BIG change:  YOU MUST PRE REGISTER (SIGN IN) for any class at Upper Room in Norfolk. there may not be a teacher if no one has signed up. You can do this online or on the phone-757.286.7443

Thanks

Right now We are offering 3 class times in Norfolk.

Our evening and weekend classes are at Upper Room Yoga in Ocean View, 9605 Granby Street Norfolk.

Monday & Thursday 6:45pm-8:00pm

Saturday   9:30am-10:45am

These classes are Multi Level and open to all. Classes are appropriate for beginners.

Your first class is only $5.00!

Beginning in September we will be offering two evening and one weekend class.

We are very excited to have such beautiful space completely dedicated to classes that are Christ centered. This space is located at 9605 Granby Street  Norfolk, VA above East Coast Bicycles.

Schedule:

Monday      6:45pm-8:00pm Multi Level

Thursday    6:45pm-8:00pm Multi Level

Saturday     9:30am-10:45am Multi Level

Gather with us in the Upper Room and let Gods Spirit fill you as you move and breathe and have your being. Time on your mat is sacred and what better place to join Spirit, Mind and Body than the Upper Room.

I find the most practical and simple definition is- to have an “others” focus. Simple? Yes. Easy? Well…

The other side of humility is where the problem is. Yep you know it -pride. The simple definition of pride- “self focus”.

Simple. Yes. Easy. Yes. We do after all have to take care of ourselves, look out for our needs and so on. I agree we do need to practice self care but…where is the focus?

If we adopt a humble attitude our focus even for our self care will be more balanced. Making sure we get plenty of sleep, good nutrition, ample yoga is not only for ourselves but for those we love and serve. When our focus is toward our brothers and sisters, even our precious Earth and certainly our Heavenly Father, then the things we do for ourselves cease to be only for pleasing ourselves.

Don’t get me wrong, of course it is good, even necessary, to do things just for pleasure. Some of us don’t do that enough. After all not everything has to be “work”.  Even with our work we can shift the focus to ourselves if we are unaware.

Balance. A healthy balance of our focus between self and others will bring a greater fulfillment in all we do, whether work or play.

Sometimes that balance comes as equal time in, say, a day. More often is comes in seasons. Such as childhood when your focus is all about you. Then parenting when your days (and nights) are consumed with your family and you wonder if you will ever get to do something just for yourself. And so on through the seasons of life and jobs.

Even when we are doing for so much for others our focus can still be on ourselves. What do we get out of it? Approval, acceptance, accolades?

True humility expects nothing in return. Authentic humility is not looking for a certain outcome. Honest humility is so focused on others it never even considers self.

This definitely takes practice because it is not our first tendency.  Self focus, in some form is what naturally comes up first. However, our Spirit, our redeemed Self is right there willing to guide us to higher living.

The apostle Paul tells us in Phillipians chapter 2 vs. 3 &4

When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves.⁴ Do not be focused only on your own life, but but be focused on the lives of others.

So whatever season you are in right now check for the balance and see if there is a place for you to practice humility.

The majority of busy Americans rely on our Nations multiple “fast food” chains to bridge the gap between over-scheduled calendars and the dinner table. When I decided to take a step back and examine what was available to me as the consumer in reference to prepared food at the many establishments that are considered convenient, I was shocked at how little choices there were available for the vegetarian. It made me wonder; at what point are the standards you set for yourself compromised for convenience?

There is a song I have used in my yoga classes that has a simple and profound lyric: “garbage in, garbage out.” Simply put, if you put garbage in your body, you are without a doubt going to get the same thing coming out. That garbage can take the form of obesity, high cholesterol, low energy, high blood pressure…the list goes on. Maybe you are thinking, “I don’t have any major health concerns, so I must be doing ok.” At which point I dare to you to answer the question, What major problem must occur within your own body to shake you out of mediocrity and into living a life of abundant health? It’s sad to say but we all do it. We take our health for granted and act as though we can put whatever we want into our bodies, and doing so will not affect our health whatsoever. It’s amazing the things we consume without knowing the origin, the ingredients, or the nutritional value. We select our food based on three criteria.

1. Taste

2. Availability

3. Price.

While those three things are important, they cannot override what is the essential, overarching fact; The quality of the food we eat, and the nutritional value that it contains. What is it supplying your body that will keep you functioning as healthy, vibrant people?

Every day food becomes more and more controversial world wide. In America we are the fast food nation. Our children are gaining weight at a rapid rate, we are the fattest nation in the world, and scientists are turning our food sources into experiments with growth hormones that make our food bigger, grow faster, yield more, and overall become cheaper. We are cloning animals, creating our own breeds of “frankenfish”, all to keep up with the demand for consumers who are over-consuming and looking for the bottom line lowest price of food.  How many times have you eaten a meal and had no idea where it came from and how it ended up on your dinner table? This is food that our spouses, children and loved ones are eating, one bite at a time.

