Welcome to 2023, J’ogi’s!

Following many Christmas gatherings with family and friends, ushering in the new year at the last and final party of the year was the perfect culmination. At the stroke of midnight, like the winds of change, God blew into existence an instant life reset.  No sooner had the Times Square ball dropped, the highs, lows and in betweenness of 2022 were but a memory and there was nothing I could do to change any of its outcomes.  Tuning my ear to the lyrics of Auld Lang Syne helped me realize how the former God given 365 days were over and it was time to begin fresh. I exhaled deeply into the party favor horn, I let go of what was for all that’s going to be new.

Each year I pray God will grow me more into the likeness of Christ.  I prefer easy lessons over the difficult.  I’d rather enjoy gentle nudges instead of being tested by refining fire.  I never know how God’s going to be moving in my life standing between one year and the next.  His grace is sufficient and I cling to His truths as the breezes of 2023 begin to move me.

For the last two years God has inspired me to do a deep dive into a word.. in His word.  2021 was the word justice.  The prophet Isaiah inspired me with that one because I never really knew what it meant to seek justice.  As I read the bible throughout the year, I’d make note anytime God spoke about the word and that began my annual journey into a word of God.  2022 was light and that word helped me deepen my understanding that Jesus is the light of the world and He’s faithful to chase away the darkness.  As I approached the end of this year, I asked God for the new word, and prayerfully what came up is the word wind. Wind?  It’s probably no coincidence that I’ve been residing for most of my life in one of the breeziest communities, a close second to the state of Wyoming.  Wind has been a constant in my life so it seems appropriate.

Do you use one of God’s words as an annual study?  Like me, perhaps you feel inspired to get a deeper understanding of one of God’s words. Can I offer a challenge?  In the next few weeks, take some time in prayer and ask God to give you a word.  He is faithful to answer, so seek and knock.  Open the door to a subtle nudge and once you’ve got the word look for it in your reading, your life, journal about it and I’d love to hear about all you’ve learned in 2023. You can share my word too, if that works.

Here's just a couple of things I’ve come to know about the word wind:

• In 7th grade a Boulder County chinook wind ripped off part of the roof of our house.  (That was scary); 
• I heard someone say that the Holy Spirit is like the wind because it’s invisible yet we can see the effects of it.  (I love the word picture of John 3:8);
•  “It’s the most flexible tree that sustains the strongest winds” (A phrase I often use in my Christian yoga class when cueing the pose called tree pose);
• Dry conditions and a bad spark, combined with gale force winds stirred up December’s 5000 degree fire storm in my local neighborhoods, destroying all that was in its path. (Wind gives me anxiety);
• Wind pushes the metro Denver brown cloud of smog away and over the plains. (Wind is cleansing); 
• I like to offer encouragement to someone in a tough situation with the phrase my Nan taught me, “there’s never an ill wind that doesn’t blow some good.” (Wind can be both good and bad). 
• When the air smells like Greeley I know snow is in approaching, meaning ski conditions will be great at Eldora (Wind brings weather)

It should be interesting what I learn from this. I’m jazzed to blast into this year.  How about you?  These next 12 months hold within them the excitement of possibility, adventure, opportunity and success yet to be discovered. Realistically, I know there will be troubles but I take heart with my feet fitted firmly in the Word of God and welcome His breezes to blow.  God’s going to use the Frogpose ministry to further his Kingdom and we’re prayerful for His breath of fresh air to fill you with healing in each class.

Join us this Wednesday at noon for a beginner Christian moving meditation as we focus on God's word about wind.  We keep trying to simultaneously offer Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/frogposeyoga/live_videos/and has proved challenging in our new space so please join in person: 8330 W 80th Arvada #1. We'll keep trying to broadcast.

For those of you on the fence about signing up for the 6 week yoga challenge starting January 15, there's still a couple spots available.  Sign up here.

I’ve got 3 dozen Christmas cookies to make for Annie’s cookie exchange.  I know the perfect recipe: Nanny’s tried and true molasses cookie recipe.  It might make her roll over in her grave to know this, but instead of using ill-processed canola oil for the liquid shortening, it will be real butter.  Since I prefer fresh, always, minced ginger root will replace the dried jarred powdered stuff.  Gut health is on my mind too, so why not use the local Longmont-made Bulk Store gluten free flour?

Today, in the solitude of my kitchen, while jamming out to my favorite Holiday classics playlist, I made the dough to be chilled overnight, to be rolled into balls, rolled in granulated sugar, and baked tomorrow for that yummy out of the oven flavor.  While doing so I had a lovely chat on the phone, catching up with Cam and Bla.  I turned on the Christmas tree lights.  Everything was going according to time until I reached for the key ingredient, molasses.

I had plenty remaining in the Brer Rabbit bottle to complete the recipe yet it had matured into slower than molasses molasses.  It was the thickest, darkest glob of goodness, that refused to move!  What would have normally taken me 10 tops to prepare became a 30-minute endeavor.  WOW!  What a test in patience.  Observing the molasses instantly reminded me of God’s patience for me in learning how better to live in obedience to Him.

I love how God teaches me lessons in everyday things, such as cooking, and how it relates to the work I do on my yoga mat.  Just when I want to rush things in life, God offers slowness as the option.  It’s in these moments off the mat where we can make a choice for freedom and victory in the Lord by allowing for His timing of things, accepting it and letting it go.  I can choose the way of the straight path of least resistance or speed through and possibly miss the blessing? 

Often times in the warm up or integration opening part of a Frogpose beginner flow class, you’ll hear the verbal suggestion to “move as if you’re moving through molasses”. Why?  So often we arrive at our mat with a sense of rush to have made it through the class doors on time, or we have a long list of to-do’s lingering in our brains.  Not to mention, the current Colorado winter weather, which presents our fascia as stiff and cold at the start of any given work out.

