The Traveling Gypsy

As I alluded to in my Instagram post earlier this week, travel is not always glamorous but in fact can be down right awful. Usually we see the best slice of travel, maybe the sweet hotel room views, the cafe you had 2 mins to enjoy while on the way to the client site, maybe the river or street art captured while you woke up at 6 am just to get in that run or yoga class. I could go on and on especially about the downside of travel - but instead honeybuns let’s keep it upbeat. Here are my top survival tips for how to pack, what to store in your carry on, and how to make the most out of your travels so that you’re taking care of YOU along the way.

The Luggage situation

The Rollie
I am a new owner of the Away The Carry-On - and LOVE it! The wheels glide so smoothly, I can fit all the things into it, and it’s so light weight. Definitely an upgrade from my ragged old Samsonite rollie. I also carry on always, ALWAYS, #always, even on my two week trips, I avoid checking my bag. I’ve had too many lost luggage incidents to deal with the stress that causes. So I pack light and keep everything close.

The Pack
I recently upgraded to a new Patagonia Black hole 30L pack and couldn’t be happier. My old bag which was great - just wasn’t cutting it; I had a 25L Hershel. She was good for the last 4 years and was due for retirement after some rips and tears. This new pack can hold it all - definitely makes one or two week trips manageable. Whatever over flow that can’t fit into my Rollie goes into the pack. Complete with several pockets to keep me organized. There’s a pocket for everything. Air travel has become so much easier. May seem silly that I’ve put such an emphasis on luggage but it truly makes a huge difference.

Next up, how to pack the right things

So it really depends on what kinda trip you’re taking but I practice the “Marie Kondo” method for what makes it way into my rollie. I opt for my favorite dress, jeans, sweater, shoes, and jackets. I do this because travel is stressful enough and if I feel good in what I’m wearing then I’ve at least got a thumbs up in that aspect. Nothing like arriving to your hotel and then realizing WTF did I pack? Why did I bring something that, 1) I am not comfortable in and 2) I don’t feel great in and 3) may not even be functional (yes I’ve packed a skirt without a top to complete the look). So I always pack my favorite staple pieces, I’m also guilty of all black everything with a few splashes of color. This is done for a few reasons. Mostly because I can rewear a majority of those items. Makes for easy mix and match outfits. And let’s be honest, if I spill something it’s usually not noticeable.

Snacks

This is a KEY piece to any successful trip and I’m not exaggerating, you’ve got to make sure you have your snack bars, mixed nuts, dark chocolate goodies to help you when you’re so hangry you could hurt somebody. You also need to stay . as hydrated as possible, water, WATER, #water. Some of my favorite staples include:

Justin’s nut butter packets
Dark chocolate (been loving on Endangered Species)
Macadamia nuts, Almonds, or any mixed nuts will do
Purely Elizabeth Granola bars (grain free!)
Tea bags
Potato chips (GUILTY! Need this especially being grain free, gluten free)
Paleo Beaming Granola

The Hotel situation

So, I’ve got about every hotel rewards program you could imagine, Marriott/SPG, IHG, Hilton … the list continues. What I find most critical in booking hotels is the proximity to a yoga, spin, or barre studio. It’s super important to maintain healthy workout habits when traveling. I focus mostly on yoga studios because that is how I survive travel. I need that grounding and centering that I can only achieve in a sacred studio space. I use the MindBody app to help me explore local places when on the road.

The Mantra

As I mentioned last week in my instagram post, a mantra is super important to have while on the go. Some of you may be wondering what a mantra is, so let me explain honeybuns. A Mantra is a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation. In yoga, chanting a mantra focuses concentration on a single thought or stills the mind in meditation. Last week my personal mantra happened to be the Maha mantra (Hare Krishna). When this particular mantra is said out loud it helps to enhance consciousness to the greatest possible degree.

