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My son Matthew took the picture above on a hike in Salt Lake City where he lives and goes to college. My four children are my biggest and best teachers. I feel connected to something greater than myself in nature. I venture to the woods often. The picture to the right is not me, but my friend. We were paddleboarding on the Gulph River on a glorious day. My friend came into wheel pose. The moment was so inspiring with the sun, the water, and her heart wide open. I was awed. The last 2 pictures were taken by my youngest daughter, Liv. We were visiting my dad in a long term rehab center after being diagnosed with ALS. My daughter and my two sons came with me and we stayed the night. Before visiting him the next day we hiked Mt. Greylock in the Berkshires near where my dad was staying. It was such a beautiful day. The fresh air cleared our minds. We felt the sensations of the sun, earth, and air. I was touched that my children were with me and that feeling lifted me to higher ground and gave me hope that everything would be okay. The last picture was a trip we took to Sedona, AZ. We experienced so many moments of shear natural beauty. So grateful!
These pictures reveal a lot about me and what nature, serving others, close relationships and yoga offer to me. I found yoga from a broken place. Physically my body had taken a beating after giving birth and caring for 4 children fairly close together. My physical therapist recommended yoga for my lower back and sciatic pain. It was not a quick fixed, but as I began to learn from the teachings of yoga, transformation takes patience, effort and consistency. I love that yoga is a practice. I am continually learning and evolving. When I falter and fall I begin again. This practice has connected me to the most beautiful people in my life. It reminds me everyday that suffering is inevitable and not in a dark, gloomy way, just as the truth. Happiness is hard work. Acceptance of this hard work keeps us on the right path. Yoga helps to create a container to hold both the heartache and the joy. Life is a continuous flow with peaks and valleys. I'm along for the ride. Yoga brings me home and makes me feel connected to something greater than myself. I don't know what I would do without my practice:) I hope our paths cross soon. In light and love, Jen |
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