More Love

Nine Mays ago, I became a mother. Isla Luce was born on the first day the sun peeked through three solid weeks of rain. True to her arrival and her name, she became the light of our lives. The mother love I felt--nurtured through the longest days of postpartum and sweetest moments of connection--opened me to a whole new way of being in the world in which my heart beat to two distinct rhythms. 
While pregnant with our second child three years later, I wondered, worried even, how I would manage not only to care for another being, but to love another child as much. And of course, when Maverick launched into the world, he earned his own special rhythm and territory in my heart. It comes with protective gear and quick reflexes. 
As much as it sounds like it, this is not some sappy love story about how much I love my kids. I do. And they also drive me insane no less than seven times a day. Hence the daily yoga practice and LOTS of deep exhales. 
What this is about is how I learned that our capacity to love is much greater than we may think it is. Becoming a mother not once, but twice, has given me a zillion gray hairs and the faith that my heart will expand to embrace all kinds of loves. 
When we were first falling in love, my husband and I would say to each other, "One." As in, one love. Two decades and two kids later (let's not forget the dog), it's pretty clear that there are many loves. And that there are many ways to love. And part of our journey is discovering and evolving how we love. 
Amidst all this living and loving, really at the center of it, is the most epic love story of all: our own. Which, of course, is the blueprint for ALL of our other love stories. Loving ourselves well teaches us to love others. And I would contend that loving others is good practice for loving ourselves. Until I became a mother, I'd never considered self-love as anything more than a concept. And then, it became a survival skill. 
Now, it's emerging as a mission for myself and as my work in the world to support others in living and loving well. This month, you'll notice we're expanding our offerings, especially "off the mat." Like our hearts, Mytree embraces new ways of practicing the principles of maitri. Because treating ourselves with unconditional friendliness and lovingkindness supports us to do the same with others, thus increasing our capacity for love. 
In this way, like a pebble dropped in a lake, may the ripple effect of your explorations of the many ways to live yoga and love life bring blessings and benefits to your Beloveds and well beyond.  ​