Mary of Nazareth, Woman of Easter

Today we explore Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus and another Women of Easter!

Mary has matured since the birth of Jesus. We met her as a fourteen year old, highly favored. She responded to the angel Gabriel's news, "I am the Lord's Servant. May it be to me as you have said."~Luke 1:26-38

Now, thirty plus years later, she still has amazing courage!  Though she doesn't fully understand her son as he grows, she fully loves Him. "She realized her son was on a mission, and she couldn't get in his way.  But she could support Him, believe in Him, and stand by Him while she 'treasured all these things in her heart.'"~p. 84, The Women of Easter by Liz Curtis Higgs

"Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, . . ." ~John 19:25  Mary, now a widow, stood with her sister (unnamed), Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magadelene.  "They didn't crouch in fear, they didn't turn their backs, they didn't slump on the ground in defeat, and they assuredly didn't walk away. They stood."~p. 146, The Women of Easter by Liz Curtis Higgs

God calls us to do the same!   He calls us to STAND.  He calls us to BELIEVE.  He calls us to WAIT.  He calls us to TRUST.  It doesn't matter if we are tall or short, big or small, blond or red haired.  Those distinctions are human, not divine, and meaningless in the end.  What matters to God is the relationship we have with Him.  May we honor these first-century role models with the choices we make to be steadfast.~pp. 165-166, The Women of Easter by Liz Curtis Higgs

Grab a stool, bench, chair, or block.  Let's work some challenges to strengthen for the tasks before us.

Find Chair Pose with your body.  Bend your knees, lower your hips. Arms can be out in front of you or lifted.  Relax your shoulders. Can you lift your toes?

If your bench or chair is low enough, can you rock up and balance on your knees?  These works better if your stool is cushioned.😊 Rock back and forth to chair posture a few times or hold the chair posture for several breaths if the knee balance is not working for you.

Stretch out to Plank Posture.  Your body is long and strong.  Pull the belly button to spine. Press through hands to open the shoulder blades.  Say, "I am strong." Yes, you are!  Say, "I can do hard things." Yes, you can!

Push back into a variation of Down Dog. Rest here. Take several breaths.

On the inhale, extend a leg long behind

On the exhale, pull the knee to chest

You can modify by adding a twist as you pull in the knee, extending and twisting to one elbow, extending and then pulling to the other. After four or so extensions, work the opposite leg.

Now stand tall and lift a leg for Stork Pose.

You can use the stool, bench, chair, or maybe something more like a yoga block for this next challenge.  Extend the leg forward and rest on the side of the stool.  Something lower is okay to use.

On the inhale, lift the leg

On the exhale, lower the leg to the opposite side of the bench

Breathe in and out and transfer back to your starting spot.  Can you do ten sets?  Stand tall, with good posture, as you work your core!  I found this experience particularly challenging . . . Repeat the fun on the opposite leg!

Conclude with Mountain, Tree, Triangle, Gate, and Corpse Postures, coordinated with the African-American Spiritual, Were You There
https://youtu.be/PwWXws_q3Hk

Thank you for virtually practicing with me, yogis! #namaste #WomenOfEaster #zipaDeeBee