Mariela... a Mothers Love

With the New Year just around the corner, I feel inspired to take a look back at the unfolding of 2010 and make inventory of what I would like to bring forward to 2011, as well as what I can chose to step away from, in service to continued alignment, growth and stepping deeper into the truth of who I am.

One of my greatest lessons this year has come by means of Mariela, one of my favorite knitters. She has been incarcerated for over 3 years. She was brought in days after her daughter was born, who was initially taken to a home for the first year of her life, until she was reunited with her mother, in jail. This little girl named Giovanna is now a bit over 3; she is a beautiful strong being and is not afraid to express herself. One day I found her at the main gate, crying to get out, while her mother watched from afar understanding that this little one did not want to be incarcerated any longer.

Mariela has little support from family outside of prison. She is very young and more often than not, needs to buy Giovanna medication for ear infections, teeth decays, bladder infections, and stomach infections. It seems Giovanna is always sick, and Mariela is consistently working hard to help Giovanna heal.

Mariela and Giovanna, 2010

Mariela is a very talented knitter; she learns fast and knits fast once she gets the hang of a particular design. We worked for months to come up with the Sweater Vest design pattern, making one proto type after another. It was a long process, yet Mariela never gave up, she persisted even after having to unravel her work many times, until it was perfect. Any knitter will tell you that unraveling a knit piece is not fun; it’s like drawing a painting and then having to erase it.

She took great pride in the creation of the Sweater Vests and took it upon herself to make each one to perfection. I noticed she became very protective of this design, and diligently worked on each one, without any rest in between. She seemed more content and centered as each piece was finished. One day she asked me to hold her pay until she delivered all of the Sweater Vests I had requested. I agreed, knowing that she probably wanted to save the money for something important.

Once all the Sweater Vests were delivered and Mariela was ready to receive her payment, she shared with me that she was planning on using the money to buy a “toldo” which is a small (tiny) covered space most inmates buy as a place to spend their day in and hold all of their belongings. It’s the only private place they can have, if they can afford to purchase it while they are in jail. Once they leave, they can sell it to another prisoner recovering their investment. These “toldos” are very important for mothers because it allows them to nurture and care for their children in a private space, a space they can call their own, a safe space for their children to rest and be.  

Mariela did not have the means to buy a “toldo”, but she created the means by working diligently in something she believed in... her daughter. Her response and growth inspires me to continue to work diligently, unraveling and erasing that which no longer serves me, and stepping forward with what does, accepting guidance to steer my vision while allowing my journey to become a co-creation.

Hand Knit Alpaca Sweater Vest in Mocha

Photo taken by Daniel Caballero    

 Hand Knit Alpaca Sweater Vest in Grey

  Photo taken by Daniel Caballero

Mariela and all the women of Knitting Peace are a gift. We hope you love Knitting Peace and continue to help us grow as our intention for 2011 is to grow and expand, touching more and more lives each day. ~ Namaste

A story about Eulogia... who makes Knitting Peace possible

I have been in LA for a couple of weeks sharing with many people stories of my Knitting Peace experience and in this exchange, I have grown to realize that I miss seeing my team of knitters in Bolivia and their amazing children as well as being with them in the jail. Its funny to hear myself say this, its not something I had ever aspired to experience or even dreamed of, but these spirited women have weaved themselves into my journey and heart, and I am all the happier for it.

Eulogia, my Team Coordinator and Friend

I find myself raving about my team coordinator Eulogia much of the time. She and I met the  first time I went to the jail many years ago, and have worked together ever since. At one point she was my only knitter, but in time she brought forward the majority of the girls I currently work with.

In the jail there are women of all walks of life, and I would be more than happy to employ them all if I could. However, Eulogia has more street smarts than me, she protects me like a lioness and doesn't allow just anyone on our team. I trust here blindly and only bring on board who she feels can harmoniously work with us. She helps me stay focused and grounded with the reality of the jail and what we are seeking to accomplish in the long term, she points out to me when I may be off course and consistently keeps the knitters and the quality of their products in  check. Many of my knitters have shared with me that Eulogia makes them reknit some of the work when she feels it isn't up to Knitting Peace's standards.

