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You think you're doing all-right and then BAM, you topple over.
Balancing in life is the same as in yoga - you've got to stay focused to achieve your goals. Balance in life When you have balance in your life, you have enough time to do all of the things you want and need to do. You can balance your time between working, studying, and playing with friends. You can balance your studies between hobbies and school. You can balance any area of your life. You will know if you are on track with life-balance by how you feel. When you are doing the things you need and want to do, and maintaining good health and a happy disposition; you are balanced. If you are constantly sick, or feel stressed, tired, and cranky; take a look at what is out of balance and take steps to correct it. Balance in Yoga Yoga gives you insight to how you are balancing life, by how well you balance your body. If you cannot stop thinking about other things during a balance, then this is an indication that you are not focused in life. If you keep losing your balance, chances are you are losing balance in life. If you can stay focused and calm during a yoga balance, you are on your way to succeeding in this virtue in life. Improve your ability to remain focused in life by practising yoga balances. Assign yourself to maintaining focus, strength and calm. As you practice this in yoga, you will be able to transfer this detail into life. The yoga postures that support balance are; Dancer’s pose; Gum-Tree pose; Panda bear pose; Jabiru pose; Bird pose; Any pose that requires you to lift a supporting hand or foot from the ground will require focus, strength and balance. From Virtues with Yoga Bear by Monica Batiste 'I love you.' Not so hard, is it? When you love and accept yourself, just as you are; life just gets better and better. Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. High self-esteem is having positive beliefs and expectations about self. Low self-esteem is having negative and low expectations about self. A student’s self-talk is a strong indicator of self-esteem. For instance, ‘I can’t do this posture,’ usually means; ‘I don’t have faith in myself’. And ‘This is too hard,’ usually means ‘Life is hard and I am afraid to try’. Other indicators of self-esteem during yoga are pushing into postures because ‘I must achieve’. This means, ‘I will push myself into doing things I don’t want to do even if it hurts me’. As you notice the struggle, use this as your guide for improvement. Say things like ‘There is no right or wrong; there is no need to push; just relax and allow the posture (and life) to come to you. Let go and trust that you (and the world) will support you’. Self-esteem can be improved at any age by offering positive acknowledgment of virtues. Acknowledge peaceful and self-accepting moments to show children that life is easier if you can accept where you are in this moment. Use affirmations like ‘accept yourself right here and now’ and ‘I am where I am, and it’s ok’. By improving self-talk, self-esteem and communication improve. Yoga improves self-esteem by mirroring desired virtues. Warrior Poses reflect assertiveness. Child’s Pose reflects acceptance and humility (being humble). Lion Pose improves the ability to ‘speak up’. Dancer’s Pose improves grace and confidence. Virtues developed through the physical body become a part of the emotional body. All emotional experiences become part of the physical body and evolve its shape and posture. It is all interconnected. When you are true of purpose, in mind, body and spirit, you move with confidence and joy. When you open your heart to love, you experience freedom and spontaneity. Yoga improves emotional IQ by offering a space where body language reflects emotional language and by improving the body, the mind follows. Using yoga as the tool for personal transformation is a loving, healthy, peaceful and honourable way to improve self-esteem in yourself, your family, your community and the world. Loving the self leads to loving others Monica Batiste From my children's book Yoga for Little Bears  ‘Where does inspiration come from anyway?’ I asked.
