The Story That Started It: Three Inseparable Sisters
We take our name from the Native American tradition of planting the “three sisters;” corn, beans and squash together:
Corn provides a natural pole for bean vines to climb. Beans fix nitrogen on their roots, improving the overall fertility of the plot by providing nitrogen to the following year’s corn. Bean vines help stabilize the corn plants, making them less vulnerable to blowing over in the wind. Shallow-rooted squash vines become a living mulch, shading emerging weeds and preventing soil moisture from evaporating, thereby improving the overall crops chances of survival in dry years. Spiny squash plants also help discourage predators from approaching the corn and beans. The large amount of crop residue from this planting combination can be incorporated back into the soil at the end of the season, to build up the organic matter and improve its structure.
The practice of growing the three sisters crop is an analogy for the kind of yoga we are growing; a yoga that nurtures, protects and supports, that strives to bring out the best in each of us and gives back to an ever widening community.
The Three Sisters are a powerful reminder of our connection to the earth, to our interdependence, and our ability to sustain ourselves through loving kindness towards others.
“One kernel is felt in a hogshead; one drop of water helps to swell the ocean; a spark a fire helps to give light to the world. None are too small, too feeble, too poor to be of service. Think of this and act. Life is no trifle.”