The maha mantra is chanted for the benefits of the energies of the three Hindu deities referred to in the mantra. The name comes from the Sanskrit, maha, meaning “great”; man, meaning “to think”; and tra, meaning an "instrument" or "tool." A mantra, therefore, is an “instrument of thought.” The mantra goes like this:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

I personally enjoy listening to mantras when flying, and Krishna Das is my go to! Peep him here on Spotify for lots of good songs, or view the Hare Krishna video on Youtube.

Your mantra doesn’t have to be the above, it could be as simple as “Love”, “I am okay”, or “Breathe in, breathe out”. Whatever phrase or word resonates with you is a great place to start. some alternative mantras that are very powerful are the below:

“Aham Prema” (ah-hem-pree-mah) This mantra translates to “I am Divine Love,” a simple mantra to chant 108 times
“Aum Gum Shreem Maha Lakshmiyei Namaha” (ohm-guum-shreem-mah-ha-lok-shmee-yay-na-mah-ha) ...
“Om Mani Padme Hum” (ohm-mah-nee-pahd-may-huum)

Now, if this is the ONLY thing you take away from my post then my work here is done. As a society we need more meditation, so fly on little birds and spread your wings, sing your mantras high into the trees.

The Oils

Naturally I have my go-to oils that I always have with me. The list includes:

Peppermint (aids digestion and sore muscles)
Lavender (for skin, sleep, frizzy hair)
Citrus Refresh (pick me up boost!)

If I’m traveling during a new moon, full moon, or in retrograde, then I usually pack one of the following:

New Moon
Full Moon
Custom blend of Sage, Lavender, + grounding oils

I think that about covers the bases. Of course I always have a great travel hat, my sunnies, my crystals, and a good book to accompany me on the go. I would love to hear how you stay sane and healthy while on the go! Always love to hear about new travel trips and ways to make travel more efficient! Love & Light, xx

Ashtanga Yoga (astau - eight; anga - branch, leg, limb)

The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a style of yoga codified and popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois during the 20th century which is often promoted as a modern-day form of classical Indian yoga. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras' well-known eight limbs or branches, of which asana or physical yoga posture is merely one branch, breath or pranayama is another. Both Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Jois, his grandson, encourage practice of Ashtanga Yoga - all eight limbs.

My journey with Ashtanga Yoga has evolved over the years. I first learned Ashtanga yoga and practiced the Primary Series with my first teacher Justin Wolfer in 2012. It was during our 200 hr TT that we would practice, usually during our Saturday morning practice or Sadhana. I really appreciated the practice and found it challenging, but I didn't totally understand the ways in which Ashtanga would forever change my life.

Let's start from the beginning and my introduction to yoga in general. I grew up as a highly active child, playing soccer, ballet, gymnastics, competitive swimming, softball, basketball. As I grew into a young adult I played field hockey and ran track. I was always a GO GO GO child. Constantly on the move, rarely did I ever sit still. One would rationalize a variety of reasons why this was so; divorced parents so activities kept me busy; my own desire and interest to be a part of a team; all of my close friends were involved with sports and so I too wanted to follow along; and I was fairly good a picking up new activities, they generally came with much ease. I found that I thrived when I was moving and so I've always kept in a constant motion of sorts.

Let's fast forward a few years ... I was post undergrad and had returned home that summer to ideally find a job in NYC and to save some money working as a Nanny. I'll never forget my first experience with yoga, which was at a local YMCA, I was so disturbed and turned off that I wasn't sure 'yoga' was for me. I attended the class, which was a 1 hour vinyasa flow. The instructor was noticeably late - 10 minutes past, which OK, that happens. He also arrived and was wearing very little clothing ... let's elaborate for a moment, picture very short shorts, zero shirt, mala beads hung around his neck and drooped down to rest on top of a rather large and hairy belly. I usually try not to judge, at least as I've matured, but I'm sure I was rather repulsed by this first impression, as I was young and often judgmental. I was positioned in the middle of the room, so that I would be able to see others and the teacher during class. As we sat the instructor proceeded to tell us about his very awful day, and complained for another 15 minutes. At this point, my mind was saying fuck, this guy is sitting here and using class as a form of therapy for himself. It was almost half past the hour and where was the yoga? I was so disappointed at this point that I lost interest very quickly. I don't remember the physical asana that took place after the class, all I could think about was this man and all of his negative energy flowing out into the studio.

