It was a balmy summer night, and I had just finished teaching a Full Moon yoga class near the shores of Lake Erie. It was dark and I was enjoying the afterglow from the class, the students slowly rising from their yoga mats with peaceful looks on their faces, and all of us in awe of the radiance of the full moon and the healing light it was providing.
A large group had gathered that night and I was delighted to see students I had not seen in a while. I noticed a woman who had started coming to my summer beach yoga classes a few years ago who told me one day after class that she had been trying to get pregnant and was coming to yoga for not only the physical aspect, but also to help with grounding and her peace of mind. I taught her breath exercises that summer and was so happy to find out that later in the year she had become pregnant. I remember coming home that day and telling my husband what happened, and he teasingly said, “Oh great, now you think you can help women get pregnant.” I laughed and knew it was not me, but the power of yoga to soothe the nervous system, help release stress, and bring about a sense of calm, which helped her conceive.
She walked over to greet me, and I had so many questions for her. I wanted to know how she was, and how old her kid was, and how she liked being a mother. She proceeded to tell me that she loved being a mother and had two children now! From someone who had struggled to conceive, I knew this was a miracle, and I was thrilled for her.
“Maria, I have something for you,” she said as she took a silver beaded necklace that had a silver key on it and handed it to me. “It has the word CREATE engraved on it. One of my friends gave it to me when I thought I could not have children and encouraged me to wear it and to let it remind me that I had the power to CREATE a life that I loved, with or without children. I wore it all the time and I created what I wanted, a life with two beautiful children, and a family of four with my husband. Way more than even I thought was possible, so this key worked for me, and now it is time for me to pass it along to someone else.”
I looked down at the necklace she had placed in my hand. “I heard that your husband has recently passed away, so now you will need to create a life without him, and I wanted you to have this to help you create a new life that you love.”
I cannot tell you how touched I was by this enormous gesture, but I can tell you that I started to cry, and I leaned over and gave her a huge hug. It was a full moon blessing and gift all wrapped in one. I have had the key for almost three years now. There have been times I forgot about it, but I put it on a little altar on my desk next to my crystals, so I always see it, and it came with me when I traveled around the world last year.
So, what have I created in these years? I can tell you that…
I have created a life where I remember the good times my husband Vince and I experienced together and let go of the trauma of his illness and death.
After the burnout of being a caregiver and post-menopausal grieving widow, I have created a healthy lifestyle and strong sadhana (daily yoga practice) and feel better than ever.
I have created the ability to live alone and not be lonely or sad (well, at least 95% of the time, I do have moments).
I have created the ability to eat alone at a restaurant or go to an event alone and enjoy myself.
I have created quiet in my mind and peace in my heart as a result of letting go of attachments and struggles.
I have taken my freedom and created a life full of travel and adventures, and the ability to do this travel alone and feel safe and happy.
I have created and provided loving support for my family and friends who have recently lost a loved one or are experiencing health issues.
I am birthing two new babies – post menopause! What the what?!
Well, my babies are two new creative projects about which I am excited.
First, I have decided to dust off vintage (that sounds better than old) inspirational blog posts from The Daily Downward Dog and begin to share them with you again perhaps with fresh takes. In addition to those, I will be authoring new stories about my journey and will share them here on the Daily Downward Dog and in a new space I am in the process of creating on Substack. (If you use Substack and can offer guidance to me, I will welcome the help). My goal is to create a place where I can spread JOY, light, and positivity to others. I want to be a Courier (my family name is Currier) of joyful positivity, inspiration, and love in service to women, for the benefit of all beings.
Second, I am birthing a movement that I am hopeful will help lift and support women that I am calling “Just 3,” so stay tuned and I will share more about that in an upcoming post.
A year after my husband passed away and before I received the gift of the Create key, I had an Akashic record reading and learned that I was standing on the shore of a beach and that in front of me was an endless sea of possibility. That I should think about what a life beyond my wildest dreams would look like and to create that. Are you sensing a theme here?
Seriously, the best coffee ever!
Fast forward to 2023 when I decided to celebrate my sixtieth birthday by traveling around the world. Sometime during the ninth month of travel, I found myself on the idyllic Greek island of Ikaria. On a beautiful sunny morning, I was sitting at an outside café drinking a freddo cappuccino while admiring the sun sparkling off the colorful Aegean Sea and the surrounding Greek islands out in the distance, enjoying being immersed in a different culture, hearing people having conversations in foreign languages around me, and thinking about which beach on the island I would visit that day, and suddenly it hit me, the realization that I was living a life beyond my wildest dreams. An overwhelming sense of joy and a smile arose and I thought, I did it!
Shooting out Intentions into the Universe in Archer’s Pose at the Temple of Artemis, Nas, Ikaria
Now that I have created a new life I love, it is time for me to pass along my key to another worthy recipient. In all honesty, I should have passed it along to someone sooner than now, but I am ready and am giving deep thought about who to pass it on to.
So, you may be thinking, I need my very own create key. I will tell you that you do not need an actual key, all you need is the desire to change your story, to set positive intentions, put in the work of manifesting them, and believe you can be happy and live a life you love.
I am sharing this post on the fourteenth anniversary of the launch of The Daily Downward Dog, my business and personal blog. It has been five years and six months since I published my last blog post on January 30, 2019. I was coming off one of the most abundant years of my yoga career, leading three international and one local yoga retreat, a yoga teacher training program, regular studio yoga classes and the summer beach yoga program, monthly workshops, and two more international yoga retreats scheduled for early 2019. It was just two weeks after that last post that a doctor delivered my husband’s terminal ALS diagnosis, and my career went on hold. I feel blessed to have been his caregiver that year before he passed. The next year was the global pandemic, and I was back in isolation again, but this time with a purpose to restructure and rebuild my life. I am excited to have the time now to pick up where I left off and to share my experiences, in hopes that it will inspire you to create a life beyond your wildest dreams too.
