Happy Birthday (Yogi?) Peter! Walking the Yogic Walk July 20, 2025
- rockbriarfarm
- Jul 19
- 4 min read
Happy Birthday to my husband, Pete. He turned 70 today. He wanted a party, he loves parties, but since I had just had surgery I could not pull it off. I hope that he will let the boys and I throw him a bash in a month or so. He deserves it.
Why write about Pete in a yoga inspired blog? There are a few reasons. Firstly, I just love a public forum to celebrate him, more importantly, he inspires my practice every day. He is a yogi (and no, he doesn’t go to yoga classes).
A traditional definition of yogi includes pursuit of self-realization, inner peace and union with a higher power. It also includes adherence to the 8 limbs. Pete, who has never studied yoga, either the asanas (except with me) or the philosophical or historical aspects, indeed lives his life as a yogi.
As someone who faced personal adversity as a young adult, Peter turned his life around and dedicated most of his life to others. As part of that initial turnaround, he needed to do significant introspection to understand more about himself and how to move forward, cultivating the positive and healing himself in the process - Self-Realization. As he found his new path, going on to become a clinical social worker and counselor, he cultivated kindness and compassion to others and himself practicing Ahimsa, the first of the yamas. He is always truthful (Satya); he is respectful of others’ time and possessions (Asteya). He is a compassionate listener and dedicates a tremendous amount of time volunteering to help the homeless, the disenfranchised and the addicted. In this way, he practices Santosha, accepting others and their circumstances and Seva, selfless service. He studied hard to become a social worker but also read and learned a tremendous amount about mental health, recovery and compassion, demonstrating his commitment to learning about himself through self-study and sacred texts (Svadhyaya). Having learned at the age of 33 that he could not control his addictions on his own, he surrendered to a higher power, working hard to take one day at a time and understood he was not the center of the universe (Ishvarapranidhana). He practices pranayama in his own way (I hear him breathe deeply and count to 10 when I nag him about stuff around the house, that counts, doesn’t it?). 🤣😂
I know he works every day to be the best version of himself he can, while being an amazing, selfless son, son-in-law, father, husband and friend. Lately he has served as nurse, chef, cleaning person and chauffeur as I recover from my hip surgery. He has also been known to do a little asana work (on Zoom so I can’t correct him), plays a tremendous amount of pickleball, walks, rides his bike and hikes with me (with persuasion). He yokes his mind, his body and breath, As I mentioned, he leads a yogic life.
Lest you think he is perfect, I should mention here that he can sometimes be a little cranky, has a short-ish fuse and needs a nap every day to maintain his good self. He is, of course, human. He is also a wonderful chef, pickle ball player and companion, Happy 70th Birthday to my inspiration, Peter!
Our Practice - Forward Fold
As I mentioned, Pete is not a dedicated asana practitioner. He is an athlete and has, in recent years, committed to more stretching. Seated forward fold is an amazing stretch for the whole posterior chain, an excellent one to do after a challenging pickle ball match or gardening session.
Come to seated in dandasana, staff pose, with the legs extended out in front of you and the arms alongside the body. Press through the heels.
On an inhale, engage the core, extend the arms upward, reach through the fingertips while lenghtening the spine, draw the shoulders away from the ears.
Fold forward on an exhale lengthening out over the legs with flat back. The bend is coming from the hips, not the waist.
Keep lengthening the spine with every exhale. The feet remain active with the toes flexing towards the body. Try not to round the spine but lengthen, it is not about how far you go but feel the lengthening.
Hands may hold your shins, ankles or feet. You can also use a towel or strap around the soles of the feet if the hamstrings are tight. Continue to breathe and lengthen your spine.
Come back to dandasana by drawing the tailbone into the earth, using you r core, let go of your hold and bring the torso back to perpendicular to floor.
Meditation - What is a Yogi?
"The truest yoga isn't on the mat, but in how you navigate the world, one mindful breath at a time" ~ Aadil Palkhivala
"A yogi's practice extends beyond asanas, into kindness, compassion, and a balanced approach to all of life's experiences."
"Walking the yogic path is not about perfection, but about the continuous journey of self-discovery and conscious living."
Nurturing with Food - Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Since this week's blog is about Pete, I am reprinting this recipe for the pie I made him last summer which he reported was the best pie he has ever eaten. While not a huge fan of all my vegan creations, he does like my pies, I make a good pie crust (crisco is not healthy but it is vegan!). Peter loves all things strawberry (jam, sundaes, pie, ice cream). The rhubarb tempers the sweetness and adds to the texture. I am not passing this off as health food, this is my grandmother, Julia's recipe. Enjoy!
See you on the mat (soon I hope!)
Namaste,
Julia Anne
Happy 70th Birthday and Namaste to Pete!!!! I really enjoyed this heartfelt tribute to a truly special and inspirational man. I especially appreciated the reminders of the many ways to practice yoga off the mat.