Yoga is a simple and sacred practice which teaches through personal experience that the body, mind and soul are one. Daily disciplines of stillness, movement and conscious breathing allow us to live longer and feel lighter.

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Pranayama, controlled breathing, is the first yogic movement. It begins at birth. Babies breath first from their bellies. Conditioning and fear later produce a breathing pattern that stagnates in the chest. By breathing slowly and deeply in our accustomed pattern we begin to notice that one breath gives way to another. With a soft belly, soft smile, calm mind, open heart, perhaps lying down, we soon find our breathing returning to a complete breath, effortlessly but consciously. Other rhythmic breathing practices preserve or return us to greater physical, mental and emotional health.

Our yoga practice creates stronger and more flexible bodies. Each posture offers the opportunity to see how openness, contraction or balance are reflected in the other areas of our lives.

Vinyasa Yoga allows us to approach and encounter any of the postures with a gentle entry and departure. A great benefit of viniyoga is that each posture can be adapted to any age or stage of life. Yoga practice and disciplines gift us a strength, flexibility and focus which we can use to improve our work, play or rest.

The first rule of Yoga is Loving Kindness (Ahimsa). It is also compassion toward all living beings. It is applied especially toward the most vulnerable, weak, young, old, poor, destitute, lonely, alone, sick or scared. It is first applied to ourselves when we are any or all of these things.

So we begin our Yoga with Loving Kindness and we end with a blessing – Namaste. Namaste is both a salutation and a farewell. With a slight and gentle bow we say to another, “I bow to you. The divine in me recognizes the divine in you. From a place of clarity, stillness and with a calm mind and deep breath and soft heart I stand before you in Loving Kindness.”

Yoga is not about what we can do; it is about doing what we can, simply and sacredly.
~ Namaste

Classes and Retreats ~ Dates, times and locations can be found at sistermorningstar.com or by emailing . Individual instruction is also available.

MorningStar Community is an intentional, ecumenical community founded by a Cherokee Hermitess and Catholic mystic. Our mission is to preserve and protect the simple and sacred through instinctual living, educational experiences, spiritual direction, personal disciplines, and collective and individual spiritual retreats. Our vision is thus: we honor the wildish nature by finding sacred and encouraging in our selves and our kinsters the ways of instinctive knowing, of inner growth and spritual expansion and the passing on of wisdom through ritual and storytelling. We strive for world peace and global solidarity. While on the Holyland we uphold these principles: peaceful ways, not harming or forcing life, vegetarian lifestyle, gratitude/gratefulness, cherishing life, valuing relationships, simplistic living, loving as our divine spirit loves.

Website managed by: David Mountjoy