Padma and the Blue Castle

By Patricia Carpizo Kauffman

Faced with overcoming fear of the unknown, Padma struggles to live her life as she always dreamed it should be. Then, with wisdom from her grandmother and inspiration from her family, she begins to find the strength and courage to take charge of her own life. In order to do this she must journey inward and unlock the doors that hold her spirit back. Through the power of yoga, Padma learns that not only are mind, body, and spirit connected, but when they are in harmony, the world is simply what she makes it.

Padma and the Blue Castle provides inspiration and nourishment to the body, mind, and soul. It includes yoga poses (Asanas) and meditation that enhances imagination, well-being, and strength. It promotes the discipline and practice that is necessary to accomplish all of lifes goals, as well as the wisdom of listening to the heart in order to create more hope, love, and peace in oneself and in the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Aug 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781452556093

Patricia Carpizo Kauffman

Patricia has been a Yoga Instructor for the last 40 years, and specializes in Yoga for children. She loves working with youngsters. She grew up as the 2nd oldest in a family of 8 children, and loved to make up stories to tell to her younger siblings to help them fall asleep. This continued with her own 3 children and her 5 grandchildren. Storytelling is part of her makeup. She also taught Spanish to 1st through 4th graders at 2 different Waldorf schools for 16 years. She was born in Mexico City and began her yoga practice at age 17. At age 20 she was fortunate to travel with a group of students to visit the Taruhumara Indians in northern Mexico, the state of Chihuahua, in the Barranca deI Cobre [Copper Canyon] for a month. She learned a lot of their customs, and was awestruck by the beauty of nature, the amazing richness, and the wonderful connection that the Indians had with this. She began her meditation practice at age 25 while visiting the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Ganeshpuri, India. These 2 chapters in her life, plus the incredible spiritual experiences of her 3 pregnancies and natural childbirths, and raising her children....all contributed to her burning desire to write about her life. She lives in Auburn, CA in a beautiful house with a 180 degree view of the sunset, with her husband. She teaches Yoga and Meditation at in a medical office in Auburn. The inspiration for her book came through her daily meditation practice, and from there she wanted to inspire children to dive in deep and find their own treasures within.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Padma was born in a cozy home on a luminous winter day. Though the weather was cold, her parents bathed her with the warmest of love and care. Her mother, when she was pregnant, often dreamed of a beautiful pond with transparent waters on the surface of which rested a multitude of brilliant lotus flowers, glowing with the seven colors of the rainbow. These experiences brought her immense joy. This was the reason why she named her Padma, which means ‘lotus’ in Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages on Earth. She grew up happy and graceful in an environment permeated with the spirit of Yoga. Padma was tall, with long legs that enabled her to jump over water puddles without ever getting her shoes wet. Her curly dark brown hair sparkled in the sunlight, in beautiful contrast with her eyes, aquamarine-colored like the Caribbean Sea. The light from above was reflected in her eyes, producing an aura all around her face. Her cinnamon-colored skin was soft and smooth. She loved music, and her long, beautiful fingers made it easy for her to practice her piano lessons, which she did joyously, with rigor and persistence. She was charismatic and set on her goals, and was about to turn twelve. Padma’s mother, a teacher of Yoga, on one occasion said to her:

Now, Padma, pay attention. I’m going to explain to you something important about Hatha Yoga.

Padma sat down and listened.

"Hatha Yoga means union between Sun and Moon, between Mother Universe and Mother Earth, between the individual soul and the universal soul. The postures, or poses, are called asanas in Sanskrit and each asana has an English name and its corresponding name in Sanskrit."

Padma was so young that she couldn’t understand all those words. They sounded mysterious to her. She thought that perhaps this union between Sun and Moon was like an eclipse she had seen once. Maybe this was what her mother meant. Padma also imagined that the Universal Mother wore a cape made up of planets and galaxies, suns and moons, and pictured Mother Earth bedecked in flowers, trees, rivers and oceans. The two of them embraced in love, just as she did her own mother. Padma’s mind wandered trying to make sense of her mother’s words. But one thing was definitely clear to her: Yoga was fun.

Every day Padma practiced her favorite Yoga postures. One of these was the Tree Pose, known in Sanskrit as Vrksasana (virkshasana). Padma always laughed when she tried to pronounce Sanskrit words, because they sounded so funny and weird, like tongue twisters. Every time she would practice Vrksasana she felt as if she was actually a tree—her feet growing roots, her trunk strong and steady, and her branches (arms) growing, reaching for the sky. Once even a bird stood for two seconds on her open fingers! Wow! What an experience! She really felt one with the trees.

Another posture she loved was Tadasana (Mountain Pose).

What is a mountain like? her mother asked her.

Strong and mighty, she answered. Nothing, not even a powerful storm, can make her move.

That’s right, Padma.

The girl could feel within her own body the strength and power of the mountain.

Then there was Garudasana, the Eagle Pose, which made her imagine herself standing on top of a mountain peak, scanning with her piercing eyes the surrounding magnificence of Mother Nature... and then spreading her wings and flying with such freedom. Padma’s imagination grew and grew as she practiced one Yoga asana after another. She was thrilled with it.

002_a_milibro.tif

The town where she lived was surrounded by meadows, with green grass, lots of flowers, lots of poplar trees and mighty pines. When the wind moved through the poplar trees the trembling leaves seemed to Padma like a shimmering of bells. Birds with different types of feathers and colors flew here and there all day long. Padma loved their songs. She wanted to sing like them. So, when out in the field, she took pleasure in performing the Flower Pose (Vikasitakamalasana) and the Butterfly (Baddhakonasana). The Flamingo (Ekapadasana) was a favorite because she had to stand on one foot only. And during the Stork Pose (Virabhadrasana III) she had to move her arms as if they were wings, while singing to herself, her heart joyfully connected with her surroundings. She had a beautiful voice, just like the birds. Occasionally, on summer nights, when there was no moon in the sky, just pure dark night, millions of stars would spread their glow in the heavens. She would then saunter out to the open field and wait, in silence... until... all of a sudden, what she called the magic would commence: a host of fireflies would appear, in the thousands, flashing their soft lights, as if they were the echo of the stars. My fairies have come! she would say to herself and dance with them to the chords of a symphony of silent music.

003_a_milibro.tif

This left Padma completely overcome by a sense of awe in her heart. What a scene! She felt one with the