You might have heard me mention that I am a God loving Christian who doesn’t always get spiritually fed while in church.  I tend to justify this by my inherent introverted nature.   I work in the medical field and do feel that my cup is often filed with this type of work.   I feel privileged to be the hands and feet of Jesus as I offer compassion to my patients and often an open heart and ears to my coworkers.  However, when the weekend comes, I often feel like my ‘community’ or ‘word’ quota is up, I crave some stillness and silence.  I crave the company of trees and sky!  

Of late, I have been listening to my favorite pastors’ sermons prerecorded from the previous week in the comfort of my own home.  This week he finished an inspiring and enlightening series on the book of Philippians, more on that later.  Pastor Travis often says you need the community of the church to truly develop your spiritual muscles.  For an introvert like me, I cringe at the word community.  Don’t get me wrong I love one on one interactions with beloved friends or small group connection to like-minded souls.  I am blessed to have so many rich relationships but walking into a Church in something more than my weekend attire of sweats or yoga pants into a room full of albeit welcoming and loving strangers has often made me feel more alone than united. 

You see as a yogi, I try to follow the tenants outlined in the yamas and niyamas, or ethical guidelines to abundant balanced living (my on the fly one sentence definition!).  Specifically, here brahmacharya comes up which is often defined as moderation in all things.  I often like to talk about this tenant as wise use of energy. In our overstimulating world, this helps keep me in check, particularly being introverted by nature I ask myself for example- is going to the baby shower of an acquaintance or a distant cousin a wise use of energy?  Pretty much never for me! 

This also includes words and thoughts, something I continually work on or return to, related more to the first and second yamas, ahimsa, non-harming and satya, truthfulness.   I try to ask myself, is it wise, is true, is it necessary.  Again, a practice!  Will these words or this line of thinking empower or diminish another or myself?  Do these words even need to be spoken?   Is this a wise use of my energy to say..scroll through facebook or random newsfeeds?  I am speaking my truth and calling myself out here to.  We continually need to reassess how we are using our energy, and without judgement move towards words and actions that lead to peace and wholeness. 

  Another beautiful way of expressing brahmacharya is walking with God and takes me back to the sermon from pastor Travis.   There are so many inspiring and insightful passages in the chapter of Philippians which is one of the many chapters of the bible written by Paul.  Paul writes in a way that captures my heart and invokes peace, contentment in all things and an awareness of a constant true presence of a loving God. When we choose to walk with God then we can indeed find contentment in all things.  Paul writes this letter while jailed to his beloved church of Philippi.   Paul who could of sunk into despair while imprisoned seems even more connected to God, his purpose and his strength and conviction in his walk with God which is not related to his imprisonment, perhaps it is fortified. 

Paul’s letter starts with encouragement for the people of Philippi in chapter 1 verses 9 and 10 for it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless.   I somehow sense he is alluding to the knowledge that is beyond understand instilled by God and to be discerning in all of the moments of our lives, both in the joy and the suffering. 

Later Paul reminds us to continually do our work so to speak when he says this in Philippians 2: 12-13:  Therefore my beloved as you have always obeyed, so now not only in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.  Here, I suspect Paul is alluding to our commitment to walk with God in our own unique way.  Sometimes when I feel disheartened or lost I simple rest in God’s presence and ask him to work in me, I humble myself before him acknowledging that I do not know the way but I trust he is in me and around me and this is enough. 

I include one of the more well know verses from Philippians before we widen the lens further and end our musings from Philippians 4:4-8 NIV:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

These verses give so much comfort!   Sent by a man imprisoned for his believes.  He still reminds us to rejoice in all situations, and not to fear because we walk with God.  We walk with him so that we can literally be his hands and feet.  This is a loving reminder at this time of year, where the hustle can numb us from the truth and presence of God and the many small ways in which we can be the hands of feet of God.  This can be done in so many ways!  Quietly and alone maybe in nature, as we get right with God so that we can shine a bit brighter for others or more loudly as we bring kindness, what is pure, lovely and  admirable out into the world in our own unique ways.

I close with reflections form Deborah Adele’s book The Yamas and Niymas;  Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice.   Deborah discusses how this yama is an invitation to see with a wider lens, to see with eyes that are guided by the heart of God, the presence of God within ourselves and in all things. In this way our actions or our walk with this life, can truly by guided by God.   She asks up so see everything as holy.  Deborah says this; Seeing with the eyes of holiness shifts how we act as well as how we see.  There is an inbuild need to pause and give thanks.  There is an inbuilt need to open the heart in wonder.  When gratitude and wonder sit in the heart there is no need for excess.  Seeing everything as holy brings a continuity to life, it grounds us in centeredness.  Whereas excess overdoes us, overextends us, and takes us away from ourselves, seeing everything as sacred firmly roots us and balances us. 

I truly think Paul would agree with this beautiful sentiment by Deborah.  I pray that as you move through your Holiday season that you remember to see with they eyes of holiness, to seek wonder and joy and more importantly to find contentment and God’s loving presence in all of your moments.