BLOG September 28 2018
This may seem impossibly simplistic and idealistic. This may not always be an option. This may be something for only the privileged few. I know that’s how I felt. For most of my life I have had to do what I had to do and didn’t have the luxury of reflecting on what I loved or even what I needed.
I needed to pay the bills
I needed to eat
I needed to survive
I’m not sure if it’s generational, cultural or a result of my life circumstances but I am shifting into a more purposeful stage of my life. I am relentless and driven but resolved to pour myself solely into projects that uplift and serve. This past week I was reflecting on why I still teach yoga to kids. I have had to decline so many work related offers lately but this is one of the commitments I am determined to maintain.
Why? Yoga has inherent value and so many benefits but, I love it because when I teach yoga I get to remind my students that they are seen… like really seen for who they are. Not how they look or what they wear or for their performance in sports or academics but for their being… dare I say for their soul! This is something that I believe we all long for. We long to be seen and to feel connected. In class, I don’t articulate this using formal or religious language but it’s something we experience… together. Through music, listening, stillness, movement, play, yoga poses, breath practices and meditation. We experience the holistic, beneficial, profound and uplifting benefits of yoga in community.
I am drawn to people and places where being seen and feeling connected (to self, community and source) are paramount.
Working on the “The Butterfly Trap” book filled me with a deep sense of connection that I can hardly put into words. Developing the main character, Luki, expressing her journey through language and images, capturing the essence of the story in this way was a transcendent experience.
I asked Kuki how she felt about this. I mean, I am confident that she agrees because we both gush at the end of the day sharing how much we each love and are thriving at our respective jobs. But I asked her to say what it is she loves and why…
She told me that she loves teaching kindergarten because she gets to give back the most beautiful gift that her late grandmother gave to her: unconditional love! Being a part of the lives of children as they navigate the world independently for the first time fills her with indescribable joy. “I have my finger on the pulse of their lives” She believes that modelling kindness and fairness will have a profound impact and help her students to enhance their capacity to be decent human beings.“I have always wanted to be an artist. I have had this dream for as long as I can remember. I pursued Fine Arts even before Education so co creating The Butterfly Trap and starting DragonBunny Books feels like a dream is coming true!”
“I have always wanted to be an artist. I have had this dream for as long as I can remember. I pursued Fine Arts even before Education so co creating The Butterfly Trap and starting DragonBunny Books feels like a dream is coming true!
”
I believe that doing what you love means that you are aligned with your higher purpose and this is something to encourage and nurture in ourselves and each other. But I also appreciate what might hold us back from doing this. My hope is that we can stop and take a look at aspects of our lives that flow, where there is both ease and challenge, find the sweet spot and pour ourselves into those areas and watch them multiply!