What We Value
Here in The Yoga Abbey, we aim to embody Love through yoga and contemplative prayer practices. 1 John 4:7 tells us that God is love and so when we speak of Love with a capital “L” we speak of Jesus.
We create space for deeper encounters with God in an inclusive, welcoming, and generous space for all that you are and bring with you.
One of the very first depictions the Bible gives us of God is of a Creator making humans in God’s image and likeness. We hold this truth closely and value, celebrate, and affirm every person as a beloved and vital reflection of God’s goodness.
As a diverse community of Christians practicing yoga, we also greatly value an approach of humble curiosity. We like to ask more questions than give answers, recognizing the paradox of worshiping a God who is both knowable (John 10:27-28) and mysterious (Job 11:7). And rather than striving for agreement in all things, we strive for unity – with Christ and with each other.
We see our job as holding space for you to encounter the presence and peace of God here with us.
As a community, we specifically value:
Excellence
We put our best effort behind everything we do, communicating respect and dignity to all in our community. Rather than perfection, we aim for thoughtfulness and clarity.
Growing Slow
We will not offer ourselves on the altar of growth. Slow, steady, sustainable growth will always be prioritized over opportunities that demand we hustle and stretch beyond our limits.
Imago Dei
We value, celebrate, and affirm every person as beloved and vital reflection of God’s goodness.
Grace
We assume the best in one another, giving each other the benefit of the doubt. This invites a posture of curiosity rather than competition or defensiveness.
The Whole Self Matters
Everything we create and offer speaks to the fullness of our human experience, bringing together body, mind, heart, and soul.
What We Believe
We greatly value the rich diversity of our community and don’t align ourselves with any one particular denomination or expression of Christianity. Within our Leadership Team, we have Evangelicals, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and some who identify as non-denominational. Within our membership community, we welcome an even broader spectrum of religious affiliation and non-affiliation, those who are firm in their convictions and those unsure of what faith and community look like in this season of life.
Our desire is that all who would practice with us discover a sense of belonging within the love of God and within this community. We strive to offer yoga and prayer resources that meet each person where they are, helping to create a space for them to hear God’s personal and powerful voice.
We strive to ask more questions than give answers as a way of acknowledging our limited understanding and wisdom and as a way of preserving unity within our community over topics we may disagree on.
We join Christians throughout the world and through the ages in affirming our basic beliefs about God as put forth in the Nicene Creed:
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Our Style of Yoga
The yoga that we practice in The Yoga Abbey is devotional (bhakti) in nature – we believe that our bodies are temples of God’s Spirit and that when we approach our yoga practice with the intention of drawing near to the One who always draws near to us, our movements become worship and our breath becomes prayer. Many people describe our approach to yoga as a combination of deep Bible Study and feel-good movement all in one.
Our instructors teach from a trauma-informed perspective, emphasizing individual choice and offering an array of modifications to help make the practice accessible to all.
We teach in a vinyasa style with an emphasis on connecting our breath to our movements to build a sense of flow. Our library is full of Power Flows that emphasize building heat and strength, and Slow Flows that are more gentle and restorative in nature.
In each class, you’ll experience guided prayer, breathwork, movement, Scripture, and thoughtful prompts to help you become more present and free.