Today we’d like to introduce you to Gena Davis.
Gena, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I fell in love with yoga while in seminary, training for ordination to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church. I loved how yoga made me feel. As a long-time meditator, I discovered that yoga opens the body and clears stuck emotions, preparing me for deeper healing and meditation. While the priest at Grace Episcopal Church in Houston, I desired to become a yoga teacher and to integrate yoga into my spiritual practices and offerings. My intention was integration because I felt called to integrate yoga into my ministry. The result was the creation of a new spiritual and worship offering called YogaMass®. YogaMass integrates yoga movements, breath work (or pranayama), meditation, and Holy Communion. At YogaMass, we open our bodies and our hearts and receive from the table of Christ to receive spiritual nourishment in the Christian tradition.
YogaMass began in January 2016 as an offering of Grace Episcopal Church in partnership with the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center (ISH.) The Reverend Dr. John K. Graham co-officiates the service with me. Musicians and singer from Grace, ISH and friends offer gentle, soulful live music to accompany the yoga movements and worship, including sitar, djembe drums, guitar, and violin. YogaMass is held monthly at various locations and can be found at our website at yogamass.com.
I offer my journey of integrating yoga into my Christian life as an ordained Episcopal priest in my new book, YogaMass: Embodying Christ Consciousness. This book provides a path for Christians and people of all faiths to embrace yoga for a deeper spiritual life. It is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest hurdle was overcoming the guilt that arose from believing that yoga was a form of practicing a different religious tradition. I believed that yoga was a form of Hinduism or Buddhism, and was relieved to later discover that yoga is actually not a religion but the science of human experience, and it pre-dates religious traditions. Yoga has been explained over the millennia in religious language that grew up around it in its country of origin, India.
I also had to overcome my fear of speaking my truth even when it meant others may not agree. Dr. Brene Brown’s work of living courageously and daring greatly helped me find the courage to do this important work of integration.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about YogaMass – what should we know?
YogaMass® is a unique offering of worship that is new to the liturgical expressions in the church. Bishop C. Andrew Doyle of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas authorized me to begin this creative liturgy and integration. What is unique is that YogaMass brings the whole self—body, mind, soul and spirit—into worship in a way that allows one to fully experience the moment and the presence of the divine through his or her body. The body cannot be separated from the mind, or the heart, or the soul. For healing and full aliveness to occur, on many levels, the whole human being must be addressed.
As a priest and spiritual director, I integrate yoga into my ministry for spiritual awakening to occur. I also understand the spiritual journey can be dark and challenging. My life has not been without loss. I have experienced widowhood, I am a suicide survivor, I have had my home flooded, and I have lost dear people in my life. The deepest sorrows help me to fully appreciate and experience my deepest joys, which are always found in walking in Spirit.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My most important purpose is to stay focused on God and the message of Christ Consciousness. This way of being and seeing is what I believe Jesus came to teach and is available for everyone to experience. YogaMass the worship experience and YogaMass the book are vehicles for this message to be shared. I am honored to help people discover this for themselves.
Pricing:
- YogaMass events are held monthly. See yogamass.com for dates and locations. A minimum donation of $10 is suggested to cover expenses.
- “YogaMass: Embodying Christ Consciousness” is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Balboa Press. Paperback $19.99, Hardcover $37.99, eBook $3.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.YogaMass.com
- Phone: 713.678.0787
- Email: YogaMassAwakening@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/yogamassawakening
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YogaMassAwakening/
Image Credit:
Paula Dittrick, Annie Kansas, Anyang Anyang
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