I love and appreciate her proactive-ness, she takes pride in our work and social movement. She is an inspiration to me, and teaches me to keep on moving forward no matter how big the hurdle to overcome may seem. She was sentenced to 30 years in jail, and is on her 9th year. In a year she can re-open her case and based on her conduct, work and lawyer's ability may be eligible to reduce her sentence. I plan on standing by her in that process, assisting her the way she has taught me to assist others, with lioness pride and loyalty.

I am blessed by Eulogia, a woman of strength, pride and deep courage. She has two grown sons who visit her frequently.

Eulogia, I love this woman!

Visit our website today, to see some of the beautiful creations Eulogia makes. She has perfected our Ponchos, and makes truly amazing Throw Blankets. We are having a holiday SALE now, to inspire you to give gifts with meaning, that directly assist women like Eulogia to step out of poverty and into sustainability.

Visit www.knittingpeace.com today.

~ Namaste

The Fruits of 10 Months Work and lots of Play

With Christmas around the corner and me being back in LA, I am filled with a sense of gratitude for this years journey, lessons learned and continued pull towards greater clarity, alignment and acceptance of what is.

After 10 months of working consistently with my team of incarcerated knitters in Bolivia, I find myself in LA again with the familiar initial culture shock of the traffic, speed and marketing overload. However, I am now a week into it, the culture shock is gone and I am back to business as usual.

During my time in Bolivia my intention was to focus on creating better products, designs, opening more markets and strengthening the technical knitting skills of my knitters. As I look back, I can appreciate having accomplished all of this, however I can also see that this was the least of all that blossomed from this 10 month stay. Although I can certainly appreciate the business importance of bettering our product and expanding our market share, all of that now seems more like the icing on the cake, as opposed to the eggs and milk themselves.

In this process and journey I am learning that if I choose to make the conscious choice to focus my awareness and intention on what my heart is seeking to experience, meaning: peace, authentic connections, joy, authentic self expression, etc... and channel this intention through Knitting Peace, then it is inevitable that the feedback is going to be more peace, loving connections, joy and authentic self expression. Which  has magically shown up in our new products that have created the opportunity for new markets and greater awareness about Knitting Peace.

My point is in a very round about way, that when we let go or detach from the obvious outcome, and surrender to our hearts song, all will be accomplished perfectly and beyond our wildest dreams, leaving the initial obvious goal seemingly small compared to what in reality came forward.

Our latest 2010 Winter collection reflects the trust and deep connection that blossomed with me and my team of knitters in Bolivia. This line is more daring, unique and playful. We hope you enjoy it!

Photo by Daniel Caballero

This holiday season gift to your loved ones a Knitting Peace alpaca product, that directly assists incarcerated women and their children, in Bolivia to step out of  poverty and into sustainability and self empowerment.

Visit our website to enjoy our holiday SALE at www.knittingpeace.com

Photo by Daniel Caballero

Lessons in life, during the light filled times~ Happy Thanksgiving!

It is a rare person who can pierce the veil between ordinary life, consumed with matters of physical survival, and pursuit of the empowered path of purpose and meaning unless he or she is motivated by a crisis. Most often we require the failure of some system of power that we rely on before we take action. ~Carolyn Myss

I love this quote from Carolyn, probably because it has proved right for me on many occasions. However at this point in my life, I am also experiencing the power in taking action from a space of complete clarity and peace… and not only the dark filled times when a power system falls out of alignment.

Today I feel inspired to share about the lighter moments in life, which if we really stop to think about are more often than not and interestingly less appreciated or remembered than not.  I ponder upon this and wonder why our human condition tends to dictate a need to use our hard times as leverage to do our inner work from which we grow, taking for granted the opportunities which the lighter experiences offer to teach. 

If life in its entire splendor has its ups and downs which serve a deep purpose to us all, why is it that the downs or harder experiences tend to leave a deeper impact than the ups or lighter experiences? Have we become so immersed in our self growth that we have developed a tendency to see only the jewel in the midst of the darkness leaving less appreciation for the light filled times, that bring forward experiences of joy and love. In other words, why not also learn from the light filled times, not as parameters for how things should be, but rather opportunities to learn to simply immerse ourselves in the delight and love of what is.

During this journey with Knitting Peace, I am learning that nothing is as I had expected, yet the experience of peace and purpose which I wanted to have is fully present and embedded in my daily life. I am learning to be present to all that is, especially the moments of joy that serve as reminders and inspirations to continue to walk this path of purpose and meaning.

