I have found in our urban western cultures that honoring those that came before us is not as prevalent of a practice in the West as in other places.

As holistic practitioners and caring, thriving human beings, viewing all things and all parts to us as Whole, we must honor those who came before us. The wisdom, teachings and experiences of our elders, ancestors and especially the indigenous is an asset, not something to be degraded, taken advantage of or put down. As our evolution is inevitable, we will inevitably learn from the past what does not work now. We must also respect what was then that is vital to us now, and recognize what we may have lost.

I have found in our urban western cultures that honoring those that came before us is not as prevalent of a practice in the West as in other places.

As holistic practitioners and caring, thriving human beings, viewing all things and all parts to us as Whole, we must honor those who came before us. The wisdom, teachings and experiences of our elders, ancestors and especially the indigenous is an asset, not something to be degraded, taken advantage of or put down. As our evolution is inevitable, we will inevitably learn from the past what does not work now. We must also respect what was then that is vital to us now, and recognize what we may have lost.

I see lineage as a strong ground I can stand upon to move forward in my own unique purpose, never forgetting what assisted me to get here. I have nothing but total respect, gratitude and appreciation for those that came before me or learned the lessons first for me to witness, handling them with conscious dignity. I have been and continue to be blessed with unbelievably wise, courageous, humble, forward thinking and hard working healers, medicine people, yoga teachers, masters, mystics, artists, entrepreneurs, wellness counselors, musicians, gardeners, nature lovers and common people that live the teachings with total authenticity. These beings have deeply influenced me.

As a yogi, musician, and holistic energy practitioner, it resonates with me to honor these beings. I also respect that they do not expect me to worship them and ask me not to. To do so is to honor the timeless teachings as differentiated from any one person delivering them in specialness and to ensure not substituting them as my own Higher Self. My worship is to the Divine. The teachings are delivered as tools. The teachers are blessings pointing the way. Each of us has a unique expression that cannot be told to us. We must uncover it. That is the work of this lifetime, doing all that we can to express our unique purpose on this planet through Grace.

My first holistic experiences were with my Mother. She cooked everything with love. She was creative when we were sick, uplifting our moods, using natural herbs, offering us care. She encouraged us to be outside as much as possible, to exercise, to make art, to love animals, to hike and notice the elements and to serve others. My timeline then expands from there to extravagant mystics of Indonesia, to humble, unknown householders and forest dwellers.