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Twice in the past week, I’ve been contacted by women who want to join Fit2B Studio’s online Tummy Safe™ video library, but they’re concerned about “the yoga part.” One wrote:

“Hi- I found your site this morning through Wise Woman Builds Her Home. I am a homeschool mom of 6 also in the Pacific Northwest (greater Seattle area). I am a writer for [a really BIG homeschooling magazine - name removed to protect identity]. I am working on an article about Physical Education that will come out in [an upcoming] issue…  I would like to include your site, but I want to be sure that it meets the reader’s needs, especially since so many Christians shy away from yoga because of the connections with Eastern Religions. I personally do not have an issue with yoga as long as there is no eastern meditation.”

It’s a sticky issue, and you can read one other blog I wrote about why I do think Yoga can be powerful worship of my Creator, but I wanted to get more personal with these ladies and try to sum up once again why I think it’s okay to do yoga moves as a Christian. I realize Pastor Mark of Mars Hill takes a strong stance against yoga (and you can read his “you’re going to hell if you do yoga” article here if you have the stomach for it) but I hope you’ll read all the other links in this blog, too, and not just categorize this site as a hippie, pagan, karmamojowoowoopoopoo site because I utilize yoga in a few of my workouts. Here’s what I wrote to “N.”

Dear N- 

Thank you for your interest in Fit2B Studio’s workouts. Many of our members are homeschooling parents (as am I) … [then I addressed some other questions she had before going all "yoga is okay" on her] Now I’m going to copy some info that I recently sent to another blogger with a similar concern…

First, in the interest of full disclosure, I want to be clear that my workouts do contain a few yoga poses. I normally use the english translations of the words, but I strongly believe in taking our thoughts captive for Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the Holy Yoga movement, but they are an organization that certifies instructors to teach yoga moves while leading people to Jesus. While I am not “holy yoga certified” my work resonates with theirs, and I have audited one of their courses. They spend more time in God’s word than in anatomy! 

However yoga isn’t my focus. I pull from many schools of movement to help my members make a healthy start, including pilates, weight lifting, physical therapy moves, even a little tai chi. Quite a few of my members are christians, but not all. I do not practice any mind-emptying in my videos, nor do I subscribe to hinduism. The way I look at it, a move is a move is a move. Yoga happens to have actually named many movements with better terms than western cultures. Sitting cross legged or “criss cross applesauce” or “indian style” or “potted palm”… It’s all the same position. But I like “Potted Palm.”

I also love the symbolism behind the lotus pose, because the lotus represents holiness the way it blooms in mud but doesn’t let a piece of dirt stick to it. We don’t stop sitting cross legged because the yogis gave it a different name. We don’t stop doing lunges because the Indus call them warrior poses. And we don’t stop doing kegels because Sanskrit calls it mula bandha (which means “root lock” which is much different than a kegel and much nicer around little ears… [If we stop doingIn short, if you are at all uncomfortable with yoga, even just the movements, or if you feel your readers might raise a stink, this may not work…. I’m anything BUT new age [although I did cloth diaper, and I recycle, respect the earth, and listen to Enya and other flutey hippie music]. And the yoga doesn’t get big promotion or attention. 

Most people will gain several pounds during the holidays, because Christmas involves a LOT eating and parties and when someone doesn’t know what to wrap up for a whit elephant gift, they resort to food: boxes of goodies, gift cards to restaurants, and the truffles! I’m such a sucker for truffles! But then I see this visual of what five pounds of body fat looks like. It was on display at the fitness facility where I worked as an assistant manager before I had kids.

So don’t put fat under your tree or anyone else’s tree! If it’s already wrapped and ready to be given, set it aside and give the cheer to a homeless person on a street corner who could actually maybe use the extra insulation to stay warm this winter. Consider a basket of fruit, or … wait for it … MAKE something! A dear friend of mine who just started her own blog, showed me how to make cute, little antique-looking Christmas trees out of magazines. Why not grab an old health or fitness magazine and make a “FITmas” tree?

All you do is massage the binding to break it down a little and then fold each page diagonally down toward the inner seam. Then fold it diagonally again. Then tuck the extra flap at the bottom under. It can take a good hour to transform a magazine into a tree, but the colors and contrasts of the healthy people and images peaking out are good reminders that the Christ child didn’t come do condemn the world but to save us and offer us a FULL, HEALTHY, ABUNDANT life. Not only do trees symbolize life, so does chocolate! Well, to me it does! Here is a heart/brain-healthy snack that we’ve been munching on all Winter!

I get dark chocolate covered pomegranate nuggets and dump them into my nut stash. It’s important to rotate the type of nuts you eat. Last month, I ate macadamias. This month it’s walnuts. Have you heard that nuts are shaped like the body part that they benefit? I’m not sure how true it is, but it’s fun to think about! Now, in our house, we aren’t the only ones who like chocolate. Our “elf on a shelf” substitute is our Naughty Nutcracker. While the kids sleep, he gets into their toys, undecorates the tree, hides in the toaster, and this picture caught him committing the ultimate crime: eating the candy for the 25th when it was only the 19th!!!

