For the Children of the Earth and Sky

As I sit here listening to my sweet boy play with the other kids in this kid-play-zone, I hear him say things like "I'm on my way to Mexico because I have an important appointment" and "it's lunchtime now so I am going to go catch some fish" and "I'll be Eagle Boy and you can be the princes."

His imagination is magnificent. His world is constantly filled with games and joy and make-believe adventures. I am reminded of a time long ago when I also lived almost entirely in the world of imagination, and my thoughts turn to reflect upon the question 'at what stage in our development does life get so serious?'

There is so much felicity and lightness in the world of imagination, and I have a feeling that if more of us were able to hold onto this gift for a little longer, the world would be a much more interesting and magical place, where all the endless possibilities would be easily seen, and no one would feel stuck, or powerless, or easily defeated. 

I feel blessed to have this special time where I can laugh and play in Jediah's sacred imaginary land, and I'm encouraged by this idea that there is a way we can retrieve the freedom found in the power of imagination and the creative force that accompanies it.   I look to those who walk amongst us that are intensely connected to this realm: the artists, actors, dancers, storytellers, writers, inventors, physicists, philosophers, and dreamers.  I think we can find further inspiration from them.


I'm sure we will discover that there is a lot to learn from connecting to our creativity in whatever form it shows up in, and I believe there is a strong possibility that our future survival will depend on these discoveries.

I hope that collectively we will continue to encourage and nurture this gift of imagination in our children, as well as in each other, for we are all children of the earth and sky, and we belong to one another.


Imagination is more important than knowledge. 
For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand,
Imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.
~ Albert Einstein ~ 

An Unexpected Joy

After becoming a mother I experienced some significant changes in the way I conceived what a daily ashtanga yoga practice looked like.  In the years before, I had been relatively uncompromising in my approach to practice, and even during my pregnancy I was able to continue doing something that resembled my regular practice fairly closely, which at the time included asana, pranayama and meditation.  Although my asana practice changed considerably over the nine month period, I was still able to carve out a large portion of my morning and fully devote it to a time of personal practice, and pretty much whatever else I wanted to do.  After having our son Jediah, I learned very quickly that my time was no longer my own.

If you do not have children, or if you have never been in the position of having all the responsibility of taking care of a small helpless infant for the first time, then it is easy to underestimate the amount of energy and full-time one-pointed focus that goes into caring for a baby.  All of your heart, soul, body and mind is being drawn out by this tiny being, and there is not a lot of room for anything or anyone else (at least that was my experience).  I honestly felt that I had no time that was my own, and the brief periods I did find, felt like stolen moments, fleeting and unpredictable.  I would try to fit in some kind of semblance of a "regular practice" when Jediah was sleeping, but mostly it turned into a time of much needed rest for my sleep-deprived self. 

Although there were many times during that first year where I found myself frustrated with not being able to practice yoga in the manner I was used to, once I let go and surrendered to what was, rather then trying to force things into the way I wanted them to be, a whole new world opened up.  

Through the experience of motherhood, I was forced to look at my life with new eyes.  I began to see my practice of yoga expanding and reaching out beyond just the practice of asana, pranayama or meditation.  

To my own surprise, part of my yoga practice became singing devotional songs (bhajans) to my baby boy, and this included japa, the regular recitation of a mantra, through hours of crying and sleepless nights.  My new found practice involved embracing my role as a mother in the form of unconditional love, not only directed to my son, but also opening up to include each person I would meet; seeing the beautiful child residing within them, and their need to be seen, accepted, and loved.  For me, yoga became an immediate call to be fully present, whether I was making a meal, washing dishes, or changing diapers.  I practiced surya-namaskara whenever I saw the sun, and the deepest sense of gratitude and devotion would wash over me as I gave thanks for its warmth, for nature, for my precious child, and this beautiful gift of life. 

Don’t get me wrong, I completely still love my daily asana and pranayama practice, and I am so grateful to again have the time and space where I can make them a focused priority in my day once again.

However, I am also so grateful for this gift of motherhood that opened my eyes and my heart in a completely new and unexpected way.  

Even though it is probably the most challenging role of my life, it not only gave me a wondrous, magical little boy, who fills my world with awe and amazement, but it opened my mind to experiencing a greater depth within my own practice of yoga, and allowed me to see more clearly how it ought to be practiced and incorporated into everything I do, in many different ways, and I will be eternally grateful for that.    

Hari Om Tat Sat

Eagle Boy

Some of you know our son Jediah Om, so you will know I'm not exaggerating (like all good mother's should) when I say that he is a magical magician, and one of the most imaginative and creative people I have ever met.  If he meets you and connects with you, he will not stop talking or telling you stories.  Your will be introduced to a new world that is both a wonderful and wacky place of bizarre and lovely possibilities mixed with interesting "facts" that you never knew existed.

While we were in Mysore India last year, he renamed himself "Eagle Boy".  This is something he came up with all on his own, and completely out of the blue.  We thought it would be just for a day, or a week, or maybe a month; however, the legacy of "Eagle Boy" continues on, and he reminds us of his true identity whenever we forget (which pretty much happens on a daily basis).  He is quite admit that he is NOT "Superman" nor "Superboy" or any typical Super Hero at all, but he is Eagle Boy!

So I decided to do a little research into what the eagle represents, and I found that the eagle has been revered in every culture pretty much from the beginning of time.  It has a bright and deeply spiritual message to share.  The eagle symbolizes the Great Spirit.  It is thought to be the king of the skies and a messenger to the gods.  It has been honoured throughout the ages as an embodiment of penetrating discernment, courage, strength, higher wisdom, knowledge of magic, and immortality.

It represents our fundamental connection to the Divine, an ability to see hidden spiritual truths and rise above the material world to merge with the Eye of the Sun, the essence of all life, freedom, and creation.

All I can say is Wow!  When you hear that your child will be your greatest teacher, you don't expect it to appear before you so literally!  

Obviously my interest in eagles has increased quite significantly since my own little Eagle Boy manifested right before my eyes.   Recently I have become more inspired by this apparition, and have been finding new ways to harness my own inner Eagle Girl power.   

Come to think of it, I believe there is something we can all learn from immersing ourselves more deeply in the essence of our natural world, and meditating on how to embody its energy with conscious awareness in our lives.  Mother Nature is filled with metaphors and powerful examples to motivate us to discover our inner strengths, expand our vision, and find victory in our individual Soul Quest as we walk along this path together.  

Is this not what the practice of Yoga is really all about?  
To move us back towards a more natural state of being, returning us to ourselves, and in doing so, creating more harmony between ourselves and the entire planet.

So, I encourage to you to get outside today, breathe deep, and awaken that Ancient Timeless Child that resides within.  

Go find the secret key, hidden away just for you, inside the vast expansiveness that surrounds, and unlock your purpose for being born here on this earth, at this precise time.  Now is the moment where we must reach for the sky, soar like an eagle, and start living a life more intimately aligned with the Great Spirit.  

"But those who trust in the LORD will find renewed strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."  

Isaiah 40:31