Thank you for reading, and please take a moment to leave a comment to say hello or to share your thoughts about what you would like to create.
I absolutely love this for you and am grateful for the reminder that we can be the authors of our life story. Wishing you many blessings on your projects and creating what inspires you.
Thanks Julie!! Sending you a HUG!
Maria,
Thank you so much for writing this. I can’t begin to tell you how much I needed to receive and read this. Been struggling with depression as my work situation has changed and I’ve lost my sense of purpose.
Reading your blog this morning has awakened new hope in me that during this season, I have the power and ability to re-evaluate my life and CREATE a new life with new possibilities.
Thank you for being such an inspiration to me and other women! ❤️
Michele: I’m glad this post resonated and reached you at a good time. Sending you a big HUG and lots of love as you CREATE your own new life and possibilities! You’ve got this!
Happy Creative Birthday!! I am soooo excited for you, dear Maria.
What beauty you have embraced, created, fostered. Just wow.
I am here for your two new babies!
Xoxoxo
I am going to need your editing skills very soon! I have been writing – with much thanks to your inspiration.
Maria, you rock. Always.
My girlfriends inspire me to rock the most! Thanks for always reading my stuff Pam – you have always been so supportive and I love you for it!
Beautiful sharing dear Maria! You are such an inspiration to me and the world!! Keep shining your glorious light!!!
You have a glorious light as well my friend! Sending you a hug.
It makes my heart happy to read that you are thriving, Maria!! Keep spreading your light
And I am HAPPY to see you thriving as well. I hope to get down to Yoga Bliss one of these days to take a class with you – I miss all my YB yoga friends. Sending you a HUG!
p.s. Please tell your Mother I said hello too!!
It’s a great pleasure to read this and an even greater one to know you: a talented teacher who lives her message. Thank you from me and the many people whose lives you have touched.
You are such an inspiration.
I love your “ create” key.
Such a positive and loving message.
You are a blessing, spreading love, peace and kindness to everyone you meet along your life’s journey.
Thank you,
Maria.
Namaste and Gratitude
Linda – so good to hear from you and thanks for reading my post!
Sending you a huge honking HUG!
Beautiful Maria! I look forward to reading more from you on your blog, Substack, or anywhere else I may find you. ❤️
Thanks for reading Karin! I’ll keep you posted as I write and post more! Sending you a big HUG!
I am anxiously awaiting the book… then the movie… (starring Meryl Streep of course!) the vision to manifest is endless!!! Thank you for inspiring and uplifting us to tune in and navigate and dream again of creating a wonderful (different than originally planned), life. Namaste Maria.
I love you.
Your positive energy uplifts me and points me in a beautiful and grateful direction. I am so blessed to have attended your retreats and beach yoga!
Amy-Jo
Woo Hoo – Hoping to see you at beach yoga before the summer is over! Sending hugs your way!
What a blessing you are to so many, Maria. Your honesty and desire to help others is appreciated. Your ability to find joy after loss, sadness, isolation are inspiring. Thank you for sharing. May you continue to “create” a life you love.
Thanks, Christina – I’m looking forward to being a part of the Women’s Positivity Retreat this Sept 28-29! Thank you so much for inviting me to share yoga with your group! I’m excited!
http://womenspositivity.com
I’m so happy to read of your past couple of years and what you have experienced and created for yourself. I can’t tell you what you’ve meant to me and my yoga journey. A million thank yous!
Jinny – I am so happy our yoga paths have crossed in this lifetime – I am grateful for you as well! Sending BIG HONKING HUGS your way.
What a beautiful gift you are Maria. I love how you’ve created and embraced your life – then and now. Peace and love to you my friend! Xoxo
Thanks Cyn! Love you!!
Beautiful. Inspirational. I’ll need trip details soon
Thanks Big Bro – love you!
You are and continue to be an inspiration and a “Goddess Guide” (yes that’s a new title) and is defined by someone who reminds each of us every day that we are in command of our life especially in times of challenge. For we, always get to choose how we respond to and embrace life. Thank you for being such a dear and special friend and especially for being a Goddess Guide who adds much needed value and inspiration to our world.
Sue – OMG I love this – Goddess Guide! I’m going to get new business cards – haha!
Sending you a hug and love you my friend!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful message. Please know that when I first started my yoga journey at Yoga Bliss 7 years ago, you were one of my first teacher. I didn’t realize at that moment how lucky I was!! You have impacted my yoga journey in a way that I will never forget during those first few years. When the pandemic hit I did yoga with you virtually from your condo in Vermillion, Mexico and the Colorado Rockies. Thank you for continuing to share your positive energy!
I love you❣️✌
Maria – you are JOY! and so much more.
I am so happy for you going around the world and seeking out adventures on your own. Way to go yogi! Would love to hear about it someday (hint, hint).
What a beautiful message that you have given the universe. I look forward to your new creative babies.
You are the strength and inspiration that I need.
Light, love and peace.
It is inspiring
You are inspirational and pure joy! Thank you Goddess.
This was amazing! I’m so proud to call you sister. I can’t believe I’ve never read one of your blogs.
You are always so positive, looking forward to that ray of hope, pushing people toward happiness & light. An encourager extraordinaire! Live, laugh, love Eva