tranquilosophy: cutest connection ever

while i mexico last week (feels like a year ago), i came up with a couple new blog additions. stay tuned as i crystallize and unveil them. hope you'll love 'em! one is launching today: tranquilosophy. basically it will consist of merry musings "on the wisdom of tranquility." 

today's tranquilosophy piece is on the power of connection. we all know about our innerconnectedness to all beings, right? it's a yoga thing - we talk about it a lot. basically a way of seeing ourselves in all beings and recognizing their inherent value. no one is free until we are all free. great, but how does this relate to the way i live my life each and every day? well, so glad you asked!

as an introvert, connecting with others takes more effort than it does for your average extrovert. i need much more time to recuperate from the output and keep my circle quite small and tight (despite sharing my life with you online). i know, sounds like a contradiction and i'm full of them. et toi? i think (hope) it keeps us more interesting. anyway, connections are interesting and i enjoy observing how they are formed. i love meeting kindred spirits and recognizing that innterconnectedness in others who cross my path. it helps me feel less alone or isolated in my sparkly (yet niche) world of pigs, pink, paris, and yoga.

my gramma is no exception. she's a woman who i've admired since my early years. she is crafty, incredibly witty, lived through two husbands, made travel a priority, taught school when her peers were homemaking, has a dreamy sense of humor and a smile that radiates. at her 95th birthday fete the room was packed with people she touched over her many years. while visiting her last weekend my mum snapped the above photos. note gramma having me gather all sorts of musical instruments for a concert (oui, those are cymbals on her lap) and dream sewing my sleeve while she slept in her rockin' velour jumpsuit. wow, muscle memory. by looking at my gramma's life, it's inspiring to see the results of our connections and how they have a domino effect on others. she made others feel special through her everyday actions.

observe your own. note the people in your inner circle right now. how are these connections? do they feel adequate, demanding, or inspiring? note the people you pass on your commute home tonight or en route to your favorite yoga class. do you smile? do you bump into others and keep walking or take notice? our connections with others can be incredibly rewarding or deceptively draining. our choice.

elizabeth posted a comment on our online book club page and shared this quote by the dalai lama: "be kind whenever possible. it is always possible." i leave you with this as our first tranquilosophy muse. choose kindness. and choose your connections wisely. bisous. x