Twain quote

“why not go out on a limb? that's where the fruit is.” -mark twain

Quote from Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Archbishop Fulton Sheen once declared: There are not over 100 people who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church.

 I believe the same could be said about yoga.

 

 

To the Christian Who Sent Me Hate Mail on Easter Sunday.

 Article written by: Sadie Nardini

 

Apparently, some people feel that “No Christian Should Ever Do Yoga.”

Hi everyone!
Guess what I just found in my mailbox, nestled in-between my Time-Warner cable bill and a couple of checks from my day job teaching at yoga studios across the nation:

Hate mail.

Wait, check that…Christian hate mail, which seems to me a direct contradiction in terms. But apparently not for one God-fearing man. And, actually, a few others. I get these letters once in a while, usually from anonymous sources.
This time, however, I have a name to put with the hate, or should I say, strong concern for my heathen soul, by the way, is Mike Harris Jr. moderator of Mike’s Christian Corner.
Thanks, Mike! I feel I can respond to him, since he asked me to “tell (him) what you think” in his letter. Well, okay then!
Mr. Harris Jr. let me know a few things I was unaware of about my yoga practice, things that I’ll share with you below. Then I’d like to take this opportunity to clue Mike and those like him in to another side to yoga, one I hope he never forgets, lest he start daydreaming about sending another one of thee lovely missives to a fellow yogi.
Thee? Wow—Freudian slip, I guess.
I meant to say ‘these.”

The heading of the letter reads “Why No Christian Should Ever Do Yoga.”

Hmmmm…I was intrigued. Especially since I used to teach yoga in a Christian church, was raised Presbyterian and my father is a born-again Christian and deacon. Perhaps I was causing harm?
Mr. Harris Jr: “Is it just another exercise method that has benefits that far outweigh anything else?”
Well, yes, in my opinion. Well said, Mike!

He continues: “These are postures that are offered to the 330 Hindu gods. Yoga poses are really sacrifices or offerings to the gods.”

Wow! I wondered why I always say “your yoga practice lasts 24-7.” Because I’ve been trying to appease 330 million gods! No wonder it takes so long.
Mike, don’t worry. I am not a Hindu.
If I was a Hindu, I might be doing the exercise form of yoga in addition to my other Hindu-esque lifestyle choices. As it stands, ‘yoga’ may have stemmed from a certain culture and time, but, just like you are translating the words of a book written centuries ago, and adopting some (not all, certainly) of its concepts to meet your current needs (like picking on yoga teachers in your spare time), so do we yogis choose concepts from  long ago to help us live in the way we also think is best for ourselves and humanity. In this way, we are not so different.
As I am not a Hindu, I usually do not bring Hindu gods into my classes, just as I would not sing “Jesus Loves Me” or dance the Horah in a classroom that contains all creeds, colors and religions. I do not chant Hindu verses, in the same way I wouldn’t read from the Bible or the Koran during a yoga session. Religion is personal, as is yoga.
For me, yoga is a personal path to what is clear, and good, and honest about a unique student on a unique mat. It contains universal wisdom that needs no religious figure, much less 330 million, to anchor it.
How anyone chooses to get there while in these poses, whether it is to exalt Christ or pray to Allah or focus on their breathing or send love to their creaky knees or wish death to their challenging teacher is none of my concern. Bringing them into an inspired, aligned state so they can get to their best personal work that day is my only job.

Moving right along, Mike offers up some conveniently cherry-picked quotes from the New and Old Testaments, such as:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

Abstain from all appearance of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprieve them. (Ephesians 5:11)

By the way, not only could I quote you some real gems as well, such as:

Keep slaves:

Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. (NIV) (Leviticus 25:44)

or

Kill rude children:

Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death. Such a person is guilty of a capital offense. (NLT) (Leviticus 20:9)

…but I’m pretty sure Jesus came along and said that we could take all the Commandments and condense them into one:

Love thy neighbor as Thyself.

Oh wait, except if they are gay, or Muslim, or, God forbid, do a Down Dog four times a week, eh, Mike?
In fact, if we all took a page from Jesus’ book and practiced that one commandment, and refrained from, say, sending hate mail to, say, those who don’t live like we choose to, we could completely change things on this planet for the better. Pretty smart guy, eh?
But back to the real world.

Mike continued with a pithy monologue I’ll paraphrase here:

Doing pranayama can let Satan in.

God doesn’t want us to meditate.

Astral travel attracts demons.

Now, I’m pretty sure that we won’t be seeing Mike anytime soon on a yoga mat, so this post is not for him. But it goes through the example of him to speak to the far larger numbers of more moderate Christians, and those of other religions, who may yet be on the fence about whether yoga is for them, or confused about whether it conflicts with their faith. The answer is: it depends.
Yoga is not Hinduism, necessarily. They were originally separate practices. Yet over time some people and lineages have fused them together, even many of today’s well-meaning yoga teachers who are not Hindu or Buddhist but still insist on bringing both into their classes.
Again, only in my opinion, unless one is teaching a class full of Hindus or Buddhists, only serves to confuse the core teachings of yoga unless it’s made clear that any religious or dogmatic inclusion is there to offer a greater truth up for individual repurposing.
Back to the letter.

Finally, Mike asks (about yoga, presumably, not Astral travel):

“Why would a Christian want to take part in such a thing?”

I’ll tell you why, as a teacher who has taught hundreds of good Christians yoga:

If you love God, yoga can help you get closer.

If you want to pray, yoga will help you be clearer.

If you have a family, yoga will create a more loving you for them.

If your body needs work, yoga will help you transform it.

If you want to live with courage and faith, yoga will help you find it.

If you seek an end to daily suffering, yoga will salve it.

If you are estranged from your neighbor, yoga can unify you.

If you want to be more like Jesus, yoga teaches you the way.

Turn the other cheek if you like, but I’d suggest you take another look at this mindful addition to your existing religious beliefs. When you find the right teacher, yoga becomes an “and” not an “or.”
And, Mike, I’m strangely honored that you care enough about my soul, and that of my fellow practitioners to write a whole missive about it. But when you ended with “Christians should run away from yoga!” I knew I had to write this post. Because there are more like you out there, in churches and synagogues and mosques everywhere giving yoga some pretty bad PR.

If anything, Jesus-lovers, run toward your mat.

You may be surprised to discover that one of the closest things to heaven on earth is waiting for you there.
And, Mike, why don’t you try a class?
You don’t know what you’re missing.