Needless to say, it was a year and a half later before I wanted to try yoga again. This time I entered a heated studio at Hot Yoga Saratoga (HYS) and took my first ever Bikram class with owner Cindy Lunsford. I should mention that I arrived to class on crutches. Yes, I had broken my femur in a horrific ski accident and a few months had passed and here I was at hot yoga as a form of therapy. Cindy was so wonderful, she was very mindful and kept a close eye on me all throughout class. She offered modifications which allowed me to feel very comfortable and confident in class. For the first time since I broke my leg, I could really move my leg in ways that had not been possible since the accident. I immediately noticed an increase in my range of motion, it felt great to perspire and sweat so much after being cooped up and stationary for so long. The heat was a new challenge, but as the practice teaches you, it becomes a moving meditation. I was hooked. I started to go quite regularly after this. HYS also offered hot vinyasa classes, and this is where Justin enters my yoga world. I started to practice with Justin regularly over the next few years, which inevitably lead me to his very first Teacher Training. I remember having so much doubt in myself that I was "ready" to be a yoga teacher. I thought my leg is still recovering and I can't do all these poses, how can I ever be a yoga teacher if I can't do it all? Justin was very reassuring as I spoke these words to him, he said but of course you are ready. I started my journey into becoming a teacher and it was the best decision I could've ever made. This training was beyond unique, the other students in class are all so dear to me even many years later. I learned the meaning of a yoga family and yoga home. We allowed ourselves to be vulnerable with one another - sharing personal details of our lives. We would openly cry in our afternoon sessions, and Justin fostered such a supportive environment that this was OK. I usually find that people submerse themselves into a yoga training at very pivotal times in their lives. I know that I did. I was entering this practicing while still physically recovering from the ski accident. I recently had my heart broken and earlier in the year my Dad had been diagnosed with Cancer. I would say that this was a very hard time for me, so many moving parts and pieces to deal with. Rolling out my mat was the one time during the day that I was able to shut it all off. I was able to free my mind. The others all too had their battle wounds from life and it was truly the most remarkable experience I had experienced.

Shortly after completing my 200 hr with Justin I left Upstate NY and moved to Washington DC. I had a very hard time finding a new "home studio". It's important to me to find a place where there is a sense of community, where you can feel safe, supported, and challenged. The people you practice with become family to you just like your teacher often does. This was missing for me. I struggled to find a place that fit into my definition of a yoga home. I started teaching at a nearby studio regularly, and also subbed at a few places around where I lived. Again, I was missing that deeper connection that I so longed for. It wasn't until I attended my first yoga retreat in Costa Rica and I came across the term "Rocket Yoga" and "Mysore". Two dear friends; Stephanie and Kat had been chatting about a studio called Little River Yoga (LRY) and wanted to try out a few classes when we got back to the States. Another friend of mine Emily, had also been talking forever about one of her teachers she really enjoyed named Carson, who also taught Rocket at LRY. All signs were pointing to LRY so upon my return home, I attended a class. I instantly loved Rocket Yoga. I took class with Maggie Lively and really enjoyed the playfulness and challenge of the practice. I was inspired by all of the other students in the room, in various arm balances and inversions. I was a fairly strong practitioner but had yet to master a handstand, I couldn't believe some of the postures that I was witnessing. I started a weekly date to LYR for Rocket classes, and very quickly I became addicted. It must've been after a few visits that I finally met the owner of LRY, Stair Calhoun. I chatted with her about Mysore because I was a bit intimidated. Even though I was a "Teacher", I wasn't comfortable for some reason. Stair just said, "You come". There I was the following Monday morning on my mat at 6 AM. This day has become another large milestone in my journey. Stair explained to me the entire Ashtanga Vinyasa system, the breath, the chants, the history. I often refer to her as my Yoga Mom. She proceeded to teach me in all sorts of ways; she gave me my own Ashtanga class to teach at the studio only a few months after starting in the Mysore program, she believed I was ready when I still doubted myself. She sent me to a weekend workshop with David Robson in Georgetown Yoga. We both attended Tim Millers Primary Series TTC in Tulum, Mexico later that year. She introduced me into the world of doTERRA essential oils, and I completed an AromaTouch Therapy training. I had begun assisting her in the Mysore room in the mornings on weekends. She was grooming me to someday have a studio of my own, and I am beyond blessed that she entered into my world when she did. I must also mention another wonderful teacher during my time at LRY, David Ingalls. David was so understanding and nurturing of my physical limitations, but always found a way to work with me. He taught me a lot about softening and I value his teachings so dearly. My physical body grew in leaps and bounds through the support of both my teachers through the Ashtanga practice. My strength and flexibility increased, I really started to listen to my body, and developed an awareness about it that had been missing before. I started to be mindful of the things I ate and what time I was going to sleep. Yoga became a top priority in my life at this time.

