When You Know You Know

Today my friend Ali married her soul mate Brandon on the beach in Nosara at five this evening. I arrived just after four to prepare; I was going to sing the welcoming song and wanted to be there early enough to help, and lend any support I could. Katherine, (Kati) who is a Kundalini Yoga teacher and priestess was there readying her smudge pot, a ritualistic fire whose smoke is used to cleanse the atmosphere as well as the participants in the ceremony. Schlomo, the officiate was gathering everyone as they came in keeping a watch on the time and the scene. Jane, who I can only describe as our wise woman in this community kept time on a Tibetan bowl with a wooden stick. How this event unfolded is like a dream. First of all, the fact that Ali and Brandon were marrying on the eighth day of their union caught us all by surprise. Knowing Ali for over a month now, I know her to be a no nonsense, dedicated woman to her business and practice here in Nosara as the Pilate’s guru and teacher. I also know her to be dedicated to this community and have had several conversations with her about her gratitude for Nosara and what it has done for her personally, how this community has enabled her to cultivate her strengths and passions. Then out of the blue this man drops in. I saw them together for the first time last Friday night at our concert with Edin Solis, my husband Dan was there and we both witnessed the connection and intense energy between Ali and Brandon. It was palpable; we actually talked about it. Four days later I was asked to sing at the wedding. I asked Ali and Brandon what they wanted me to sing, but they wanted me to choose the song. I told them I would meditate on it and I did. Between late Tuesday evening and the next morning the song that gravitated to me for Ali and Brandon was, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. I don’t really sing this song, a Roberta Flack song, but it is my mother’s favorite and exemplifies a pure and simple love that I felt was perfect for Ali and Brandon-“And I knew our joy would fill the earth, and last till the end of time..the first time ever I saw your face..” It was hard to sing with out crying. I was honored to open the ceremony. We were all in a semi-circle around the couple, a perfect mix of our treasured Nosara community; surfers just out of the surf. wet and wearing only board shorts and bathing suits, women and men half dressed, bathing suit tops over flowing skirts, crisp white shirts thrown over bathing suits, more board shorts no shirts, people dressed for the occasion in beautiful dresses with flowers tucked into hair, and dogs every where running in and out of our circle barking loudly as I sang. All I could see as I sang was Brandon crying so I closed my eyes. Afterward Schlomo lead us in a Kundalini mantra, Sa Ta Na Ma, Earth, Living, Death and Rebirth- we chanted this for at least ten minutes, together our voices rising and then falling to a whisper and then rising again. There was a reading from the book of Solomon and words of wisdom from Jane about “Sacred Time” This ceremony was taking place on a graveyard by the sea and we acknowledged the ancestors and recognized the holiness of this union on this particular spot and also acknowledged that everything past, future, present, is right here in the now and the now is all we have. There was another reading, “Poem to my Wife” by M. S. S. Vikram Singh Khalsa that completely hit home with me, and then the vows written by Ali and Brandon, quietly spoken to each other. After sealing it with a kiss, we expanded our circle out towards the beach and chanted a closing mantra- Ali and Brandon chanting, “Sat Nam” and us answering, “Wahe Guru”. Truth is our identity, bow to the divine wisdom within. The rain that had been threatening the entire afternoon, never really fell, the sun burst out of the clouds to set on the horizon at the height of our singing and finally Brandon and Ali vibrating with all of the love and support given to them in this sacred hour, tore their clothes off, grabbed their surfboards and jumped into the ocean as we all watched them paddle into the setting sun. “When you know you know” (Ali)