‘It’s easy’ Shane said. ‘Just put two things together that you like.’ ‘Okay’ I answered. ‘I like yoga.’ Looking around the food court I added, ‘I like teddies, but how does that become an idea?’ ‘Well, put them together.’ ‘Okay. Yoga and teddies. OH I know! I can create a book on teddies doing yoga! What a great idea!’ ‘See’ he smiled, sipping his coffee, ‘an idea!’ I went home and created four paintings. But I didn’t know what to do next? So I shelved the paintings and worked on another book; ‘Simply Yoga,’ and my CD ‘Perfect Body.’ After two years they were complete and published. Not knowing what to do with Yoga Bear, I did what all artists do: I started working on another book. But Yoga Bear kept calling me. In 2012 I decided to complete it. I changed the size of the page to match ‘Simply Yoga’ and created new paintings. I didn’t know what the text would be, so began by describing ‘how to do’ the poses. On my birthday I jumped out of a plane with my friends hubby, Mac. I was so thrilled by the experience I painted Mac and I as yoga bears jumping out of a plane, and turned it into ‘parachute pose.’ This inspired an idea to create new poses. I added Koala pose and Fruit Bat pose and thought; ‘why not change the names of some of the poses?’ I changed cobra pose to 'taipan', tree pose for ‘icy pole’ and ‘gum tree’ pose, warrior three for 'seagull' and hand to toe for ‘panda bear’ pose. Just for fun! At Uni we were studying poetry: this inspired me to write some poems. While I waited for class, I wrote; ‘Banjo couldn’t scream or shout, Lion pose has helped him out.’ And for my parachute jump: ‘Moni and Mac went up in a plane, they tumbled out with a ‘chute. Moni and Mac sailed back to earth, it really was a hoot.’ Okay it wasn’t Shakespeare, but it was fun! That semester I had a mid term break and went to Germany to meet my brother. In Berlin I met the Berlin bears of friendship, who were created to bring nations together. I loved the idea, and added them to my book. I created a painting of bears, holding hands across the globe, and called it ‘friendship pose’, and wrote about the importance of friendship. In Germany I experienced some bullying. Although an adult, I felt like a child, and wondered, how do I cope? In pain, I stayed in my room for a few days and wrote about bullying and how to support the bullied child. It felt so important that I added it to Yoga for little Bears. After Germany I was depleted (loved meeting my brother, and lots of good times too) but full of triggers from childhood; coupled with some negative accusations, I fell over. I became depressed and exhausted. I worked in the morning teaching yoga, and spent the rest of the day in recovery. I had counselling to help me understand, kinesiology to realign energy, changed my diet and wrote about emotional intelligence. I added this text to Yoga for little Bears to support the bullied child, and help grow the bully to a softer place. I took 2013 off study to recover my physical and mental health. In the mix my newly found brother passed away, and the promise of our new relationship died too. 2013 became the year of recovery. I researched and wrote about the importance of mental and physical health to include in Yoga Bear. As the year drew to a close, my book was complete. I was stronger and the world looked brighter again. It's been four years since that sip of coffee, when Shane said, ‘Idea’s are easy.’ And he was right. Ideas are easy! It’s executing them that rely on determination and persistence. A truck pulled into my garage yesterday, and the driver wheeled in 2000 Yoga Bear books. I pulled out the first one and flicked through its pages. Wow. A book with my name on it. I imagined those books in homes and schools, and sent an intention to the universe that they would support children everywhere. It is because of my beautiful friends and family, with my hand in theirs, that I reached this dream. Thank you. I hope I can hold your hand and help you reach your dreams too. Love Monica Buy our Book  Arna Baartz from ‘The I AM program’ talked to our Simply Yoga group on Saturday about believing in magic and creating a fabulous life for yourself by not letting go of self-belief.
Arna, also an artist, creates arts connected emotional intelligence programs for children in schools and is making a difference. It got me thinking about Art in schools and why it’s a luxury rather than a necessity. Why is ‘art’ something we have to encourage in the curriculum. Why isn’t it revered with maths, science and all of the other 'important' subjects? Is art really just for starving hippies? I believe we can’t live successfully without art. Life without Art is life without beauty. Creativity is the seat of invention, change, divergent thinking and excitement. It is creativity that produces paintings, drawings, stories, books, music, songs, poetry, dance, resolutions, revolutions, new ideas, changes in governments and better ways of doing things. We cannot move forward in society without our divergent and creative thinking. Art and creative thinking needs to be encouraged. When I was 16, I just wanted to paint. But dad said I had to get a real job. ‘I know,’ I said. ‘I can become an art teacher, then I’ll be able to paint all day’ (optimism at its best). ‘That’s the best idea you’ve ever had’ said Dad. ‘Cause artists don’t make any money.’ Art college was not what I expected. ‘No realism’ said the teacher. ‘That’s old school. We want you to paint what you don’t see.’ ‘That’s too real’ said the teacher, taking my brush and dipping it in orange. ‘Why don’t you do this?’ I struggled with trying to please my teachers without giving up myself. One of my teachers said ‘you should never sell your art’ and I responded with ‘but one day I want to have a family and support them through my art’ he pointed at me with his authoritative finger and said ‘then you are a prostitute.’ To say I wanted to die was an understatement. I developed beliefs from these experiences like; · I wasn’t a real artist. · I wasn’t allowed to paint what I loved. · I wasn’t allowed to sell my art. · Art is not important. · I wasn’t good enough. I was lost. So I took on another career and created art ‘just for fun, just for friends.’ Most of the people around me echoed what society believed ‘artists don’t make money’ and ‘it’s too difficult.’ I never stopped drawing or painting but I did stop imagining I could do something wonderful. As my children grew I found myself standing at a cross-road. I wanted to write books and paint pictures and with growing self esteem decided: ‘why not? Why not me? Why can’t I be the one who does it?’ Although I had the ‘not good enough’s’ tapping on my shoulder, I decided to take the plunge. And I jumped. I quit my job. I took up my paint-brush, went to uni, and wrote stories. At least two friends believed in me. The rest said I was wasting my time. Aren’t I too old? Isn’t it too late? Shouldn’t you be focusing on your grandchildren? Are you even good enough?’ The criticism begun from my childhood had eaten away at my artistic self-esteem and it took a long time to return. Art was like an old friend that had been cast aside. I invited her back. I’m not the best artist in the world and I’m not the best writer. But I’m the only one that has my story to tell. I’m the only one with my characters in my stories that do the things I ask them to do. I have un-squashed my dreams and given them some air. I’m going to believe there is a place for me exactly as I am. I believe creativity can unlock potential and let people shine. It isn’t easy being who you want to be. But it’s harder than living someone else’s idea of what your life should look like. So today, do something towards the dream you’ve never revealed. Imagine it. Do it. Be it. Feel it. Take one step towards it. And never look back. Monica Batiste is a full time yoga teacher, author and artist. She lives on the beautiful bays of Brisbane with her husband Andreas. Between them they have four daughters, and ten grandchildren.  The Virtues Project was founded in Canada in 1991 by Linda Kavelin-Popov, Dr. Dan Popov and John Kavelin. It was honored by the United Nations during the International Year of the Family as a "model global program for families of all cultures".
Virtues are the building blocks of character. We all have every virtue; it’s just that some are more developed than others. For example, a thief might have under-developed honesty, but they may have lots of determination. Imagine a lawyer without detachment or a police officer without courage. You might think you lack some of the virtues, but you don’t. You were created with all of the virtues, only in different amounts. To grow virtues in yourself and others, acknowledge them and watch them develop. Virtues can be over-developed just as they can be under-developed. For instance, assertiveness is needed to live a productive life, but too much leads to aggression and not enough leads to being passive. It’s important to find the balance for each virtue. When I was a child, we were either ‘good,’ or ‘bad.’ When we did something that pleased the people around us, they said ‘good’; when we displeased them, we were ‘bad.’ Telling children they are good or bad doesn’t educate them to grow their character, it teaches them to please others. This approach can lower self-esteem because the child won’t understand their character; it is based on other people’s opinions and desires. It also teaches the child to label himself, if a child believes he is bad, he will live up (or down) to this. Why offer Virtues acknowledgment? Acknowledging virtues in others, no matter how small, will help people build a positive self-image, empowering them to live life with high values and positive expectations. It may also prevent them from ‘caving-in’ to peer pressure or unhealthy behaviour. Acknowledging virtues is an opportunity to strengthen a person’s positive self-image. Each time someone is acknowledged for ‘courtesy’ or ‘mindfulness’ or ‘determination’ or ‘generosity’, that person builds an internal image of who they are. It is important to acknowledge the virtues that are still growing. For example, if someone is usually outspoken and finds it difficult to wait, when you notice them wait for even a few moments, take that opportunity to point out that in that few moments, they were practising patience. ‘I saw your patience.’ Small moments grow. Children and adults thrive on acknowledgment and will live up to your expectations. At first it may only be a few seconds of demonstrating a virtue, but through acknowledgement, it will grow. Once a person recognises a virtue, they will be able to call on it when needed. How to offer virtues acknowledgment ‘Lisa, I want to acknowledge you for helping me with my class today. Thank you’. Jane, thank you for your gentleness this morning, I was feeling so tired and you helped me’. Donna, I appreciate how you listen to me without judgement. Thank you’. ‘Andrew I saw you help our friend without being asked. I appreciate your generosity’. It is important to use the person’s name and name the action that you saw. This helps children and adults understand what the virtue looks like, and how it is demonstrated. Acknowledging virtues with your self and your children could be the change that creates a brilliant life for you and your family. You can grow your self-esteem and, in turn, praise and support others. It’s never too late to grow your self-esteem and be the person you were born to be. You can learn to believe in yourself and others. You can acknowledge virtues in yourself, your partner, your friends, your parents, and the people around you. Every time you do, you make the world a better place. It is never too late to become the person you were born to be. You can acknowledge your virtues and believe in yourself from this moment. You can be loving, nurturing and kind to yourself from today and never stop. Your self-esteem will sprout immediately. There will be challenges, but you will discover your resilience and overcome each obstacle as it arises. With perseverance, you will learn newer and more exciting ways to help you live the life of your dreams. You can do it. Never give up. Thank you for your love and support in helping to grow self esteem and the positive self image of all people. Your actions make the world a better place. Monica Batiste  ‘You know you’re the lowest class in society?’ my friend said to me. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Well, you’re a female for a start,’ he shifted, ‘and the male is dominant.' ‘So?’ ‘And you’re a single mum. That puts you even lower.’ He chopped his hand through the air and placed the other hand below it to emphasise. ‘Plus your uneducated and poor’ he added, chop chop chop. ‘Not that uneducated,’ I replied sitting down. ‘I have certificates you know, and I've done five subjects of a degree.’ ‘Of a degree you never completed’, he raised his eyebrows. ‘So now you have a debt too. ‘And you rent’ he continued, looking around, ‘and look where you live? The poorest in society live here.’ I looked around me at the small rented house with its uncut grass and sighed. ‘I never knew.’ ‘Don’t worry’ he shrugged, eating a sandwich. ‘Here,’ he offered ‘want a bite?’ ‘No thanks.’ It had never occurred to me that I was oppressed, and now that I knew about it, I felt worse. Just like when I was nineteen and found out I was short. ‘You’re so short,’ said a friend. ‘I am?’ I could tell by the tone of her voice it wasn't a compliment. I looked across and saw her boyfriend ‘leave her alone,’ he said, ‘I like women that size.’ She took up all the room as she passed. So now I’m not only the lowest class in society, I’m also short. I met Andreas before the girls were teenagers and he liked me just as I was. ‘You don’t want me taller?’ I asked, ‘or skinnier or prettier?’ ‘I like you just as you are’ he said. My very own Mr. Darcy. So we got married and bought a middle class house in a middle class suburb and I looked around for a low paying job that would support my expectations. ‘Why don’t you go to university?’ my husband asked. ‘your always telling me you want to be a writer, and you got a pile of rejection slips from publishers, so why don’t you go?’ he handed me a form. My breathe tightened. Didn't he know? It wasn't the form; I've filled out a million of those from school and centrelink. It was the university. I would be betraying a long line of ancestors if I rose above my class. The Germans have a saying ‘grossen vans nicht’ (too big for your boots) and my mum often said ‘who do you think you are, the prima donna?’ reminding me to back down and quieten my voice. ‘I thought you were going to university?' My husband asked. ‘Oh,’ I said, waving my hand. ‘I deferred, gosh, I have so much to do this year, I’ll go next year.’ The following year he asked again. ‘I thought you wanted to be a writer?’ The Prima Donna scoffed, ‘there is no way’ she said. So I wrote in secret. I got up at 5am and wrote for two hours before the girls got up at 7 and we did the school run. I started work at 9. I wrote for one year and completed my 80,000 word novel. It was full of telling the tale and redundancies but I didn't know that-I was uneducated. I had a book I would never show and no one would read. ‘What if I found out I was no good?’ I enrolled again at uni. I promised myself that if they were mean, laughed at me and said I couldn't write, I could go home. I got in the car and drove. I hoped to miss the turn off, it was a lovely day for the beach. I got to the uni and parked. I walked to the lecture room I hoped no-one would recognise that I didn't belong. I sat at the back. The lights dimmed, Ross and Gary switched on the projector. They started talking about a book I’d never heard of. They made jokes. Jokes? They laughed. Laughed? My breathing slowed. There was a pretty book jacket on the screen. I think I’m supposed to have read that? I thought. ‘You get it from the course outline’ a student in tutorial told me. ‘What’s that?’ I asked. ‘You’ll find it on blackboard.’ ‘Where’s the blackboard?’ Ross laughed ‘ I've forgotten what its like to be a first year student’ he said. He had no idea my destiny hung on his opinion. If he says I’m no good, I leave. I approached each lecture with a tightness that messed up my understanding, and cried each week from having no understanding. Maybe I should quit? ‘Perhaps you are stupid?’ Prima Donna said as she gazed out the window. ‘Get a mentor’ said the girl who sat next to me. ‘What’s that?’ I asked. ‘Someone to help.’ So Julie came along and showed me how to navigate a course. And Ross told me he liked my story. He forgave my punctuation and style to give me a distinction. I cried. The world got brighter. I came back the next semester. Naomi headed the next class. She was everything I’m not. Tall, beautiful, smart, educated with a great sense of fashion. She hates me, I thought, finding a seat in my old jeans and t-shirt. Why can’t I wear a dress to uni? And put a flower in my hair? The Prima Donna laughed, ‘that would be ridiculous,’ she said. Naomi smiled and offered to help. Over time I cracked my shell and let her in. ‘But what does it mean?’ she asked me. ‘I dunno?’ I shrugged. ‘why does it always have to mean something? Why can’t the little dog be there because he was there?’ I could see the frustration in her eyebrows, but I just didn't get it. It’s not an easy transition to change a familial pattern. Each semester I am afraid I might get ‘caught’ being somewhere I don’t belong. Each semester I am afraid to speak in-case I say something that gives me away. But each semester I learn something amazing. It took me three years to complete eight subjects. This year I've decided to belong. I will speak. I will participate. I will stand in the light and be judged. I am allowed to be here, no matter how my ancestors groan. I can see the Prima Donna shining her shoes. She shrugs at me, ‘maybe you’d look good in a dress?’ she says. ‘Get bigger boots’ my best friend told me. I got bigger boots and asked a question in class. No one laughed. No one is even looking, they are immersed in themselves. ‘So what do you think?’ I ask as I pull up some grass on my father’s grave. ‘Do you still love me?’ My father rolls over and smiles. ‘Always’ he answers. ‘It was never meant to be that you stooped to our ceiling, but I didn't know that until I left.’ He lifted the ceiling with his hand and it dissolved into the ether. ‘See how easy it is?’ I smiled, ‘Thanks.’ ‘You’re welcome.’ Then as an afterthought he reminded me that class was a construct created by patriarchal societies and I didn't have to buy into it. ‘Wow dad,’ I said, ‘you’re so educated now.’ ‘I know’ he winked. ‘But don’t tell anyone.’ 
Moni and Mac went up in a plane
They tumbled out with a 'chute Moni and Mac sailed back to earth It really was a hoot 
March 24th 2012. Monica Batiste.
Skydiving was not one of things I dreamt of, but I’d been watching them sail onto our Suttons beach whilst we did yoga, and it looked so joyful. ‘I have an idea,’ I said to my class one day. ‘I’m going to parachute to class.’ ‘Great idea’ said Peggy, ‘and you can tandem with my hubby, he’s one of the sky divers here.’ ‘Awesome.’ And so it was set for my birthday in 2012. For the rest of that year I watched them glide and heard the ‘woohoo’s whilst we did meditation and Namaste. The year rolled into 2012. At midnight I sat up in bed and gasped, ‘This year I’m jumping out of a plane,’ and went back to sleep. February came. ‘Have you booked it yet?’ asked Peggy. I swallowed. ‘No’ March arrived. ‘Better get to it,’ she said. ‘They get booked out you know.’ I dialled the number. ‘Can we land on Sutton’s beach?’ I asked. ‘Cause that’s where my class is, they’ll be waiting for me.’ I added dreamily; ‘I’m going to parachute to class.’ The receptionist held back a yawn. ‘We can’t predict the landing beach’ she said. ‘We will let you know on the day.’ I visualised landing at Suttons. I told everyone about it. The days ticked by until it arrived. I woke up and reminded myself to breathe. I wore the boots and jeans that took me safely through Europe. I wore a shirt of happiness. We got to the office. ‘We’re not landing at Suttons’ she said as she pushed paper work towards me. My dream crashed to the earth. ‘We will be landing at Bells. Sign here please.’ But my yoga class is at Suttons? I can’t land on the other side of the peninsula. ‘Come back to the counter please, you forgot to fill out this part.’ The tears knocked on my eyes. But my friends will be at Suttons. ‘Do you want insurance? No we can’t cater to individual preferences. You wouldn’t want anyone to crash just because you want to land there would you?’ She smiled with her teeth. The room laughed as my knees trembled. I will be landing to no one. I have no friends. The room became a giant parachute zooming to earth. ‘And which package would you prefer?’ ‘I don’t know,’ I answered weakly. I want to go home. ‘Do you want photos or the DVD?’ My voice wouldn’t work. My hubby took over. ‘We’ll take this one.’ The receptionist looked at me and took my paper work, ‘I think we might put you on a later flight.’ She said. ‘Go away and come back in an hour.’ My husband took me out of the room of eyes and to a coffee shop. ‘But no one will be there’ I sobbed. ‘That wasn’t the dream.’ ‘It will be all right’ Andy said. ‘Sometimes dreams take a curve but they still turn out all right. Your friends will go to Bells, they will. I’ll be there too.’ ‘Are you sure?’ I texted my friends. I drank two and half cups of tea with too much sugar and breathed. ‘We will come’ they promised. ‘We will even leave yoga early to be there.’ I smiled and swallowed my tears. ‘Ok, let’s go back.’ When I arrived the group was being dressed for their tandem. A beautiful blonde Theresa asked if she was my partner. I smiled, ‘my best friends name is Teresa. But I’m not your partner. I’m friends with Peggy, I’m with her husband, Corey?’ my heart banged. ‘Is he here?’ She frowned and looked at the board ‘oh you mean Mac.’ A huge American with camouflage pants and a happy bandana came past ‘Are you Corey?’ Nope. ‘Gidday’ said a smiley face. ‘You must be Monica?’ ‘Corey!’ I smiled with relief and hugged him. on came the belts. ‘They’re loose’ I said. ‘I’m going to fall into the sky.’ I’ve seen a thousand movies where someone falls out of a plane and the skydivers turn into the shape of a bullet, shoot straight for them, grab hold, open their parachute and land safely to ground. ‘Will you do that?’ I asked. ‘Do what?’ Corey asked. ‘Never mind.’ But I knew he would. We climbed into the tiny plane and sat hip to hip. There was no room for cups of tea or biscuits. ‘Where’s the door?’ I gulped as my voice rose. ‘There isn’t a door?’ ‘It’s up there?’ said one of the other victims. Pointing to a plastic roller door like one that might hold out the breeze on a cool day. ‘See, it rolls down like this.’ It rattled as we took off. We reached 2000 feet. ‘I’m going to attach some belts to you now,’ said Corey. ‘Are you sure you got me?’ I asked. ‘You sure?’ ‘We’re going to practice’ he said. ‘When we jump out, you gotta lean back like this, like a banana or the cobra pose, you got it? Lean your head back, kick her legs back and away we go.’ Banana? Cobra? Oh god. Breathe. The planes voice deepened as we climbed another 2000 feet. ‘Now I’m gonna put the rest of the belts on, okay? You gotta sit on my hips like this’ I looked around and all the passengers were climbing onto their tandems. The plane got smaller and the air thinner. It felt tight. I wriggled. ‘You got me?’ ‘I got you.’ Corey switched on his wrist cam. ‘Now Monica, do you wanna sky dive with me?’ ‘Yes’ I said. We climbed to 14000 feet. The roller door flew up and a raging wind entered the cabin. I was pushed forward. The couple in front of me rolled off the bench and sat on the edge of the plane with their feet dangling into the sky. I pressed back into Corey. ‘Let go of my arms Monica. I need them to steer. Remember? Banana.’ The first couple fell out of the plane. My heart sped. I pressed deeper into Corey as he wriggled us to the edge of the bench. We fell to the floor I cringed to the edge. There was no banana. BAM We plunged into the atmosphere. The shock of a hundred tons of air slapped me in the face and body. ‘Holy F*!’ Air sucked into my body. My chest squeezed Slam. Whoosh. My skin flapped like a blanket in a tunnel wind. Sam the photographer was in front of me taking photos. He looked like a scuba diver with the camera cord in his mouth. I felt like a fish in the ocean. I could see him, but I couldn’t respond. We fluttered as we faced each other. I was nothing but a whoosh of air. Corey pulled the cord. Kaboom! We catapulted upright. ‘Take off your glasses Monica’ I took off my glasses and wiped my eyes. Breath moved into my lungs. It was beautiful. The clear ocean beneath us, a parcel of sand and spaces of green earth. I could see my friends, I laughed and waved. ‘Hello, it’s me, can you see?’ We floated to earth and landed perfectly. I lay on the ground, smiling. Bliss. Alive. Breathing. ‘You can get up now Monica’ I laughed. ‘Come on,’ said Corey, giving me a gentle push. ‘Up you get.’ I staggered up and my friends cheered. I curved towards them, I had faced mortality. ‘Champagne?’ offered Jacki. I took a sip. ‘Food?’ asked my husband. I shook my head. My stomach was as tight as a nut. We cheered and hugged. Life was sweet. ‘A toast.’ Corey came over and we had a group hug. ‘I fell out of a plane and survived.’ ‘Clink.’ 
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About Monica
GreetI am a yoga teacher, author and artist. Blogs by Monica
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