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Copyright 2015 ISBN 978-1-942435-12-9 Published by www.sattvastudios.com United States of America 2
Foreword Callie is a special rabbit. She has wonderful qualities like no other rabbit she knows. On her journey towards self- discovery, she begins to understand where she came from, who she is, why she is on earth, and what her gifts and challenges are. In the story, Callie learns to love herself deeply. She turns hurt feelings into feelings of pride. She learns to embrace her uniqueness. Callie understands her past and plans for her future. It is not an easy journey, but Callie s journey towards connection with your heart one that each and every one of us must take and accept. It is the journey to a place deep inside ourselves where we realize that we are all the same, even if we appear different from one another on the outside. Join Callie in this story and discover how you are uniquely beautiful inside and out. 3
Dedication May all beings know that they are perfect just as they are, right here, right now. 4
Callie Cabbit and Her Most Important Discovery Callie lived on the green lawns and in the bushes of a lovely university. It was a safe place and there was plenty of food. Friendly people often walked by and told her how cute she was. She, however, always knew that she was a little different than the other rabbits. For some time now, she had heard the other rabbits whispering behind 5
her back. When she hopped up to play, they would suddenly stop talking. She knew that something was not right, but she could not put her paw on why this kept happening. 6
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One day as she hopped by a big glass building with the words Jack Brown Hall on the front,callie saw something near the glass wall that was very interesting. It was a rabbit that looked a lot like her. This rabbit had the same coloring, white with brown spots. The rabbit weighed about the same size as her, 7 pounds. This rabbit even had soft ears that flopped over to cover its face. Yet there was something very strange about this rabbit. It had a long tail like a cat. How could this be? Rabbits don t have long tails, she thought! They have little white bunny tails that look like cotton balls! She stared at the rabbit for a long time and then decided to approach. Hello, Mr. Rabbit. My name is Callie. I was just admiring your tail. It is really long and beautiful. 8
As Callie continued the conversation, she noticed that the rabbit was moving its mouth just like she was. It was almost as if this rabbit was saying the exact same words as her. She felt confused. How could this rabbit know what Callie was about to say and then say it at the same time with her? Callie began to hop away, and so did the little rabbit. Callie then turned around again and she put her paws on the glass of Jack Brown Hall. The strange rabbit did the same! Callie wiggled her tail and the rabbit wiggled its tail. Callie then decided to go home and ask her mother about the strange events of the day. 9
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Mama, I met a new friend over by Jack Brown Hall today. And my new friend copied everything that I said and did. But this little rabbit has a tail like a cat, long and slender. How did this rabbit get a cat tail? Mama Rabbit sighed, as she knew the day would come when she needed to have this conversation with Callie. Mama said, Callie, there is something I need to tell you and you are old enough to hear it now. Callie, you are not a rabbit, you are a cabbit. What is a cabbit, Mama? Callie asked. A cabbit is an animal that has a rabbit for a mama and a cat for a daddy. I am your mama, and I am a rabbit. And your daddy lives over by the Natural Sciences Building and he is a cat. Your father s 11
name is Mr. Mani P. If you would like to go over and meet him, I will take you there. Callie needed some time to think about all of the events of the day. It slowly dawned on her that the other rabbits got quiet when she was around, because she was a cabbit, not a rabbit. She understood that the image she saw in the mirror of Jack Brown Hall was her own image. Callie slowly turned to look at her own tail to see if it was long and slender like a cat. She had never thought of doing this before. Her body was so natural to her that it had not occurred to her to check out her own tail. Sure enough, there was a long white and brown tail coming out of her bottom, just like a cat! To make things worse, now she had to decide if she wanted to meet her biological dad, Mr. Mani P. 12
It was all too much to take in one day, so she decided to eat some flowers and go to bed early under the bushes. She had a long day and did not need to make any decisions too quickly. She would make the decision to meet her father when she felt safe, secure and ready. The next morning Callie woke up early to the sunshine in the sky and dew on the grass. She felt brave enough to go and meet her father, Mr. Mani P. She wondered what he was like and asked her mother about him. Mama Rabbit told Callie, Your father is a cat with a whole different attitude than us rabbits. He likes to prowl at night, he eats birds, and he sometimes fights with other cats. Just the same, he is a good cat with a good heart. He would never admit it, but he actually protects all of the rabbits from the other cats. It is ironic because the other 13
rabbits do not like him. They don t even know that your father provides protection for all the rabbits. I just stay over here with the rabbit tribe and he stays on his side of campus. It is easier that way for all involved. I do think you should get to know him, as it might help you to understand yourself better and this is always a good thing. When the other rabbits heard that Callie was going to meet her father, they all felt curious and secretly wanted to go along and spy on the meeting. A few of the less mature rabbits even made fun of Callie and called her names. Callie Cabbit, she s not a rabbit, she s a CABBIT! they shouted as she hopped by. 14
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This hurt her feelings deeply. She understood what it felt like to be different than all the other rabbits and it felt lonely. 16
