Vivarium

Some people collect dirt from significant places.

Or spoonfuls of cloudy ocean inside jars.

Like amateur naturalists, they keep

these treasures permanently on a shelf.

Of course an amateur is simply a person

who loves, who brings love to bear

on a particular subject.

Returning from one trip I failed to bring back

a jar of anything. I stood outside my house

where white stitches of snow were dissolving

into the ground beneath the evergreens.

An unset moon floated over the trees.

If I stand very still, I do no further harm.

I am a tiny theater of non-harming. My breath

watches raptly. Sees how everything is still alive.

By Jenny George from her book After Image (Copper Canyon, 2024)

Being that person who has rows and rows and rows of shells on shelves, the opening of this poem hooked me.

But it's the definition of amateur that so moved me:

Simply being a person who loves...something

That you bring it to bear...on a subject over and over

While not hurting anything...joy derived personally instead of at someone else's expense

That's the definition of what we do in aqua yoga.

We practice over, and over, and over, searching for the love and joy because, like the poet, we often make mistakes.

And maybe no one told us trinkets would make things easier, or that we'd feel lost, or forget to breathe because we're all amateurs at this practice of life.

Nietzsche, who most would hardly describe as a fount of positivity, said

We're all traveling this journey of life with no maps or guidebooks, and sometimes the trees forget to remind us who we are.

So we have to show up fresh each day and try again.

Last Certifications

As aqua yoga teachers, we help others find joy in their bodies and lives with movement in the water.

I'm taking a break from the certifications next year. If you want to become a leader in aqua yoga, this is the year to do it. There are two more opportunities:

Water Science

I'm a geek for water science. THIS was an interesting article about the barrier created between salt and fresh water for some of the smallest aqua yogis.

Good Things

• If you need a funny movie this weekend, watch THIS.
• I'm sharing poetry because I'm also an award-winning poet in my personal life. You can read my poetry HERE.
• My popular FB videos:
• Three aqua yoga perspectives on Triangle pose​
• Three balance tips​

Wishing you joy and love in your practice this week,

If you were forwarded this email, you can get your own HERE.