In service to sharing my gratitude for this light filled time, during this day of Grace and Thanksgiving, Knitting Peace is sharing our work at a drastically reduced price, for all to enjoy.  We hope you love our products, which are made with enthusiasm and joy by incarcerated women, seeking moments of empowerment and inspiration.

To enjoy our Thanksgiving Sale visit www.knittingpeace.com

May this Thanksgiving season bring you blessings of true joy and peace.

~Namaste

From Rebellion to Devotion... lifes many twists

The idea of devotion was a concept I set aside when I made the choice to step away from traditional religion, and open myself to spirituality. At the time I didn’t know what spirituality meant, but I knew in my heart I needed to follow my own spirit towards a higher meaning and life of purpose. Something away from the pre-conceived concepts of a God contained within the frame of fear and judgment. At the time this felt much like an act of rebellion which perfectly suited the 20 something year old that I was. I didn’t realize until much later how magnificently wise that young woman was. She was pretty amazing and I am so proud of her.

Once the intention to live in alignment with a higher purpose was set, many opportunities for developing the needed skills for aligning with this purpose surfaced and looking back, I can honestly confess that these have not been comfortable or easy lessons to learn, some even painful. However the new relationship that has blossomed from within myself has made each hard spot softer and easier to appreciate, bringing deep purpose to each experience as I gently knit stitch by stitch the tapestry and mastery of life.

These past weeks have brought forward on numerous occasions the opportunity for me to re-evaluate my concept of devotion. At first the word devotion started to pop up in conversations with friends, later in books and soon in my yoga and meditation practice. I opened a curios ear to all of this, but it wasn’t until I lost a significant sale opportunity for Knitting Peace due to my own procrastination that I realized... uh-oh Houston, my Angels really want my attention.

The loss of this big sale helped me come to the awareness that I wasn’t devoting myself fully to what I considered to be my life’s work and this was a representation or projection of how I was being with myself and ultimatly God. Meaning I was not fully allowing myself to authentically embrace a life of devotion to something higher than myself.

During this process all the old preconceived notions of religion, God and devotion came forward for a re-visit. However this time with the skills I accumulated since my last wrestle with devotion, I was able to hear my hearts deep yearning and longing to love open heartedly, with absolute joy, loyalty, humility and fervor. To be devoted to something higher than myself, to something which I can’t see, taste, hear or feel but know in every cell of my being loves me unconditionally and wants only for me to experience authentic, the cup runeth over kind of loving, and radiate this love unlike any love imagined by my mere mortal mind.

It is from this space that I am learning that devotion is gratitude to the sacredness of life, making each breath a moment of connection and love expressed with Source. Devotion to the spirit in every form, living in devotion to something higher than ourselves and everything in between, revealing the ilussion of separation. Living in flow as ONE and part of the whole, like drops in the ocean.

To me, this is the face of pure, unconditional love.

This is my dog Nicolas, one of my favorite beings in the Universe

Pre-adolescents in jail and nowhere to go

Knitting Peace, as a social enterprise seeks to empower its team of incarcerated women in overriding some of their limiting core beliefs with new visions of what is possible for themselves and their children.

In doing so, I am becoming more and more aware of their daily challenges within the Bolivian jail, and count on the pleasure of experiencing their trust as they share with me some of their stories and hardships. One situation which I became aware of and is of great concern to me is in regards to the children reaching the age limit to legally remain within the jail.

Legally, children of incarcerated women in Bolivia may live within the jail with their mothers until the age of six. Exceptions are made in the case of those children who don’t have family to live with outside the jail. These special cases are considered, and the children are allowed to remain within the jail until the age of 12, assuming they have no other alternative.

Once these pre-adolescents reach the age of 12, they are required to leave the jail. Fortunately by then most of these children have a family member or older sibling they can count on to support them while their mothers remain incarcerated. However, there are more than a handful of cases in which these adolescents have nowhere to go.

Picture taken by Hannah Kozak

Charo, one of my team members approached me with great concern because her daughter turns 12 next month. Charo has at least 10 more years to complete her sentence, does not have any family members she can count on to care for her daughter, and her time to decide what to do is running out fast. Charo shared with me that her alternatives are to either send her little girl to a home for street children, or rent her a little room where she can live alone. Charo says she is willing to work hard to make sure her daughters financial needs are met, but she is concerned for her daughter’s safety and well being while living on the outside without her.

