Four (almost five now) years ago My father gave me three elephants.
I left one at the Ashtanga Yoga Center amongst a parade of kin. Under a chart of postures-- just aside of books, stacked akimbo. They were for my teachers, David and Keith.
I thought them very special.
Unsure of what to do with this diminutive glass menagerie, I gave one to my best friend, Michael. "Why should I have both," I thought.
I hear that elephants mate for life.
Leaving has never been so hard. I took this photo on the alter @mroike made for us.

Missing my little buddy today. #charliegram

This year, I received my teacher's blessing to teach Ashtanga Yoga. I've got a bajillion emotions. Thanks mom, dad, Sharath, and the other teachers who have supported my practice. And most especially, my best friend, partner, and teacher: Michael 🙂

There is a seemingly never ending cycle of freezing, forgetting, and re- remembering that happens in this life.
If you make it in this world long enough, it all looks the same. Harder, faster, more gives way to the "thank god I'm still alive and have lungs to breathe." The hard truth is that if you make it long enough, all your old friends will be dead.
You've got to be ready to give it all back, or you'll just cry and cry and cry. Your best friend, your beautiful face, your Instagram identity.
I'll tell you a secret: 12 years ago, thoroughly off the deep end of grief, at the bottom of a drug fueled haze, I saw that the universe was made of love. I had lost my best friend in a tragic accident. I couldn't hold that much pain in my heart.
That was a long time ago now, I reckon. Heartbreakingly, in that span of time, I had forgotten her exact voice

Not so long ago, on a shamanic journey, my dead best friend came to me and told me to let go of all this sadness and pain. "nothing ever really dies," she said. "That's not how it works." I had already learned that lesson once. I can hear hear her voice again. "I push myself up through the dirt and shake my petals free. I'm resolved to being born again, and so resigned to bravery." -- Dar Williams

"Weddings"
#tourof2nd
Saturday is a rest day for a lot of folks.. But I often take Sundays off. Today I have a wedding to attend-- there is nothing better than spending time with your very best friends. -- Find the entire Intermediate Series (and more) in the latest Ashtanga Dispatch —> visit ashtangadispatch.com/themagazine. *5% of all proceeds go to @eaglemountboz, a small charity making a BIG difference by providing outdoor adventures for kids with disabilities.
And visit @ashtangadispatch and @jrene01 for more practice ideas!
#yogagivesback #makeadifference #yogachallenge #ashtangadispatch #yogainspiration #intermediateseries #practicedaily #ashtanga #kidsmatter
Of course, you will substitute @ashtangadispatch for yourself above. But this way, you can just copy and paste at the end of your posts to make it easy.
I think this one is going to do really well, btw. 🙂