Practicing Non Attachment For A Greater Enjoyment of the Next Decade

Assenic & Nathalie of Amoukanama Circus.

Surrender, Wild Mustangs, Africa & the Acrobats' Jungle Night Show.

It’s the end of a decade. That sounds so meaningful and rings so full of hope for the new decade and year to begin.

For me, it has been a year full of highs and lows, dreams come true and hopes shattered, expectations met and expectations trampled, people that have filled me with so much love and power and goodness, and others who have tried me to my very core, leaving me empty and exhausted.

I have come out stronger and more determined than ever.

Determined to do what? Determined to surrender and practice non-attachment.

Ishwara Pranidhana,

Surrendering to a higher power, is part of the Niyamas, which are the personal moral codes to follow. 

So why do I want to surrender?

I have discovered through trial and error, that it is through surrendering, surrendering to a Higher Power, to God, to the Universal energy, to Source, to the moment, that life flows with more ease. Knowing that things will happen at the right time and everything is meant to be just as it is.

The hard times as well as the good ones. 

Aparigraha,

Non possessiveness, non attachment is part of the Yamas in the 8 Limbs of Yoga of Patanjali. 

Practicing non attachment to the good moments is just as important and meaningful as practicing detachment from the difficult ones.

Taking in experiences with what they bring, fills you with joy. But holding onto them can fill you with sadness and fear of loosing this feeling.

Attaching yourself to the negative experiences, draws you deeper into the murky waters of negative thinking, despair, attracting even more negative experiences.

Surrendering to the moment and remaining detached from its outcome frees you from regret, fear, judgment and self destruction.

I believe and constantly remind myself, that it is important to really stay present and fully live the positive and beautiful experiences life offers us and to also remain present and strong in trying times, knowing that this moment too shall pass.

We are always learning through our experiences. These experiences are choices you’ve made, and it is what you make out of them that helps you evolve.

That is the life of being a Spiritual Being. We are all spiritual beings living a human experience.

So let go of all those worries of the future, regrets of the past and frustrations in the moment.

Live your life to its fullest.

Experience life, share, give, receive, learn, teach, follow, be followed, run wild, retreat in solitude, laugh and cry with others, learn from sadness, pain and fear, let it guide you instead of control you. Read the messages and live from your heart. Let your inner wisdom guide you on your journey. Then you are truly on your spiritual path, following your Dharma/ Life’s Purpose.

The last year of the decade brought me so much joy and magic, love and friendship, new and old, and three dreams that came true!

It started in the beginning of the year with our YTT’s. Meeting different students from around the world, coming together as kindred spirits to learn, experience and share with each other.

Yoga Teacher Training at Playa Cocles during Sunrise Yoga.

If you’re not willing to fail, you’ll never succeed

It is as much a learning experience for the teachers as it is for the students. Communicating and opening up to each different person provides so many opportunities to learn from. Sometimes I  did fail, but I do know that I gave it my all and did my best. It is not only up to me the outcome of a certain situation but also of the other person involved.  What is important is to look at what it meant and what can be learned from it.

Many times I succeeded beyond what I hoped, and beautiful very special learning moments were shared together.

To everyone that entered my life this year, I give thanks and feel gratitude to these moments that were given to learn and grow from. The love, the laughter, the doubts, the fears, the acceptance and growth, I have been moved by it all.

Then my second most important childhood dream was realized! My first wish. My first dream had been to have a pony from the moment I could talk and walk.

The bliss of the wild Mustangs’ presence

This wish was granted to me by my dear friends Nan Zintsmaster and Carolyn Resnick whom invited me to join them for a Liberty Clinic in the Sanctuary of Return to Freedom, an organization run by Neda Demayo to rescue and protect the wild mustangs.

Wild Mustangs at Return to Freedom, California.

Five Days of pure magic. Each moment I wanted to pinch myself, was I dreaming?