Recently my husband and I took a vacation to San Francisco where we dined one night with an old high school friend of my husbands. Paul is from the small town where my husband grew up, the land of dairy farmers and livestock. When Paul suggested we share a meal together at a local vegetarian restaurant, I was delighted! During dinner Paul and I spoke about our decision to cut meat out of our diets. While Paul made that decision for reasons completely different from my own, what he said to me really struck a cord. It only reiterated what I already had been chewing on in my head for days. Paul said, if it wasn’t so convient to have made the switch to vegetarianism, he probably would not have done it. He can order-in and order-out for every meal in San Fran with an endless choice of restaurants and dishes that support his converted diet. Farmer’s markets and organic groceries are aplenty in his city. He never has to go out of his way to make the healthy choice. No temptation for McDonalds or Taco Bell as the only on-the-go, no time to cook option.

On that same trip to San Francisco my husband and I decided we would rent a tandem bike and make the trip from San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. The journey delivered beautiful views of the city and a unique way to experience all the Bay Area had to offer. Never having ridden tandem before, we decided to give it a whirl. We thought, “we ride our bikes at home, we can make the 12+ mile trip no problem.” Well what we hadn’t encountered during our bike riding trips at home was the steep, meandering, uphill climb that was required to even make it onto the foot of the bridge. The first hill we came to was tough, and we had to rely on each other to keep going to make it to he top. Halfway through my thighs were burning, and I’m gasping for air between my laughter at my own struggle to make it all the way. Did we give up? No! We were committed to make it all the way up the hills and across that bridge.(All while fighting a cool rain and a 2 hour deadline to meet the last ferry back to town! J ) I’ll admit, it was tough at first. Once we made it up the first hill, the others became easier. We knew what to expect and we made it across. The reward was fresh air, beautiful views, and a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget.

That’s how it is when you make a lifestyle change. Its tough at first, it might burn a little, and you wonder…WHY DID I EVER THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA? You will want to give up, let go, and fall back from any progress you’ve already made. But what have you really accomplished? With the greatest sacrifice comes great reward. And who are you rewarding? Yourself, your family, and those people who care most about you and need you.

During this season of merriment and cheer, the holidays bring gluttonous traditions that we’ve all become accustomed to.  I challenge you to make the commitment to end the cycle. Make the commitment to take more care in what you choose to eat, spend that hour at the gym, or catch a yoga class when you could otherwise be just sitting at home and watching TV.

Every day is a new beginning, a chance to choose and live in the abundant health God intended for us.

If you’ve already made the commitment to your health, I encourage you to stay on track. It’s so easy to make allowances and then try to justify them during the holidays. Don’t give up! Now is the time it matters most. If you haven’t yet made the commitment, I hope my own experiences and heartfelt thoughts help you realize the importance of looking at the big picture and long term effects of the decisions we make everyday about our food and lifestyle. I can’t promise it will be easy, but I can promise it will be worth it.
In gratitude,

Liz

Hope will be presenting a FREE class about the Healing Oils of the Bible that will teach you about 12 oils of scripture. Information covered will include the basics about essential oils, what they are and what they do as well as how these oils were used in ancient times and how we can use them today.

WHERE: Kingdom Life Ministries, 1280 Bells Mill Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322 Go to our MAP page                                        (up stairs across from the elevator)

WHEN: Thursday, November 11th from 7pm-9pm

WHAT to bring: Bible, notebook and pen, (maybe a bottle of water) and a Friend!

Please go to the SCHEDULE page to register for this class.

The oils will be available for everyone to experience so be prepared for a wonderful, fragrant class!

Looking forward to seeing you there.

There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise… Proverbs 21:20

We are humbled at the expression of love and support that this award brings. Every vote took time, energy and a bit of computer savvy to cast. Truly, casting a vote took effort and part of someones life to be focused on us. For this we are deeply grateful.

Our hearts desire is to give everyone who comes to our classes the best yoga experience, spirit, mind and body.  It is a privilege for us to serve the Hampton Roads communities of Suffolk, Smithfield and Isle of Wight. We do so with love for you all, peace from our Savior and joy in the moments we share.

Thank you all for this incredible award. We will display it proudly and with gratitude.

Open to His Grace,

Hope & Liz

The word inspire means “to breathe life into”. In the beginning God breathed into man the “breath of life” and man came alive!

What about you? Are you ready for some new life to awaken in you? Inspiration is closer than you realize. It is as close as your very breath.

This mysterious, miraculous breath, brings life to our bodies, and calmness to our minds. Yet we are often not even aware of the breath. On one level it is, thankfully, automatic or we would forget to breathe! There are however higher levels where we can live better. Conscious breathing moves us beyond mere survival, into abundant life.

Try spending time with your breath, notice it, become aware of your breathing patterns. When do you tend to hold your breath? When do you take deep breaths? If you will invest some of your time in deepening and lengthening your breath, then your inspiration will burst open! Inspired with the holy breath our spirits, souls and bodies come alive!

Like opening the windows on a warm Spring day, inhale possibilities and exhale expectations. Inhale the fresh breath that will open your heart and mind to all God has to offer you. Exhale, clean out all the old thoughts of self doubt and criticism. Releasing all the old to make room for the new, let this new season flow into your heart.

2010 is the year to accept this holy, life giving breath and be reborn personally.

Not a rebirth of your job or career but of YOU. The real, authentic, unique, special person you are is poised to Come Alive! Your authentic self is a gift to the world and the treasure of the Kingdom of God.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurmanr

We are honored to help you on this journey of inspiration. Breath is an essential component of all our yoga classes. Check the class schedule for class times.

Open to His Grace,

Liz and Hope