A Bow to My Baby, Yogi Babette

And so it begins....

I guess the best place to start when recounting a definitive era of one's life, you start at the beginning... In 2009, I had moved to a beautiful & wild property owned by my Chère Mamma on Milbank St in Studio City. This magical place had 3 rentals behind a main house and there were chickens, coy fish, & 3 dogs who loved to play outside on the acre property. This oasis was gated so all the dogs could roam free & we all had screen doors that were open so dogs could wander in and out. When the animals would go to bed, I would wish for my own little fur baby. And that September in '09, I made it official when I rescued my first baby Bisous, a Jack Russell terrier mix that resembled the 'RCA Dog' on vinyl records.

We had almost 4 years together on that wild lush land with her 3 friends, until 2012 when I moved in together with my boyfriend Nick. Zoo became incredibly sad without her friends on Milbank Street and the property she loved so much. So we decided it was time to find a new baby to bring home and join the family. On June of 2013, we strolled down the street to a Saturday puppy adoption day at Tailwaggers next door to our home on Franklin Ave.

A crowd had gathered around a box that had been found on the streets of LA - a litter of chihuahua mix breeds - all trying to escape & climb into the arms of squealing humans. I grabbed this baby, drew her into my arms, and we locked eyes. I instantly instantly. 3 weeks later she was ours. These are her first pictures when we brought her home.

Zoo was't quite sure what to do and we were nervous how she would respond...but it was instant kismet! This nameless puppy followed her around like a little shadow and they played and played. After watching her personality for a few days, her first possible names were Greta & Roxanne. Both seemed too harsh & didn't quite match her softness. On the 3rd night at dinner - I was speaking french to her - french names like Yvette, Collette, & Babette were said. She immediately responded to Babette. Bisous & Babette - it just fit perfectly! Their adventure together began & they were truly inseparable.

There were walks in the neighborhood, hikes in the canyons, playtime in the parks, car rides to the beach, playing tag in the house and any yard they could run in. They were great at getting into trouble, having adventures, & just loving their lives, while watching over us.

My little sphinxes could be seen from the street in the window. Friends would drive by and honk or send texts that they waved to the puppies in the windows on the 2nd floor. They loved lying on the top of the couch looking down at the daily sidewalk shenanigans.

In 2015, I left acting & the service industry to embark on my journey to becoming a yoga teacher. Yoga had been apart of my life since 2003 & when I made the decision to teach, I began studying & practicing daily with my little yogi side kick. Babette loved watching me move & she would dance around my mat & show off her downward dog. Both my dogs would always respond to my meditation practice by coming to lye in my lap or prance around me when I began to Ôm at the close of each class.

In 2017, I consciously uncoupled with Nick who still remains a friend to this day. The babies & I moved to Bloomfield St where the puppies met their new fur friends Trixie, Roo, & Travis and their new neighbors Auntie Winter & Uncle Turk. There was a front yard to play in, a river to walk around daily, and Babette found her first boyfriend - a black cat named George.

In 2020, the world was not ready for covid. We all hunkered down in our homes having no idea how the pandemic would change the world. The week of the 'lock downs' my Zoo went blind and we discovered she had Cushings - a liver disease. Babette watched over her and became the pack leader and Bisous was so courageous.

It was a renaissance for puppies as the world stayed home. We would do 4 to 5 walks a day and Zoo would let Babette and I lead her around the river blind! We painted outside with the other puppies and had play dates with the neighbors and their pets. That wild time was filled with rest for all humans and creativity to lift our spirits.

At the same time - to make ends meet - I redid my website, started my newsletter, learned how to zoom, and did LIVE donation based Facebook classes to make ends meet. That is when Babette truly became Yogi Babette. She is in over 100 videos on Vimeo - my online yoga library. All the other fur babies began to show up with their owners to do their asana practice. There were dogs, cats, and even chickens who showed up for sivasana.

Babette truly inspired the yogis, Zoo Zoo, & me on a daily basis reminding us all to move, play, & be courageous during covid. She was so beloved in the community.

In 2021, after returning from the Iceland Yoga Retreat, Bisous took a turn for the worst. The next 4 months were so hard and I wouldn't have made it without Babette. April 19, '22 we sat with Zoo for her 'Celebration of Life' and said good-bye that evening. It was a profound experience. I never knew my heart could stretch that wide. The space and stillness Bisous left behind was profound. Babette, being the yogi she is, took the lead and forced me to move! We began running around the river and spent our days outside in the sun.

