Once Upon a Yoga Mat with Buddha

My poem printed with the Blue Buddha image in the background

Once Upon a Yoga Mat by Peggy Dyer

Once upon a yoga mat
With myself I simply sat
I put my ass upon the floor
I found my breath and connected my core
Inhale
Exhale
Forward bend
Deep inside things start to mend
Finding space between my toes
breathing in through my nose
Stacking my bones
Strong and still
I start to exert free will
A simple choice
That's mine to make
Simply shine bright
Real not fake
How I am feeling
What I express
Things I uncover
Drenched and a mess

In a world of airbrushed branding as communication, the One Million Faces Project invites each participant into a community of authenticity. Through the growing collection of these exclusive portraits, the One Million Faces Project reveals a body of work with undeniable connection and inspiration for each of us to be fully aligned with our truest nature from the space of the heart and shining light out into the world.

Peggy began working with her body as an art piece in 2005 while training for her first triathlon. “I’d been teaching indoor cycling for years and alongside some of my friends from the gym we began to bike, swim and run for the 2005 Danskin. I got the idea to lay on a white sheet and trace the outline of my body, I recorded my weight as I did subsequent tracings over the summer. In June 2009, as the scale tipped 255 lbs, 2 of my artist friends cast my belly in plaster. In June 2010, feeling connected and present to myself, I walked naked into a dramatic desert landscape wrapped in flowing silk as a cinematographer friend created the first video.”

Peggy’s work continues to evolve, camera in hand, both on and off her yoga mat. “Showing up to my workouts from a place of love, each step of the way has completely transformed my body and the way I look at myself. On my yoga mat I finally found the courage to drop the shame about the size and shape of my body and simply love myself. Through the eyes of love and the sound of breath I’ve lost over 50 lbs, wrapping myself with loving compassion and learning to fly.”

Peggy Dyer, loveable, exuberant lifestyle photographer, possesses a magical gift: she captures a person’s spirit in portrait form. Being in front of Peggy’s camera can feel like the end of a good yoga class, leaving you feeling renewed, connected and delightfully giggly. www.peggydyer.com