Just spent the past five days at a 5Rhythms dance meditation workshop in Philadelphia called "Cycles".

It was beautiful opportunity to honor humanity...to take the time to explore and investigate the Cycles of Life through movement and dance, and dance our stories about our own families and lineage.

In preparation for the workshop, I sat down with my Mom and Dad and created this family tree. I learned some pretty amazing stuff, including that my Great Grandmother Katie (who I am named after) was a seamstress and a fortune-teller.

The picture on the right is Katie's daughter, my grandmother "Nanny". Nanny was one tough Brooklyn broad. She died when I was in High School, but I've always felt connected to her...One day a Hawaiian woman working at the Hele gas station saw my Nanny's energy around me and told me she's always with me.

Im about 10 years old in the picture on the left with my parents, and it pretty much sums up my relationship with them: lots of love and care and they totally have my back.

I came out of this workshop with more compassion for my parents, a deep appreciation of my own story and really such a reverence for Being human.

We may all have different experiences of how Life unfolds, but we were all born and take a very special and specific journey through childhood, adolescence and maturity to death.

Life maybe painful at times, but it is certainly nothing less than truly beautiful.