The turtle's whole life is one of steadfastness, effort, and patience. It lives a slow and steady life of "non-doing". We believe this also the life of the yogi. The Yoga teachings say that we must cultivate a long, steady practice to have the maximum result (sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih Sutra 1:14)

Because of its seemingly wide-eyed, long-lived, carefree attitude the turtle is often thought to be the wisest of souls among the animal kingdom. At Inner Peace, we learn from the turtle and move at our own pace as the turtle does.

The turtle takes its wisdom one day at a time - not reacting, simply accepting and moving on in its natural methods.

In many Native American folk legends, the turtle represents the earth mother and she is honored for saving mankind from the Great Flood. She is the immortal mother who stoically, silently carries the heavy burden of man upon her thick back. Many species have thirteen sections to their underbelly some sources say this represents each of the thirteen moons, and moons are a celestial symbol motherhood.

Among Far Eastern cultures it was believed that the turtle's back symbolized Heaven and that its underside represented Earth. For them the turtle signified the possibility of uniting Heaven and Earth within one's own life.

There is a saying, "Home is where the heart is" - the turtle is always at home within itself.

Welcome home to Inner Peace, within your own body, your soul and with all beings that share this space!