Gratitude - TEDxSF - Louie Schwartzberg

Yoga Journal Magazine December 2011 Article: Does Yoga Conflict With Your Religion?

To read the article, click on "Full Screen" at bottom left hand side of post, then type 85 of 116 further to the right and hit enter.

Yoga Journal December 2011: Article on Page 85, Does Yoga Conflict with Your Religion?

We are all on a journey

John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

I just recently read over all of the comments on several different posts and I'd like to address some of the hostile comments pertaining to Christians or Westerners who practice yoga. I am not an expert, I am a student, and I happen to be a student that learns the hard way. I've shared my personal experiences, and the fact that I have had and continue to have struggles as a Catholic who practices yoga. As a Christian, what I really desire deep down is a real relationship with Jesus Christ, to know Him as a person. Yoga offers a different perspective: how do I see myself and the potential that is so innate inside of me and inside of every person. How can I tap into my own potential and strive towards a more truthful union with God, Jesus Christ? I believe my struggles arose because I tried to delve so deeply into all of the dynamics that were going in inside of me, and I've learned the hard way to keep it simple. To delve into the spiritual, religious cause and effect of being a Christian who practices yoga opens up a whirlpool of confusion, endless questions, and unhealthiness. I love the practice of yoga! My God is Jesus Christ! Come what may there it is. I was taught and I practice a westernized version of yoga, Baptiste Power Yoga and I love it. Baron Baptiste created the Power Yoga flow. Baron's father, Walt Baptiste, was one of the first to introduce yoga in the West, the details are on his website

The wonderful thing about yoga is the holistic approach to living and being, the focus being on tapping into your own innate potential, seeing yourself in a new light. The discipline and the program does not delve into religious beliefs, but it is open to people of all religions and spiritual practices, and we all find common ground by practicing yoga together. We all have bodies, and we all have our unique challenges. My experience in a yoga class is that all of the dynamics/beliefs/lifestyles/differences that divide us disappear by the end of class, and we can smile at each other. We just shared 90 minutes together going through the same challenging sequence, and we found common ground. Yoga has helped me to be a better person, to find balance in my life, and it has helped so many people to be better people.

I believe yoga can be a catalyst to dissipate the differences that divide us and prevent us from seeing each other as fellow human beings all on a journey.

"To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances;

To seek Him, the greatest adventure;

To find Him, the greatest human achievement." ~St. Augustine

Everyone one of us seeking God is on a journey.

All of us learning inevitably will make mistakes along this journey because we are human, especially if we make bold decisions and act on our inspirations, we might get it wrong sometimes- that is no excuse to quit.

Somehow, we have to find it within ourselves to keep believing, to keep searching for the truth...

I recently received an email from an intelligent young lady discerning deepening her yoga practice and even teaching yoga. She offered several interesting questions, and with her permission, the following is part of her email and my answers:

I have done some yoga myself, just following a video and really like it for all the health benefits of mind and body. Of course I understand that the eastern meditation is not congruent with all tenets of Christian prayer and I have read the Vatican documents (J.C. the Bearer of the Water of Life, and the one put out by JPII in 1989, can't think of the name) which warn of syncretism and the like. I was looking for someone to discuss with me just a little further about how yoga can be compatible with Christianity in general and Catholicism specifically. Perhaps you can just respond to these objections I've heard from people who say Catholics shouldn't do yoga

(I know, we're getting all Aquinas-y here):

1. Because yoga was originally a type of worship of pagan gods and as Catholics, we believe that our bodies are intimately connected and reveal our souls, when we do yoga we are participating in a pagan act/ritual of worship (even though we may not be conscious of it) with our bodies, therefore our souls are also participating in this.
I don't believe this, if you go to mass and pray to Christ and love Christ and sincerely want to do His will- how on earth can a good physical healthy yoga practice be harmful to your soul

The more you learn about something- whether it's yoga, Christianity, Acting, Music, whatever- the more you come to the realization of how very little you know, and that is where I am right now...

I think yoga is misunderstood by many devoted Christians- that is my understanding right now. It has very much to do with a person's circumstances, where they are spiritually and mentally, and most of all how firmly is their heart set on Christ because that is the most important thing! On the other hand, I really think yoga has the potential to save a person who does not feel comfortable and/or connected, or welcomed in a Church. I have not only seen this but experienced it myself. After my first yoga class, I naturally wanted to be whole, healthy, and maintain this peaceful, present state I experienced in yoga.One example, check out: streetyoga.org

2. We should not do yoga because the meditation is completely self-centered and self-seeking. It leads us to focus more on ourselves then on God.

Okay, I did get into the whole meditation and practice of presence...again, this totally depends on where a person is at spiritually, emotionally, mentally. I do not think yogic meditation will bring you closer to Jesus Christ. I do believe meditation can increase one's self awareness, give a person a sense of peace within themselves, and creates a state of inner harmony so that they can focus and think more clearly on a given task (which is why I incorporated yoga class into my final project for Teaching Theater). These are not bad things, and they can be extremely healing for a person who needs it.But Christ offers true peace- it is a relationship with Christ who can center us and lead us through the sacraments and through prayer to an encounter with Him. This is the truest and best meditation. The rosary is what I have gone back to and what I pray now- and it is wonderful!!! I am at that place now where I want Christ more than a personal feeling of well being, and I do not think the two are synonymous. Is that bad- NO!...but that is what I believe through what I have seen and experienced.
3. One thing I thought interesting that was mentioned in J.C. the Bearer of the Water... was that certain positions of yoga can evoke certain emotions or states of being (that's not quite how they put it) that can be confused with an authentic spiritual experience. I guess you could conclude that one should be wary of this and perhaps of yoga in general? But how often does this happen?

Actually, that is what I initially got so excited about when I started my blog and was going through teacher training- there have been very highly acclaimed therapy books written on this topic, check out: The Core of Our Being In this way, yoga can bring up and release buried emotions and memories- so that we can be free of them. I think this can actually be very therapeutic. Yoga is for the human, it can be therapeutic and healing in this way, again on a practical and human level.

I keep wanting more than just what I personally feel or think is right, I know there is more out there than just me and my own abilities, I know I can be more than just a good person, I know it is possible to have a personal relationship with Christ, that that is Everything, that That IS the goal.

