“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not into your own understanding but in all your ways a knowledge Him and He will direct your paths” – Proverbs 3:5-6
God directed my path to Holy Yoga. It is not a path I would have ever seen myself on, but He had a plan.
After my second failed marriage and the fear of losing my sense of family, God promised me He would give me a family greater than I could ever imagine. But at the age of 55 and four years after my divorce, I wasn’t sure how God was going to fulfill this promise.
As I adjusted to life on my own, I had a notion of being a Holy Yoga® Instructor, but quickly dismissed the idea for many reasons:
- Cost.
- I was new to yoga.
- Fear.
- Ridicule.
After six months of saying no to God, I found myself in a situation where traumatic memories from my younger years were triggered at work, leaving me paralyzed and grasping for breath.
I confided my struggles with a sister in Christ at work, and she immediately suggested I seek proper counseling and help from a professional. My response was instant and surprised even me – “ I think I need to be a Holy Yoga Instructor.“
As soon as those words came out of my mouth, I knew it was the truth. My friend insisted I get first things first and that I should get real help and then go about this yoga thing.
All I could hear from that point on was God speaking directly to me, saying, “ What are you waiting for? Holy Yoga is where I’m going to bring you healing!” God required time with me so He could show me how broken I was in order that I might respond “yes” to His calling. Through the Holy Yoga training and countless hours on my mat with Him, God has brought about real healing in my life.
One of my favorite memories from training was walking into the room at Immersion Retreat and being instantly overwhelmed as I heard God whisper to me, “Take a look around the room child. This is your new family.” He was finally fulfilling the promise He had given me in the midst of my desert. Holy Yoga was my new family. Bigger and brighter than I ever could have imagined on my own.
Upon completion of instructor training, God told me He wasn’t finished yet and provided the financial support through my church to complete the Trauma Sensitive Holy Yoga training. God is healing me physically and emotionally from a past that was filled with the sense of never belonging, shame, failure, abuse, regrets, mistakes, and tragedy. Through this journey, I am finding healing from chronic hip pain and discovering a life with less physical pain – a constant reminder of my loving Heavenly Father.
The legacy I will be leaving for generations to come will look different. It is one filled with the love of God, mercy, and redemption.
My quiet time with God is now a time where I can sit at the table with Jesus.
My seat is close to Him. I can touch Him and lean on His shoulder and be embraced by Him.
I am safe, and I am worthy!
His way and His will are always better than mine.
I pray I have the faith to follow His plan and share the gospel to the ends of the earth thru the embodied faith of yoga.
Want to learn more about our Holy Yoga Instructor Training starting soon? Check it out here!