My first connection with a wild mustang, tears of joy just ran down my face, non stop,  despite the biting cold, rain and wind early in the morning on top of that mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

It was misty and foggy, dream like, as the mustangs stepped out of the clouds and surrounded us. One walked directly up to me and introduced himself, just as Carolyn teaches and wrote about in her book. This horse connected with me so strongly, I was shook to the core. In the days ahead, we kept meeting up with each other and connecting. 

Here, I experienced total Ishwara Pranidhana, surrendering to the moment and Santosha, contentment and yes Samadhi too. Surrounded by the energy of 150 wild horses, following them, being accepted as part of the herd, filled me with Bliss/ Samadhi!

Terry Newton at Return to Freedom.

The honor of teaching

This year also gave us cherished moments spent with students, horse lovers & yogis in our Equine Yoga Teacher Program. 

I have so much gratitude to our horses, how they were always present, teaching the students to connect, heal and fully feel. Helping them to find their intuition, open their hearts and draw on their will power. They gave them the most precious gift of all, that of learning how to live in the moment and fully be aware and present at all times. Each day at a time, each step, each breath and hoof beat at a time.

Equine Yoga Teacher Program Closing Ceremony, 2019. Kindred Spirits Wellness Academy.

Then began the profound experience of a 300h YTT in the mountains of Escazú surrounding the city of San José, Costa Rica, with my dear friend and teacher Corinne Aulakh. Her depth of knowledge of the Sacred Sanskrit texts, her playful, joyful yet intense way of teaching took us to our limits and beyond.

Four weeks spent in complete submersion of Yoga. What a dream! Each daily asana class, meditation, mantra chanting, study of the scripts, and learning Sanskrit, took me to a next level on my Yoga Path.

I also met old and new friends and was inspired by each of them. 

One new friend, Leyla, brought me to the beginning of realizing another childhood dream. Africa, lions, giraffes, elephants and more!

The Call of Mother Africa

For our exam project we co-created a retreat together set in Kenya for November / December 2020.

Leyla is an experienced Yin Yoga teacher, living in Africa with her adventurous husband who canoes and travels all the rivers of Africa. 

Bringing together the essence of Africa with its power of wild life and majestic scenery, with Yoga and the free spirit of horses. We will be doing a 1 week retreat to empower women through Yoga, horses and the energy of Mother Earth, Africa, the Root Chakra of the Earth, next year end of November. My second dream in the making!

I fell in love with Leyla and her bubbling joy for life and laughter. For all the sparkles she wears, her shining eyes  and of course because we are both a little airy, free spirits following our path, not all we do always makes sense but somehow we always make it come together. And we made this Yoga with Horses in Africa come together and Be!

Oh, by the way as we were creating this project, the new Lion King came out, and of course we all went to see it, inspiring us even more! 

The first half of 2019 was amazing,

filled with adventure, new things, new people, new places and new horses!

Then by August things started to get a bit bumpy. Life doing its things. As everyone, finances can get short, things don’t always turn out as we expect. I’m constantly reminding myself and others No Expectations, but being a human, I do find myself wrapped up in expectations from time to time. I am just getting better at catching myself and letting them go!

This year’s YTT’s were filled with interesting and diverse students. From Germany, France, Sweden, Africa, Italy, the States, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada…

Several are now close friends, kindred spirits for life. Abbas, Fanny and Jonna set an example of dedication, discipline, mixed with Santosha and Ishwara Pranidhana.

Walking through the jungle, surrounded by the sounds of monkeys, toucans and parrots, on the way to the Yoga Shala, morning lectures, meditation with the horses have a way of healing our troubles and bringing different people together, who might never connect in normal life, and find themselves thrown in a shared experience to learn and grow. It often brings the best and the worst of oneself out, teaching us how to really look in the mirror and see who we truly are. 

I love being a teacher and I love being a student of life.

