Ilona Goanos, Savira Gupta: First, I LOVE the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the Chandogya Upanishad, the Bhagavad-Gita, the teachings of Shankara-charya (Advaita).
NOT SECOND: "Children are our greatest teachers. They haven’t yet learned to live anywhere but here, now. When my granddaughter laughs, she laughs with her whole body. When she discovers something new—a leaf, a shadow, the feeling of water on her hands—she is completely absorbed. There is no past, no future, only this miraculous present moment."
This is the spirit of the artist, Vincent van Gogh or Georges Seurat, depicted so truly and vividly by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, "Summer in the Park with Georges". SEE:
Armand Congratulations on the new born. It is a joy to be part of their lives. I agree with IIona. Art and wisdom definitely go hand in hand. There so much that we adults can learn from children if only we opened ourselves to that.
Armando, what a beautiful connection you've drawn between the wisdom traditions and the artist's eye. They both seek that same quality of complete presence and absorption that children embody so naturally. What cosmic timing—another little teacher arriving right at the new year. Savira will love knowing her piece resonated with someone who knows these texts so deeply. Thank you for the Seurat link—I'm going to sit with that alongside this essay. 💙
My favorite line: "I can show up, offer my love, share my wisdom when asked, and then release any attachment to how things unfold." As a practitioner and giver of yoga, I personally have been working on non-attachment. It is hard to do but also can be very freeing. Thank you Ilona and Savira for your work.
Yes!!! That tension between hard and freeing is exactly it, isn't it? Non-attachment sounds so peaceful in theory, but in practice it asks everything of us. And yet when we can actually do it, even for a moment, there's such relief. I'm glad this piece met you where you are in your own practice.
As a brand new grandma, this was perfection: “feel everything, cling to nothing. Love deeply, hold lightly. Show up fully, then let go.” As my one and only granddaughter, my inclination is to hold tightly and not let go but how much more freeing it is to be present and love deeply and then let go. Watching my son and daughter-in-law navigate parenthood has been a blessing. Much gratitude ♥️
Jan, that tension you describe—the impulse to hold tight versus the freedom of holding lightly—is so real. And watching our children step into parenthood with their own wisdom and instincts? Such a gift. I'm glad Savira's words met you right where you are. ♥️
Congratulations Jan... enjoy every moment with your granddaughter. That tension is real and will take time to soften.It has been interesting to observe my son and daughter in law navigate parenthood.. and to see little hints of myself in the way he parents.
Loved this. This morning this was the first email I opened. Slightly disappointed it wasn't you Ilona but immediately flowed into the perfection of the piece, for this time for me, even though I'm not a mother or grandmother. The whole time I was reading it, I was thinking how many people I need to pass this on to. The yoga teacher in Maryland who took me under her wing in the early 80s. The local friend, a July born Cancer friend, who just yesterday talked in other words about 'feeling without clinging,' she who is about to become a great grandmother. And myself, with my 82 year old lover, with whom I've had the joy of true fascination with the deepest of connection without the outside trappings showing that connection, and how the secret of being free to explore and the true gift of holding lightly simultaneously can flow, if we let it. Thank you Ilona, and thank you Savira. Beautifully shared and it will live on inside of me.
Lisa, this is so beautiful. I love that you saw immediately how this piece reaches far beyond grandparenting into every relationship where we're learning to love fully while holding lightly. Your 82-year-old lover, your Cancer friend discovering this wisdom before great-grandmotherhood, your yoga teacher from the early 80s...everybody is navigating this same territory of presence and freedom. And yes, please do pass it along. Savira's words deserve to travel to everyone who needs them. Thank you for being here, and for seeing so deeply into what she's offering. 💙
Appreciate your kind words and the trust you placed in reading my story. I hope to feel as deeply as you without the outside trappings when I get older.