The kids were so mad that they tossed him in the trash, and I had to dig him back out again! Again, this is just good, wholesome fun that does NOT encourage overeating or sitting around. Our Naughty Nutcracker gets our kids moving and laughing and thinking! Of course, most of all, I want my babes to ponder the mysteries of this season. So here is a parting shot that I’m still not sure how I captured. My husband was outside setting up our nativity, and the kids were riding their bikes and yelling, and then it got quiet… I looked out and saw them both staring down at the glowing plastic baby Jesus and RAN for my camera! I had to call one of them back, and right after this was taken, Mary was knocked down and the infant messiah got stepped on… but the memory has been made. Merry FITmas and Happy Holidays!

If you are struggling to release weight and get your core back after the holidays, please check out our new combined program with My Healthy Transformation. Click on this image and enter your email to get a week of yummy, low-glycemic menus and recipes and two workouts from Fit2B Studio. Be sure to confirm your email to get THREE more weeks of the same for FREE! It’s a 4-week Jumpstart program to help you transform your thin-thinking from the inside out!  Click on this below!

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Last week was a hot one here in Camas.  Specifically last Wednesday, the 7^th at 4:00 in the afternoon on the Captain William Clark trail in Washougal.  On that trail it was about 95 degrees with little to no shade.  Somewhere during the day I thought this would be the best time to go for a 5 mile run.  I think someone slipped something into my water bottle for me to believe this was a good idea!  Oh, did I mention that I also thought it would be a great idea to wear all black?  Yeah, I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Jenn runs up a nasty trail

I made it 2 miles before the light headedness kicked in and another half mile before my vision was impaired with bursting stars appeared.  They were extremely pretty.  As I tried to run the last 2.5 miles all I could think about was the scripture “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  And boy did He strengthen me that day!  I do not believe that I could have made it back to my car without His gentle hand guiding me and taking my pride down a few notches.

I really wanted to run the whole 5 miles, but Christ made sure I knew that if I tried to finish the last 2.5 miles running I might not make it back at all. He also seemed to remind me that He didn’t bless me with a 187 pound weight loss for me to kick it on a dirt trail along the Columbia river.

Jenn's daughter standing in her old pants!

So, as I walked back to the car, kicking myself for not hydrating better during the day, choosing a really bad time to run, wearing all black in some of the worse heat Camas/Washougal has experienced this year and sweating like I was in a sauna, I realized that Christ really does have more for me to do and that walking was the only way I could get there. Running would have given me heat stroke.

Giving up doesn’t seem to be something I do easily.  I didn’t have a boat I could use.  I didn’t have a bike to ride or a skate board to use.  All of the above forms of transportation would have gotten me to my goal (my car and the air-conditioning it provided) but I didn’t have them as an option or the option would be detrimental to my health.  The only option I had in front of me was the slowest, yet healthiest and safest.

As you look to improve your health don’t expect your transformation (physically or mentally) to happen overnight.  Don’t expect to wake up the day after making your decision to gain back your health with everything figured out and all problems fixed.  Expect that some days the option you need to choose is going to be slower than others.  Expect that some days you make a bad decision and that you will learn from that decision.  Expect that some days you will have to chant “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Just expect to be human.  Love yourself for being human.  Embrace being human.  You only have one chance to be human so make the most of it!

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Guest Blogger: Kate Palermini

Hi, my name is Kate, and I have recently started writing a blog called Spirtually Obese. It’s been on my mind for a while to start a blog writing about my own struggles with weight and faith. As an overweight Christian woman, I have often been told that if I just relied on God enough, then my weight problems would be solved. This might be the case for some people, but it’s always been more of a struggle for me. Thus, the idea of Spiritually Obese was born.

I have struggled with my weight since high school. I have tried tons of diets and exercise regimes. I have worked out with personal trainers, and I have worked out at home. In all of this, I have learned that it’s all about your mental attitude when it comes to being healthy.

Because of my struggle with emotional eating, I have a hard time controlling the power that food has over me. It is only by a complete mindset change that I will be able to defeat my weight problems.
I started the blog because I felt an overwhelming urge to share my story with my friends and family. I chose to be open and vulnerable with not only my struggles with weight, but also my struggles in living a life of faith. I know that I am not the only person who has these kinds of problems, and I hope that through this others can realize that they are not alone.

Every person on this planet struggles with something in their lives. Paul (of the Bible) had a “thorn of the flesh” that he was constantly fighting. It’s easier for me to address mine because it’s so out there. You can tell that I have a problem with food just by looking at me.

I am obviously not perfect. Yet, I do believe that God is constantly at work within me to make me a better person both physically and spiritally. So, right now, here I am: Spiritually Obese. This is me, but it’s not who I am becoming.

