WELCOME TO THE DREAMERS. 

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Hi friends! So there’s me, Yoni. I’m quite the airy-fairy. My friends know me as grounded, always with my hands in the earth. But I have a theory that I do that because I’m so airy and in la-la land most of the time. Then there’s Ryan, my husband. He’s this incredible man who will learn to do anything to build his skillset. We make an incredible team together with lots of dynamic energy! We’ve lived and tended on different pieces of land for the last decade together. Then there’s Bodhi - our eldest! He’s almost eight. Super fiery, passionate boy with the heart of a lion. He really looks out for everyone. Then there’s Bloem - pronounced Bloom. She’s almost six. Her name says it all. She’s this delicate flower that takes a while to open. But those who really know her get to bask in all her amazing attributes. She’s a little fairy, too. She loves flowers as much as I do. Then there’s Zeya! He’s almost four. He’s our wildcard and, I dare say, the most feral of them all. He keeps things fun and interesting and also has the biggest heart.

Home is where the heart is. We’ve moved so much in our eight years of being a family. In fact, for more than two years of my relationship with Ryan, we’ve lived in tents. We’ve done things VERY rustically, and it’s not something I’ve shared a whole lot about. “Home” is on Kaua’i, Hawaii. We’ve lived there on and off for the last six years and in different places on the island, too. Anyone who’s been here knows how special it is. This is one of the oldest Hawaiian islands, and there are no active volcanoes here. A lot of folks feel that each island has a different energy. I feel like Kaua’i is this sweet but stern grandmother energy - the wise woman, crone. She gives you a warm, tender hug but will also call you out and ask you to go deeper within yourself. 

We love being here and are always called back, yet there’s this feeling of impermanence. Our family lives far away - all the way in Georgia (the state). We were blessed with the miracle of owning a little homestead in Florida. So, my home is Florida and Georgia as well. We have a wish to live closer to our family, but the islands hold us here for now. We will cherish the time the islands hold us. The aloha spirit is something truly special that I wish for everyone to experience. 

Thank you so much! It’s a mix of things. I have a photography page as well - @earthtoyoniphotos and in my bio, I say that nature is my muse. The earth inspires me so much. Beyond that, I think what inspires me is rawness, authenticity, and capturing memories. I like a more documentative approach when shooting my family or other families. There’s something really sweet about just capturing a natural essence that effortlessly exists. I don’t want to shoot anything that feels forced. I hope that’s portrayed through my Instagram accounts.

I have to be honest and say that homeschooling may even be too structured of a term! I think we fall into the unschool / lifeschool category more. I think we could be more structured at times, and I’m open to that eventually unfolding! But with my children, who are almost eight, six, and four years old, I want them to have a childhood rooted in freedom, play, experience, and learning through all those things. I went to a regular public school, and I hated it. It was so boring. I needed so much more. In a lot of ways, I feel like it repressed me and my desire to learn. My husband, however, was homeschooled and spoke so highly of it. 

On the island, homeschooling/unschooling is quite common. I think, ultimately, our decision was based on wanting to spend time with our children, exploring and doing life with them vs. the system raising them. I don’t want to offend anyone, but I have some pretty loud views on the public school system and why I feel it’s more detrimental to our children than good. I want to cultivate a life for my children where every opportunity is an opportunity to learn. 

I firmly believe children have a potent natural desire for learning, and if we let them go at their own pace and allow them to study things they are passionate about, they will always excel. Bodhi and Bloem basically taught themselves to read. Bodhi has read entire children’s encyclopedias and spits random facts out at me all day long. Bodhi can catch, process, and cook his own fish. Bodhi and Bloem can start fires with a bow drill. All my children can garden, grow food, and identify wild edible plants and medicinals. Life is school!!

Absolutely! For us, it’s predominantly this embodiment of presence and connection. Our connection to ourselves, to each other, to the earth. Also how and where we fit into the whole equation. Reciprocity and compassion come to my mind as well. It’s just embedded within us. What it looks like is saying good morning to the sun. Starting our days slow and nourished. Eating meals together. Expressing gratitude at meal times. Going out into nature and making nature mandalas as offerings. Or bringing herbs or flowers we’ve grown and giving those as offerings to the land before we jump into the water. Picking up rubbish that we didn’t bring or place there. It’s tending to the land we live on. 

Continuously planting more things - because the land holds us, so we give back. See? Reciprocity. When we plant things, we put our hands around the little plant and say sweetly, “Grow, baby, grow!” It’s noticing a bee land on a flower and saying hello. It’s noticing which birds sit in which tree at what time of day. It’s acknowledging the rainbow, dancing in the rain, taking deep breaths, and noticing the sunset at the end of the day. I recently wrote an ebook on cultivating mindfulness in children. It’s called Divine Child. I dive into it all a lot more there. With 13 different activities to do with your children to help them cultivate mindfulness. 

You can find it via my Instagram Bio. Or here: https://stan.store/Earthtoyoni

Do you have any advice for new mamas?

Find your tribe and community if you can! Seek support or ask for help. Spend time in nature! Let the ultimate mother (earth) hold the mother and the baby. Nature teaches us a lot, even about motherhood. Listen, and she’ll whisper her wisdom. Give yourself time to embody this new version of yourself. The maiden is the old archetype now. Not just a baby is born, but the mother is born too! I’ve been a mother for almost eight years now, and I feel like I just reached a new level of “OMG, I’ve finally got it!!!.” But surely I’ve “gotten” it before this? Time and time again? I’ve learned it’s initiation after initiation after initiation. Each phase is so beautiful. Try and honour every part of it.

What are your plans for the year ahead?

The first thing that comes to my mind is slowness. I have this beautiful desire to soften, and slow down. I’m dissolving these old constructs that I once held. I’m relearning that, as women, we have this magical ability to soften and embody our femininity. When we create space to do that, we tap into this primordial power. It’s this incredible dance we get to dance. So there’s that! I’m also forever a student of “magic in the mundane.” How can we make laundry/dishes/chores mindful and magical? How can we build a foundation of ceremony in EVERY aspect of our lives? Beyond those things, I plan to grow more flowers and food, surf with my little fam, hopefully travel somewhere new and neat, and continue to be stewards of this earth!

Favourite Banabae pieces?

Considering we live on a tropical island, we just love the swimwear and sarongs. I love the Island Time sarong. The Island Time rashie and shorts for the boys and the Lola suit for Bloem. I was honestly amazed at the quality of the swimwear. I have to mention that! Wow, it’s so well made!! I love the retro vibes of all the pieces y’all have online.

Shop Yoni's family favourites: