What is Holy Yoga?
Holy Yoga is the intentional practice of connecting our entire being, body, mind and spirit with God: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. With complete reliance on God’s Word and prayer, Holy Yoga invites us to surrender and introduces us to Grace. When we breathe and move and have our being in Christ, we find ourselves in the flow of His magnificence. There is often a misunderstanding that yoga is a religion; it is not. Yoga is a spiritual discipline, much like prayer, fasting and meditation. Yoga has the capacity to enhance our personal beliefs and faith.
We practice with our minds set on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Phil 4:8), not with our minds emptied. We meditate on the wisdom of God’s Word (Psalm 119:9-16, 26-27), not on man’s wisdom. We seek the transcendence and glory of God, not our own.
Holy Yoga is an experiential worship created to deepen people’s connection to Christ. Our sole purpose is to facilitate a Christ honoring experience that offers an opportunity to believers and non-believers alike to authentically connect to God through His Word, worship, and wellness. Holy Yoga® Global provides world-class training where wellness practitioners are intersected by the living God and resourced to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Holy Yoga Shenandoah Valley founder Doran Richards is a Licensed Instructor Trainer for Holy Yoga. She received her first Holy Yoga certification in May 2015. She also has certifications in C-HYI 200 (formerly 225), C-HYI 500, C-HYI Pre/Postnatal, C-HYI Trauma-Sensitive, C-HYI Leadership, C-HYI Touch, C-Yin 1, C-Yin 2. You can learn more about Holy Yoga certifcations here. Doran has been a Certified Professional Midwife, licensed under the Board of Medicine, serving women and families in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia since 2011 and as a birth worker since 2000.
She is the founder and owner of Blessing God’s Way, LLC., which is a ministry for women of all ages. Her passion and calling is to minister to women, build community, and spread the gospel through resources that educate, inspire and celebrate God’s design.
As I lie on the mat with no distractions, I’m able to tune out the world and tune into the Spirit as Doran shares gentle Scriptures and other beautiful readings to calm my mind. The combination of soothing words and intentional movement releases mental and physical toxicity in a way I’ve never experienced before.
I completed my 5th session of holy yoga tonight with Doran. Doran has a way of really pulling spiritual, mental, and physical stretching together.
I have been very blessed by the ease of this program. The atmosphere of the studio is calming, uplifting, and relaxing while also being invigorating. Only in holy yoga can you learn about a pigeon pose while digging into the meaning of the beatitudes from Scripture!
Interested in becoming a certified Holy Yoga instructor?
Interested in learning more about the Holy Yoga Foundation?