After a few years in DC I moved across the country to San Francisco, CA. Here I was again, small fish big pond. Not only was it hard to find a studio to teach at, but there was hardly any Ashtanga! I had just left Ashtanga Mecca in DC to arrive to a small community of Ashtangis. Don't get me wrong there was heaps of yoga, but little Ashtanga. I developed a home practice on and off, I found it hard to stay committed when I wasn't getting that touch point with a teacher to help me in my practices. I did find Asta yoga where I was able to get my weekly fix of Rocket and Led Primary on Sunday's with Renee and Scott, but as for a daily mysore practice, that went out the window a bit. I found I was doing a lot more hot vinyasa and Bhakti yoga, as this is the popular trend in the West.

As things often do, life and my practice have come full circle. I eventually moved back Upstate and I am honored to be teaching Ashtanga classes at Justin's studio, Rise Yoga Arts & Movment. Who would've thought I'd be back where I started with my first teacher and able to teach a practice that I am so passionate about. One that has helped to shape my life the past several years. Not to mention moving back Upstate has fulfilled my desires to be near to family and friends, but the yoga community or family is amazing. I feel blessed and fortunate to be surrounded with so many amazing souls.

Long story short (Ha!), Ashtanga has been such a large part of my spiritual and physical journey over the past several years. I've met amazing people in various shalas, while on retreats, at trainings, at conferences, and workshops all with Ashtanga being the common thread. This community is strong and soft, they live all over the world. My physical practice comes and goes, and I've learned to be OK with that. I can't always have a physical practice because of various reasons and this has allowed me to work on my spiritual development. The past few days here at Purple Valley have been hard for me. Since the Energy healing with Petri I haven't been able to practice. I have been tired and weak, I was feeling very low. I needed to just rest. Which is a hard concept for me to handle. Rest is not something I do well, and I often think I am resting when I'm still allowing busy-ness to invade my life. I've disconnected from all things the past few days, reading, practice, socializing, even eating has been difficult. Mostly I've been sleeping and relaxing by the pool and oh yes the occasional massage. Today was the first day that I felt semi-normal again, and I think I may practice for my last day here at Purple Valley. It's been a mental battle to tell myself that rest is OK, arguably it's necessary and needed. Just because we are not practicing our asana daily, does not make us a bad yogi, or any less dedicated. I often forget there are eight-limbs and asana is just one of them! Those physical pauses in our practice allow us to heal and grow in other ways. I've focused mostly on my breath and pranayama work. Additionally, I've really grown to love meditating more than ever. I got lost for over an hour in my mediation this morning while sitting by the pool. I've taken some time over the last few days to learn more about the energy body and ways to heal. This practice continues to give and I'm excited to see what lies ahead. I feel a shift within me that I can't exactly describe, but I know that all will be revealed soon. That's all for day, as it's the last afternoon here at Purple Valley and I plan to soak up as much sunshine and warmth as possible.

