and spend some time just “going there.” (I love Yoga with Adriene of course, and if you want to pay for a subscription to an AMAZING wealth of practices, check out https://www.gobodhiyoga.com/ . I trained with the founder Syl Carson.)

Meditate on how you can use All of your Soul (Body and Spirit) to Love God.

Articles:

Western Anatomy Systems:
http://progressiveprophetess.blogspot.com/2014/10/functional-western-anatomy-and.html
Interesting Article on Chakras and the Two Trees:
http://progressiveprophetess.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-chakras-and-two-trees-book-chapter.html
Basic Chakra Reference:
http://progressiveprophetess.blogspot.com/2014/10/chakra-basics-and-quick-reference-guide.html

Scriptures:
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (JST 8 And I, the LORD God, formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also.)
Genesis 2:11 And out of the ground, made I, the LORD God, to grow every tree, naturally, that is pleasant to the sight of man; and man could behold it, and it became also a living soul; for it was spiritual in the day that I created it; for it remaineth in the sphere in which I, God, created it, yea, even all things which I prepared for the use of man; and man saw that it was good for food.
Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
Romans 13: 1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
1 Nephi 8: 12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
1 Nephi 11: 22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. 23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.
2 Nephi 4: 16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.
2 Nephi 4:27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy? 28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.
D&C 11: 13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;
D&C 88:15 And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.
D&C 93:23 Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth; 24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;
D&C 93: 29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.
30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.
31 Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light.
32 And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation.
33 For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy;
34 And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy.
35 The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple.
36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.

Sat Nam, my friends, Sat Nam.

(Sat Nam means: I am truth, Truth is my Identity) (D&C 93!!!!!!!!!!)

]]><![CDATA[Week 3: Love God with All Your Mind]]>Sat, 17 Feb 2018 14:07:46 GMThttp://www.nurturingdivinity.com/christ-centered-yoga-blog/week-3-love-god-with-all-your-mind

Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God— Alma 19:6

Pranayama: (breath control) to remove that which covers the light of the mind

Studying for this specific practice, I was fascinated by the scriptures I found that connected to the mind. I would love to hear what connections you make as you ponder them!

Scriptures:
Serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind, 1 Chr. 28:9.
To be carnally minded is death; to be spiritually minded is life eternal, 2 Ne. 9:39.
The word had a more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, Alma 31:5.
The voice of the Lord came into my mind, Enos 1:10.
I will tell you in your mind, D&C 8:2.
Satan knew not the mind of God, Moses 4:6.
Let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds, D&C 43:34.
Your minds in times past have been darkened, D&C 84:54.
The Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, Moses 7:18.
Retire to thy bed early, arise early that your bodies and minds may be invigorated, D&C 88:124.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isai. 26:3
And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. Ezek 11:5
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:27
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor 2:16
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ. 2 Cor 3:14
For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. 2 Cor 8:12
Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. 2 Cor 13:11
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; Eph 4:23
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:13
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 1 Peter 5:2
O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever. Jacob 3:2
I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view. Mosiah 2:9
But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage. Mosiah 7:33
Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God— Alma 19:6
And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand. Alma 32:34
Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! Alma 36:18-20
Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually. Alma 57:27
Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel. Ether 4:15
have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have aangels ceased to minister unto the children of men. For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of agodliness. Moroni 7:30
be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever. Moroni 9:25
Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth; D&C 6:15
But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. D&C 9:8
And you also lost your gift at the same time, and your mind became darkened. D&C 10:2
Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; D&C 11:13
And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, that are given unto the church. D&C 46:10
Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days. D&C 64:34
And again, verily I say unto you that it is your privilege, and a promise I give unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am—not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the spiritual. D&C 67:10
And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received— D&C 84:54
And any man that shall go and preach this gospel of the kingdom, and fail not to continue faithful in all things, shall not be weary in mind, neither darkened, neither in body, limb, nor joint; and a hair of his head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed. And they shall not go hungry, neither a thirst. D&C 84:80
Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man. D&C 84:85
Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man. D&C 88:68
The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber. His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah. D&C 110:1-3
Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face. D&C 112:23
While he was conversing with me about the plates, the vision was opened to my mind that I could see the place where the plates were deposited, and that so clearly and distinctly that I knew the place again when I visited it. JSH 1: 42