To my surprise, Charo expressed much concern in sending her daughter to live in a home for homeless children, where she could count on adult supervision, discipline, schooling and food. Many of the women shared with me that in these homes their children would be exposed to street kids who have been vulnerable to drugs, prostitution and sexual abuse, and fear their children will become vulnerable to these as well while in these homes.  

For these reasons Charo and many of the women with pre-adolescents within the jail are more inclined to send their children to live alone in a rented room, without any supervision and away from the nurturing eye of their mothers.

It is in situations like this that I have a hard time understanding what the lesson opportunity is for these children. Why do some lives have to be so hard? I can’t imagine living alone at the age of 12, how I would have handled it, or what choices I may have made. It seems a recipe for disaster or at the very least another teenage pregnancy or the repetition of the cycle from which these girls were brought into.

At best, my work through Knitting Peace strives to provide opportunities to change the trajectory of the children of these incarcerated women in service to healing and empowering generations to come; however I feel I am at a loss in this situation being that the alternatives seem to lead to more of the same.  My hope is to find an alternative to bridge the gap between living with their mothers, and living in alignment with their higher purpose and well being. 

Picture taken by Hannah Kozak

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The deep inner journey thickens

During my almost 9 month stay in Bolivia, I have had the pleasure of meeting amazing, strong women who are grounded, connected, attuned to their feminine and very wise. I have learned a lot from these women; regarding the sacredness of ceremony, the importance of being a strong female today and the power we each have to affect all of which surrounds us.

I feel blessed by their presence¸ example of leadership and guidance, all of which has inspired me to begin taking steps in developing and owning my leadership skills within the compounds of the jail Knitting Peace has taken me into. From this space of deep inner knowing, I have felt called to develop a weekly program for these incarcerated women that could provide a safe and nurturing environment for healing. The program would consist of weekly classes targeting specific topics of discussion, and would last between 60-90 minutes once a week. As the weeks go by, the topics of discussion would also progress and deepen, creating a momentum and sacred bond between the participants.

My Bolivian mentors have enthusiastically agreed to join me in this effort, we have put our hearts together and set the intention of developing a weekly class that deals with topics such as self healing, empowerment, freedom to choose, family planning, affirmation setting, honoring oneself,  communicating with kindness, heartcentered listening and much much more. Our intention is to provide a safe space for healing, releasing that which no longer serves and providing skills that allow for the opportunity of personal freedom, self forgiveness and higher vision.

I am very excited about this new phase Knitting Peace is paving the way for! I am also trusting that we will be guided perfectly, allowing only that which is in service to the highest good to come forward. I also know that our team of facilitators will expand and many angels in human form will come forward to share their wisdom and experiences so our group of women will grow all the more for it.

So, this goes out to all my heart centered friends… the invitation is yours. We know the power and joy of being of service. There is great need for soul centered leadership here, and I welcome any and all assistance in facilitating or adding to this program.

Thank you for listening, ~Namaste

Taking Reiki to the jail

Recently a Reiki Master from Cochabamba expressed interest in coming to La Paz to facilitate a Reiki workshop inside the prison I work with through Knitting Peace. I initially had mixed feeling about presenting a Reiki workshop inside the jail, since Reiki is not a common practice in Bolivia, and I was concerned there might be little interest.

With the approval and support of the lead Capitan within the jail, the workshop was held in a small room which contained stacked plastic chairs. Since we had no idea how many women would show up, I optimistically laid out about 20 chairs to make sure we had plenty of seats available for everyone. As more and more women showed, the chairs seemed to multiply and the space seemed to expand. Almost 40 women participated, many of which are part of my team of knitters. It was beautiful to watch these women laugh and in some cases cry, as the Reiki Master explained the existence and purpose of our energy bodies, and how blocked energy can be released and healed. Many women courageously spoke of their past experiences, learned beliefs of what it meant to be a woman, what it meant to be an incarcerated woman and the fears they had for their children. It was touching to hear these women express themselves authentically in a group setting were not all faces were friendly.

The Reiki Master skillfully and quickly explained the power and purpose of Reiki, and how these women could help each other heal through the practice of Reiki. Inside this jail which holds about 200 women and 70 children, Reiki could prove very useful for harmonizing and healing within those walls. The women became excited to hear that they could actively participate in the healing of their friends and sisters within the jail.

