What's in a name?

Yoga at The Well ... You may be thinking, "hmm? That's an interesting name."

Here are a few thoughts and the meaning behind it.

Yoga

Growing up, I was taught that yoga was something Christians just didn't do because it was tied to a different religion and used to worship other gods. Much later in life I learned that, like prayer and singing, yoga is a tool, used by a variety of people and religions, to calm the mind and body, to meditate, and/or connect with your spiritual Source. For me, that Source is the Triune God (Creator/Father, Jesus Christ, & the Holy Spirit).

The Well

In ancient days, the well was an important place. People depended on their well as a source to provide life-sustaining water for drinking, cooking, and washing. Drawing water from a well was a daily responsibility and it wasn't necessarily an easy task -- it took muscle and effort, and sometimes wells went dry. I can imagine the panic and concern of the people of that day when they went to the well only to find it dry. Likewise, I can imagine the joy and relief when they went to the well and they were able to fill their pots and containers to the brim!

In the Bible, there is a story in John 4 of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at a well. From the perspective of her own community, the woman was an outcast -- her "lifestyle" and/or "choices" didn't follow the social norm of the mainstream. AND to add to her marginal status, she was a Samaritan (different race, despised by the Jewish people of the day). There would be no reason why anyone would have expected Jesus (being a man, and a Jew, let alone the Son of God) to engage her in conversation at all. But he had a reason...

He was beginning his ministry and ready to show the world what God was really like! If you are familiar with Jesus at all, you know his message and the Jewish religious leaders' message didn't align. Jesus was all about loving God and loving others - especially those who were marginalized - with "radical" grace. His brief meeting with the woman that day changed her life forever! He let her know that she was Seen, she was Known, and she was Loved by the One True God, and that she could worship him, just as she was, in spirit and in truth! He became her new Source.

For me

I can identify with that woman at the well. I am different; not always accepted by the majority (especially in the Church), and I don't really fit into the minority groups that many "assign" me to either. Regardless, I know Jesus sees me, knows me, and loves me - MORE than I can even understand! So the Source of my faith is Jesus - not in a church, not in a religion, not even in a government or political party. In Christ alone.

Yoga at The Well

Yoga helps me maintain a healthy blood pressure; keeps me physically active, flexible, and strong; has improved my digestion and sleep issues; manage anxiety and depression; redirects my focus from my problems to the Problem-Solver; and allows me to pray and worship God in an embodied way! And since Jesus (my Well) is in the business of "loving God and loving others" (Mark 12), I am going to do my best to do the same on and off my yoga mat.

Bible Verses that guide me:

Acts 17 - "In Him we live and move and have our being"

Psalm 46 - "Be still and know that I am God..."

Psalm 1 - "...they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night."

Matthew 22 - "...love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind."

Colossians 3 - "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Deuteronomy 4 - "...seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all of your heart and all of your soul."

Mark 12 - "...love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength ... Love your neighbor as yourself."