About Me

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Canada
With a B.Ed., M.Ed., and over 10 years of classroom teaching experience, Chantelle has been privileged to observe the fruits of many living philosophies. By continually striving to live the best life possible, Chantelle has been able to overcome many personal challenges in life and enjoys helping others do the same. In 2001, Chantelle stepped into her first yoga class and has been amazed at the ways it has transformed her life. In 2007 she studied under Shri Yogi Hari of the Sivananda lineage and became a certified yoga teacher. She has since earned the E-RYT designation from Yoga Alliance and continues to study under various Indian Master Yogis. In October 2013 launched Prana Yoga & Wellness, offering private/corporate yoga and stress management workshops based on Eastern wisdom. Chantelle frequently appears as a guest speaker and is involved with various community projects and local non-profit organizations. Dedicated to walking her talk, Chantelle is not afraid to do the necessary work to remain happily married and be a healthy role model for her two young daughters.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

photo credit: stock.xchng
Maya Angelou once wrote an autobiography by the same title– a fascinating book that you should read if you haven't already, but that isn't what inspired this post.

No, it was reading the following words from Buddhist monk, Nichiren Daishonin:

"When a caged bird sings, birds who are flying in the sky are thereby summoned and gather around, and when the birds flying in the sky gather around, the bird in the cage strives to get out."

It is the amount of truth in this metaphor that renders its power. The "truth" being that if we can just stay close to our true nature, if we can continue to uplift others and create beauty despite our own suffering or limitations, our courage will be inspired and strengthened so we may break free and improve our own life circumstances.

And even when we are not aware of our substandard life– because a cage may be all we've ever known– if we continue to strive to add value to the world around us, new possibilities will come into view. They will inspire and motivate us to stretch beyond our current way of being, until one day we have found a way out of our cage... out of our small lives... allowing us to experience a freedom we've never known before, turning our ignorance into a spectacle for us to observe.

And the ones who are free... they are bound to the ones who are not. The joy they feel as their wings spread and carry them to new lands is never taken for granted. It is something they cannot withhold from others. All they need is to hear a song from a cage.