The last part of the workshop was dedicated to giving the group of women the official Reiki Attunement, which they received with openness and joy. After the attunement, we practiced Reiki in pairs making sure each participant left the workshop knowing how to practice Reiki on themselves before applying it on others. It was very endearing to watch the women attune to their energy, ask that their hands be guided to go wherever healing was needed, and work in harmony with each other. The room was full of laughter, childlike play, curiosity for the new sensations they were experiencing and ultimate connection with Source.

Weeks have passed since the class, and the women continue to stop me in the corridors with questions of hand positions, expressions of gratitude for the workshop and eagerness for the Reiki Level II workshop, which we will be holding in October.

It doesn’t seize to amaze me that regardless of background, spiritual upbringing, culture or race, we humans are all bound by a common basic need to express love and receive love. I find it fascinating to experience this from inside a jail, were one might presume the last place to experience love. I am in gratitude for these women, and all they teach me. They honor me with their trust and again and again prove to be a blessing in my life.   

~ Namaste

Inspiring Women...

The past week has been plagued with news about recent reports of abuse to incarcerated women in La Paz Bolivia, specifically within the jail I work in. A Peruvian woman who allegedly attempted to escape the prison in June, denounced the prison guards of punishing her by keeping her in solitary confinement while handcuffed to her bed for 45 days.  I realize abuse within jails is not uncommon news; however when we think about the significance of women and mothers being in prison, without a sentence or trial date the injustice speaks for itself. In Bolivia 78% of incarcerated inmates are in jail without a sentence, mainly due to the lack of quick legislative processes as well as the lack of financial means on behalf of these women to legally defend themselves.


The majority of the incarcerated women, are incarcerated without a sentence for drug transporting which in impoverished countries such as Bolivia, is a very tempting way to earn enough money to care for their families. With drug trafficking at an all time high, the prison walls are filled to capacity and a solution to this cycle has yet to be found.


Indigenous Bolivian women find themselves more often than not, raising their children on their own, which is why these children have few options when their mothers are incarcerated. The majority of these women can not afford legal representation and are shuffled through the system, waiting for their sentence, often times for many years, even if they are innocent. Once their case is settled and they are given their freedom back, they are expected to pay a fine which is usually a astronomical amount for these women, especially since their opportunities to find paying jobs are limited by their incarceration. If the fines are not paid, they are not allowed to leave the prison. 

The more I see and experience, the more I realize how hard life can be for women in developing countries. Their options are limited by cultural roles, the economy, politics, little education and the lack of opportunities to break the cycle of intergenerational identities. Should these women become incarcerated, the stigma that comes along with that is dramatic. They are no longer viewed as adequate wives and mothers, and are forced to live in overcrowded spaces with little options for sustainability. The increased population within these jails due to drug related micro-trafficking poses an increase in abuse and violence within the jail.

As grim and unimaginable this may all sound, my experience of these women and their children has taught me a lot of the strength of the human spirit and how we truly have the freedom to choose our attitude in life in every given moment that we share. Every time I enter the jail doors, I am greeted with smiles, laughter, enthusiasm and authentic appreciation. I am amazed at how these women can find the will to continue to live fully, despite the negation of basic rights such as knowing how long they will be stripped of their freedom to live outside those walls.

Within these walls I have been blessed in experiencing friendship, with women I never would have imagined befriending. These women teach me everyday to use my internal strength inherent to us all, to not only survive but thrive. Thrive in the little things that make a big difference, thrive in sharing the best of oneself despite the physical discomforts our outer world reality may contain.

If these women can live enthusiastically and with laughter, then I have the response-ability to reflect back to them the same enthusiasm and joy. They teach me to give my very best, I wholeheartedly choose to receive their best, and am inspired to give back my best. And so the cycle of giving and receiving becomes one in the same, a continuous flow of love and respect.

Many people say I am kind because I choose to hire these women to knit my Alpaca product line, and in all honesty, kindness has nothing to do with it. I receive and learn so much from these women and children, that if anything, they are behaving with kindness, in teaching me to live courageously and with dignity, regardless of my circumstances. 