As a guide for class, I often notice students speeding to the next pose as if it’s some kind of race.  For example, if I cue right arm high, some consciously draw attention to doing so with intention, while some shoot an arm up in seconds flat without even thinking about protecting shoulder or the supporting muscles and ligaments.  Rather than allowing The Breath of the Almighty to drive the pose with a controlled 4 second inhale (with full body awareness), they hurriedly force the pose. Especially in the early part of class, when the body is yet warmed up, injury can happen when poses are rushed.   Each class is an opportunity to practice patience that can be taken off the mat and into real world situations.  Hurry and rush or have patience and notice – the option is yours.

My work around with completing making the batter was to use the good old modern microwave.  A couple of seconds to zap the goo and voila, I could get it out of the bottle.  All the brown blob needed was some time to warm up and soften.  Once warmed up, it flowed out the bottle with its regular molasses slowness. 
Frogpose Yoga Tip “Observe the Molasses”

1.  Feel the slow pace.
2.  Have patience in the warm up.
3.  Cultivate a mindful slowing down.

Join us in person class this week as we set our intention on the fruit of the spirit patience. Come work it out with God as a gentle flow of breath, moving meditation and a focus on God's word.  Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/frogposeyoga/live_videos/

Don't froggette to sign up for the 6 Week Yoga Challenge in January.  Space is limited and it's filling up.  Start 2023 on the right foot..or left.  

Normally, I write my thoughts to the general J’ogi community as a whole.  For some reason I felt prompted to offer a message to guys only.  So, to all the men out there, this message is for you:

Do you want to see positive change in your walk with Jesus, break throughs in your personal issues, and improvements in your overall health: mental and physical?  Let me say it plainly:  you need F.R.O.G. Pose yoga!

I know you laugh, and think yoga is too girly, but the practice is as much for servant leaders as it is for the servant helpers.  If not more so for the stronger vessel.  There’s no other exercise, on the planet, besides yoga, that will help you in all areas of your life.  Before 2020, a majority of our in-person students were men.  These men offered themselves permission to leave ego at home and to commit to stretching and strength training with F.R.O.G. Pose yoga on a weekly basis.  Why?  Because they stepped out of monotonous gym routines, ear bud wearing, rat race work outs and found out for themselves just how valuable Christian yoga is to support their athleticism and overall health.

Each 60-minute F.R.O.G. Pose yoga class is met with deep breathing, intentional and sometimes challenging physical movement, prayer and bible verses.  Men leave yoga classes standing taller and feeling ready to tackle the day.  The strongest bodies with the most mindfulness towards life’s challenges, come out of yoga studios.  There’s nothing more attractive to women than a man who’s integrating mind, body and soul, which gets fulfilled in a Christian yoga class.

Society needs you guys to come back to your mat, work out your salvation, your thoughts and your muscles, and into re-alignment with God.  Life as a Christian is hard but especially for you who are the masculine heads of households and businesses.  You may not know it but society is watching how you behave in the world.  Do you blow your stack easily?  Is your blood pressure elevated?  Do you feel like you can’t shake the stresses carried on your shoulders?  Is your mind racing uncontrollably?  Yoga can help fix this.

A better question for man is how are you holding it all together without Christian yoga?  Men, challenge yourselves.  Show up this Wednesday and experience how it feels physically to grow in your walk with the LORD and your stature.

This week's class mental focus is on celebrating our true identity in God: making them both male and female. Join us for a gentle flow of breath, moving meditation and a focus on God's word. 
In person: 8330 W 80th Arvada Wednesday at noon.  Thank you Flatirons Dance and Revive The Bridge! for helping us find a new home.
or online at Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/frogposeyoga/live_videos/

My training as a yoga teacher has its origins in the hot and stinky world of Core Power.  Classes start at 91 degrees F, all the way up to 105!  The combination of sweat, hot breathing and hard working bodies is enough to make anyone gag! One of the pillars of yoga is cleanliness, and a vigorous hot class of stretching and strength building on a yoga mat can change that quickly.  It's not too unlike the life of a Christian; turn up the heat and see how you smell? 

I was relieved when my teacher Joy began to spray lavender essential oils.  With a simple reflex of her finger, she changed the foul smell to something pleasing to the senses.  Do you believe it’s possible for you, personally, to be that sort of change agent in your surroundings for Christ?
What comes to your mind when I say the phrase “fresh cut grass”.  What comes to your heart when I say the phrase “grandmas perfume”.  What comes up in your soul when I say the phrase “hold a baby or puppy close to your face”.  Wouldn’t you agree that most of us would say “that is good”.  John 12:3 says then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  I’m not sure what would be worse?  The smell of wet hair and dirty feet or sitting on hands and doing nothing?

There are five basic human senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. The sensing organs associated with each sense send information to the brain to help us understand and perceive God’s creation around us.  Research published in the May 11, 2017, issue of the journal Science suggests that humans can discriminate among 1 trillion different odors.

Lisa Bevere, international inspirational Christian speaker, got my attention to how I smell.   What I took away from what she was saying is that we have the power to enter a room and change the atmosphere to create a sweet aroma for Christ.  So, if I enter a room and notice a foul odor, whether it’s gossip or slander or hurt feelings or argument, I can chose to use what I learn on my yoga mat and in the Bible to step away or be the change.  I can use prayer, listening skills, deep breathing, open hearted, and open mindedness to "be the fabreeze".

I took it a step further to use this tactic on myself as an attitude adjuster.  I was in an unfavorable mood and I used my diffuser to pump my favorite essential oils into the air.  It seemed to work well.  When I had a work task that I was dreading and I needed inspiration or I simply wanted to tantalize my senses I helped bring myself back around with my diffuser.