I think it takes more than yoga to get us to that divine place where Christ communicates with us personally- it takes a sincere desire and Effort towards Christ. I am finding that prayer and this strange concept called penance seems to be the way to find Jesus-

the Ultimate Good and Joy that surpasses all joys and desires.

Paradox

Power Yoga: human power, discovering your own strength, powering through difficulties and personal blocks, Digging deep to tap into your unique, pure potential!

Christianity: the more surrender; the more I give up my personal power- the closer I come to know God- God as He is, Himself. However long it takes, the more I learn how to surrender to God, the more I discover true power and beauty, that innate Something


I have always longed for that something that nothing else quite gets at...or just momentarily gets at and then fades or changes over time. You know when you're on a high, you don't want to come down...if you're like me, you can't stand it when you've got your heart set on something and someone tells you "that's not possible", "you can't do that!"...my constant stubborn response to this is "Yes I Can!!!" I even taught that in my yoga classes:
"Yes You Can!"
"There is no such thing as Can't!!!"
"Can't is a Four-Letter-Word!"
"Don't think- DO!"

There is something to that...and whether or not I can somehow make this self-empowerment philosophy and yoga practice work with Christianity...it Does NOT even matter to me anymore...not because I've lost interest in the subject or even in yoga- I haven't. That is not the point...the point is I'm missing the Real Point, or maybe I just had to go through all of this to get at the real point! The pathway of Christianity is the exact opposite of Power Yoga: we need fear of God...to surrender to His power which is Real. God's Power is not something I can achieve by my own human potential and capabilities...God's power can only be Known, by complete and total hopelessness- total and utter surrender, being sincerely willing to allow God to annihilate you completely if that be His will, so that He can fill you up completely with True Power, Beauty, and Total Love and that Will last And Grow...Forever!
It's the polar opposite of Power Yoga!

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."- Matthew 10:28

That sounds dreadful....

but Christ Himself Said it!!

So I have to LISTEN and allow myself to get it, to be changed and converted by His words...otherwise I'm not getting to know Him as He really is...because I don't want to- I don't want to hear that!
Complete TRUST in God, letting go of my own power is my yoga practice today-
I PRAY like I practiced yoga and I can sense this little seed of faith percolating...

Love

Where is my heart? What do I really want, let's be honest...it is not God's will.
If I wanted God's will...truly, deeply, like the great saints, none of this would matter...irrelevant.

God's will is Not my will.

To be a Christian means to be in a relationship with God...not just at a distance, but to allow yourself to be seen by Him.

That's hard...how does one do that?

Well, there are many Christians who have a hard time accepting Mary as Someone to pray to. Yet, if God brought His Son to us through Mary, then she can bring us to Him.

My heart is changing...and what I want, more than anything, is to live inside of God's will...a life long challenge, but not so confusing when we look to Him for guidance and strength~ He is with us!!!

Teaching

It seems that it keeps coming back to this...teaching. How can I teach? How can I teach and serve God genuinely and whole-heartedly? I am taking a Directing class for my last semester of my masters program in Theatre Education. I have come to take a great liking to directing and working with actors...creating something from a playwright's work. It is a LOT of fun! And a LOT of work!

There is this phenomenal book we are reading: Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre by Keith Johnstone
I cannot put it down!

"'...The sage keeps to the deed that consists in taking no action and practises the teaching that uses no words...When his task is accomplished and his work done the people all say, 'It happened to us naturally'...I prefer stillness and the people are rectified of themselves; I am not meddlesome and the people prosper of themselves. I am free from desire and the people of themselves become simple like the uncarved block...One who excels in employing others humbles himself before them. This is the known virtue of non-contention; this is known as making use of the efforts of others...To know yet to think that one does not know best...The sage does not hoard. Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more; having given all he has to others, he is richer still. The way of heaven benefits and does not harm; the way of the sage is bountiful and does not contend.'" -excerpt from Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre
quote from the Tao te Ching

CUA Power Yoga Class

Do you know, I have been teaching yoga at the Catholic University of America Fitness Center for over 4 years now...the classes are sometimes larger, about 20 students, but most often, a comfortable group of regulars shows up every week of about 8-15 students.
Not This Semester!!!
Just when I think I am DONE...just when I think it's Over, I failed...
It's NOT!!!This year, I am teaching twice weekly rather than once @ Catholic University,
and there about 3x the amount of students!
The Power Yoga Class at Catholic University Blew UP this year- and look at what I'm going through! (see last post)
God truly does use the weak and makes them Strong, so that I realize just how much
True Power comes from Him, not from me!

Yoga & Prayer

I feel completely broken down....like completely.
Maybe that is a good thing?

The personal striving, the striving after some ideal or some goal which may not in fact be me or God's will for me is simply not working on the grand scale I had hoped for.
Perhaps that desire is just getting in the way...getting in the way of what it is I truly want & desire, and that is to let loose the love of God in my own life and heart and soul...to let it loose! To free all of the grace of God up in my life!

I have been finding so much solace, consolation, and guidance in prayer. Prayer has taken the priority in my life over and above yoga practice. Slowly but surely, I am realizing that yoga is for us as human beings- perfecting us as human beings, at least as yoga is taught here in the West. It is healthy and good, and can really help people on a therapeutic level. But I did not realize how much my focus was indeed more on myself in yoga, and not as much on God and His will. I felt as though the focus on myself was a striving towards God, and so it was confusing.
Since focusing my energy now on praying the rosary, daily mass, in other words, spending a substantial amount of time in prayer each day, instead of yoga practice, what I really wanted and want deep down, is not to be perfect according to human standards, but to be inside of God's favor...and I feel broken, but at the same time, free!

So, perhaps yoga was a way for me to focus myself back on the quest for God, and on my desire to be healthy, whole. Yoga did that, I felt integrated and empowered in a way I had never felt before yoga.
For me, yoga practice turned into a personal journey to God and the truth of God for me as a Catholic, rather than a continual self-empowerment upward climb, i.e., Journey Into Power.

At this stage in my spiritual journey, I realize by experience that prayer is where the Real Power is!

