Dear Friends,

I am writing today to tell you why I was inspired to provide a gift of financial support to Christians Practicing Yoga, in honor of my parents and grandparents. If you have a passion for CPY and are inspired (in-spire: led by the Holy Spirit) to offer a gift, I hope you will donate.

For generations, my dad's family has valued honest work, community service, living their faith's teachings and education.  We lived in a small farming and fishing hamlet on the northeast US coast where we had to rely on each other.   The higher education part wasn't necessarily required, but my grandparents both went to college in the time when it was a 'leg up' to do so and they applied its gifts - that is until marriage.  

In the early 1900's a woman was legally forced to quit working once married, so to fulfill her dream to be a teacher, grandma Hazel persevered to get her degree and waited to marry until her 3rd decade.  My grandpa James was handsome, well-educated, honest and trustworthy. I guess she figured he was worth it.  A Cornell graduate, grandpa ran the farm with his dad and taught my dad and uncle, both of whom also attended college.  In later years, Grandpa served on state level boards that supported farming in New York and the surrounding region. He was even the first chairman of AGWAY.  My grandmother Hazel was so loved that my dad and my cousin both wrote books about her.

My parents lived by a similar standard.  It wasn't all happy -- we had our share of dysfunction -- but I learned to trust in community, to value education, to work hard, explore my faith, and I learned to give. 

Like my family, CPY also encourages exploring a faith-based, Christ-centered life and honors the value of education. I am choosing to give a financial gift to support our tiny non-profit, in honor of my parents and paternal grandparents.

We at CPY are a unique group. Some of us are study geeks, some charismatics, some contemplatives.  We aim for unity among diversity.  What we have in common is a love for Christ and a love for yoga as a set of practices and philosophy. Both help us in our faith walk with Jesus.  We have to hold the tension skillfully as Molly, our executive director, writes in her essay: “There are not a whole lot of people willing or even interested in sitting in the midst of all these tensions.” But I am!  I am guessing you are too.

CPY is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and almost completely volunteer run. Your support will pay for the technology that allows this community to exist and thrive across time zones. Your support allows us to price retreats and classes to be affordable by all through scholarships and/or sliding scale pricing. Your support allow us to pay our part-time Managing Director, a PhD student at Georgetown, an hourly wage commensurate with her knowledge and passion for CPY. Without donations, CPY would not exist. 

If you have a passion for CPY and are inspired to offer a gift or have experience with fundraising for our unique community, please donate.

We envision a time when, through the deep transformative power of Christ, Christians practicing yoga and contemplative prayer make a significant contribution to healing the divides in our lives and in our world.