Quotes and Articles:
The heart is symbolic of love and commitment. We make sacrifices and bear burdens for those we love that we would not endure for any other reason. If love does not exist, our commitment wanes.
If we love the Lord with all our heart, we are willing to give Him everything we possess. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) said: “The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. … The many other things we give to God … are actually things He has already given us, and He has loaned them to us. But when we begin to submit ourselves by letting our wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him. … There is a part of us that is ultimately sovereign, the mind and heart. … And when we submit to His will, then we’ve really given Him the one thing He asks of us.”1
Having “a willing mind” connotes giving our best effort and finest thinking and seeking God’s wisdom. It suggests that our most devoted lifetime study should be of things that are eternal in nature. It means that there must be an inextricable relationship between hearing the word of God and obeying it.
(https://www.lds.org/ensign/2011/06/the-heart-and-a-willing-mind?lang=eng)

The word all is all important here. It appears seven times in this scripture—itself a symbolic number of completion, often associated with sacrifice in Leviticus. Keeping this commandment requires genuine, dedicated completeness. You are commanded to love God with all thy heart, all thy might, and all thy mind. We have a word wholeheartedly. Maybe we should coin a word wholemindedly.
Whatever our particular fields of scholarship, the real test is individual discipleship, not scholarship. . . We usually tend to think of consecration in terms of property. . . . But there are so many ways of keeping back part and so many things we can withhold a portion of besides property. All things [including our minds] really ought to be put on the altar. [“Discipleship and Scholarship,” BYU Studies 32, no. 3 (summer 1992): 7]
“He loves God with all his mind who . . . sees God in all things and acknowledges him in all ways” (CR, April 1965, 58; also “’And God Spake All These Words,’” Improvement Era 68, no. 6 [June 1965]: 512).
Moroni says, “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; . . . and love God with all your might, mind and strength” (Moroni 10:32). It says, “Be perfected in him.” We cannot perfect our minds without His help. We know the effects of the Fall on our bodies, but our minds are also in a fallen state. Our minds must also be redeemed. This happens by repenting of our bad or erroneous thoughts and submitting to the mind and will of Christ.
Has your mind been sanctified by the atoning blood of Christ? (see Welch, Echoes and Evidences, 44–47). As described in Mosiah 3:19, has your mind “yield[ed] to the enticings of the Holy Spirit”? Or, as stated in Mosiah 5:2, have you “no more disposition” to think evil? Has the finger of the Lord touched our inert cerebral stones and turned them into light-giving gems? To use the words of Paul in Romans 12:2, have you been “transformed by the renewing of your mind [your nous]”? If so, the Lord will light up your mind, as He did King Lamoni’s (see Alma 19:6). He will cause your mind to expand, as Alma promised (see Alma 32:34). He will write His covenants upon your mind, as Jeremiah guaranteed (quoted in Hebrews 8:10; see Jeremiah 31:33). He will bless your heart and mind with peace that passes all understanding, as Paul assured (see Philippians 4:7–9).
(https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/john-w-welch_thy-mind/)

http://progressiveprophetess.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-power-of-mind-and-intention.html
https://sarahpowers.com/sp/media/articles/yoga-and-meditation/

Yoga Practice: Possible intentions: To become aware of the “ALLness” part… To prepare body for meditation... Prepare body to help focus mind, using breath… Find Intention and work on holding it in your mind, even through movement... Practice, for worship.

*Alma 19:6* and my intention: Practice a diligent and firm mind. Help you cast away any darkness so that light can fill and infuse you. So that you are more able to love God with ALL your mind.
Breath Work - Pranayama - Intention finding/holding*
Asanas and Movement - Intention holding**
Breath Work - Pranayama*
Savasana
Meditation

May the dark veil of unbelief be cast away from your mind, and the light which will light up your mind, which is the light of the glory of God, which is a marvelous light of his goodness—may this light infuse such joy into your soul, that the cloud of darkness is dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life is lit up in your soul.