My Roaring Twenties

During my college years in Bolivia, I was quite the wild child, or so I judged myself to be. Surrounded by friends at all times, I danced till many sunrises, and drank more than I care to remember. For years I looked upon my roaring 20’s as that period in my life during which I was lost, at risk and reckless. I judged that young women harshly for her choices and what seemed to me as a lack of self love and respect for one’s safety.

Throughout my life time, my heart has always guided me back to Bolivia, it has been this way since I can remember, and once again I find myself in Bolivia, now well into my 30’s, seemingly more mature, and beyond the limitations of my roaring 20’s… or so I thought.

These past few months in Bolivia have reflected to me the harsh judgments I held over the younger one within, despite all the self counseling’s and healing of memories, no process has proved to be more effective in healing this area in my life, than actually being in the den of the lions cage.

The beauty of it all is that despite the harsh judgments I was holding, this younger one within showed up in the most graceful and gentle manner possible, taking over my thoughts and interests. She day by day reminded me how fabulous I was, how fun and full of joy, how courageous and authentic, and how free and self honoring I behaved. I have been reliving my college years through her eyes, and what I have joyfully been shown is that she is me, and I am she, nothing has changed, and there is no need to judge. I am her today, with more awareness of my light. And although she may have not been aware of her light at a conscious level, she certainly knew what her heart wanted and always had the courage to follow it. Because of her strength of heart, I am who I am today, and trust my own courage to take leaps of faith, towards the fulfillment of my hearts desires.

Without that, or better said, without her, Knitting Peace may not have been. So it is once again, with a smile on my face, that I honor that wild child within, who has helped the seemingly illogical and reckless, become delightfully possible.

Knitting Peace is a social enterprise that empowers incarcerated women in surpassing their own past choices and turning them into opportunities for healing by embracing and accepting that younger one within. Knitting for these women has become a tool used to enter into the space of healing, and the outcome is reflected into each sacred piece they elaborate. 

Through the practice of knitting healing begins, deepens and transforms   ~ Namaste

Black or White, and the Infinite shades of Grey in between….

I have been in Bolivia for almost 4 months, and my stay here is just starting to take shape. Initially, true to Angelino form, I expected my process and lessons to take between 6 to 8 weeks, at the end of which I would be ready to go back to the City of Angels, evolved, empowered and ready to hit the hamster wheel again. I am grateful to say I was completely off course.

The main purpose of my trip to La Paz was to continue to grow my business Knitting Peace, however once I decided to stay, I was unsure of what to expect or plan for. As I recall that frame of thought, I can’t help but giggle. Planning on what to expect… how silly of me to think I had any control over what would emerge from this journey.

One of my biggest lessons has been to release the habit of thinking linearly. Having been raised by South Americans in North America, and learning at a very early age that all has a tendency to follow a certain logic of cause and effect; has resulted in living life linearly, meaning that if I do A, then B will come as a result, and C will manifest. The “if I do this, then I will obtain this” frame of thought and being, has resulted in an experience of life as either all or nothing, black or white, right or wrong, bad or good, abundant or poor, etc.

During these months of stillness and self observation I have delightfully experienced myself as non-linear, able to just be and to observe that in the none doing, none planning and none thinking linearly, more space is created for the infinite shades of grey to emerge, beyond the limitations of black and white linear thinking. From this space, it is amazing to observe and experience how everything serves our spiritual development, simultaneously and in perfect alignment, beyond all or nothing thinking or the division of time and space.

Caroline Myss (my partner on this voyage) reminds us that we as Hu-man beings are living in an exquisite period in time; we have entered a world in which we are moving from a time of reasoning in a linear and organized fashion (8 hours a day for work, 7 hours for sleep, 5 hours for family, etc) and shifting to being holographic, where things are happening simultaneously instead of linearly. “The journey for us is to cease seeing our commitments to our marriage partners, to our families, to our jobs as threats to our spiritual development, instead they are our assignments, they’re our companions, and they are exactly where they are supposed to be… Give your self a holographic blueprint to work from, all things simultaneous, everything serves everything, instead of all or nothing, instead of division of time and space, put it all together, begin to think holographically” ~ Caroline Myss, Anatomy of the Spirit.

