Florella is a labor of love. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

I hope you find security, stability, sincerity, and serenity here. Safety, order, and wellness. Balance, harmony, and wholeness. Integrity and honesty. Clarity and peace. Our world needs more well, whole, honest, peaceful people.

I hope you experience joy, beauty, compassion, and expression here. Happiness, fun, and laughter. Grace, awe, and wonder. Kindness, love, and empathy. Creativity, feeling, and flow. Our world needs more happy, wonderful, kind, creative people.

I hope Florella guides you toward introspection, exploration, connection, and contribution. Understanding ourselves. Understanding our world. Meaningful interactions. Meaningful impact. This is why we live.

I hope Florella leads you toward a life of balance between strength and surrender. Approach the cycles of life with courage and resolve. Approach the cycles of life with comfort and release. This is how we live.

May you know your higher self and honor that light.
May you live your higher self and share that light.

Namaste.

I am grateful for the practices of ayurveda and yoga, traditions deeply rooted in Indian culture.

I am not Indian, and so I present ayurveda and yoga to the world with special care. It is incumbent upon me to share ayurveda and yoga with humble regard for their Indian lineage. Ayurveda and yoga are gifts from India to the world. Let us strive to receive these gifts with appreciation, not appropriation.

Here are a few ways we can all practice ayurveda or yoga from a place of respect:

1. Be aware of the history. This is ancient knowledge from the very root of civilization in the Indus Valley. The Vedas, the oldest of all Sanskrit literature dating to approximately 1500-1200 BCE, hold the first written references to ayurveda and yoga. But keep in mind that Vedic knowledge was passed down via oral tradition for thousands of years before anyone put pen to palm leaf.

2. Refer to primary sources. The Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika are among yoga’s fundamental texts. The Brihat Treya—Caraka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Ashtanga Hridayam—are among ayurveda’s fundamental texts. Read modern translations or at least learn from teachers who reference these important sources.

3. Learn the Sanskrit terms. The classical words chosen by Vedic sages, even the names of the asanas, have the power to illuminate deeper meaning in ayurveda and yoga. If we mumble our way through a chant without knowing what we are saying, we are not tapping into the ultimate purpose behind the chant.

4. Understand that ayurveda and yoga are based in Hinduism, the most widely practiced religion in the world. This is much more than diet and exercise for billions of people. What if someone came to our place of worship for a snack and a stretch? Honor this belief system as we would like our belief systems to be honored.

5. Don’t buy into the commodification of ayurveda and yoga. No one needs a “Namastay” anything. No one needs a Ganesha-as-a-mermaid coffee mug. No one needs fancy pants with yoni crystal pockets. These tchotchkes are divorced from divine meaning and remarried to the almighty dollar.

I am grateful for many other practices which draw upon various religious traditions.

I am not a follower of any one religion, and so I must present these practices to the world with special care. It is incumbent upon me to share any faith-based practice with humble regard for its lineage. Again, let us strive to receive these gifts with appreciation, not appropriation.

As a U.S. citizen, the First Amendment of the Constitution protects my right to religious freedom. However, I understand that not all people share this freedom. Some countries, some faiths, some communities, and some families control religion, its practice, and its followers. I recognize my religious freedom as a privilege. I express my gratitude for this privilege by exercising this freedom as a responsible citizen and respectful human.

I do and share these practices with deference for the religious traditions from which they came. I believe there are many spiritual truths in the world and I want to honor those truths through practice if and when I can. If the practice is open to me, I will learn its origins before doing or sharing, out of respect for the religion from whence it came. If the practice is closed to me, I will learn what I can about its origins but I will not do or share it, out of that same respect.

Carefully consider your own truths before taking up any spiritual practice to ensure it aligns with your belief system. Honor all belief systems as you would want your belief system to be honored. Learn about different religions and their traditions, observing which practices are open to you and which are not. Most of all, exercise your own faith as a responsible citizen and a respectful human.

Many thanks to the artists featured on this site.

The watercolor butterflies were created by AliCris and licensed with Adobe Stock.

The Braisetto script was created by Adam Ladd and licensed with Adobe Fonts.

The Tiffany handwriting was created by Tiffany Wardle de Sousa and licensed with Adobe Fonts.

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