Back in the middle of September...this happened...
Every year, Yoga Blend hosts a group to an exotic (yet local) location for its annual Chakra Retreat. For those unawares, here's a complex description of Chakra. A simpler version is, they are 7 energy centers in the body along the spine that relate to various aspects of your life. From health, creativity, inspiration, and aspiration. (Here's another cool link.) Btw: it's pronounced CH-ah-krah...like CH-aw-coh-let.
The retreat is a three day event! Yoga in the morning, yoga in the evening, afternoon play, three squares of yummy vegetarian food provided and all the fun you can handle as each yoga portion is designed to focus on a particular Chakra system. These retreats are always so well put together and always packed and it was Clark's first time in attendance. As you can see, he found it all fascinating.
Usually I'm a participant. I love this retreat. I love meeting new people, hanging with the usual suspects, playing in a rich environment, doing my yoga, and getting my creative on! This year, I was more of a spectator…cuz I had other points of focus...Mr. Clark. The previous week, we were in this exact location for Bhakti Fest. Both Christy and I noticed a distinct change in behavior for Clark. Something about the dense Joshua Tree energy, the vortices, the ghosts, who knows what. But Clark was diggin' on it big time!
While Christy arose every morning to lead the group in the days practice,
I would get Clark ready and join the group later. Sometimes Clark would let me practice along with everyone, but most of the time he wanted some attention! And believe me when I say that there was an endless supply of attention.
He stuck to his daily routine, was hungry at the right time, sleepy at the right time, went to bed at the right time and in the interim absorbed all the love, the strength, vulnerability, and creativity from the retreat participants. He was in the midst of powerful yogis in practice. Nearby for drum circles and ecstatic dance. And dreamed while the students, in ritual, proclaimed manifestations for their futures.
I'm so happy that Clark gets to grow up among those who are continuing to find themselves in positive and nurturing spaces like a Bhakti Fest or a Chakra Retreat or a Yoga Blend…or a Jason and Christy.
what a wonderful time this sounds like....isn't it amazing how Clark fits right in like a puzzle piece...I can see him a few years down the road entertaining everyone at this event with his masterful charm that he already has at this tiny age....he will be instructing everyone with his knowledge of his mama's teachings and personality and his daddy's charisma....oh I can't wait to see this...watch out world, we are in for something magnificent and his name is Clark Otis Marsden XOXOxo:o)
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