Greetings from the Land of Enchantment

The origin of this album's title is two-fold: it's dedicated to Janis Joplin, the amazing, full-throated, soulful but also broken singer from my home state, Texas. I grew up enamored of her power, how she just put it all out there. Her nickname was Pearl and she was a gem. But she was also damaged, as many of us are as women, in our culture and in cultures around the globe. So to the second story behind the title: when I was in my Level One Teacher Training with Guru Raj Kaur in Vancouver, BC, I was concerned that I would always feel broken, that I wouldn't be able to be as radiant as others who hadn't lived as I had, frankly, who I perceived as more pure than me. Guru Raj looked at me and said, Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! Your purity belongs to God and your victory belongs to God. It's none of your business if you think you are pure or not--it's God's. And because it's God's it can never be broken or tarnished or damaged; it's antar and it is unchanging; which in turn reminded me of the childhood bible story of the pearl of great price. I never understood or related to it. Why would someone exchange everything for a single pearl? But then I began to experience my own inner purity and I recognized myself as that pearl--the Pearl of Great Price. And I understand that I had been selling myself short my entire life. I'd been exchanging everything for nothing. And that's when the Teachings of Yogi Bhajan really began to work on my inner psyche and I began to truly change. This album is a reflection of the teachings, the mantras and shabads that helped me to rewrite my story and become the woman I am. I hope it serves you in finding your own true worth: the Pearl within.