The Energy Body

So I experienced something today that was beyond my realm of understanding. Still feeling the current within my body, I'll do the best I can to explain what happened and I'd like to while it's fresh in my mind. But lets establish that I am OK.

Tonight Petri talked to us about healing techniques:

Physical - those we can use in the classroom when giving adjustment.
Mind body - while manifesting healing for another purely with the mind and without touch.
Deep relaxation - using a combination of both mind body and physical. Sometimes the use of hypnosis is used here.

We started off my learning one of the most important and frequent postures in the Primary series, which is the forward bend. Petri discussed using your hands to massage the sacrum, and then thumb walk up the sides of the spine (or line 1) all the way to the skull, while doing so you're thinking relaxation and upward movement. Trying to lengthen the spine. This technique was really lovely and felt great for releasing tension in the lower back and was actually a very therapeutic experience. For the next healing technique we did the same exercise but just placed our hands on the middle of the back, and then mentally focused on relaxation and channeled it to the recipient. We maybe used 2-3kg of weight but it was all about the touch. It was amazing to see how deeply people were folding forwarded. All of this was in a safe and sound environment, no forcefulness. The next exercise, was to heal with the use of the Mind body. For this, the exercise was to stand over the recipient. As them to tell us where the tension was, and to focus on that area. Once you could feel the energy you were supposed to massage it and try to send relaxation to the area - but again you would do this in your own body. So the concept is that you transfer the pain to your own physical body and then try to help aid in the relaxation for the recipient. I worked with Grace, fellow American who is from SF! She was having some tension in your lower abdomen so I focused on this. I immediately felt my i stomach harden and upon touch it hurt. I've had this feeling before, so I recognized the sensation, but I know that I wasn't experiencing this before trying to connect with Graces' energy body. I started to massage my belly and rub it with soothing strokes. After a few minutes, Grace described what she felt, and WOW! She could feel me massaging her stomach without actually touching her, and said it felt like bubbles popping and the pain was melting away.

If you're not buying into this 'energy' stuff yet, well here is where shit gets real folks.

Lastly, Petri started to discuss deep relaxation. Which is a combination of the mental and physical, but mostly you're channeling energy to the recipient to try and get them to relax. I volunteered to have Petri work on me in front of the class. I was thinking deep relaxation is exactly what I need right now. I had woke up severely congested with a head cold, and I haven't been sleeping much, and I've also been battling some belly issues along with sore muscles. So sign me up, because this gal could use some deep relaxation in one or all of the above areas. For purposes of the demonstration, Petri was positioned in front of me, and I had feet hip distance apart and hands in prayer pose. He was going to demonstrate a drop back (standing backend) through use of deep relaxation energy techniques. So I'll explain this from what I can recall and then I'll include the version from my fellow classmates.

I stood there and tried to relax ... first time was unsuccessful. Again we tried and I was not relaxing. So finally on the third try I truly tried to relax, but was still pretty stiff. The next thing I know, darkness crept over my eyelids. I completely blacked out. I'm not sure for how long but it felt like a really long time. The next thing I know I felt like I was falling forward my vision returned just for a moment long enough to recognize that I was in a forward fold, arms dangling and I was a bit skewed to the left side of my body. I couldn't hear anything, except for Petri asking me if I was okay, and what was I feeling. I responded to say I blacked out and my fingers felt tingly. Slowly, Petri started to pull me back up, with his hands on my waist, all the way very slowly until I was standing on both of my feet. This felt like a rope was pulling me up one vertebrate at a time. When I stood up, my I vision went black again. Petri had me in his arms and very slowly sat me down on the mat, and then laid me down. I couldn't see very clearly and it was hard for me to understand what was being said. Eventually my hearing returned and Petri asked me how I was feeling. I described a tingling sensation in my body and that I blacked out. I continued to lay there until I could start to move my wrists and ankles, and felt somewhat normal. He helped me to stand up and walk over to my seat where I sat. I was not very aware of what else was happening in the room, but I felt that all eyes were on me. Petri asked the students to try out a lighter version of this technique on one another, but caveat that he had gone very deeply on me, and that this would not be the suggestion to practice here and now.