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Are you refusing to do a yoga-based thigh stretch just because it’s called trikonasana (Triangle Pose)? Are you refusing a whole mode of wellness just because it comes from another part of the world, is spoken in another language, or comes from a different belief system? I think there’s a word for that … starts with an “R” or maybe a “B” …

If you think yoga is pagan and sinful, you better not ever move your body into this position. It’s called the Reverse Warrior Pose. I won’t say it’s sanskrit name, because I don’t want you to think I’m going to the dark side.

Yoga is not just about movement, but about connecting the mind, body and soul in a peaceful flowing way. When this happens, it can truly become worship of the One who created our bodies to move and exercise and breathe. However, some people worry that Yoga will make them become Hindu (or muslim because they get the two mixed up) or it might possibly make them worship false Gods.

Tree Pose is great for balancing, and I was worshiping my Lord here on the beach, offering thanks for a healing knee and a weekend with friends. Or was I not worshiping simply because of the yoga position in which my body stood?

Yoga may have roots in India and the Hindu faith, but let’s remember that Hindus like to exercise just like people of other faiths, and that’s why yoga was invented: for exercise of the mind, body and spirit. The martial arts have Eastern roots as well, and we don’t refuse to defend ourselves because the creators of Tai-Chi believed diffferently than we do!

Yoga is amazing exercise for the young, the old, the pregnant … for everyone! It is non-impact, low intensity and improves balance, blood pressure, flexibility and core strength. Step doesn’t do all that. Pilates doesn’t even do all that, which is why I combine them.

One of my members was recently told that I was secretly leading her away from God and she should quit! Pehaps this is why many mainstream Christians avoid Yoga alltogether: they have never investigated Yoga for themselves, and they are fearful of it.

But if “greater is He who is you than he who is in the world,” then you can focus your mind and heart on whatever you wish while you slow down and take deep, belly breaths. And you should know that I, the founder of this yoga and pilates fitness studio, am a Christian. I believe Jesus is the resurrected son of God and my personal Lord and Savior. I believe yoga movement honor my maker more than other, more sensual forms of exercise (belly dancing, pole dancing, zumba … not that those are “wrong” as forms of working out). I believe it’s all about perspective.

If you consider that no other western group workouts such as step, pilates, kickboxing or weight workouts like The Lift or Body Pump even contain any spiritual language at all, isn’t it wonderful to finally see group fitness classes offering a spiritual point of reflection through yoga and Tai Chi? Is it better to omit the soul from fitness or to make room for it and allow the Spirit to work?

If you aren’t comfortable with chants and mantras, find a studio or online workout source that offers the basics. You won’t find chanting or mind-emptying on my site, because I’m not comfortable with teaching that style of yoga. I teach a pose-driven class that blends pilates and spiritual imagery to facilitate a deep mind-body-soul experience with each workout.

Many come to me with no faith at all, and I see Yoga as a gateway for new spiritual seekers. It’s not intimidating. It’s not preachy. It’s not church. Yet it points to something bigger. It encourages worship. It encourages introspection, and that’s more than you get in step class. But I love teaching step, too

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Whether you worship the “Universe” or the One who breathed it into existence – or even if you don’t worship anything at all – it seems we all have stages of life where a certain soul-message is continuously weaved through every single situation we experience. Things that happen to us, things we observe and hear – all of life – often seems to find the same rhythm, resulting in a repetitive theme. And after a while we cannot ignore the common thread of recognizable notes humming, pulsing and chanting louder and louder until enlightenment breaks into epiphany…

A multitude of life lessons screamed at me last week as plans unraveled, surprise events appeared on my calendar and unexpected gains and tragic losses became ocean swells growing larger and coming closer, crashing over and over onto the shores of my consciousness. It was little waves like revving the car and the children up for a trip to the library only to find it closed. But it was also huge heart-sweeping waves like the sudden loss of three precious lives: my childhood babysitter to fast-moving cancer, my junior-high camp director to cardiac arrest during knee surgery, and my sister’s father-in-law to a horrific hit-and-run accident.

The undulating message of these events and situations kept washing the same “message in a bottle” onto my shore: Life cannot be planned and bent to our will. We say we will go here and there tomorrow, but we may or may not. The car will come out of nowhere. The cancer will fester into every cell. Hearts will arrest, and the library hours will change. Phone calls will be missed, and the stomach flu will spoil everything, and the pool will get holes, and the summer will be all rain.

Rocks will fall from mountainsides, all jagged and jumbled, and that is how I felt this past week: tumbled down and left in a heap. But if nothing will go according to plan, where do I spend my energy, my love, my time, my heart, my soul … or is that even a choice? Because I was trying to choose how to spend myself last week, yet nothing went according to MY plans … Then I remembered how that the sum of life is to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with my Lord (Micah 6:8).

All I can really plan is to love my family, my friends, my community and my God through every wave that crashes upon my life. We are like those jagged rocks when we first fall, but then wave after wave of experience and epiphany tumble us into smoothness. We cannot choose the waves, but we can choose to trust the Ocean and the maker of that ocean who rolls us and sands us and sheers pieces of our vain selves off to make lighter and smoother … What message is washing up on the shore of your universe?

 ”Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees … ” Isaiah 44:23

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!