Do you smell baking bread…where is this coming from?  Toucan Sam from the cereal commercial would say “follow your nose” to fruit loops.  We can be the Christians God wants us to be by having the pleasing aroma which draws others to Christ.
​
2 Corinthians 2:15 - In Paul’s analogy, he separates people into two groups: those on the path of salvation and those on the road to destruction, but both as an aroma to God. The sweet aroma of life spread everywhere by the ministry of evangelism was the knowledge of God as victor. Christians who spread the gospel are members of God’s victorious army led by Jesus Christ.  Both the victors and those perishing smell the aroma; however, it has a different meaning for the two groups. Joy of triumph for one and defeat, slavery, and death for the other.

Take our dear Polycarp of 168AD, martyred because he wouldn't deny Jesus to Caesar, where witnesses said that when we was burned on the fire, the flames flew high above his body, but miraculously he wasn't burned.  Those who watched said "he was amidst in the fire, not as burning flesh but as gold and silver refined in a furnace. And we smelled such a sweet aroma as of incense or some other precious spice".  What killed him was a roman soldiers sword piercing his side, flowing so much blood that it put out the fire.

So many instances and examples of how we can be the human diffuser:  be the fabreeze! 

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2) 
May my prayer be like special perfume before You. May the lifting up of my hands be like the evening gift given on the altar in worship. (Psalm 141:2)


Join us for a gentle flow of breath, moving meditation and a focus on God's word at our new location:  8330 W 80th Ave, Arvada, CO 80005.  Wednesday at noon in person and on  Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/frogposeyoga/live_videos/
Thank you to Flatirons Dance for offering this lovely space.  Come and enjoy a class.  Suggested donation $10.  Stay tuned as The Bridge continues to grow in partnerships for a healing local Arvada community.

​

A Land of Milk and Honey: No more wandering around in the desert!
​
I’m thrilled to make this big announce! F.R.O.G. Pose has found its new home and it feels like God has landed us right into the palm of his hand.

Starting this Wednesday at noon we’ll be offering class at 8330 W 80th Ave, Arvada, CO 80005, the over-flow of Flatirons Dance.  We praise God for Jessica the owner’s generosity in providing a gorgeous room, complete with mirrors, natural light, AND HEAT!  Truly, this space is perfect and to which we had been praying.

A few weeks ago I had reached out to Revive Church to inquire about partnering with the community outreach for their vision of The Bridge.  I can’t wait to see how God uses the F.R.O.G. Pose ministry as The Bridge gets created.  We are hopeful to support its mission by creating a healthier body of believers in the church and in the local Arvada area, through Christ centered yoga.

I’ll be writing more about the developments in the ministry and this new partnership in the weeks and months to come.  Please continue to pray for God’s leading in the building of The Bridge and for continued blessings over Flatirons Dance.

See you at noon!  Bring your mat, a water bottle and a friend. Join us for a gentle flow of breath, moving meditation and a focus on God's word.  Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/frogposeyoga/live_videos/ if you prefer virtual attendance.

Suggested donation $10.

Hello Froggers,

It's been exactly one week since I drove away from the Emerald Mountain Lodge at YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park feeling filled with the goodness of God and tuckered out from all the fun.  

Last night Kat and I chatted about the things that inspired us at The Great Adventure in Christ Christian Women's Retreat.  We loved the bigger gathering space as it was twice the size of last year’s, hence we could set up for art therapy and yoga at the same time.  It felt nice spending more time out of doors, enjoying God's creation, with the Bible Point hike and campfire s'mores.  Hearing elk bugling and locking horns was commonplace and a unique treat. Seeing new friendships develop softened our hearts.  What stuck both of us as number one was God's perfection in putting together our special sisterhood of leadership.

In His infinite wisdom God called Lorie, Denise, Kat and I to come together as the Sole to Soul Colorado team.  From the calling he has given us purpose to Go! into the world as a collaboration of Christ-minded women, offering healing of body soul and spirit through inspirational day and weekend yoga retreats. Kat and I marveled at the way God continues to orchestrate our individual skill sets and mutual desire to serve the women throughout these events.   None of the team views any of the others as power hungry, overbearing, controlling, lazy or difficult to work alongside.  Where one of is lacking, the others step in with ease and grace.  I am blessed to call these ladies true sisters in Christ: God knew what he was doing when he put us together!

The theme of our retreat was a journey into Jesus’ commission of going out and proclaiming the gospel.  Our hope was to ignite and equip each attendee with the tools necessary to make disciples of every nation as a telling of our personal stories in light of sharing the gospel.  Mark 16:15.  With Kat's snappy tune to verse memorization, each of our 15 minute devotionals, 3 yoga classes with rotating teachers and unique modalities, art therapy and free time, the commission came to life in all of us.  

As a thank you to everyone who attends each Sole to Soul Colorado event we offer a parting gift.  This retreat’s present was a piece of jewelry we came to call “Go! Beads”, a long strand of natural colored stone beads with a tan tassel at the end. 

Why are they called Go! Beads?  It's a triune, 3-part meaning: 1.  The metaphor for stones (the beads), as referenced in the Bible, signifies strength, steadiness and durability; 2.   If your children ask you about the necklace (or anyone for that matter), give an account of how God does great things (Joshua 4:21-24) and;  3.  Obey the Lord your God with the wearing of tassels (Numbers 15:37-21).  The intention is to go into the world, adorning these beautiful stranded stones and tassle, being reminded to feel strong, steady and durable so as to overcome any fear of sharing the gospel to anyone with ears to hear.

If someone looks at the strand hanging around my shoulders and compliments them, asks where they came from or what they mean, I can reach and grab-hold the tassel, and reply “I’m glad you asked.  Can I tell you my story?”  Let the Go! Beads be the confidence booster to go and tell all about our love of Jesus and his saving grace to all who inquire.

Just as the crow reminded Dumbo of his ability to fly with a feather for his cap, if you weren't able to attend retreat, get yourself some Go! Beads to wear and share!  In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus commissions us to "go and make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit.  Go and teach them to observe all I've commanded.  And I'll be with you until the end of the age".  Let your Go! Beads be your starting point and see how they can help draw others to having a faith in God.