*Yoga with Adriene Breath Practices:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQrsJ-yZWV8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VwufJrUhic
**Yoga with Adriene Movement Practicies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwSbLuAoOyw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMu6OKF5Z1k

]]><![CDATA[Week 2: Love God with All your Heart]]>Sat, 27 Jan 2018 03:02:54 GMThttp://www.nurturingdivinity.com/christ-centered-yoga-blog/week-2-love-god-with-all-your-heart-joyful-dedicated-heart

Artist: Annie Henrie

Getting to the heart (ha) of this aspect of The Greatest Commandment, was more difficult than I expected. There is so much to be understood and uncovered here. (Why was I surprised?? This IS
Getting to the heart (ha) of this aspect of The Greatest Commandment, was more difficult than I expected. There is so much to be understood and uncovered here. (Why was I surprised?? This IS God we are talking about.) Through my studies this week I’ve realized a couple things: Love is a way of being (“God is Love”), a power, and an action. How does this change the way we understand what “Loving God” means? And what does it mean to Love Him/Her with ALL your Heart? The only way I can describe what it means to me at this moment is through an experience I had a couple nights ago: my infant son threw up a couple hours before he went to bed, and then again right before we were about to put him down. My heart raced in panic and anxiety. I could feel it get all clenched up and hard and resistant. A few weeks back we ALL (us and the babies) simultaneously got the stomach flu for a few days and it was one of the hardest things. I just couldn’t do that again. Dread filled my body/mind/spirit. After the babies were asleep, I knelt next to my bed and tried to talk with God. Having been thinking about this topic all week, I realized that I was holding back a part of my heart from Him/Her--a fear-filled, anxious part. I wasn’t loving God enough to trust and say “Okay, here is that fear. I give it to you because I trust you--I trust that whatever happens, we’re going to be okay.” I had to breathe this over and over again--until I really actually did give it to God. And in that moment, I was loving God with more of my All-Heart than before.

Yoga and Loving God with All your Heart? I really like this quote: “To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is all-consuming and all-encompassing. It is no lukewarm endeavor. It is total commitment of our very being—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—to a love of the Lord.” (Ezra Taft Benson) Doing yoga with the intention to get in tune with this can be a powerful experience. Yoga can involve that “total commitment of our very being” in a way that not a lot of things can.

Candidly, I feel like I'm just starting to tap into understanding this part of the commandment and the marvelous connections with yoga. I feel like I could spend weeks--nay, years--learning and discovering and teaching about it, and still have more to learn. So this is a smattering of where my explorations are currently. Enjoy!

Scriptures and Quotes:
The scriptures are filled with many words connected to the condition of our heart: broken, pure, sincere, one, glad, courageous, changed, intergrity, perfect, touched, ponderous, real, turned, whole, etc.

“Apostle John, who said, “We love him, because he first loved us. Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you. He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked. What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.9 … God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God! … We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God’s spirit children. Therefore, we have a vast capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

“When the heart chi is healthy, we feel warm, nourished, and nourishing, able to contact innate joy, inner peace, and harmony, and able to build healthy relationships. Heart chi is related to our vital center and spiritedness, and when it is out of balance there may be a propensity for acute sadness, desperation, joylessness, depression, and estrangement when depleted, or cold intolerance, cruelty, and hatred when in excess.” (Sarah Powers)

“The healing of our heart begins when we submit to and worship God. True worship begins when our hearts are right before the Father and the Son. What is our heart condition today? Paradoxically, in order to have a healed and faithful heart, we must first allow it to break before the Lord. “Ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit,”7 the Lord declares. The result of sacrificing our heart, or our will, to the Lord is that we receive the spiritual guidance we need. With a growing understanding of the Lord’s grace and mercy, we will find that our self-willed hearts begin to crack and break in gratitude. Then we reach for Him, yearning to yoke ourselves to the Only Begotten Son of God. In our brokenhearted reaching and yoking, we receive new hope and fresh guidance through the Holy Ghost.” (Neill F. Marriott)

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13)
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” (Matt. 6:21)
“Yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever” (Alma 37:36).

Articles:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/the-love-of-god?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/yielding-our-hearts-to-god?lang=eng
http://gregsimas.org/how-to-love-god-with-all-your-heart/
So much Yoga talk out there about our hearts... Google the Heart Chakra!

Yoga Practice Outline:

Meditation/Awareness: Become aware of your heart - where is it, what is in it, what does it treasure? What is the condition of your heart today? (Become aware of ALL your heart - sorrows, joys, vast capacity)
How much of your heart are you willing to give back to God?
What are you holding back? Or what part of your heart is broken?
Can you also give THIS part of your heart to God?

Breath Practice: Expanding Heart
Breathe Light of Christ into heart
Breathe Gratitude into heart
Breathe visualizing ALL your HEART …
Inhale: fill up your whole heart with prana and gratitude.
Exhale: send it all back to God.