August 14th - My Birthday & Acro Yoga

MA Final Project

>I just completed my final project for the MA in Theatre Education this past week!
It was difficult because I have never actually taught in a classroom setting before and I have never actually taught drama, although I have been taking Drama and Education classes for the past 2 years! I was extremely unconfident about it!!
But...the kids were so great- I had to teach them for 7 hours a day, 5 days in a row!! Impossible for even a seasoned teacher to keep their attention for that amount of time! The first day I held their attention, I held it together and had everything perfectly planned. Second day, they saw through the cracks!! My energy level was low and they saw me flounder...this is my first time to teach this! That was the awesomeness of it- they saw me and I saw them...and when my advisor came to observe me on the last day of the workshop, every one of these kids stepped up to the plate and cooperated to their utmost! I was so GRATEFUL! They knew I was new at this and that I was getting a grade, so, in their own special way, they reached out to help ME! It was amazing, and I am grateful I got this opportunity to meet them!

Wisdom from "Anonymous"

About a year ago, I created a post confessing that I was honestly very confused:

"Is yoga good for Christians? Now I'm asking..."

I went back recently and re-read the comments. An Anonymous person replied with the most beautiful, comforting, and wisdom-filled words, and I would like to share it again:

Hi Melisa- "Yogash Chittam Vrtti Nirodhah" - "Union [Yoga] is the cessation of the modifications of the mind." -YogaSutra I:2.

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." -Phillipians 4:7

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." -John 14:27

There is no disharmony between Yoga and Christ; both are different terms for the One Truth: Reality. "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." -John 8:33

Yogis who have realized the truth of their own nature are known as Jnanis - "Knowers" - they are also known as Jivan-Muktis - those who are "Liberated while living."

"For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." -Luke 17:21

What, though, about Salvation? The word Salvation comes from the Latin sal, which originated from the Sanskrit, Sarvah - Wholeness, Completeness.

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." -Matthew 5:48

Yes, Perfect. From the Latin Perfectus - "Completed."

"Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam" - "The seer [yogi or yogini] becomes established in his or her own nature." - Yoga Sutra I.3

What does this mean? "This false feeling that we are different from others, that things are constituted of isolated particularities, leaves us; and we get established in our essential nature, which is the community of existence in all things, and not an isolated individuality. This establishment of one's own self in one's own true nature, in universal character, is the aim of Yoga." -Swami Krishnananda

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." -Mathhew 22:39

Not "as if thy neighbor is thyself" ..... "AS thy self."

Could it just possibly be that the truth of Christ and the truth of Yoga point to the same, One Truth - that Reality is actually Advaita - literally "Not Two"? Yes.Though I certainly wouldn't ask you to believe me. I ask you to keep practicing yoga; keep an open and sincere heart, and know.

And enjoy the freedom that Christ showed: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." -John 14:6 So how do we do this? By trying to fit into the ever vacillating outlooks of Catholic or Christian culture? Maybe not. Maybe it's a lot more simple than that."Love one another, as I have loved you." -John 15:12

Practicing yoga, you may never harmonize with the opinions of Catholic Church members, or other Christian cultures or egos.However, practicing yoga, you can know Christ, and live as that liberated knowing; as the pure love of Christ. And as you do, you'll find you are in good company:Web Site in Memory of Catholic Hindu Monk, Bede GriffithsCatholic Monk Who Introduced the Benefits of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern Paths to the West.

Peace Be With You; Namaste.

Back to the Basics

I would just like to thank everyone who offers their viewpoints on this blog in the form of comments...you are very welcome to post them! This blog was meant to be an open sharing and dialogue of ideas, beliefs, and experiences on the subject of Christians who practice yoga. We all have feelings, so please be respectful of that! Thank you!


I remember when I was an undergraduate at Franciscan University, almost everyone went to daily mass. I was immersed in a Catholic culture that was absolutely alive with faith and love for Jesus Christ. I lived in a dorm room right next to the chapel, and went in there almost every night along with several other girls from the dorm. The call to love Jesus was not hard to hear, His presence was easily felt. I did not know exactly how to reciprocate this love for Christ...I was involved in theatre, and felt I needed a way to express my faith life in a very direct and alive way, other than being a nun.

I took my first yoga class five years later, after five years of living the un-inhibited teenage years I never had, and the experience was unbelievable. The class was very challenging, but by the end of the 90 minutes, I was completely open and receptive in a way I had not been since being at Franciscan University. I had a sense of clarity that I so desperately needed to get back on the right track with my life. The desire to go out to the club, to get attention, completely went away. I felt very peacefully centered..and I had been Longing for this grounding that seemed to nowhere to be found, not even in the local parish.

I believe there needs to be more "allowed" ways, outlets, for those who love Christ to express this love. If yoga can help me to get back on the right track, no matter how lost or wounded I am, it can help others to. If it can help me and others get back on the right track, that is one step closer to the Ultimate Peace and Joy, found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

True North

There is a phrase that Baron Baptiste uses while teaching yoga- "Follow Your True North", that is, find and stay true to who you really are at the deepest level.

Since I first started yoga, I've noticed a subtle "pressure" by the yoga teachers I've had to change, to come into the "yogic light", if you will. My true north is not the same as my yoga teacher's, no matter how great a teacher they may be!

What yoga has done for me is made me more aware of who I am, and who I am meant to be.
If I lose my connection to my faith by giving way to ambition to succeed, I lose my inspiration, and I am not following my true north-being true to myself at the deepest level....
If you're Not living in your true north, you can't be happy.
My True North is to Live my deepest beliefs and desires, to make them a reality...and to express this through teaching...more of an art than a science...

Went to Rome for Holy Week...

There's No Place Like Rome!

Except perhaps...DC and New York. Rome is very much a city: metro, train, buses, cabs, traffic.

But then there are the ancient ruins dotted here and there- everywhere! and walking around sacred ground where saints and martyrs gave their lives for the faith...

And then there are the natives, Italian people, who have such a rich culture and way of living and being...I Love Italian people.

And of course...The Roman Catholic Church. This is where it ALL started...this is where the heart of the Church is located, the seat of power as it were. It's interesting to me that the Church is SO influenced by Italian culture and tradition! Yet, we call the Catholic Church universal. Catholic means "Universal". I began to realize that maybe that is the ideal, but reality is, Italian culture may be considered "The Way" for Catholics to be...hmmm. something to think about anyway

Centering Prayer

I just returned from a "Centering Prayer" retreat with Father Thomas Keating this past weekend in NY. Can I tell you how amazing it is to have 130 people sitting together in the same space, in total silence?We meditated together 3 times a day for 1 hour each time. The silence was almost tangible...This is where it's at!!! - it is yoga in the sense that all of these people, different ages, backgrounds, belief systems, we were all one, I felt it- oneness, unity, when everything and everyone is working together towards the same thing- it's like shivasana at the end of a really great yoga class. This silence shared by the group was like...you don't really care how wrong or right these people are, you just want to understand and be there with and for that person. It's like that with the centering prayer- you become one.
How many times have I heard the great yoga instructors say the phrase "Be light"..."Be light" means stop focusing on what's wrong and lets begin focusing on what's right...
"Be the Change You Want to See..."

