Namaste

Through my volunteer work with Pet Haven I've been blessed to meet so many wonderful people. One of them is a very talented artist Cindy whom I have commissioned to create personalized leash holders for my pups. Shortly after I moved into my new home and as I worked to create a space and a feeling of me, I found myself wanting to fill my home with art and photography .... the word 'Namaste' has meant so much to me for quite some time. Yoga Journal does a beautiful job describing the meaning of Namaste:

"The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you."

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.

We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra; when done with someone else, it is also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation."

So I asked Cindy if she could create a mosaic for me with the word 'Namaste.' I wanted it to hang above a doorway that is located in the middle of the main floor of my house. It is also the doorway that leads downstairs to my den and to the master bedroom. It is the doorway that connects all spaces in my home and for me also connects me to spirits in physical and non-physical form. It is a word that reminds me of the sacredness of life and our connectedness. It is a word that reminds me to come from a space of love, understanding and compassion. It is a word that reminds me of the Divine, present in each and every one of us.

And in my downstairs bathroom I asked Cindy if she could create a mosaic with the word 'Breathe'. My bathroom is blue and I have filled the space with dolphin energy. Dolphins have played a very significant and healing role in my life's journey. Karyn Kedar in her book 'Dance of the Dolphins' does a beautiful job articulating what I feel in my heart about these precious creatures ... "the dance of the dolphin, as it gracefully navigates water and air, tells me to find balance because life is a mystery of contradictions, worlds I know and those I don't, realities I can see and those I can only sense. We live with paradox and ambiguity. We live in our minds and in our souls. We live in our own world and in the world of all. And all the while we dance, sometimes with grace, and sometimes not...."

And when I was blessed last July to swim and be touched by wild dolphins in Bimini, Bahamas I watched them swim and breathe with such grace. It was mesmerizing. Often, I forget to take deep breaths ... to breathe from my belly. Breath is the source of life.

Thank you Cindy for creating these very personal art pieces for me .... If you'd like to check out a few other pieces of work that Cindy has created check out her blog. You can also reach her at ccaverin68@gmail.com.

Here are photos of the personalized dog leash holders she created for my "kids" ....