It is from this space that I embrace my social enterprise Knitting Peace as my companion on this journey, which brings forward the perfect lessons for me to jump through, and motivates me to continue growing spiritually in service to bringing growth to the incarcerated women I work with. I have observed in these past few months that Knitting Peace is serving me as a mirror for where I am, and which limiting beliefs I have held and need to release. As I release and evolve, the result is creative flow and a deepening connection with my team of knitters. When I am still and not doing, Knitting Peace seems to run on autopilot, and the girls in synchrony become busy with other projects that assist them in supporting themselves. When I am closed off and seemingly disconnected, the girls reflect back to me my dis-ease through imbalances in our communication or experiences of distrust, all in service to spiritual growth and development.

  

If you would like to learn more about the work Knitting Peace does, and the beautiful products our team of incarcerated Bolivian women make, please visit our website www.knittingpeace.com. Your purchase directly helps these women and their children to lead lives which are sustainable, empowered and free to choose. 

Diving into the Mystery

On occasion I take a view of my past life within the corporate world, when life seemed to be comprised of a list of bills which needed to be paid, and I held an uninspiring adult job in order to accomplish this, under the illusion that I needed those bills and job to consider myself a functional, well balanced adult.

These days while continuing my Knitting Peace journey in Bolivia, I fill my day with investments of a more spiritual nature, and I am growing to realize that life as I knew it does not matter, what I fill my day with does not matter, what really matters is how I choose to be with myself and consequently others as I do whatever it is I am choosing to do. There is no right or wrong choice, but a way of being with each choice we make.

I have been inspired by the writings of Caroline Myss during this journey and her encouraging words to dive into the mystery and jump into the fear echo in my being, inspiring me to remain in the stillness of Bolivia, until I realize why I was guided to come here in the first place.

I am wandering through this land, picking up rejected pieces of myself left behind during my college years while being reminded of the perfection of it all, and am marveled at how ordinary miracles have become.  It really is as simple as “ask and you shall receive”, because no prayer goes unanswered, and every answer comes with its lesson, which is so much better than the response originally hoped for. Life is so rich, when we allow ourselves the joy of saying yes to our hearts and follow the unknown path, rediscovering what we already knew, and re-membering our true essence, which is so much more than bills, work, and busyness.

I am here today, learning and practicing being in the present moment, trusting that this is exactly where I need to be, or else I would not be here; while opening myself to receiving the infinite support the Universe has to offer, and sharing myself authentically with all. 

I am grateful for this journey, with all of its ups and down, colorful bright moments mixed in with hard spots, and valleys of space. I am in the City of Peace, which is surrounded geographically with exactly what my journey resembles, a vast range of high and low colorful hard mountains, and open space, reminding me once again of the perfection of it all. I am grateful, I am gratitude, I am.

Inspiration from Climate Change

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the World Peoples Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. The conference was held in Cochabamba, a small city in Bolivia, where the Water War took place in 2000.

Unfortunately the vast majority of the publicity and attention that was given to this event focused on the interesting opinions expressed by the Bolivian president Evo Morales during the inaugural speech, regarding chickens, plastic and Coca Cola; diverting from the importance of what actually took place during this historic and symbolic global event, where people from all over the world congregated to speak of our environmental crisis and what can be done to reverse or stop Climate Change.

I feel blessed to have witnessed and experienced this 4 day conference, where 17 important and specific topics where discussed concurrently in work groups with the intention of drafting a document to be presented to the UN in Cancun this December, specifying what the People want, in regards to the care of our Mother Earth.

Beyond any expectations of what may actually happen with these requests, my experience of this event lies in the beauty and love which all the participants have for our planet. Thousands of people from all over the world, gathered to express their love and respect for our Earth, with the intention of shifting the way Earth, our Mother is being treated. I didn’t hear in depth scientific explanations regarding why Carbon Dioxide/Monoxide, etc is causing catastrophic damage to our atmosphere at a rate of blah blah blah… instead, I heard over and over again, Earth (Pacha) is our Mother (Mama), and we must protect our Mother, because without our Mother we seize to exist, not the other way around.

This voice resonated amongst everyone their, where differences in color, race and nation no longer divided, but united in harmony and love for our Mother Earth. 

I feel deeply inspired by this experience, and feel it will shape in some way the manner in which I grow my Social Enterprise. Its not just about seeking materials or processes which are friendlier to the environment, it has now become about seeking ways in which I can choose to show my love and respect for Mother Earth, in what I do and how I am.  I realize this is a huge commitment, however in light of the past and how it has not served our Mother, I feel its time for huge commitments. 

