Click HERE to view Rev. Jimmie Scott’s guided meditation during the service.
MESSAGE SUMMARY
During this Sunday service, Rev. Richard Maraj began a two-week series, “Practicing the Ethics of Yoga.”
In addition to postures, breathwork and meditation, yoga is also a philosophy and spiritual practice meant to unite our human consciousness with the Infinite. This week, Rev. Richard introduced the five “yamas” of yoga as ethical guidelines to help us live our best and most spiritually-centered life.
1) Nonviolence is the foundation of yoga. It calls us to do no harm — not only through physical actions, but also through the way we speak, think, judge and treat ourselves and others. Because all life is interconnected, every act of harm pulls us away from our true nature, which is love. The spiritual practice is to move from fear to love and ask, especially when we are triggered: “What would love do in this situation?”
2) Truthfulness calls us to live authentically. We often avoid the truth because we fear rejection, conflict or disapproval. But pretending everything is fine, suppressing our feelings, or hiding our real selves drains our energy. Truthfulness does not mean oversharing or speaking harshly; it means being honest with kindness, compassion and care.
3) Non-stealing goes beyond not taking physical things. We “steal” our own well-being when when we worry, compare, resist life or believe we are not enough. These habits rob us of peace, joy and the present moment. Remembering that the kingdom of God is within us restores our sense of abundance and worth.
4) Non-excess asks us to notice where our desire for “more” has caused clutter, distraction or imbalance in our lives. Too much food, material things, activity, screen time or busyness can block our peace, and prevent good from coming into our lives. Choosing less can make life feel lighter, freer and more spacious.
5) Non-possessiveness reminds us not to cling tightly to possessions, relationships, outcomes or identities as the source of our happiness. When we loosen our grip and trust life, we open ourselves to greater ease, joy and good.
To see/download a full transcript of the message, click on the button at the bottom of the title header at the top of this page.