In 2023 I began Meditation Promises - a journey to stillness using many methods to calm the mind. If you visit my business page on facebook, you can see our journey together, as Babette joined many of those daily 'sits'.

During the 'stillness' adventure - Babette had had a serious accident playing with another dog. Her spine, pelvis, and shoulder were badly affected and for months she couldn't walk or play. I was heart broken as it took so long to rehab her body.

We meditated together that whole year during the injury and recovery - the meditations became our medicine. Some of the pictures reflect the intensity of the experience. We made it through and the following year she could run again, but there were always days when the injuries rehashed and she'd be laid up for weeks. I would take pictures of her as she slept. I thought about creating a book called 'Sleeping Puppy' with all her sweet photos. The whole experience taught us both that rest too is good for the soul.

As my little 'forever puppy' began her elder years and her body reflected the adventures of 2 bladder surgeries, her big injury, and escaping 3 coyotes, I began daydreaming about finding a new place with a garden so that she too, like Zoo, could run free with no leash and lye in the sun whenever she wanted.

In 2024, my dear friend Cecile helped to make that dream come true. Her & her husband Johnny lived on a beautiful property that had a lush garden, & a large garage with 2 apartments. In the fall of 2024, Babette & I moved to Mammoth Ave, which was within walking distance of my local community yoga class and our favorite coffee shop, Steve's Coffee Roaster. Babette was famous there too.

She would walk with me after yoga to get her treat from Steve & figure out whose lap she was going to sit on. All the frenchies loved her & she was so happy in the community. Her last years were filled with friends, playing in her garden, 'yoga zooming' in the garage, chasing other puppies in the garden, AND we both found love again! I fell in love with Granison Crawford & she fell in love with another cat - her new boyfriend La La - a handsome orange 'tigger' who she loved to kiss.

My little fox, deer, bunny rabbit, prairie dog, kangaroo baby was my little shadow. After Zoo left, our bond grew. Even when I did retreats abroad we would FaceTime - I loved how she responded to my voice. We hiked, danced in the living room, and played under the covers every morning before we began our day. In the evenings we'd sit in the garden or visit Cha Cha, Johnny, & La La for sweet treats & good conversation. Mammoth Ave was our little haven, our oasis for Babette who enjoyed every moment of it. Even until the end.

On May 11th 2026 in our sweet garden, Granison & Cha Cha sat down with me to support & celebrate my baby's 'Good-bye Ceremony' while La La watched over to keep his girlfriend safe in her last moment. The same woman who helped my Zoo cross over under a full moon on Bloomfield St met us again for this powerful rite of passage under a late afternoon sun.

Babette & I had prepared for this moment for several days with long conversations around all her accomplishments, her courage in challenging times, her adventures, and the gifts she brought to my life. I wrapped her in my arms as we lye down together under the trees in her favorite spot. I told her to look for Bisous & as always when it was time to go - I whispered in her ear, "C'est le temp pour les chiens!" And she did. As I felt her last breath leave, I lay back looking up into the sunlit tree tops and sobbed.

This little light, this dog had many names: Babbalabba, Bah-buh-tay, Bebita, Barbara, Babanooch, Baboonette, Yogi Babette, Shoo Shoo, & Poo Girl, but she will always be my sweet baby.

It took me a week to be able to sit and write this story. Her passing is the end of an era for me. For 17 years I had 2 dogs who helped shaped the woman who sits typing this. Both my babies were apart of massive transitions in my life - many deaths & rebirths. They were there for the beginnings & endings of relationships, moves, a career shift, covid, & the deaths of 2 beloved students. Babette healed my heart during the passing of Bisous & the death of my father. A bow to my babies who saw things behind closed doors that no one knows but us.

Zoo had me for 3 years alone & both had me 9 years together. Zoo died the week of her 13 birthday. Babette had me 4 years alone after Bisous's death. She died the week of her 14th birthday. Both had me alone with gardens and both had someone who was french there at the moment of their passing. Zoo passed under a full moon & Babs under an afternoon sun.

I look around my home & I see Babette's ghost everywhere. The candle that has stayed lit in the evenings in the garden shines as bright as she did (thank you Cha). It is wild to me how much light animals bring to a home and to a heart. So much love...love beyond measure. Now that love and light shine from within my heart center - radiating out for all to see.

Je t'aime Babette, my sweet baby, my little Shoo. Forever and always. Kiss Bisous & tell her I said hi and to be good babies as you watch over mom.

I love you my angels, always & forever.