2nd Tuesdays Red Rocks Sports class is changed to 2nd Thursdays at 7pm.  Same room in the basement but you must enter the front doors now.  Register here for this Thursday's class: https://redrockssports.com/yoga-2

Wednesday's Weekly class is still meeting at Veile Lake South Boulder at noon.  So long as the weather holds..I hope you can join!   Expect a gentle flow of breath, moving meditation and a focus on God's word.  Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/frogposeyoga/live_videos/ is where you will find us always and at noon on Wednesday.

Stay tuned for more from Sole to Soul Colorado team events. 

Wear and Share!

God will use your gifts to bring His Kingdom on earth. 

Matthew 28:19-20:  Go and make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Go and teach them to observe all I've commanded and I'll be with you to the end of the age.
​
What's your story?  I'd love to hear from you.

​I was not in the mood for the electric slide!

My mat was set in one place and then it wasn’t.  I was in my groove and then I was off kilter.  I pressed pause, re-centered my frog-green yoga mat, and drew myself back into a focused state of mind.  I took a deep breath, pressed play and I began to practice again.  Before much time had passed, I had gravitated to the left again! I stopped, moved myself to the right, and resumed. I was losing patience. It’s hard to stay at a place of peace when my underfoot world is moving against my will.

Joshua 1:7b: Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

Ever wonder why your yoga mat wanders to one side or the other during your moving meditation?  Perhaps one of your legs is longer than the other and it’s causing a slight rotation of the mat under foot.  Are you right or left dominant, causing more pressure on one side of the mat than the other?  Are you suffering from an injury on the left and favoring it with the right?  Regardless of the cause, it’s a thing.  Like the gradual shifts in life, all J’ogis suffer from mat shifting and there’s no judgement.  Embrace the change and let it be!

During that online class, my trusty Manduka shifted a total of three times and I was ready to throw in the towel! But then I realized from what my issue was stemming.  I had placed its rubber bottom onto an area rug that had no gripping abilities.  What I would normally place my confidence and stability on, which is that wonderfully gummy pad, was actually more like attempting physical poses on shifting sand.

When are we ever in a mood for unwanted shifts in our lives?  (If you’re like me, it’s never!) 

Jesus gave us a clear understanding and expectation that our life would slip sideways.  He said something to the tune: you will have troubles but take heart because I have overcome the world.  His stability was in knowing that our heavenly father had a plan in the shift and when we read the Bible it demonstrates how Jesus lived that truth.  We can too.

God’s stabilizing plan is not just for Jesus, but for all with faith in Him.  To re-center and align with God’s will sometimes takes more than a deep breath and putting two hands on the edges of our problem to move life back into position.  It takes perseverance, prayer and patience, the things we learn while participating in community yoga classes.  Have the confidence that our solid ground is in a relationship with Jesus.  Standing firm in his Word when things feel shaky underfoot allows us to better accept a small adjustment onto life’s path instead of pressing stop, throwing up our hands in disgust and walking out on ourselves and those around us.

When my class was over, I laughed at myself, feeling stronger and more connected to God as I had deepened the understanding of Him as my solid rock on which I stand.  I was glad I didn’t give up.  Whether your yoga mat of life is staying put or moving unexpectedly, know that God is there in the frustration, shoring you up on both sides. Have the confidence that He will see you through.  Don’t give up the fight and stand firm, then.
​
Join us this month for Christian park yoga, Tuesday mornings at 9am and Wednesday's at noon, where the biggest yoga mat issues are going to be wet grass and the occasional pile of goose poop.  Regardless, make the adjustment to the positive and join in.

Good Friday (HUH!), What Was it Good For?
Absolutely EVERYTHING!

These aren't the lyrics of Edwin Starr's famous song, War. One line in the song sings "They say we must fight to keep our freedom, But Lord knows there's got to be a better way, oh". And there is a better way: the cross on Calvary.

Holy Week or The Great Week as it's also called is the Superbowl for all Christians.  It's the big game. The playbook was prewritten and as the last seconds leading up to Easter Sunday play out, we know Christ wins...even before the TV commentators.  Fake news?  I don't think so.  I live because my Savior lives.
Jesus fought for our freedom. Jesus sustained extreme torture, more than a mere mortal could endure, had to carry his own cross in a state of complete physical brokenness, and was cruelly set to die on a cross, as a convict. What was his crime? Jesus was the original freedom fighter. He fought for freedom from religion, and for women's equality, for children and widows, for tax collectors, for you and for me.  It is for freedom that Christ set us free (Galatians 5:1) If it hadn't been for the cross, life would feel like constant war, huh!
It was for the Glory of God and our good that on that dark Friday, our Savior suffered, died and was buried.
This freedom we come to enjoy is sweetest because we understand the gravity of the cross and it was Christ's death that needed to be paid in order for us to take the win. Good Friday is met with extreme sorrow and doesn't meet our earthly standard as something we see as good, but it means absolutely EVERYTHING for victory over death.

How we chose to look at our circumstance can sometimes be more about perspective and mindset than final outcome.  Is it possible we need to endure the bad in order to get to the good ending of the game? 
We can practice seeing things that don't feel good in the moment with a positive outcome in each Frogpose Christian yoga class .  It's been said that a sustained physical injury usually resurfaces in Christian yoga before healing with a regular practice.  For instance, in Half Pigeon, your hips, the area where we store emotions, may feel very tight and uncomfortable but not painful. The urge to come out of the long hold has more to do with pushing through to the end gain of having open hips than breathing through the discomfort.  The choice to endure is ours and is as individual as there are snowflakes.  Stay in the fight or try again another day?  It's ok.  Just don't give up because sometimes it takes 3 breaths, 3 tries, 3 classes, or 3 days in the tomb, to make life changes. 

