full circle moments: slim goodbody, yoga journal and family ties that bind

This week, I'm spending time with my husband's family at their beautiful lake house near Camden, Maine. We're surrounded by leafy green trees, the air is crisp and the energy is peaceful and grounding. Just like the cool New England soil under our toes, this time with my in-laws has been incredibly grounding as it reminds me that "full circle moments" happen for a reason. One person that's had a huge indirect impact on me becoming a yoga teacher would be my father-in-law. Growing up as a young actor and artist in New York City in the 1960's and '70s , he found yoga as the perfect tool to help tone his body and also center his extremely creative and sometimes-scattered artist mind as he developed the children's character Slim Goodbody.

So much so that Yoga Journal magazine issued a 3 page article on him in December 1982 entitled, "Super Yogi". Here are some of my favorite excerpts from the spread:

[you can read the full article here]

"Yoga taught me that my body was sacred and special, and it was up to me to be a good guardian of it." 

"Through my songs and skits, I basically try to show kids how your body is full of wonders and what makes you wonderful. Once you have an awareness of how terrific you are, then naturally your attitude begins to change.  You realize that you deserve the best life has to offer, and that health is not a sacrifice, and can make you happy.

"Do yoga. If you're involved with yoga, you're probably already in touch with the child within you. Who else would sit in those crazy positions?!"

 
"Certainly Hatha Yoga can get your body in shape and your mind to stop dancing around. But another beautiful thing about it is that it can lead you back to your original mind."

Chatting with him yesterday about being featured in Yoga Journal magazine in 1982 as a great moment in his 4 decade long career in children's health and entertainment reminded me of being asked to teach at Yoga Journal Conference in San Diego in the summer of 2012. That weekend conference is still (and probably will always be) one of my favorite moments in my yoga teaching career that's spanned only 4 years thus far.

This full circle moment with my father-in-law makes me wonder what my life will look like 40 years from now. What will some of the highlights be? What positive contributions will I have left on this world? All of this gives me fuel to make the most of each day we're given, and to always leave things better than when you found them, just like he did.

slim & mandy taking an iyengar yoga class in Camden, Maine - july 2014.