If You Do What You've Always Done...

So...I am changing things up a bit- decided to train in Budokon:
Budokon® is a blend of martial arts, yoga and meditation. The practice was created by Kancho Cameron Shayne in 2000 as a result of his 20 years of study in the yogic, martial and living arts. The Budokon® yogic movements focus on the yin aspects of stillness and mind/body connectivity, and dances between agility, control, power, balance and flow.

I completed phase 1 of 4 of the accelerated teacher training for the red belt. Here is a little of a Budokon class I took this past Saturday taught by Sensai MiMi:

Following God... Uninhibitedly

We all want to feel right, to feel like we are the best, that we are fulfilling our mission or purpose in our lives. We all want to know in the deepest parts of our being that we are loved by God and that we are responding fully to God's love by the way we live our lives and our beliefs.
This is probably a fairly accurate description of the reason why we pray, read, search or take the time to explore various topics on this blog...

I am starting to realize the cause of anger between people of different beliefs and value systems is the self preservation of their commitment to their specific path to God. To open up to a truth from a different religion, to truly realize that there may some truth there, would be to jeopardize my belief that I have the full truth, that I am on the Best path for me, that I am sailing toward God uninhibited...

Those of us who follow Christ can take a look at His life and see if He, the Son of God, sailed uninhibited toward His Father in Heaven. Yes, He did, but not according to what the world saw or understood. In the eyes of everyone on earth, Christ was followed by many, but was rejected by many. He lived a "dangerous" life in that He accused the leaders of the Jews, the Pharisees, of hypocrisy...and Christ was a Jew! He was literally revealing the reality of these Pharisees in front of everyone. How bold and dangerous that must have been at that time! And we know what ultimately happened- His own people rejected Him and had Christ scourged, mocked and crucified alongside criminals. Now, if Christ Whom we follow was uninhibited in His journey toward the Father in His life...then we have to understand that sometimes the Best way to follow God means going against the current fashion- including those inside religious circles. I say this because, if you've read my past posts, you will see that I have struggled alot with feeling like an outsider among my friends in the Church as a Catholic who teaches yoga...

Just because you commit yourself to following Christ and living a Christian life does not always mean you will have a free flowing, easy, secure journey there. Sometimes, you might need to suffer to find your place in Christ's plan, even if that means going against the flow of what your Christian friends tell you.

In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians Ch.6: 1-13, He warns the church in Corinth against over-confidence:

"I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert...These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us...Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it."

So what I'm saying, to be so focused on the truths of one's faith as to blot out the truth and beauty found in other faith traditions is not reality. It's not. Creation, the world we live in, the solar system, the stars, were made from an explosion, an expansion. The creation of mankind and the planets was not a neat, orderly process of "perfection" as we humans define it, but a chaotic event that brought about a new world and new life.

If we could only transcend those boundaries that keep us divided, and that cause so much hurt and anger, we could be at ease enough to see the a more complete picture and perhaps desire a new commitment to the fullness of truth to which every single one of us is called.

I have found that my yoga practice gets me connected to that longing for God- that is universal to every human being on earth…that longing to be loved and to love the One, True, Living, Omnipotent God.

Growth Entails Healing

"Growth entails healing. At this time in humanity most people have been hurt fairly seriously in the growth process and unless they do their healing and work through this negativity, they will never become totally who they are." - Sister Evalene from the movie "One"

Yoga is a way to look at yourself more deeply. I think that for most people, hard things will eventually show up, and we can face it through yoga practice, or soothe ourselves and make the pain go away. Yoga is not a heal all miracle worker that heals all ills. Yoga is not a religion. My yoga practice can actually be an obstacle to healing if I use it to hide from my problems...from the negativity that is just waiting to show up an hour or two after my practice in the form of angry thoughts or resentment. Yoga can be similar to eating for emotional comfort or over-exercising to run away from unpleasant feelings or realities that simply must be faced if we are to heal.

We can abuse yoga practice by doing this, just as we can abuse our bodies by abusing them in other ways.

We have to face the Whole picture, both sides of the coin! We can look at just the shiny side of the coin and ignore the flip side, which may not be so shiny, but both sides are the same coin. We need to see the whole picture and do the work on what needs to be worked on (or through) if we are to be fully who we are...This will most likely be the greatest challenge of a yogi's life, and the greatest gift...!

As a theatre grad student, I have been writing lots of papers including papers on various artists over the years. I like the following quote from Orson Welles when he said:

"For thirty years people have been asking me how I reconcile X with Y! The truthful answer is that I don't. Everything about me is a contradiction and so is everything about everybody else. We are made out of oppositions; we live between two poles. There is a philistine and an aesthete in all of us, and a murderer and a saint. You don't reconcile the poles. You just recognize them."

Both sides of coin...

The Work

Is it true that we can unlock hidden or buried potential by doing yoga?

The body is an important part of our entire being.

Memories, emotions, unresolved situations all live in our physical bodies.

If we can open up our physical bodies, strengthen and stretch our muscles, increase flexibility and range of motion in our joints by yoga practice, can these physical benefits communicate to our mind, heart and soul? Can we work through what is unresolved or stuck in our spiritual lives by doing yoga?

This is my question.

Baron Baptiste wrote on his book "Journey Into Power":

"The only person who can open the door to the inner truths and lead you to the light is yourself."

We have to make the choice to do the work, to stay present inside the challenge, to face whatever it is that needs to be faced. The decision comes from deep inside. This decision and commitment to face what needs to be faced and to grow and go forwards in our spiritual lives is ultimately up to us: no priest, no rabbi, no sage, not even God Himself, no one can do that work for us! This is what yoga practice has taught me. God gave us free will, we can choose for better or for not so better.

Once we have made this decision to do the hard work to face those hard things that need to be faced, whatever that may be, we can face the choices in our lives with the same commitment, the same passion, the same dedication that we exercise on our mats.

So there is meaningful truth in what Baron Baptiste says- the work, the effort comes from us.

