I’ve always been a spiritual seeker, longing for the peace and wholeness that I sensed was both within and around me and yet somehow seemed just beyond my grasp. In 1993, just after my first son Brendan was born, I was stretching at the end of an ordinary fitness class when I felt an indescribable sense of connectedness between my body, my mind and my breath. In the stillness of that moment, the word “yoga” was imprinted on my mind, and somehow felt in every cell of my body.
So began my journey with yoga, not just as a way to keep my body supple and healthy, but more as a spiritual practice that can awaken and transform us at the very core of our being. For over 30 years, this practice of yoga has seen me through the inevitable ups and downs of life: the hectic years of raising two busy boys from babes in arms to young adults, the hospitalization and healing of my youngest son Andrew, moves around the country, the inevitable aging and death of both my parents and my husbands parents, and all the small moments of both love and loss in between.
For more of Vickie’s writing and her new spiritual memoir, A Lotus on Fire, see her writing website: http://www.vickiemacarthur.com
True teachers always point us back to the wholeness and love that’s already there. Many teachers have done that for me and I try to do the same for my students, whether helping them find ease in their body in yoga postures, deep relaxation in Yoga Nidra, or simply connecting to breath. To me the practice of yoga is about making space, space in our bodies, space in our minds, space in our lives to notice what we’re usually too busy to notice, so we can connect to our own wisdom, our own inner teacher.
As both a yoga teacher and an ordained lay minister in the Community of Christ, I feel a calling to build bridges of understanding between people of all faiths, and to create communities that can move beyond the walls of traditional religion to a place of understanding and oneness.
I am also trained as a Spiritual Companion through Pacific Jubilee.
to accompany people on their spiritual journey, listening to your life story, as you make meaning and connect to the thread of Spirit running through your life.
“When I began yoga over 20 years ago, I had no idea that it would become my lifelong journey and calling. My yoga and meditation practice allows me to respond from a much calmer and centered space (most of the time!). Yoga has taught me to be present and to value the wisdom of the body and the many lessons it holds. As my practice has deepened, so has my awareness of the sacredness of everyday life. My practice has expanded to include so much more than just getting on my mat: a walk in the coulees, a beautiful sunset, watching my sons grow up. It is a journey that never ends. As I continue to bring a childlike sense of curiosity to both my yoga practice and life, it becomes wisdom in action, spirit in motion!”
With gratitude to the many incredible teachers who have inspired me on my path, to Thich Nhat Hanh for awakening my heart, to my husband and life partner (Doug) who teaches me what true love and acceptance is, and to my “skateboarder” sons, Brendan and Andrew who teach me how to “really live in the moment”.
Peace and light to all,
Vickie
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