So, once I sat down, Grace and Petri accompanied me. I asked them what happened. Here is roughly the conversation, If I remember correctly:

Petri: You were not relaxing into the back bend. The first few times we started to drop back you were still in control. So, I went deeper into the energy and then you relaxed.

Grace: He started to lift you back up and massage your back, and then you dropped forward from the waist, and looked like a puppet whose strings had been cut. (Readers: Petri was holding my waist, so I didn't collapse and hit the floor or anything of that sort). When you flung forward there wasn't a sound in the room, everyone looked at one another and visually said 'oh shit', because as you went forward, you tilted towards the crowd and your eyes were WIDE OPEN, but you were white as a ghost. Your arms were shaking and it looked like you were having a seizure (Grace later told me that because I was wearing a striped shirt, I looked like Beatle Juice - ha!).

Me: I remember this, but I couldn't hear what everyone was saying. This is when I was waking up and felt like I was falling.

Grace: Nobody was saying anything.

Me: (I thought to myself: Wait, really? I thought Petri was explaining the technique?) How long was I out for?

Grace: Just a few minutes.

Petri: I did pull you back up to standing like I was pulling a rope.

Me: Did you have your hands on my body to help me back up?

Grace: No! He was not touching you at all! He was just using his hands in a way that looked like he was pulling an imaginary rope. Your body was reacting like you were being pulled back up by a physical rope.

Me: WHOA, it felt just like that!! Whoa, my fingers are still tingling, I feel like I've got a body high, like maybe I smoked marijuana.

Petri: Yes, like a kundalini sensation. Once you experience this, you've opened a door, you'll be able to experience this again. We went a little deeper than I planned. That's about the deepest relaxation one can attain. You'll be able to heal others now.

_____

I continued to sit there for a moment, just taking it all in. Feeling very light, but also aloof. I went to the bathroom, because that was one sensation that crept up pretty quickly as I came to on the mat after I regained consciousness. Then for the rest of class, I kept going over in my mind what I had just experienced. I couldn't partake in the last portion of class, where we learn to heal ourselves, because I was just trying to reground myself back down to planet earth! So if you're wondering if I am still okay, I am indeed. I ate a bit of dinner and just sat there very quietly. Grace and Sonja were in disbelief, usually I'm the chatty one, asking about everyone's day and sharing stories. But tonight I was very stoic, like I was in another place. Which they were right, I felt light, but disconnected from that moment in time. I was aware of the conversations but wasn't actively partaking. I called Devin to tell him about what happened, and as he put it, "Mystical, unexplainable experience in India. Check". It was so surreal but here I am two hours later and I can still feel the tingles in my fingertips. When I close my eyes, it feels like my eyelids are dancing.

I have only experienced energy flow a few times before this. And always on a much smaller scale. I'm fascinated and intrigued by what I experienced this evening. I'm hoping I can channel some of this deep relaxation and sleep soundly tonight. I am fairly exhausted, so that's it for tonight.

_____

The Next Morning

So, I slept for 12 hours and feel like I could still sleep longer. I feel very relaxed, my head feels better, not nearly as congested, and my body feels very soft and light. I joined the girls for brekkie and told them about my night. While I was falling asleep I could hear all the sounds. The cricket outside my window, the couple next store fighting and crying. The motorbike coming from miles down the road. The odd thing is that I do have good hearing, but I felt like I could hear much much more. Even now at the breakfast table, I can hear those around me in conversation from half a room away and I feel like I'm sitting right next to them. I saw Petri and he checked on me, and was glad that I just slept and rested. He also encouraged me to take it easy and continue to relax, so that's exactly my plan. The plan today is to rest by the pool, and observe in the afternoon class. I can't really explain how I feel today other than just different, there is a new softness.

