An ancient poem and modern photos come together in a coffee table book

It is hard to find such a wide variety of interests and talents in one person, let alone see them all come together in one book. But Niwot resident Sandi Siegel has combined her love of yoga, mythology, modeling, and the Sanskrit language to create a new coffee table book, "Sanctuary Song." It's based on a poem written between the years 700 and 750 A.D. and features the Hindu goddess Tripurasundari.

"This particular story is set to the three stages of a woman's life. The daughter, mother, crone are all seen together at once. It's about that representation of our psyche, of our being, of our living, where we are able to look at all three at once. So, past, present and future are not a linear thing. They exist in some ways, given the situation, all at once."

The story resonated with Siegel, who is passionate about mythology. "It so struck me for its beauty and relevance to the things I've been teaching and trying to live by for so long," said Siegel, who trains yoga instructors and teaches chanting, along with being a musician.

Siegel worked with her Sanskrit teacher in Boulder to translate the 1200-year-old poem by Adi Sankara. She's been studying the ancient language for eight years. "I love it more than I ever could have known that I would love something. Language always comes fairly easy to me but Sanskrit, really not being spoken anywhere, is a different ball of wax. What I love so much about it is, it's a big puzzle. The language itself is not linear and allows for all sorts of interpretation because of that. I'm a lover of puzzles."

The book is a collaboration with photographer Julie Kruger, and features yet another of Siegel's talents - modeling. Years ago, her children encouraged her to go for a casting call in Denver for people over 50. She got the gig and has been modeling ever since. She and other models of various ages illustrate the book through artistic poses and scenes.

Siegel hopes the book inspires readers to interact with people of all ages. "When we lose intergenerational connectivity, the society suffers," she said. "We lose the wisdom of each other. We lose the inspiration of each other. This goddess and her story represent the fact that all of our generational things are present at once. And we can benefit from each other's greatness and wisdom. I think we've lost some opportunities and we can gain them back if we receive each other's greatness and abilities and not try to do everything ourselves."

All of the proceeds will go to the non-profit Together Rising. The organization represents Siegel's desire to inspire connections, citing its goal to "transform collective heartbreak into effective action" by connecting givers with people and organizations that address critical needs in communities in the United States and throughout the world.

"Sanctuary Song" is currently available at Inkberry Books in Niwot and at SandiSiegel.com.