Finding Peace in the Storm

Yesterday someone told me that you are either in a storm, coming out of a storm or going into a storm.

The last 18 months of my life have been a storm. The storm started slowly...then built up to hurricane like winds and left me batted, bruised and broken. However, this storm made me realize that I have always been broken, and despite my brokenness, I am beautiful. My heavenly Dad loves me and that is all that matters. When the world makes you feel like a tree in a hurricane, remember the Spirit's love is what keeps us rooted to the ground. Even as I was thrashing around like a rag doll in the winds of cancer, money woes and less than marital bliss; through all of it my faith grew stronger.

Physically, some days I did not feel like getting out of bed, much less doing any exercise, although I knew I needed to move. With my bones popping and my muscles aching, I would practice restorative yoga. This was part of my healing and my therapy on the mat. Some days I would just lay there and cry, some days I would feel a great weight lifted off my chest.

Restorative yoga uses props like bolsters, blankets and blocks to fully support your body in gentle postures. This type of yoga is great for stress reduction, to restore your body back to balance and to maybe get you to calm down in the storm. My heavenly Dad was my shelter in the storm, restorative yoga was the vehicle I needed to take me there. It is important for me to note, that I know that God did not go anywhere, I was just too caught up in the hysteria of my life to feel his grace, love and peace. I needed to lay down on a bolster for an hour to disengage my head and body from the outside world and let my heart hear the sweet song of the angels and feel the peace radiating around me.

Tonight, I will be teaching restorative yoga at New Community Church. I hope one day you will try it. Maybe it will be the vehicle to take you out of the storm and into peace - even if it is just for an hour or two.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2