Acknowledgements

My deepest gratitude to our ancestors, upon your shoulders we stand, and may you continue to use me as a vessel for your spirit and passion, strength and wisdom, beauty and grace. This book is your reflection and now our shared dreams.

This project is bigger than just one person, and honestly, it’s bigger than just a book. There were so many people involved in helping bring it to fruition. The Poetry of Yoga started as a workshop series until my dear friend Katie Capano planted the seed in my brain to turn it into a book. Over the two years, from idea to manifestation, she was always my first opinion. From there it was a snowball of amazing volunteers, supporters, and kindred spirits helping to make it a reality.

Indispensable through the whole process was Laura Berol. In the beginning of 2011, she came on as a One Common Unity fellow, assigned to this fundraising initiative. She helped manage and direct communications for the project, organized databases, and created outreach trackers. She was the only one, other than me, who read all the submissions that came in through our website. Most importantly, she was so unbelievably gracious with her time and heart.

Also, great thanks to Bethany Wichman and Chivonnie Gius-Meekins, for their support in the office and belief in my dream that this book would raise money for One Common Unity youth programs! Interns Ariel Saidman and Albatoul Basha were instrumental during the infant stages of this project.

In the final phase, Max C. Gilbert was tremendous and meticulous in completing the layout and design for Volume 1. Bill Tipper pushed in the clutch when he offered one of his gorgeous photographs for the front cover in the last moments before production. His work is divine (www.billtipper.com).

A special thank you to Sarah of Massey Media who spent a year helping me sculpt a story arc and National Tour for the workshop series back in 2010. Jill Kianka of Vico Rock Media provided amazing web development and design of The Poetry of Yoga site.

The wonderful Erin Weston worked diligently to record and produce audio and video. And her colleague Michael Lindley assisted her in putting together the informational video announcing the book launch.

As I burned the midnight oil, there were numerous people who stepped up by helping with suggestions, edits, revisions, recording audio, producing media broadcasts, and PR, including: Sia Tiambi Barnes, Doug Swenson, Radhakrishna Kasat, Chelsea Edgett, Mikuak Rai, Sharon Gannon, Sianna Sherman, Ellie Walton, Jessica Durivage, Diane Ferraro, Rod Stryker, Joanne Jagoda, Bob Weisenberg, Shiva Rea, Debra & Ian Mishalove, Lalita Noronha-Blob, Utamu Onaje, Luke Shors, and Madhuri Kasat.

Then finally, I met Steve Scholl, publisher of White Cloud Press. He saw great potential in all I was doing and was so moved by the project that he offered to publish it under the White Cloud name. Both him and Christy Collins, production manager of White Cloud Press, were fantastic in creating a new layout and design for this new edition of Volume 1 and taking it out to the masses!

Infinite love to my parents and family who have always been supportive of all my crazy ideas; and, of course, to all of you! The hundreds upon hundreds of people who sent in poetry, shared the word with their friends, and lent their voices to this massive project.