Like Diane said at the Stepping Toward Whole Health Day Retreat (video clip above), "I used to have bad hips and coming to Lorie's class has relieved me of the pain, even thought I don't consider myself very flexible." Don't let life get you down or give up pursuing that which is good and right, because I know God has victory ahead for you too.  Mindfulness is everything in Christian yoga.

In class this week, we focus on Holy Week: balance the good and the bad of life to find wholeness of mind, body and spirit. We will incorporate prayer and bible verses with stretching on a yoga mat. Invite a friend, whether they are a seasoned yoga practitioner or just beginning, a Christian or not.  
Here is your opportunity for Beginner Power Flow Yoga this week.

2nd T's:  Tuesday 7pm at Red Rocks Church, Arvada.  We will in the basement so park around back and come down the back stairs.  Doors open at 6:30 so arrive early and get settled for a prompt start.

No Weekly Wednesday class at Harvest Today or Facebook live.  Sorry.
​
God Bless and Enjoy this Week of Ups and Downs and  Celebrate the Victory!

I an thrilled to see all of you who are signing up for our upcoming day retreat.  Any opportunity to spend time with this loving Christian yoga community, is purely my pleasure.

Sole To Soul Colorado, rooted in biblical truth, equips and aligns women in body, soul, and spirit through Christ-centered yoga classes and retreats, inspiring growth and abundant life.  That's who we are:  Kat Ackerman, Denise Stemple, Lorie Corrado and myself.

When the four of us get together to plan for events such as this, the time just flies by and the ease and joy at which we work together is so inspiring.  I can't help but feel God's presence and the Holy Spirit activating.  We are excited to offer a day of togetherness, yoga, a clean lunch demonstration, a light hike around the base of the Flatirons, and fun!

Be brave and sign up!  We are praying for you.
 
Where: 88 Benthaven Place, Boulder (Clubhouse)
When: Saturday, April 9th from 9a - 3p
Cost: $55 includes yoga, lunch, keepsake mug, walk/hike, fun, recipes & study
Register Today:  email SoleToSoulColorado@gmail.com to RSVP and receive registration and payment instructions          
(Space is limited;  Registration deadline is March 26, 2022)
​
Look forward to seeing you!
Sole to Soul Team,
Kat, Kate, Lorie and Denise

Confession:  I, Natural Kate, drive the people around me absolutely batty with my goofy ways!


As life would have it, I have gravitated to take up my environmental cross, in a unique area: my personal consumption of plastic.  Yes, you read that correct.  I see and feel the overuse of plastic all around me and I can’t help but want to fight it.  To me, that which has become so typical as plastic laundry jugs, mattress bags, food containers, packing material inside packing material, and the list goes on, it sticks out like a sore thumb and feels very unnatural. This product, which I didn’t much notice until recently, is eating away at my sensibilities and hurts my heart for God’s creation.


I don’t intentionally put my burden onto other people, but since using plastics is something negative to me, by default it’s affecting change in those around me. If a friend reaches for the plastic straw, they glance at me for approval. “What?”, I shrug and shift my eyes. To use the implement for 30 seconds, just to dump it into the trash forever, isn’t for me, because I envision it sticking out of the nose of sea turtle that’s struggling for life.  My friend just looks at it as a convenience. When those around me observe my refusal of most things plastic, it offers them room to pause and question.  “What are my eating and buying habits and why?” How is my relationship with food glorifying God?


Guess what comes in plastic?  Nearly everything.  Pick up a box of breakfast cereal and the contents are bagged.  Most boxes of food that I pick up off a shelf, at any given store, not only have a hideous list of ingredients, but have a hidden treasure of plastic inside.  Go to the meat bins and nearly all the meat is packed in plastic, styrofoam, or cellophane.  Need some rice or quinoa?  It’s prepackaged in plastic bags.  What about some soda for the big game?  Plastic, plastic, plastic!


The unintended consequence of my not wanting to purchase food in plastic means that I eat REALLY clean.  If I carry my own plastic bags to the produce section, the only items I can purchase are fresh.  I can ask the meat department to wrap in paper instead of grabbing out of the bin.  I can buy nearly everything including oils, spices, teas, snacks and shampoos in bulk, using my own containers.  Guess what’s not in my grocery cart?  Chips, individually wrapped candies and most junk food. Clean eating is ingredients in your food which you can read without needing a chemical engineering degree.  It’s about consuming food the way nature delivered it, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life.  


Everyone has a different reason for creating healthy eating and has their techniques that are inspiring those around them:  diabetes, weight loss, keto, fasting, leaky gut, IBS, energy, illness, disease.  The list goes on.  If you live in community with family or friends, your commitment to being healthy will rub off on them, especially if you’re the one making the meals!  Be the change that moves those around you to eat better. What is your idea of healthy eating and why?  


Remember:  You are NOT what you eat.  You are who God made you to be, You are aware of whole health and learning how to glorify Him, even in your food choices.  We enjoy the inheritance into the kingdom of light and we can feast.


 The Sole to Soul Colorado team is busy preparing a healthful day in the Rocky Mountains for the community of women we’ve come to know as our Jesus Yogis. (J’ogis).  I was so inspired in our last planning meeting, listening to Denise, Kat and Lorie tell of their food journeys and why God brought them to their places of clean eating and what that means to them in context of whole health. We all have a story to tell about how God is bending our ear towards glorifying him, even in our eating.  It’s fun learning about whole health and how we can serve the temple of the Holy Spirit, our bodies better.

Welcome to one of my favorite times of the year, February!  Everyone knows this month marks #heartmonth.  I pulled out my red Valentine’s decorations and dolled up the house today.  Ah yes, the greatest of these is LOVE!  In God’s infinite wisdom, He knows how important it is to help that fist sized muscle mass that pumps oxygenated blood to remain healthy.  Guard your heart with all possible vigilance, for from it flow the wellsprings of life.  Proverbs 4:23.