You will get out of your yoga practice what you put into it.

What you bring to your mat- your intention- is of vital importance to the result, what you will get out of it.

The result comes from you and your commitment to the work of the practice.

This important lesson is many times over looked in some religious circles.

God respects our freedom. We are free to stay stuck and we are free to "open the door to the inner truths" which will lead us to The Truth, The Way, The Life.

It is easier to obey when you are free from what emotionally holds you back.

Fascinating Film

I highly recommend this documentary film which consists of a series of interviews with the current world religious leaders. The film was made by the creators of the 9/11 documentary.

This film was a special on CBS one year ago and was just released on dvd this month. It can be purchased on Amazon.com by clicking on the title of the post...

Is Yoga an Attachment?

A straight shot to God: I don’t believe it is ever that easy, or simple-

unless God wills it so.
No one aspires to be mediocre…and it seems that if one dabbles here and there in different spiritual or religious practices, you can start to start to become a little mediocre and have a kind of “all-over-the-place” quality.
Mediocrity is the exact opposite of where any spiritual journey is meant to take a person!
If yoga or centering prayer is a distraction to the highest of ideals and a dampening of the desire to reach the heights of sanctity and love, then my attachment to yoga should be “cut off” as Jesus told his disciples in the Gospel: “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. Better to enter the Kingdom of God with one hand…”
Yoga is not so much something I do anymore as who I am. Yoga is a part of me now, and it gets like that…once you practice and teach for awhile, yoga becomes a part of who you are.
So it’s not so much an attachment, but yoga is much more profound than that. The sincere prayer of my heart is that God will sanctify me as I am and bless my yoga practice and my yoga students and bring us yogi’s closer and to the Truth of who we are in His eyes and help us to know and love Him as He really is!
Pope John Paul II said at the 2002 World Youth Day:
"Dear young people, do not be content with anything less than the highest ideals! Do not let yourselves be dispirited by those who are disillusioned with life and have grown deaf to the deepest and most authentic desires of their heart. You are right to be disappointed with hollow entertainment and passing fads, and with aiming at too little in life. If you have an ardent desire for the Lord you will steer clear of the mediocrity and conformism so widespread in our society."--"You Are the Salt of the Earth"

Something is missing

Look at the symbol of the Eucharist. It is a perfectly round piece of bread, whole and complete. A mandala is in the shape of a circle, a circle which symbolizes completion, wholeness, unity, oneness.

The following is a common theme in religious communities and in yoga communities:

that there are certain individuals that you are naturally drawn to...you resonate with them, before even saying a word. You just see them and there is some spark of attraction there, an intution that tells you "I want to be their friend".

This is such a cliche but I can't help but say it: We complete one another.

No one is perfectly complete on their own...except maybe a few great ones we call saints

But most of us need other people, community- in a more intimate way than a casual acquaintance kind of way. We need friendship, affection, support, to be known, in order to be more complete and whole as a person. Community is important!

It's interesting...what about those in each community that you and I are Not naturally drawn to...those individuals who, for whatever reason, seem to be on the outside looking in? Those individuals who seem to just not getting it, like the rest of us? Or just hanging back..observing...

In other words, what do we do to those inside our community who we are not naturally drawn to, or who are not naturally drawn ot us?

One possible answer, that I have done myself, would be a personal interior judgment that they are not one of us, that they just don't get it and I will not let their damp energy hamper mine. There are always those people who for whatever reason, rub us the wrong way, get on our nerves, or who simply are not on the "inside" of our particular group dynamics and seem to be robbing us of our enthusiasm! why are they not INTO this??!!!

There is an exercise that St. Therese of Lisieux would do inside her Mt. Carmel community: She would focus on the person that she did not particularly care for, the one that rubbed her the wrong way. She would spend time with and expend her energy on connecting with the one she was not particularly attracted to, as if this was the singular most important thing God wanted from her in that moment.

What would happen if we were to exercise the practice of St. Therese and look at this dynamic as an opportunity to patch up the whole of the community.

We are connected. And if one member suffers, the body as a whole suffers.

Yes, we are attracted to who we are attracted to...but those who we are not, should not be ignored or pushed aside, even in our own minds! This will only increase the distance they are already feeling within the community!

Just as we need the people in our community: their affection, support and esteem, to make us more whole, so too our community as a whole needs these members who are not fully engaged, to feel the same support, understanding, affection that we feel. The community will not be whole until the gaps are filled, and our understanding will not be complete until we see the whole picture...everyone included!

Contemplation & Dialogue

The following is part of a talk I wrote down from Father Laurence Freeman at the 2008 Contemplative Outreach Conference. Laurence Freeman is a Benedictine monk of the Congregation of Monte Oliveto and Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation:

“To understand the nature of contemplation, first of all as being simple, and that’s universal, the simple is one. And only what is universal can make us one. It has to be universal. It may take many forms but it has to be a common ground. It has to be a common element, you find it everywhere, in every situation….it’s the meaning of the word “Catholic” actually. The Catholic is the universal. So, is contemplation universal? Well, it seems to be…

So how do you answer the question as I’m sure many of you who teach contemplative prayer often hear: ‘Are there some types of people who are better suited for this than others?’ I can’t answer that question; it doesn’t seem to me that there is an answer. There’s no one type of person, when you look at this huge diversity of people who seem to share this universal taste, or this universal capacity, at all ages, at all stages of the human journey, called contemplation. So I don’t know how you answer that question, except perhaps by saying it’s perhaps a matter of timing in your life, whether you are ready for it. Our children are ready for it…childhood seems to be a good time (to teach meditation), later it’s much more unpredictable. It’s also a matter of presentation, who teaches it, whether it’s Paul or Apollos, some people prefer Paul some people prefer Apollos. They told different stories, and had different personalities, some people liked one person and they didn’t like the other. That’s a human element of all communication. And, you cover a lot of ground that way as one vineyard. We work in the same vineyard, but different styles of work perhaps. So timing and presentation are important factors in experiencing the universality of contemplation. But the rest of the evidence seems to show pretty conclusively that it is universal.

It’s also present in all traditions. As I said earlier, at the heart of every major religious tradition you find some similar experience of contemplation: The simple enjoyment of the truth, deeper than words, deeper than the realm of forms and concepts and images, in what we call the heart… The heart is a symbol in all traditions of the universal center of reality; it’s the center of the individual person.

So, where do we not find this contemplative wisdom at the heart of all religious traditions?

