Sacred Movement / Yoga
Learn to befriend your body!
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? ... Therefore honor God with your bodies." - I Corinthians 6:19-20
"Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices; my body will rest secure."
- Psalm 16:9, italics added
Our yoga instructor is a certified TCTSY (Trauma Sensitive Yoga) facilitator. She guides individuals and groups to notice body sensations, make choices, and increase one's awareness of their body-self.
A private yoga session offers personalized guidance tailored to your unique needs, goals, and experience level. The pace and intensity are adapted to suit your body and mind, making it ideal for beginners seeking a strong foundation or experienced practitioners wanting to deepen their practice. Individual sessions provide the opportunity for privacy and less stimulation. You can determine the focus of your individual sessions. For example, your intention may be to learn to down- or up-regulate your nervous system, or feel more comfortable in your body, or expand your tolerance for movement. In an individual session, you might also request alignment instruction, aromatherapy, guided mindful meditation or breathing exercises.
...coming soon...
Trauma Sensitive practice allows you to connect to your body through interoception and making choices. Each yoga form will be preceded by an invitational option & there are no alignment cues. Participate to the extent that you choose. I will not walk around the room, offer adjustments, or introduce scents or sound therapy. The use of yoga props is optional, and there is no guided meditation or spiritual teaching. No breathing exercises are included.
Group TCTSY sessions are offered in a multi-session series because studies have shown symptom relief comes after 8 sessions. All groups are CLOSED (no drop-ins) so you know who to expect. Practicing with others can help you expand your ability to trust & connect with others while also connecting to your body.
Christians may wonder if yoga is in line with their faith. The tradition of yoga and its accompanying body shapes were developed thousands of years ago in the context of Hindu and Buddhist thought and culture. We acknowledge the eastern roots of yogic practice, and we believe that no body movements or shapes are the domain of any religion. Our bodies belong to God alone, and He has given us free will concerning how to use them. What's more, our bodies are miracles! Have you considered how intricate and fine-tuned a respiratory system is? Your body is constantly, automatically regulating itself by monitoring sensory input and responding with behavioral, hormonal, or neural changes. So often we're disappointed with or ashamed of our bodies, but this is a lie. We know that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139); we bear the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Our bodies carry His image so others can see it! Amazing.
In fact, God has communicated with us from the beginning through our bodies, from wrestling with Jacob to healing King Hezekiah. Ultimately, He took on a human body, with all of its aches, pains, and traumas, in order to speak directly to us. Jesus' first miracle was experienced by the bodies that drank the wine He created, and He went on to heal diseased bodies over and over again. Our very salvation is through the sacrifice of Jesus' perfect body. At the Lord's Supper, the bread represents the body of Christ. The physical act of consuming it symbolizes that Christ now housed in your body; you are His temple. Not just your mind, or your spirit, but also your BODY.
This is the foundation of healing; that Christ is inside you, working from the inside, to the extent that you allow Him. The power of the resurrection, the One who healed lepers, is within your body if you invite Him. The more connected we can be to our bodies, the better we function as a living temple. The more we shed dissatisfaction with our bodies and see them with wonder, as gifts from God that allow us to live in His abundance, the more we are allowing God to heal our deepest wounds. Trauma teaches us to avoid or ignore our bodies; God wants to meet us there.