Movement Practice: opt. Intention: “reaching and yearning to yoke”
(continuing with Inhale / Exhale practice)
Opening and Balancing lower 3 chakras
Heart awakening and opening practice

Ending Visualization:
Giving your whole heart to your Heavenly Parents. Christ witnesses and helps you do so. Maybe they give you back your heart purified, like a crystal.

Savasana

End Meditation: Lotus hands
“The blossoming lotus represents your heart opening. The flower is firmly rooted in the “mud” of the lower chakras, but it is adamant in its resolve to grow upward toward the light – the knowledge of the higher centres. The lotus is a symbol of your inner beauty emerging from the darkness.” (Watkins) … or whatever you want it to represent.

Artist: Annie Henrie

I HEART YOGA WITH ADRIENE! And here is a nice little video from her with Heart Chakra Yoga. Enjoy!

]]><![CDATA[6 Week Christ-Centered Yoga Series]]>Sat, 20 Jan 2018 03:52:48 GMThttp://www.nurturingdivinity.com/christ-centered-yoga-blog/6-week-christ-centered-yoga-series

Excited to share that I will be holding a 6 Week Christ-Centered Yoga Series starting Jan 2018. I love studying and creating these types of experiences, and share them here in case anyone would like to learn more about this perspective!

This series is inspired by Mark 12:30-31
"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

Week 1: Breath of Life
Week 2: Love with all your Heart
Week 3: Love with all your Mind
Week 4: Love with all your Soul (Body/Spirit Connection)
Week 5: Love with all your Strength
Week 6: Love your Neighbor as Yourself (Partner/Group)

Saturday 9:30am - 10:45am, Valdosta GA LDS Building
Bring: Yoga Mat/Towel/Blanket; Extra Towel; Water and snacks if needed (especially my preggo ladies)

]]><![CDATA[Week 1: Breath of Life / Light of Christ / Prana]]>Sat, 20 Jan 2018 03:42:58 GMThttp://www.nurturingdivinity.com/christ-centered-yoga-blog/week-1-breath-of-life-light-of-christ-prana

Breath of Life, by J. Kirk Richards

"My beloved brothers in Christ, the God of creation, who breathed life into the universe, surely has the power to breathe life into you. Surely He can make of you the genuine, spiritual being of light and truth you desire to be."
Pres. Uchtdorf, Being Genuine

The scriptures teach us that God gives us “the breath of life” and we become “living souls.” They also teach that the Light of Christ is available to us all. “It is the divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things.” This is the same thing as the yogic “Prana”, which is often defined as “life force” or “life energy.” In yoga, the BREATH is one of the main conduits for PRANA (Light of Christ) to fill our souls (combination of body and spirit). Prana/Light of Christ, rides the breath like a wave. As we become more awake and aware of the capacity we have choose how we receive this life and light energy, we can fill our souls and lives more fully with this Prana/Light of Christ. In yoga, “Pranayama” is the practice of controlling the breath. It is also said to remove that which covers the light of the mind. As we make conscious breathing a part of our lives, not only do we benefit physically (which extensive research has proven), but spiritually as well. As we make greater space for breath in our lives, we make greater space for the Breath of Life. Do we want to be zombies? Or “living souls”?

Scriptures:
Genesis 2:7 - And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Job 12:9,10 - Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
Job 33: 4 - The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Psalm 150: 6 - Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
John 20:21,22 - Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive the Holy Ghost.
Mosiah 2:21 - I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
Ether 2: 19, 20 - And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also we shall perish for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish. And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood.
(In the Book of Mormon, many examples of people “breathing out” impure and wicked things. It says “woe unto them.” How are we using our breath? Our “breathing out”?)
D&C 88:7,12 - This is the light of Christ… which proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space.
Abraham 5:7 - [God] formed man from the dust of the ground, and took his spirit, and put it into him; and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.
“The Light of Christ is the divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things.” LDS.org

Articles:
Light of Christ LDS.org Topic Page
Great Article by LDS and Yogini, Felice Austin: “Prana, the Breath of Life, the Light of Christ”

Yoga Practice Outline:
Seated Pranayama :
Natural Breath, Long Deep Breathing/3 Part Breath, Ujjayi/Nostril Breath
Warm-Ups:
Neck, Spine
Yang Sequence (Learning to synchronize breath with movement):
Partial/Full Sun Salutation (slow)
Prep for Balance Pose and Balance Pose
Yin Sequence (Using breath to aid in surrendering to the pose):
(include seated, inversion, back, and twist poses)
Savasana with Guided Imagery with Christ

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