It’s the basis, therefore, of our inter-religious dialogue and that’s an absolute necessity for our world. As the world becomes more globalized, the differences between our cultures and traditions are More important, not less. The only way to deal with the differences, except through dialogue, would be to suppress them. Just take an earth mover and take them out- it’s what the Chinese are trying to do in Tibet. Actually unsuccessfully. They’ve done great harm but they haven’t destroyed it. It’s what the Communist tried to do in Eastern Europe, in Russia, didn’t work. Fifty years of imposed persecution, didn’t work. So I don’t think we will be able to replace global religious wisdom and the diversity of its expression by a kind of McDonald’s of spirituality. Not going to work. It would be a very superficial kind of uniformity. We have to live with differences, explore them, and really be explored by them and challenged by them.

And the days of competing are over. We don’t have the privilege anymore, the luxury of sitting around smugly and saying: ‘We have the truth more than you.’ And that leads us to be either condescending, or to be violent. Condescension is really a form of violence; it robs the other of their equality with you.

So today we come before that. We have to learn what dialogue is and that is what the Holy Spirit has been doing in the Church. The Holy Spirit, probably when the Bishops were having a snooze during the Second Vatican Council, slipped in a little verse: ‘The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in other religions.’ Wow. So there IS truth and holiness in other religions! And if there is real truth there and real holiness, are we just going to say ‘Well you keep your truth, and we’ll keep our truth.’ Is that a truthful response to truth? Or do we say: ‘I am fascinated by your truth, and I would like to promote it. And by sharing my experience of the truth with yours maybe we can make the world a more truth-filled place.’ And that truth, as Jesus said, will set us free. So we have to recognize and promote truth out of this contemplative consciousness wherever and however we find it. That’s the Catholic approach.”

Dangers in the Spiritual Journey

I have been listening to cd’s by Father Thomas Keating, one of which is entitled “The Healing of the Human Condition”. Below is a portion, more or less word for word, from a question posed to Father Thomas Keating regarding people’s concerns about centering prayer being dangerous…

Question: Meditation & centering prayer is dangerous:
People want to meditate but they hear all these rumors and are afraid to undertake the journey…


Answer by Father Keating:
“Life itself is hazardous. every body is going to die. How much security do you have to have to consent to live on this hazardous planet? That’s the way it is. Walk down the street, a window can fall down and kill you. The spiritual life has hazards too.

The greatest hazard is not to take a risk. To stay where you are is the greatest of all hazards. Because if so, you’re finished. This life is a question of growth, and spiritual growth.

So in order to have security…

There are 2 ways of negotiating a rough road in the spiritual journey. Jesus presents it not as a magic carpet to bliss, as I understand it, but as an invitation to Cavalry which by any standard is a rather hazardous place.

2 ways of proceeding on a road that is full of pot holes:
1) pull over to the side of the road and wait for the county to fix it
2) try to weave your way around the obstacles, and I venture to say that this is the method that is more likely to get to the end of the road than the first

Relative difficulty and relative danger. Certainly the false self will be invited to be dismantled (in centering prayer) So if one is attached to that (the false self) there is a great deal of danger.

If you don’t dismantle the false self, what is the danger? The danger is in being under the influence of it’s secret demands and energies for the rest of your life. Which is dangerous not only for you but is dangerous for everyone else in humanity…”

One

“Christian Contemplative Prayer is the opening of mind and heart- our whole being- to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words and emotions, whom we know by faith is within us, closer than breathing, thinking, feeling and choosing; even closer than consciousness itself. The root of all prayer is interior silence.” –
Father Thomas Keating, taken from “Open Mind, Open Heart”

Fr. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O. (born 1923) is a Trappist monk (Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance) and priest. He was born in New York City, and attended Deerfield Academy, Yale University, and Fordham University, graduating in December 1943. He is a founder of the Centering Prayer movement and of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd…

He is one of three architects of Centering Prayer, a contemporary method of contemplative prayer, that emerged from St. Joseph's Abbey in 1975. Frs. William Menninger and Basil Pennington, also Cistercian monks, were the other architects. In 1984, along with Gustave Reininger and Edward Bednar, he co-founded Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., an international, ecumenical spiritual network that teaches the practice of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, a method of prayer drawn from the Christian contemplative tradition. Contemplative Outreach provides a support system for those on the contemplative path through a wide variety of resources, workshops, and retreats. Fr. Keating also helped found the Snowmass Interreligious Conference in 1982 and is a past president of the Temple of Understanding and of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue among other interreligious activities.

The following are the books he has published:

• Crisis of Faith (1979) ISBN 0-932506-05-4
• Finding Grace at the Center (1979) ISBN 0-932506-00-3
• Heart of the World (1981) ISBN 0-8245-0014-8
• And the Word Was Made Flesh (1982) ISBN 0-8245-0505-0
• Open Mind, Open Heart: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel (1986) ISBN 0-8264-0696-3
• The Mystery of Christ: The Liturgy as Spiritual Experience (1987) ISBN 0-8264-0697-1
• Heart of the World: Spiritual Catechism (1988) ISBN 0-8245-0903-X
• Mystery of Christ (1988) ISBN 0-916349-41-1
• Awakenings (1990) ISBN 0-8245-1044-5
• Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality: A Pathway to Growth and Healing, by Philip St Romain, illus. Thomas Keating (1991) ISBN 0-8245-1062-3
• Reawakenings (1991) ISBN 0-8245-1149-2
• Invitation to Love: The Way of Christian Contemplation (1992) ISBN 0-8264-0698-X
• Intimacy with God (1994) ISBN 0-8245-1588-9
• Loving Search for God: Contemplative Prayer and "The Cloud of Unknowing,", with William A. Meninger (1994) ISBN 0-8264-0682-3
• Crisis of Faith, Crisis of Love (1995) ISBN 0-8264-0805-2
• Active Meditations for Contemplative Prayer (1997) ISBN 0-8264-1061-8
• The Kingdom of God is Like... (1997) ISBN 0-8245-1659-1
• Centering Prayer in Daily Life and Ministry, co-edited with Gustave Reininger (1998) ISBN 0-8264-1041-3
• The Diversity of Centering Prayer (1998) ISBN 0-8264-1115-0
• The Human Condition: Contemplation and Transformation (Wit Lectures) (1999) ISBN 0-8091-3882-4
• Journey to the Center: A Lenten Passage (1999) ISBN 0-8245-1895-0
• The Better Part: Stages of Contemplative Living (2000) ISBN 0-8264-1229-7
• Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit (2000) ISBN 1-930051-21-2
• St. Therese of Lisieux: A Transformation in Christ (2000) ISBN 1-930051-20-4
• Divine Indwelling: Centering Prayer and Its Development, with George F. Cairns, Thomas R. Ward, Sarah A. Butler, Fitzpatrick-Hopler (2001) ISBN 1-930051-79-4
• Sundays at the Magic Monastery: Homilies from the Trappists of St. Benedict's Monastery with William Meninger, Joseph Boyle, and Theophane Boyd (2002) ISBN 1-59056-033-7
• Transformation of Suffering: Reflections on September 11 and the Wedding Feast at Cana in Galilee (2002) ISBN 1-59056-036-1
• The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living: Excerpts from the Works of Father Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O. : Sacred Scripture, and Other Spiritual Writings (2003) ISBN 0-8264-1515-6
• Foundations for Centering Prayer and the Christian Contemplative Life: Open Mind, Open Heart, Invitation to Love, Mystery of Christ (2003) ISBN 0-8264-1397-8
• Manifesting God (2005) ISBN 1-59056-085-X
• Active Prayer: On Retreat with Father Thomas Keating (2005) ISBN 0-8264-1783-3
• Centering Prayer: On Retreat with Father Thomas Keating (2005) ISBN 0-8264-1780-9
• Lectio Divina: On Retreat with Father Thomas Keating (2005) ISBN 0-8264-1782-5
• Welcoming Prayer: On Retreat with Father Thomas Keating (2005) ISBN 0-8264-1781-7

