I don’t consider myself religious in any way. But I do think there is a universal energy, flow, earth mother – whatever you may call it – that connects us all, especially to nature.

There is a Wabanaki term called kciye, meaning harmony with the natural world. “It is not enough to know that we are a part of one living system. We must also take active steps to live in harmony with the rest of creation…We are only keepers of a way of life that is in harmony with earth. Every day, we much act in ways that acknowledge that we are part of one living system, a unified whole” (Sherri Mitchell from https://www.spiritofchange.org/core-values-of-the-indigenous-way-of-life/)

I like how different cultures have similar ways of looking at the ideal connection, whether it’s through the yoga sutras or kciye. As we’ve learned, humans, generally, are bad at this but can work at it. Mitchell goes on to say: “Human beings are the only species on the planet that has fallen out of step with creation.”

I am an oldest daughter (I have three siblings) and my mom is also an oldest daughter. As you can imagine, I like to control a lot of things, or at least know what the plan is. This is something that has always been the case for me, but I feel like during the past few years, this has lessened a little bit. I don’t know if it’s due to me just getting older and kind of not caring as much what people think, or if it’s due to me having a yoga practice every day that’s more of a meditation practice than for physical benefits, or what exactly it is.

So letting go of control is something that’s not easy, but it’s been getting easier. Whenever I am in a setting where there is a woo-woo or spiritual or other type of atypical connection, I always a little dubious, but I am never surprised when something different or unexpected happens. And I’ve been seeking them out lately, which is probably a byproduct of letting go of control

We see how control (and capitalism) have given humans a false sense of superiority in our world. It would take a lot to take a step back and look at how we can create a world that is not about accumulation and things and how we feel about ourselves, but letting that go and making a world that is better for everyone – everything.

The connections we have – with other people, with the world around us – that’s what Bachmam says isvara-pranidhana is. “Cultivating a heart-mind that sees the divine energy inside each person is the practical culmination of this niyama.” (203) It starts within and ends in each other and that around us: kciye

“The only way for us to regain our balance within creation is to once again find our balance with the natural world. Kciye is just a word, but it’s a word that reminds us of our deeper connections and our deeper obligations to life.” (Mitchell)