What are some of the commitments that you can  make today to show your love and respect for our Mother Earth?

Click here to go to the official World People's Conference website

What inspires me about working with incarcerated women

I love presenting my team of knitters with a new design for them to make, at the moment we are working on our new Cardiwraps, made in Baby Alpaca. When they are presented with a new design, initially they act nervous and express concern, doubting their ability to do it. We go over the instructions carefully, exchange ideas of how to best work the design, negotiate a wage that is fair and works for them, they express their concern once again just in case I didn’t hear it the first time; and off they go. We have worked on many new designs and they are not only able to make them, but make them beautifully excelling their own expectations of what they are capable of. They have yet to realize how talented and smart they are, I am here to remind them.

Why this group of women holds such a dear space in my heart is hard to say. What I do know is that they inspire me with their will to survive and ability to laugh and smile. Despite their limited freedom and living conditions they seem to be aware that they are free to choose their state of being and attitude. I am always greeted with a smile and appreciation for the work we do. They have shared that knitting brings them peace, I hope they know that the peace they are feeling is coming from within them, and has always been their regardless of their circumstances.

Working with these women brings me great joy; I am grateful to have broken away from my past conditioning and trusted my own heart. It is within the echoes of the heart, where our song resides. Learning to listen is the first step, and by far the hardest. However once we open ourselves up to listening to the echoes, the song little by little starts to make sense and alas… in a matter of time we re-member the words and the rhythm so clearly it almost seems strange to not have noticed it before. In that moment there’s no turning back, the song becomes us and our heart is free to be and lead once again. The mind is a powerful tool, to be used in service of the heart, once we align to this, things seem to easily fall into place. 

Everyday I awake, and am marveled by the life I have chosen and created. Everyday a fear of some sort wants to be heard, and on most days I remind myself to allow my heart to lead the journey and trust that there is no-thing to fear for when we follow our heart, we are authentically living in complete alignment with our purpose and universal birth right. 

Children raised in Jail

Upon my first visit to the Women’s Jail in La Paz back in 2005, I immediately noticed that knitting inside the jail is a form of life, and a means of survival. The items these women knit are meant to be sold in the outside world, and in some cases made for outside Artisans, most of who pay very low wages.  

Another peculiarity of this jail is that it houses more children than inmates, being that the women who have children, which most do, are legally allowed to bring their children under the age of six into the jail with them, in order to protect them from being out on the streets or in abusive homes. It is not uncommon for some of the women to have more than one child in the jail with them and some children over the age of six remain within the jail if special circumstances exist, and they don’t have a safe alternative. The children are given free medical assistance, food and daycare. The children who are over the age of 6, are escorted out of the jail everyday to attend school and at the end of the day, escorted back in.

At first glance, this situation seems inadmissible and hard to image, yet as I ponder on the available alternatives, I can appreciate the benefits of housing the children close to their mothers, who at the very least have the option of nurturing them while incarcerated.

Another benefit of having children within the jail is that it seems to keep the women busy and focused on their priorities, which I believe lessons the outbreak of violence and confrontations amongst the inmates. I have never felt unsafe while visiting the jail, and appreciate the little smiling faces I encounter during my daily visits.

Having shared this, I don’t believe a prison of any kind is an ideal environment for a child’s upbringing; they are exposed to women who have committed violent crimes, drug and alcohol abuse, conjugal visits, older children who in some cases have been brought up in abusive environments and other situations children are not emotionally or mentally prepared for.

However in Bolivia an alternative does not yet exist which provides the children a home environment that encourages them to thrive, while allowing them the freedom to visit and connect with their mothers on a regular and consistent basis.

These children are not street kids or orphans, they have mothers.  However within most homes or orphanages, the children are not able to visit the prison to see their mothers, due to the lack of available human resources needed to physically take the children to the jail on a regular basis.  This is why most mothers choose to take their children inside the jail with them, as opposed to leaving them in a home.

The penitentiary system in Bolivia has questioned this arrangement for years, especially in regards to the safety of the children living in the men’s jail; however an alternative has not been brought forward which is financially realistic and meets the needs of the inmates and the penitentiary system to date.

In the mean time, I continue to work with these mothers, and enjoy the presence of these little beings, appreciating how they so naturally elevate the mood and loving within the prison walls.