When I think of a spring, I envision clear cool refreshing water flowing out. I consider them perpetually pouring out from source. Throughout the state here in Colorado there are natural hot springs.  And then there are effervescent springs that produce natural seltzers.   In my mind, a spring doesn’t pool up like a pond or reservoir but rather the water comes up and out.

My sister Yvonne called this week to tell me about an interesting read from the American Heart Association (AHA) called Reclaim Your Rhythm, which talks about creating healthy habits to help take back control of your physical and mental well-being.  Also this week, I responded to a woman who wrote in asking how yoga can help her heart.  When Holy Spirit prods me twice, I take that as a message that bears repeating.  

I pray that what I have to say will be of benefit to someone reading this.

How well do you know your heart? How does it feel when you place your hand over it? What helps it? Are you able to pin point what fills your love tank and what depletes it? When does your heart feel open?  When does it feel closed? Can you put a pulse on what makes your heart tick? Let me encourage you to take time the know the rhythm of your own heart.

According to the AHA, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women.  “While you may feel too busy to de-stress – you can decide to claim your “me time,” one moment at a time. Reduce stress for a healthier version of you.  Stress can have lasting effects on your health and well-being. These health effects impact some groups disproportionately – women, for example, are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to men.”

Duh!  Us modern women not only take care of households, children and the family pets, we also bring home the bacon!  Let’s face it, we are stressed to the max.  Heck, simply walking out the door is met with stress.  Last night Laura asked, did you remember your cell phone, cell phone charger, readers, hat, gloves….mask?  “Oh shoot, gotta go back to the car, through the snow, in my heels, for the %&*@ MASK!”  Pile on terrible heart break, grief, loss, and voila, we might be time bombs with a heart attack knocking on our door.

The AHA says “If you have any of these heart attack signs, call 911 and get to a hospital right away.
1.    Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
2.    Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
3.    Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
4.    Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
5.    As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.”

Face it, living a stress-free life isn’t possible, yet knowing how to manage it is. With Holy Spirit’s help and some self-control, there are three ways to reduce stress.  1.  Turn negative self-talk into positive.  If you tell yourself, you CAN do something, chances are, you will.  Be thankful. 2.  Stop stress in its tracks.  Be aware of what triggers you and make a plan for when it happens.  Breathe deeply, take a walk, step away from your desk or take whatever action needed to break those moments of intensity.  3.  Participate in activities that are known to reduce stress.  Take a walk, read a book or do Christian yoga. Regular yoga practice may reduce levels of stress and body-wide inflammation, contributing to healthier hearts. Several of the factors contributing to heart disease, including high blood pressure and excess weight, can also be addressed through yoga. 

At Frogpose yoga we incorporate intentional breathing to increase circulation along with physical poses which increases heart rate.  Plus we take a mindful approach that God is healing us, especially in our hearts. Everyone comes to the mat with varying degrees of muscle flexibility and strength, but one thing everyone has in common is our hearts desire for unconditional love. The foundation of Christian yoga is born out of the notion that God loves us whether we can touch our toes, hold a pose for 5 minutes, stand on our hands or not.  The only skill needed is to show up for yourself and be prepared to nurture your relationship with your heart, whole body and Jesus.  

In any given Frogpose beginner power flow class it’s likely we’ll practice energetic heart opening poses such as camel, floor bow, dancers and bridge.  It’s recommended that poses like these, that require arching of the back, be practiced only once the body has warmed up, where your muscles and facia have softened, and the hips have been released. Since these are poses that benefit the heart, your focus and attention is brought to the area between the collar bones versus how much the back is/isn’t bending.  Yes, your spine is benefiting from flexing but it’s a broadening across the heart area that drives the pose.  To imagine the heart pulsing, growing the color green, expanding out of your chest, and flowing out, just like a spring of water, is the ultimate expression of the poses.

In the moments of breathing through heart opening poses, the wellspring of life flows out of you.  God loves you and I deeply, and for us to keep his love to ourselves isn’t the message of Christian yoga.  We want to allow the love we feel in our hearts to journey off the mat and into the hurting word around us.  Everything in life demands practice, including yoga.  Expand your faith and improve your flexibility by coming to class this week.  Get in touch with your heart as we set our intention on Bible verses and poses for the heart.  If you’ve never tried yoga before, let me invite you to be brave and try something new. You’ll fall in love with it and the community. Christian yoga does the heart good.
​
When:  12pm-1pm
Where:  Harvest Today 7905 W 120TH BROOMFIELD and facebook live @frogposeyoga

Sole to Soul Colorado invites you to a day of nourishing your body, soul, spirit in community: whole foods, yoga, hiking and scripture.
“Stepping Toward Whole Health Day Retreat”
3 John 2:1  Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
$55 includes lunch and snacks
South Boulder, 3/26 deadline
Fill out the contact form and we’ll save you a spot as space is limited.

I pray these individual accounts from victims from the Marshall Mesa Fire will offer you hope and strengthen your faith.  Yes, our God is a consuming fire but he is also full of mercy and hope. 

“We found baby Jesus!!!” she exclaimed.

In the twisted steel beams and fallen living room rubble that had been created by the devastating fire that ravished my community, strangely all the key characters noted at the birth of our Savior were found, albeit in broken pieces, except Jesus.  Tom felt inclined to start digging right where he was kneeling, and in a pile of soot, there was the baby: with arms and legs perfectly intact!  A miracle, considering nothing else was making sense.  By the joy experienced in that moment, you would think the family had found a suitcase of a thousand-dollar bills.  No, it was a tiny porcelain figurine representing the light of the world.  Seek and you will find! (Matthew 7:7-8)


When you’ve lived in the Boulder community for most of your life, like a few of us have, and the most expensive and destructive urban fire in Colorado history, destroying 6000 acres and 1000 homes, ravishes just a few miles from home, we’re bound to know quite a few people directly and indirectly affected.  I praise God that no one I know went to heaven prematurely, but the ripple effects of the material loss and emotional pain are just now being felt and seen.  We are all looking to find hope in our suffering and God promises to do so. (Psalm 34:17)

