Little did I know that turning 36 would be such a turning point in my life. On Feb. 26th, 2010 at 11.44am our baby Emma Cecilia was born. Only 11 days after her birth came the sudden death of my father caused by a stroke at the age of 74.
My 36th birthday was preceded by the birth of my daughter and followed closely by the passing of my father. Life and death: the 2 mysteries of life happened within a short period of time, one bringing me enormous joy, the other producing grief and a great sense of loss.
Now that Emma is 6 weeks old, those first 2 weeks of her life seem like a blur. I remember she cried a lot which only made things more difficult. I remember I cried a lot, thinking about how my dad would have loved to hold her in his strong hands, the same hands I loved holding as a child.
How does any of this relate to yoga?
Well, yoga teaches us to remain present. By taking deep breaths during the hardest moments, I reminded myself that I needed to continue nursing and nurturing this new life the Universe had placed in my hands.
Yoga teaches us to be accepting of whatever life throws at us. I made an effort to console myself by accepting the natural cycle of life: one life ending and a new one just beginning.
Yoga teaches us that all beings are connected through the breath. In some mysterious way my father's breath gave life to me and I gave life to my daughter. The connection between the two will be present forever.