Purple Valley

Where do I begin? Upon Arriving to Purple Valley my heart instantly felt at peace. I had been traveling for 12 hours from Gokalum to Goa and I was finally at the promised land. What a contrast this place is in comparison. First of all, PV is beautiful. The dining area is welcoming with hand crafted wicker light fixtures; hand crafted chairs; cushion seating, a bed swing; infinity pool set within a tropical oasis; Auyervedic Hut for wellness, the Shala for practice, and of course Ganesh house, where my net covered king size bed is located. The energy here is so lovely, I feel at ease and very safe. The first night we had a welcome dinner in which we were able to meet and greet the other guests as well as Petri and Wambui. It's such a lovely community I've gotten to know over the past few days so far, I am beyond excited to spend a full two weeks in this amazing place.

Practice time for me is 5:30 AM so, it's early to bed and early to rise. I love waking and starting my practice before the sun comes up. In the shala it's quiet, all you can hear is the sound of the breath around you and the birds starting to chirp. I've been finding my practice has evolved to a full 2 hours. The assistants are some of the best I've ever come across. Mindful, gentle, therapeutic touches; I would describe the assist as a light touch which signals to your muscles what you need to do, and your body just follows suit. It's been a dream to have adjustments throughout my mysore practice, especially as I am practicing full primary, postures such as supta kermasana, drop backs, my twists have already improved from just a few days of mindful assistance. We have a nice break after morning practice to have breakfast, and rest at the pool or get massage treatments at the Auyervedic hut. In the evenings we've had a variety of afternoon classes, from pranayama, finishing sequence techniques, chanting, and open format questions for Petri.

Now, as you all know I'm a foodie and the food here is AMAZING. I am literally eating the colors of the rainbow. My belly is happy and I've already seen an improvement in my sleep and practice. They're serving fresh and local ingredients and all meals are vegetarian. Brekkie options include fresh fruits, porridge, fresh breads, peanut butters and jams, tea and coffee, coconuts and fresh juices. Lunch options range from green salads, soups, plant lasagna, beetroot salad, lentils, you name it and we've had it! Dinner also has lots of fresh ingredients, but additionally includes some of the local fare, so cashew curry, banana curry, steamed dosas, rice, green salads, soups, and I should mention sweet treats like raw cacao bliss balls, and banana chocolate chip cookies! I couldn't be happier.

My roommate Georgia and I strolled around the local hood the other day. We're located in a little town called Assagao. We only strolled for about an hour, but the Portugese influence here makes this part of India feel drastically different than the rest of what I've seen.

After morning practice yesterday a few of us gals took a cab to Anjuna town which is bout a 15 min ride away. We explored the famous Manali bookshop where I purchased a few books; we strolled the streets finding all sorts of clothing and trinkets. Really excited for the adventures over the next 10 days in Goa. More to come. XX

Love Lifts Me

“I once asked a bird, how is it that you fly in this gravity of darkness?". The bird responded, "Love lifts me.” - Hāfez

Mysore streets during my stroll around town

I made the mistake of not sleeping on my first flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur; which was an 8 hour flight. Instead I gorged on 3 movies; Suicide Squad, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and Morgan, sat in priority seating with all the leg room a short little lady like myself could want but not really need, and ate the packaged cookies that came my way during our scheduled snack breaks. I flew Malaysian Airlines and have to say, I was very disappointed with the friendliness of the airline staff. They were not very pleasant and had attitude the entire time. It was also the first flight where water wasn't constantly circulating around. Anyways, I landed in Kuala Lumpur and had a 2 hour layover, where I desperately searched for bottled water - Starbucks came through to the rescue.