Father Thomas Keating

I just returned from "The 2008 Contemplative Outreach Conference" in Piitsburgh, PA.

I didnt really know much about the Contemplative Outreach Movement or "centering prayer", but now... I. Am. A. Fan.

Centering prayer is essentailly enduring the challenge of sitting in silence for 20 minutes, setting an intention of being receptive to the Lord. Most of the time my thoughts are racing. You can choose a 1 or 2 syllable "sacred word" to bring you back to your intention- not using the word like a mantra, but gently bringing your mental attention back to the sacred word whenever thoughts start to distract you. You are simply being with the Lord.

20 minutes of making myself present and available to the Lord seems much more personal to me, and provides an opportunity to listen to what God has to say...

In the words of Father Keating: "Silence is God's first language."

God spoke to Elijah in a whisper. We have to quiet our minds and listen to effectively communicate and get to know God as He really is...and to know ourselves as we really are.

Acro-yoga

A friend of mine is an acro-yogi, which means, she practices what is called "acro-yoga" a combination of acrobatics and yoga postures. This friend of mine, we'll call her "A", has not been practicing yoga for that long, perhaps a little over 2 years. She does not have a gymnastics or acrobatics background, yet she is amazing! She is very serious, very focused when she practices and consistently, every day.

"A" told me that acroyoga has helped her in her regular yoga practice. For example, her hand stand is much easier to maintain after she began practicing acroyoga. She has learned proper alignment. In acroyoga, "A" does headstand while the "base" person is holding her up by her shoulders alone, on his/her feet! This takes a tremendous amount of trust on her part, especially considering what little experience she has...but by trusting, she has learned proper alignment, and her yoga practice has exploded onto an entirely new level!

This is a video I shot of "A" at the 2008 Global Mala this past weekend:

The Definition of Catholic

In my class, I always bring up the fact that in Warrior 1, there are opposite dynamics going on: while rooting down in your feet, you are sinking down in your front thigh, pressing through the outer edge of your back foot, straightening your back leg. While you are rooting down in your feet and sinking down your hips, finding strength in your legs, you find lightness in your upper body: lifitng your heart straight up on an inhale- reaching- taking a slight backbend- lifting up and back.

Opposite forces- its actually what makes this pose really effective.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cath´o`lic Pronunciation: kăth´ô`ĭk

a.	1.	Universal or general; as, the catholic faith. Men of other countries [came] to bear their part in so great and catholic a war. - Southey.
	2.	Not narrow-minded, partial, or bigoted; liberal; as, catholic tastes.
	3.	Of or pertaining to, or affecting the Roman Catholics; as, the Catholic emancipation act. Catholic epistles the epistles of the apostles which are addressed to all the faithful, and not to a particular church; beingthose of James, Peter, Jude, and John.
n.	1.	A person who accepts the creeds which are received in common by all parts of the orthodox Christianchurch.
	2.	An adherent of the Roman Catholic church; a Roman Catholic. Old Catholic the name assumed in 1870 by members of the Roman Catholic church, who denied the ecumenicalcharacter of the Vatican Council, and rejected its decrees, esp. that concerning the infallibility of the pope, as contrary to the ancient Catholic faith.

WordNet Dictionary

Noun	1.	Catholic - a member of a Catholic church
Adj.	1.	Catholic - of or relating to or supporting Catholicism; "the Catholic Church"
	2.	catholic - free from provincial prejudices or attachments; "catholic in one's tastes"

Related Words:

all-comprehending, all-comprehensive, all-covering, all-embracing, all-encompassing, all-filling, all-including, all-inclusive, all-pervading, allover, broad, broad-gauged, broad-minded, catholicon, comprehensive, cosmic, cosmopolitan, country-wide, cure-all, eclectic, ecumenic, ecumenical, ecumenistic, elixir, extensive, galactic, general, generic, global, heaven-wide, inclusive, indeterminate, international, large-scale, liberal, national, nondenominational, noninsular, nonsectarian, nostrum, planetary, spacious of mind, total, unbigoted, unfanatical, unhidebound, universal, unparochial, unprovincial, wide, wide-minded, widespread, world-wide, worldwide

The word Catholic means "universal". Why then do we allow ourselves to grow so narrow minded? So small in scope, in depth? Boundaries are necessary...but we Christians are not God...we do not know everything.

The greatest of all attitudes to aspire to is humility.

We are capable of the greatest things! But only, in the words of St. Francis of Assisi, if we seek to understand, more than being understood, seek to love more than receiving love.
It is in giving that we receive, pardoning that we are pardoned, and dying that we are born to eternal life...

Opposites.

The life if a Christian, by necessity, requires an open mind and heart- humility- there is so much we don't know, nor understand, especially if we are simple and walk by faith.