Each of these YTT’s brings new insights about people and life and the ways where we can make a difference, spread a little light, hope and direction with each other and for each other.

Many volunteers this year have crossed my path and walked with me for a little while. Though not all of you I mention by name here, I am grateful to you all. For sharing your life with us, your love of horses and yoga or your love of food and cooking have been apart of what Kindred Spirits represents. So many unique souls found their way to our home, to share stories and knowledge. Of these, many have been volunteers from the past, returning with their new partners and sometimes even their new child!

New gifts arrive at the jungle

Maya is this child, a very special child to whom I have the honor of being a Godmother. There are not enough words to describe the happiness and laughter this little spirit brings to all that meet her. Her mother Nathalie from Belgium and her father Assenic from Guinea have brought this little miracle, this wonderful soul into this world, to be amongst us.

Her parents being professional acrobats, Maya can already hang from a trapeze and fly through the air at 1 1/2 years old, ride a horse and is now learning to connect with horses at liberty! A future Liberty horse trainer and acrobat in the making, or who knows to what destiny this little one will embark upon, but to be sure, she will spread love, joy and authenticity where ever she goes.

Nathalie, Assenic and Maya, acrobat family from Belgium and Guinea.

Other returning volunteers have come to stay and become our neighbors, ready to share their knowledge, their experiences with others. Juliana from Canada, now a certified Epona instructor will be giving Equine Therapy clinics and retreats as well as Conscious Riding Classes, as her husband Thomas builds their home, co- creating their dream together to make a difference and help others.

Many new relationships have been born, many hellos and many goodbyes.

Nathalie, Assenic and Maya soon leave back to Belgium. It will be a hard good bye, but more an au revoir , as I know in my heart this family will soon be back and we will create many beautiful and magical projects and shows together. Also another good bye to Su, who stayed with us a month as an Intern over the Christmas period. There isn’t a lovelier or kinder soul to share this time of year with.

After big family, friends and volunteers Christmas feasts, we ended the year last night with a big Jungle Show. My third dream to come true. This was our first one ever, in our arena, at night. Spotlights, candles, sparkles and clowns. Acrobats jumping through hola hoops, jugglers with crystal balls, fire lights and drums and the most spectacular act of them all, Nathalie & Assenic with their acrobat story of love and relationship. Flying thru the air into each others arms, running away and towards each other, (like Liberty dancing with horses) jumping, rolling, moving and dancing to the drum beat of love and life. I was moved beyond words, literal tears of happiness and Santosha flowing, so proud and amazed of this special person Nathalie that I consider as my daughter. I love this little family with all my heart and am so grateful that they have included me in their lives.

A big thank you to the whole crew of people, volunteers and friends that made it possible. Nathalie & Assenic, Franny & Su, Thomas & Julianna, Johanna, Ramon and my daughter Lexi.

We finished the evening with a Yoga in Harmony with Horses act. Johanna, that all of you know well from the photos and as a yoga teacher in our YTT’s, also horse rider and trainer and a beautiful barefoot free spirit who dances to the tune of her own music. Originally from Sweden she has made Costa Rica her home these last years. Together with our horses Shad and Anya , we performed under the bright lights in front of an audience made up of children and adults. Neither Johanna, Anya, Shad or I had ever performed at night under a spot light let alone in front of an audience. The horses took it all so peacefully, like they had done it all their lives, as if they had been trained to do this. But the best part of this, is that they have never been trained for this, it is only through the deep connection we have built with them through liberty connection and yoga that we have such a strong trust and respect, that all is possible, because they are willing and happy being with us.

We ended that night, together, adults, children, acrobats, yogis, horses, nature and the jungle around us, with peace and laughter in our hearts, ready for a new decade, with new possibilities, new hopes and dreams to realize.

Terry Newton, Jungle Night Show.

So I say to you

“Joy to the World, and let their be peace, love and light in everyone’s hearts, and the Earth will surely be a better place for ALL.”

Terry.