Sadly, my friends Kat and Tom lost their home.  When they were allowed back into their neighborhood, Tom said “When we climbed down into the smoldering rubble of what had been our home, almost nothing was recognizable. A few pots and pans. Twisted steel I-beams, disconnected from the foundation, had fallen onto the ash. On our front porch we could see the crumbled concrete of the foundation, bricks strewn about. And the beautiful designer front doors themselves melted into a twisted ball. But Mary remained. Covered by black soot on the right half of the statue’s body, she was unscathed.”  This remnant was the reminder they needed that God makes beauty from ashes. (Isaiah 61:3)
In the yard of a home not far from Kat and Tom’s this was found.  A simple plastic nativity sustained heat that steel beams couldn’t!  If this image doesn’t give you goose bumps of God’s obvious involvement in this firestorm, I don’t know what does. 

Considering that as Nancy’s friend Pierre, who was fleeing by car, with the fire on his heals, and he could hardly see through the blowing smoke and ash, was able to make out what seemed to be two figures on foot.  He sped over and insisted they jump into his car.  He wasn’t thinking of himself, and he said he felt the Holy Spirit nudge him to take a moment to grab the strangers.  When they arrived to safety, both kids had 3rd degree burns on their skin.  God was moving in miraculous ways on 12/30.  How do people walk through a blaze without getting burnt?  How does a plastic mold sustain flames without melting into a pile of gunk?  (Isaiah 43:2-3)

My dear Coll lost her parent’s home too.  While her mom was living, she was quite the Angel herself and a collector of angels also.  A couple of years ago Mom passed unexpectedly.  And ever since angel figurines have been making unusual appearances in Coll’s world.  There have been many accounts of uncanny angel choochkies appearing in funny places.  We have always figured this was God’s way of reminding Coll that He’s got her in the palm of his hand (Isaiah 49:46), that He cares for her and Mom in heaven and that He's got a good sense of humor.  When the fire subsided, Coll returned to her parent’s home, and all that was standing was the fireplace and a few recognizable items.  Guess what one of these items was: this Christmas angel # 1972 plate.  The significance was huge! It helped her to feel the comfort she needed in order to face the loss of family photos and material things that had been left behind in the home.

From another area that was destroyed by the fire, Warren said this: "some people came from Castle Rock with a horse trailer looking for a way to help rescue animals. Somehow they were able to get into the subdivision and somehow find our house and somehow knew that our horses were there and they rescued them then somehow found out whose horses they were and found our phone number and called us to give us the good news. We met them with the horses in the trailer and took them to a friend's ranch for the night. We are giving all the credit to God. No other explanation than that…”

This type of terror leaves us asking questions.  God spared some homes while others were destroyed. It’s not fair. To ask why doesn’t serve us well because only our Heavenly Father knows the answers.  Choose to live one day at a time, press on and know that His mercies are new every morning.  (Lamentations 3:23) Together we will pick up the pieces and fight for joy.

If you have a story of hope that you’d like to share, or resources you think would help serve our hurting community, please comment below.  Let’s encourage each other and continue to flood our hurting brothers and sisters with the helping hands of Jesus, your love and continued prayers. (1 Thessalonians 16-18)

I pray you will get the healing you need from this horrific event and perhaps this class will help: God of Miracles.  I taught this class special for the survivors of the fire so please share it with others you know that might benefit from it.  Yoga is a great way to move trauma out of the body.  If you have the energy, go for it.  If not, that’s ok too!  Take the time you need to process all that’s been pressing on your body and heart.

You are invited to join us tomorrow night at Red Rocks Church 7pm and in person on Wednesday noon for in-person classes  Check it out at frogpose.org.
Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/frogposeyoga/live_videos/ is where you will find us anytime.
 
Be encouraged knowing that God is standing with you through the fire. (Daniel 3:16-28)

O-Man!

If I didn’t have an electronic calendar beeping at me each time I had an appointment, I’m not sure I could function.  Work has ramped up, I’m volunteering, socializing, dog sitting, tying up loose ends and trying to get out of town on Tuesday.  Life went from Covid zero to 60 MPH and my head is spinning!  Does it seem that way to you too?

Christmas is just around the corner and I can’t seem to keep up.    How did the year end get her so fast?  The hustle and bustle of the season has caught up with me.  As I type and reflect, I realize just how much I am in need of a rescuing from this present active life.  O-O-Ohhh, the cry of my heart is to feel Christmas NOW and leave the cares of the world behind!

Cue the Christmas carols 24/7 on 101.1!  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.  Sweet relief.  There’s something about hearing those familiar tunes sung over and over, year after year, that help deliver me out of stress mode and into the Christmas Spirit.  Smiling and singing along is my favorite!  It’s the soul care I need to free me from the bondage of my intense schedule.  O Little Town of Bethlehem.

A few years ago my dear teacher, Thomas Milburn, enlightened me to the ancient Christmas tradition of the seven “Great O’s”.  Why did this resonate with me?  Because it’s so true!  Anytime my heart cries out, my exhaled utterances are typically the spoken O-“insert superlative”. Depending on the situation, the words coming out of my mouth can be offensive, supportive, heartfelt or praiseworthy.  If I stub my toe you might here hear me say “O-DARN” or something less attractive.

The antiphons or the messianic titles for Jesus begin with “O” and are used in the octave (seven days) leading up to Christmas Eve, with a different one proclaimed each day. They are a short sentence sung or recited before or after a psalm.
12/18:  O-Wisdom
12/19:  O-Lord (Adani)
12/20: O-Root of Jesse
12/21: O-Key of David
12/22:  O-Dayspring
12/23:  O-King of Nations
12/24:  O-Emmanuel
In a FROGpose yoga class we celebrate O-exhales.  If there’s anything you have learned from me is the importance of the breath.  Christian yoga is more about releasing tension with breath than it is about touching your toes and bulging biceps. If your neighbor can’t audibly hear the Breath of the Almighty giving you life, you’re not receiving all the health benefits that the practice has to offer you.  Turning up your breath not only encourages your fellow Jogi’s but it increases the purifying heat in your body.