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Even though the unpleasant rabbits made fun of her, the things they said did not deter her from going over to meet her father, Mr. Mani P. She did want to know more about herself, just like her mother had told her. Mama Rabbit hopped across campus with her up to a certain place only and then told Callie to go under the stairwell that smells like cats to find her father. Callie slowly and cautiously hopped over to the stairwell and softly called out, Does Mr. Mani P. live here? 18
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A strange meow came from the darkness and Callie was surprised that she understood what it meant! Callie heard the voice of a male cat, Who s asking? Callie continued with her voice trembling, I am the daughter of Mr. Mani P and I have come to get a good look at him for myself. I want to know where I come from and who my father is. If you could please send him out to meet me, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you. Callie heard some movement and saw a cat come out slowly from the shadows. Hello Callie, I am the Mr. Mani P. that you speak of. Yes, I am your father. Yes, you are a cabbit. Although your mother and I live completely different lives, with different tribes, you are always welcome to come here as my daughter. I have been waiting for the day I would meet you and it has arrived. 20
Callie hopped back in surprise when she saw her father. He was much larger than she expected and he was a tabby cat. He was handsome and looked very athletic. 21
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She could see that he would win many fights if needed, to protect himself and others. Callie could not think of anything that she wanted to ask her father. It was as if her mind was blank and her mouth frozen. She just felt a strange mix of joy and sadness in her heart at the same time. She did not really know how to respond, except to ask if she could come back another day to get to know Mr. Mani P. better over time. 23
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Her father said, Yes, come when you have more questions and want to get to know me better. I will be here. Until then, goodbye my little girl. Callie went back to her mother, who was hiding under a bench waiting to take her home. They hopped home safely and then began to talk about the events of the day. Callie felt a little confused and needed her mother to help her understand her emotions. Her mother sat down and gave her hugs and kisses and told her she loved her unconditionally. Callie, you are a little different than the other rabbits, but I need you to embrace who you are. You have abilities that the other rabbits do not have, and this is why they are scared of you and make fun of you. For instance, that tail of yours will help you to balance well and the rabbits know that you can go 25
places they cannot go without a tail like yours. Oftentimes rabbits make fun of others because they are scared of their unique qualities. Callie thought about what her mother had said and began to embrace who she really was. She began to think of all the things a cabbit could do, that maybe a rabbit could not! She could climb to high places with the claws she had discovered on her paws. She could walk on skinny rails and keep her balance. She also discovered that she was really tough and if she needed to fight to protect herself, she could do that too! This ability to protect herself must have come from her father. She liked knowing that she could set boundaries with other rabbits and care for herself. Over time, Callie fully understood who she was, what her gifts were, how she was different, and how she could use her different qualities and traits to her advantage. She discovered that she loved herself, 26
even if the other rabbits became quiet when she approached. She figured out that she did not need their approval because she loved herself from the inside. Moreover, she understood that the opinion of the other rabbits were none of her business. As time went on and Callie got to know her father, Mr. Mani P better, he taught her that the opinion of the other cats or rabbits reveal more information about what is going on in their heads, and really have nothing to do with her and often are not even true. 27
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In the end, Callie was really happy that she had been born a cabbit. She was special. She was unique. She loved herself and that is what really matters! As Callie grew older she helped other rabbits, cats, and cabbits to feel good about who they were born to be! She knew there was no mistake that she had been born a cabbit. The End About the Author 29
Amy is a certified Yoga Therapist and Teacher- Trainer. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She completed over 2200 hours of specialist training on Yoga principles and techniques in Chennai, India and earned certifications on other Yoga Teacher Training Programs in the U.S. 30
Amy teaches Philosophy in Sport & Exercise, Sport Psychology, Foundations of Lifetime Fitness & Wellness, Professional Preparatory Yoga, and Senior Seminar in the Department of Kinesiology of California State University, San Bernardino. She also teaches Women's Issues and Yoga Therapy, Endocrine System and Yoga Therapy, Nervous System and Yoga Therapy, Digestive System and Yoga Therapy, at the Loyola Marymount University. Amy has served as the Sports Psychology Consultant for various international sports competition teams and was the Yoga Teacher of the Los Angeles Lakers when they won the world championship in 2001. She has also completed studies in the fields of achievement motivation, health behavior change, and medical reports on yoga in the field of medicine. She has worked with Harvard Medical School and Vanderbilt University Medical Center on various studies in the field of medicine, healing, and yoga. Amy conducts online training and workshops for all levels of yoga training and yoga therapy training. Amy produces educational videos, workbooks 31
and audio tapes. These online classes can be found at www.amywheeler.com Illustrations by Airon Albino Editing by Ruth Rank Layout by Dana Kirstie Bengco Acknowledgement 32