I never wanted marriage or children. I saw that my mother was not happy even though she claimed she was. I knew this at 5 or 8. I made up my mind then, I didn't want to follow her path. I didn't. Now, I know, I was the only female in my direct family line for the last 150 years at least who chose freedom of choice, evolution, and expression instead of just doing what was expected of a "woman." I'm 66. I've had a cancer for 16 years, which was a wake up call, not the beginning of the end. Waking up to how much I was still letting others stress me out and how stress causes 95% of our illness and dis-ease. That which is within, stimulated by what Spirit delivers in the moment, is a momentary awakening in each and every moment. A rebirth, constantly happening! Yet women, so busy taking care of everything the men want us to handle, taking care of our elderly and youth, when having 16 minutes for themselves, are often too stressed to even begin to know what they need for themselves. YET, it is women that can truly lead the healing, the knowing, the delegating... not as the mule of burden but as the sun and moon that make up each day and night.
That line hit me too, Niki. There's something so profound about recognizing we've stepped into the role our own parents once lived and suddenly understanding their hearts in a whole new way.
Honestly it was the passing away of both my parents that immediately led me to stand on the other side... it was a traumatic experience but a very spiritual one... maybe one day I will be able to put that experience into words.
There is so much here that is highly relevant to me personally. I appreciate the coincidence and the truth. The mat is the place for calming, centering, and meditative yoga practice. Beautifully written.
Cindy, I'm so glad this landed with you at just the right moment. Those coincidences—when the exact words we need appear exactly when we need them—always feel like a little gift, don't they? ❤️
Am humbled by your kind words.. truly am. I wrote this piece for my granddaughter and her parents with the thought that one day they will find themselves on this path.
Ilona Goanos, Savira Gupta: First, I LOVE the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the Chandogya Upanishad, the Bhagavad-Gita, the teachings of Shankara-charya (Advaita).
NOT SECOND: "Children are our greatest teachers. They haven’t yet learned to live anywhere but here, now. When my granddaughter laughs, she laughs with her whole body. When she discovers something new—a leaf, a shadow, the feeling of water on her hands—she is completely absorbed. There is no past, no future, only this miraculous present moment."
This is the spirit of the artist, Vincent van Gogh or Georges Seurat, depicted so truly and vividly by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, "Summer in the Park with Georges". SEE:
https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/sunday-la-grande-jatte-georges-seurat/
Children start life with the real spirituality which they teach us and which the best of us try to recapture.
As of January First, my youngest grandchild was 14.
As of the next day, Nancy and I were blessed with a beautiful newborn.
A child is the best gift of all.
A child is exactly perfect in the way Mother Nature makes her or him.
A child brings so much wonder, beauty, joy.
Armand Congratulations on the new born. It is a joy to be part of their lives. I agree with IIona. Art and wisdom definitely go hand in hand. There so much that we adults can learn from children if only we opened ourselves to that.
Armando, what a beautiful connection you've drawn between the wisdom traditions and the artist's eye. They both seek that same quality of complete presence and absorption that children embody so naturally. What cosmic timing—another little teacher arriving right at the new year. Savira will love knowing her piece resonated with someone who knows these texts so deeply. Thank you for the Seurat link—I'm going to sit with that alongside this essay. 💙
My favorite line: "I can show up, offer my love, share my wisdom when asked, and then release any attachment to how things unfold." As a practitioner and giver of yoga, I personally have been working on non-attachment. It is hard to do but also can be very freeing. Thank you Ilona and Savira for your work.
Marlo I watched and learnt from my parents. It did not come easy but the moment I noticed and felt that sense of space or comfort.. it was freeing.
Yes!!! That tension between hard and freeing is exactly it, isn't it? Non-attachment sounds so peaceful in theory, but in practice it asks everything of us. And yet when we can actually do it, even for a moment, there's such relief. I'm glad this piece met you where you are in your own practice.
Great piece, very insightful, bravo!
Thank You for taking the time to read.
Thank you!
As a brand new grandma, this was perfection: “feel everything, cling to nothing. Love deeply, hold lightly. Show up fully, then let go.” As my one and only granddaughter, my inclination is to hold tightly and not let go but how much more freeing it is to be present and love deeply and then let go. Watching my son and daughter-in-law navigate parenthood has been a blessing. Much gratitude ♥️
Jan, that tension you describe—the impulse to hold tight versus the freedom of holding lightly—is so real. And watching our children step into parenthood with their own wisdom and instincts? Such a gift. I'm glad Savira's words met you right where you are. ♥️
Congratulations Jan... enjoy every moment with your granddaughter. That tension is real and will take time to soften.It has been interesting to observe my son and daughter in law navigate parenthood.. and to see little hints of myself in the way he parents.