Sometimes a yoga pose is cued to encourage an audible O on the exhale.  Horselips works too.  Yoga is a great way to express the cry of the heart by incorporating physical poses with intentional breath.  Lamenting is something we have a hard time expressing and practicing in the modern age of saving face, but to relieve the heart with breath prayer in class is welcomed.  No judgement.  We are all working out our salvation and God wants to hear the cry of our hearts, even in yoga class.

As you approach the mat in these next seven days, perhaps you can set your daily intention on one of the antiphons.  With your deep exhalations, try singing out loud that particular title for Jesus throughout your practice.  See what comes up and allow Jesus to physically rescue you from the bondage of your busyness.

This week’s class will be on Instagram only @frogposeyoga. See you Wednesday at noon as we celebrate Jesus O Dayspring. 

At F.R.O.G.Pose we fully rely on God in our ability to serve the local Community as a direct result of your prayers, volunteerism and charitable donations.   In 2021 we offered 58 donation based Christian stretching classes and with the help of the WWW, thousands of students worldwide were met with scripture, acceptance, and prayer.  At each class we were faithfully and prayerfully expectant that God would heal each heart and life that came to a yoga mat.  

Philippians 1:3 - Every time I think of you I thank God for you.

When a student walks through the doors of a Frogpose yoga class he or she is happily met with the same joy and expectation as you would feel this time of year: that they may feel thankful of God's gifts and abilities!  Because, regardless of their beliefs, all are welcome and all are loved.  That one soul just might experience the divine exchange of sin for salvation merely for showing up for a "free" yoga class.  That's why we do what we do!

Here are what some people are saying about Frogpose:
"It's the highlight of my week"  -MM
"Kate is an excellent instructor.  It is so cool to hear Bible verses while practicing" -BL
"Went on Wednesday and it was amazing.  My body can already feel God working in my mind, body, and soul.." -AD

Joel Belz of World News Group says "you want to support and be involved in organizations where the Bible determines both what people believe and how they behave." There are so many amazing non-profits to choose from and if you are looking for a God centered health care ministry that's committed to delivering Biblical truths, you can be assured that by linking arms with us, you get both!

$150 goes towards advertising and getting the word out (such as this ap).  $25 pays the guest instructors for a weekly class.  Our overflow of funds remains in savings in hopes of reaching the point to own our own studio.  The big vision is a Christian Yoga Studio committed serving God and is fully funded by donations.  We approach 2022 with anticipation that God will continue to do good things and move mountains.

Our prayer for you:  That God will bless you as you end your 2021 and for His love flow in and through all of your life.  In the mighty name of Jesus, AMEN!

Class is Wednesday's at noon at Harvest Today 7905 W 120TH BROOMFIELD & FACEBOOK LIVE

​

“I can’t be away from it for more than a year” is how I described my recent birthday vacation. My friend and I both laughed because she knows that my being by the water fills up my cup.

Today I turn 54 years of age.  WOW!  Did I say that correct?  It hardly seems possible because most days I feel (and act) like I’m still 24.  My favorite way to celebrate this annual milestone is by putting aside life’s troubles and descending onto the beaches of Mexico.  The waves call me back year after year and I act like a kid.  I never grow old of the sound and feeling of the ocean crashing, the sand between my toes and the sun on my skin: I feel more alive.  My entire being thirsts for the salt water and once a year I am temporarily quenched.

How do you like to celebrate your birthday? Can you trust yourself to create the fun?

Part of my yoga journey has been figuring out what my mind, body and soul are asking for and attempting to fill the space.  In any given Frogpose yoga class students have an opportunity to challenge themselves in strength building poses, but equally have time to hold resting poses that bring up thoughts, emotions.  It’s a time for recognizing personal needs. It’s called being mindful.  In the safety of the yoga mat and community space, God is faithful to meet us in the struggle.  If we are open, He can reveal to us the desires of our hearts and move us in the direction He’s leading.  In the span of 60 minutes, we breath, stretch and pray for help in the areas where we feel resistance and unmet needs.  Christian yoga a process of learning to trust God to heal us.  We grow in our faith in health and confidence to know what to do to help ourselves.

Yet, just like an annual trip down South of the Border, each yoga class is non-permanent.  We can’t be away from it for too long before we thirst for more.

I praise God that his love for you and me isn’t temporary.  There are hundreds of bible verses that us water babies can really relate to; this notion of living water filling the voids of life.  God describes his commitment to us as a miraculous flow of water that doesn’t quit producing life.  In revelation it says “And he said to me, “It is done! I(God) am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.” A prophet from the Old Testament named Jeremiah said “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” The disciple John said “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus met a lot of interesting people experiencing dry mouth in his short lifespan.  One woman he met drawing water from a well, he could tell her that her difficult life experiences had broken her cistern and left her feeling extremely parched (I can really relate!)  “Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” 

For what do you thirst?  Let Jesus fill that void.

My travel amiga/friend said she liked spending this past week together because she felt like a little girl, had the freedom to be silly and laugh a lot. I’ve learned beach vacations do the same for me and I make a point of taking one at least once a year so my soul doesn’t dry up.  If you haven’t had an encounter with Jesus yet, can I challenge you to a Christian yoga class to learn more? God is faithful to share a drink with you if you’ll simply ask for it.  Join me on Wednesday at noon and get drunk on Jesus. His water sits better on the soul than tequila and it’s life giving properties continue flowing after the vacation ends.

This week:
Wednesday at Noon In Person No Mask Class:  7905 W 120th, Broomfield and broadcasting live on Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/frogposeyoga/live_videos/