"Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower."

--Hans Christian Anderson

April is here, and I’ve just come back from a beautiful yoga retreat in Joshua Tree with some of you. The landscape in the high desert is something to behold. It is quite inhospitable to life, and yet! Life is abundant there. Did you know a Joshua Tree grows only about an inch every year? We hiked past many who were over 30 feet high, indicating that these hardy plants have been growing for more than 300 years. They have withstood tremendous heat, fire, snowstorms, lack of water, and humans’ harmful behavior. And still they rise. And flower. And spread their seeds for new growth and to help other species survive. Immersing ourselves in this place at this time in our country gave me hope. We, too, are resilient, and we can fight to thrive in the harsh environment we find ourselves in now. We can share resources with those in need, we can continue to grow and transform—even when we can’t see that anything is happening.

I went to the Hands Off march the day after I got home from the retreat. It was my first protest outside of DC, and it felt so small compared to marching in Washington. But there were probably about 5,000 people there, voices raised in opposition. It gave me hope. (I can't take credit for the sign. I borrowed it from another Grammy!)

I spent yesterday with my granddaughter, who fills me with optimism and joy just by being herself. She is curious, smart, fun, and quick to hug, laugh, and dance. The miraculous fact of her—and the incredible importance of protecting her future—make me stay the hopeful course. Hope, joy, and action are my go-to’s these days. Also despair, rage, and fear (gotta be honest). But I am trying to default to hope.

Which brings me to yoga. This month we will focus on the pose called Bird of Paradise, a beautiful and exotic flower. We practiced this pose in our last vinyasa class in Joshua Tree, using props and a methodical approach to break it down so that we could rise up and blossom. At the beginning of that class, I shared the origin of the name Bloom Yoga. It was this quote from Anais Nin, “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud became greater than the risk to blossom.” Now is the time to blossom. Again and again, we must bloom in new and important ways so that we can transform ourselves in service to the world.

Bird of Paradise is a challenging pose. It asks us to root down to rise, and that rising can take years to execute. We come to our mats, we persevere without demanding that anything happen but with the hope that if we keep showing up, we will learn, grow, and transform in some deeper way. It’s not about doing the pose, it’s about learning what the pose can teach us about our Selves.

Spring is always a time of beautiful blossoming. So, let’s let the beauty and resilience of the natural world keep us hopeful. Let’s focus on our own blossoming and share our gifts with our communities. Let’s take our yoga off our mats and into the world. That is why we practice.