Loved this. This morning this was the first email I opened. Slightly disappointed it wasn't you Ilona but immediately flowed into the perfection of the piece, for this time for me, even though I'm not a mother or grandmother. The whole time I was reading it, I was thinking how many people I need to pass this on to. The yoga teacher in Maryland who took me under her wing in the early 80s. The local friend, a July born Cancer friend, who just yesterday talked in other words about 'feeling without clinging,' she who is about to become a great grandmother. And myself, with my 82 year old lover, with whom I've had the joy of true fascination with the deepest of connection without the outside trappings showing that connection, and how the secret of being free to explore and the true gift of holding lightly simultaneously can flow, if we let it. Thank you Ilona, and thank you Savira. Beautifully shared and it will live on inside of me.
Lisa, this is so beautiful. I love that you saw immediately how this piece reaches far beyond grandparenting into every relationship where we're learning to love fully while holding lightly. Your 82-year-old lover, your Cancer friend discovering this wisdom before great-grandmotherhood, your yoga teacher from the early 80s...everybody is navigating this same territory of presence and freedom. And yes, please do pass it along. Savira's words deserve to travel to everyone who needs them. Thank you for being here, and for seeing so deeply into what she's offering. 💙
Appreciate your kind words and the trust you placed in reading my story. I hope to feel as deeply as you without the outside trappings when I get older.
I never wanted marriage or children. I saw that my mother was not happy even though she claimed she was. I knew this at 5 or 8. I made up my mind then, I didn't want to follow her path. I didn't. Now, I know, I was the only female in my direct family line for the last 150 years at least who chose freedom of choice, evolution, and expression instead of just doing what was expected of a "woman." I'm 66. I've had a cancer for 16 years, which was a wake up call, not the beginning of the end. Waking up to how much I was still letting others stress me out and how stress causes 95% of our illness and dis-ease. That which is within, stimulated by what Spirit delivers in the moment, is a momentary awakening in each and every moment. A rebirth, constantly happening! Yet women, so busy taking care of everything the men want us to handle, taking care of our elderly and youth, when having 16 minutes for themselves, are often too stressed to even begin to know what they need for themselves. YET, it is women that can truly lead the healing, the knowing, the delegating... not as the mule of burden but as the sun and moon that make up each day and night.
Appreciate the share very much... and yes I do believe that women can be great leaders and delegating comes easily to us.
Amen / Awomen / Aho!
So many beautiful take aways, including, “And now I stand on the other side of that story…”
That line hit me too, Niki. There's something so profound about recognizing we've stepped into the role our own parents once lived and suddenly understanding their hearts in a whole new way.
Honestly it was the passing away of both my parents that immediately led me to stand on the other side... it was a traumatic experience but a very spiritual one... maybe one day I will be able to put that experience into words.
There is so much here that is highly relevant to me personally. I appreciate the coincidence and the truth. The mat is the place for calming, centering, and meditative yoga practice. Beautifully written.
Am so glad this piece came to you at the right time. Thank You for taking the time in reading it and for you kind comment.
Cindy, I'm so glad this landed with you at just the right moment. Those coincidences—when the exact words we need appear exactly when we need them—always feel like a little gift, don't they? ❤️
Exquisitely expressed, lovingly received and embraced with utter reverence❣️ Thanx so much for sharing these words and feelings. 🧚🏻♀️
Am humbled by your kind words.. truly am. I wrote this piece for my granddaughter and her parents with the thought that one day they will find themselves on this path.
Corri, what a beautiful way to describe receiving this piece—with reverence. That's exactly the spirit Savira wrote it in.
Beautiful and I love the applications of yoga to daily life experiences. I too experience the blessings of being a grandmother 💜🙏🏼