#213 Yoga, Faith & Misunderstanding: A Personal Reflection

Many people who have followed my journey, especially those who knew me in earlier seasons, have wondered, questioned, and yes, even judged, whether I’ve turned away from my faith and my relationship with God.

To those who reached out and asked…thank you.
You opened the door for real conversations. Conversations that allowed for connection, clarity, and an invitation to explore sacred practices that may have once felt unfamiliar or even scary.

To those who judged…I understand. Truly.
Isn’t that something we all do at times, especially when something challenges what we’ve been taught to believe? Judging is part of being human. Most often, it comes not from malice, but from fear.
Fear of the unknown. Fear of being wrong. Fear of losing a sense of control or certainty.

But here’s the thing:
Yoga has never been a departure from God for me.
It has been the most beautiful return.

Yoga is not a religion. It’s a practice. A path of presence.
It didn’t replace my faith, it deepened it.
It brought me into communion with the divine in a way that wasn’t about performance or perfection, but about stillness, breath, and the sacredness of embodiment.

In a world that often separates spirit from body, prayer from presence, or God from daily life… yoga became a way for me to feel God with me, in me, through me.

And I believe this with every fiber of my being:
God lives within me.
We are not separate. We never have been.
Just like the stars and the sea, the moon and the tides, the sun and the soil, we are not separate from anything.
We belong to one another, and to the Source that made us all.

Many people also feel stirred by practices like astrology, moon rituals, or energy healing. I get it! These words can sound “out there,” even dangerous, depending on what we've been taught.

But energy? It’s everywhere.
You don’t need to believe in chakras to feel the tension in a room… or the way your body relaxes in the presence of love. Energy is the language of life. It’s the felt sense of God moving through creation.

The moon? It governs the tides.
Our bodies are mostly water. Our ancestors knew we were intimately connected to her rhythms. Honoring the moon doesn’t mean worshipping it, it means honoring the divine order of the universe we live in.

Astrology? It’s not about predicting your future or replacing God with planets.
It’s about understanding your unique design… the same way we might use spiritual gifts tests, Enneagram types, or personality tools. It’s a sacred system that can offer insights when used with reverence, not idolatry.

Is God the same as the Universe?
For me, God is the Creator of the Universe.
And the Universe is the expression of that creation, just like you and me.

So yes… when I say “the Universe,” I still mean God.
Not a replacement. A reflection.

Now let’s talk about the part that often stirs the most discomfort:
Deities.

In many yoga and Eastern traditions, deities like Ganesha, Lakshmi, or Shiva are not worshipped as "gods" in the way Western faith traditions might interpret. Rather, they are symbolic archetypes, representations of energy, qualities, or aspects of the human experience and divine nature.

To me, they are metaphors, like the Proverbs or parables offering a way to connect with spiritual themes through imagery and meaning.
Just like I can learn from the story of Moses without believing I must part a sea, I can learn from the symbolism of Durga’s fierce compassion without needing to shift my core beliefs.

And yes, even oracle cards.
I’ve had people ask or assume that these are “New Age” or occult.
But here’s how I see it: they are “tools for reflection”, not fortune-telling.
They are invitations to pause, listen, and let Spirit speak through symbols, the same way Scripture speaks to us in layers, images, and poetic language. I don’t use them to bypass God… I use them to commune WITH God.

I know “New Age” has become a catch-all label for anything that seems mystical, intuitive, or unfamiliar. Not everything mystical is dark. Not everything labeled “New Age” is anti-God.
Let’s be careful not to dismiss what we don’t understand simply because it looks different or has a different name.

My faith in God has never wavered.
If anything, it has matured. Expanded. Grounded in love.

This path didn’t take me away from my Creator, it brought me home.

So if you’re uncertain… curious… or quietly holding back because someone told you that yoga, or moon rituals, or energy work, or oracle cards were dangerous or “satanic,” I invite you to pause.

Have the conversation. Ask the questions.
Let’s lean in rather than push away.

Because at the heart of all true faith is love, not fear.
And where there is love, God is.

With God in me,

Mindy