A Christian Yogi Preacher

It was a pleasant spring Sunday evening in April 2005. I was wearing a silver suit, a black dress shirt, and a black, white, and greyish tie. I would like to say that I was matching from head to toe, but the grey shoes threw off the color coordination. Nonetheless, I walked up to the pulpit to preach my first sermon. At the age of 16, I was filled with a curiosity of what preaching was all about and, most importantly, why I felt moved or called to be a preacher. While being clueless of this calling, my childhood preacher, David Wilson, taught me the art of expository preaching and threw me in front of the masses to preach my first sermon. Having written out my sermon and rehearsed it repeatedly, I memorized what I thought was a 20 minute sermon. Yet it turned out on that Sunday that my sermon was only 13 minutes long. When I sat down, I said to myself, “Man, I just wasted these people’s time.” Yet when the worship service was over, the gracious members who watched me grow up kept expressing their appreciation to me. I wasn’t sure if the sermon was helpful or if they were appreciative that church was let out early. Nonetheless, I found my first love: preaching.

My preaching journey has been filled with exciting experiences where I have been blessed to speak on significant platforms on special occasions to share my perspective on God and the work God is doing in the world. The relationships that I have been fortunate to be a part of, the places I was invited to go, and the life-changing, Holy Spirit-filled moments in worship that occurred only through the act of preaching have all been priceless. However, my path in ministry has broadened. God has invited me into new environments, to interact with different people. One of which is the mindfulness space called yoga and meditation.

The Misconception of Yoga

There is a misconception that yoga is limited to a group of people who fit within a racial, religious, physical, and/or economic status. I thought this to be true until I was introduced to yoga and experienced its benefits. What ushered me into practicing yoga was when my worldview, theology, and faith were shattered into pieces (shout out to Abilene Christian University’s Graduate School of Theology). I fell into depression. I was miserable, feeling disconnected from God. I was in a dark space or what St. John of the Cross would call the dark night of the soul. I was suicidal and lost about 95% of my hope. Yet one day, I was randomly listening to one of Russell Simmons’s interviews. Simmons has always been raising awareness for the benefits of a daily practice of yoga, meditation, and incorporating a vegan diet. So I said, “Okay, let me try this.” Since January 1, 2015, the day I showed up for my first yoga class, I have never stopped practicing yoga. From following Yoga With Adriene on YouTube to actively being a part of the Sync Yoga and Wellness family in Dallas, yoga and meditation helped me cope with my then crisis and influence the way I show up in the world as a kind human being.

Yoga became my sanctuary, my church home, and my safe space to meet myself and to meet God. It was on the yoga mat where I learned and practiced breathing in darkness (when your eyes are closed) and in tight spaces (various stretches). It was on the yoga mat where I learned that the breath of life that was given to me by God was the secret tool that helped me to find balance. It was on the yoga mat where I learned to not take myself so seriously, but to smile and laugh. It was on the yoga mat where I learned that I didn’t have to run away from my problems, but I can find peace, love, and healing in the present. Most importantly, it was on the yoga mat where a vision was a burden within my spirits.

As much as I loved the Sync’s teaching staff and the fellow yogis with whom I was practicing, I could not help but to realize that often in the class, I was the only black man. The benefits I was experiencing in coping with my crisis needed to be and must be accessible to everyone, especially African Americans. So I knew that one day, I would do something about this, and this something is Yoga 4 Philly, 501c3.

Meeting God in Different Places

My sphere of influence has now been expanded beyond my Christian church bubble. I now get to share intimate space and moments with people from all walks of life. I believe that God is present and at work in the church, the yoga studio, drug-infested neighborhoods, and anywhere else. God has called me to be where the unchurched are. While I have a deep appreciation for the institutional church and the work she does in the world, God has invited me to be present and available to share the good news to those who would not and will not step through the doors of the institutional church. This has cost me a lot and caused deep mourning as my identity was wrapped around the idea of me being a full-time pastor. My decisions have ruffled feathers and caused many people who love me to wonder if I am still a Christian and if I am still a preacher. The answer is yes. I am still a Christian and I am still a preacher. Though I may practice yoga with Hindus, atheists, and others, I am still a Christian.

As I prepare to conclude this article, I wonder, has God been calling you to join God in a mission outside of your comfort zone? Is there a burning question mark in your discipleship that causes you to wonder, is there more to ministry than the work I am a part of? I do not know what the answer is for you, but if there is an instinct that there is more to God’s mission than the work that is being done within the institutional church, may this article serve as a comfort and a reminder that you can meet God in different places. As a trained counselor and mindfulness teacher, I offer my confidential services to you. You can reach me via email should you need a listening ear or someone to co-imagine what God may be doing in you.

Peace, friends. Know that the work you are doing matters. If you haven’t heard the following words said to you in a long time, I pray you will receive them: thank you.

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P.S. Yoga 4 Philly, 501c3 exists to make peace, love, and healing accessible to everyone through yoga and meditation. We are planning to launch our end of the year fundraiser and we would like to invite you to partner with us in the great work we are doing in Philadelphia county. You have the power to help Yoga 4 Philly reach our $61k goal to help make yoga and meditation accessible in three schools, three senior centers, and in three locations in Kensington through 2021. Yoga and meditation should be accessible to everyone. Period.