I boarded the next leg of my flight at 10 PM and attempted my best to sleep during the 4 hours in route to Bengaluru. I slept OK - but was starting to become a bit delirious given my body was operating on Sydney time for the past month. I arrived at 11:30 PM into Bengaluru and proceeded to make my way through immigration, visa, customs, and a Zika screening. I must admit that the staff at the airport was the furthest from 'friendly' I had encountered in a while. In comparison to the abundance of hellos and genuinely happy people in NZ and Oz, this was a shock. Nobody wanted to point me in the right direction, add the language barrier into the mix, and couple that with a jet lagged American, and the result isn't always pleasant. I did my best to remain calm, probably helped that I was in a zombie like state, so I was mildly subdued. After a million and one questions later, I had my passport stamped, Zika check complete and I was on my way to find my driver to bring me to Mysore. For some reason I was under the impression that the drive from Bengaluru to Mysore wasn't very long, well it took 3 and a half hours. I can't even begin to tell you the state of delirium that I was in upon arrival to the school. I must've looked haggard and white faced, and who knows what other attractive traits one could use to describe a lady who had been traveling for well over 20 hours and had been awake for close to 30. The two gentlemen that checked me into my room were so sweet and accommodating, I am forever grateful for their assistance with my baggage and for getting me to the school safely. I've got to tell ya, when I first got into the cab and we left the airport what catches you off guard is the constant, nonstop honking of horns. Honk, HONK, Hooooonk, Beep beep, Hook ... seriously, I was like WTF is going on, why is everyone so angry and honking while driving. It dawned on me after about 10 minutes that when you pass another person or come to a yielding intersection you honk as a courtesy to let other drivers know you're there. So now it made sense, but I still had another 3 hours of horn honking before getting to Mysore. I also was shocked by the amount of traffic on the roads between the hours of 12:30 AM and 3:30 AM. Everyone was out and about!

We stopped just outside of Mysore so that my driver could get a quick Chai. While waiting he was chatting it up with 20 other men all doing the same thing! Mind you, this was all happening at 3 AM, no big deal just gonna stop and meet my mate for a quick chai was all I was thinking. The best part of the drive was the Indian radio stations, the sounds were beautiful and quickly put my mind at ease. Just imagine your favorite chant, prayer, or savasana song and let the sweet sounds woo you into slumber. That was the one part that felt familiar and soothing after the long day.

I got settled into my room, boiled some water for drinking, and hit the pillow hard. I don't remember dreaming, but I woke up around 8 AM. I forced myself to get up and start moving so that I could adjust to my new time zone. I made French press, ate some peanut butter, and unpacked my luggage.

Home for the next two weeks - Mystic School

Mid morning I got into contact with a fellow yogi Peg and her daughter Meghan who are also here in Mysore studying with Sharath this month and headed to their home. They recently adopted two stray puppies - they are adorable! They found a litter of 5 puppies in a heap of rubbage on the side of the road. How sad to think that people just discard puppies like trash. Peg proceeded to tell me the stories of how the children here kick and throw stones at the dogs. If I weren't heading to Goa in two weeks and was flying directly home from here, I'd be brining back a little pup with me too! We strolled down to Santosha Cafe for a lovely breakfast and sat community style with a handful of other Ashtangis also practicing at KPJAYI this month. I enjoyed a lovely espresso, scrabbled eggs and millet toast with ghee and jam! Afterwards Peg and Megan showed me around the hood a bit, we went and hungout at their place and gave suggestions on where to buy goods and where was safe to eat. I headed back to Mystic school mid afternoon to relax for a bit. Some of the sights along the walk below.

My jet lag and lack of sleep started to kick in, so I decided to get some fresh bananas and oranges from the lady on the corner. Did you know that here in India it is offensive to pay with your left hand? This is because it's commonly considered the hand that wipes your ass ... therefore making it offensive. FYI folks, be sure to pay with your right hand to keep the peace. I walked to Depth N Green after the fruit stand to get a coconut milk chai tea. It was delicious and the perfect little spot to people watch and relax in the shade from the hot afternoon.

Chai from Depth N Green in the afternoon sunlight

I'm now back and relaxing and heading to bed soon, I've been listening to the neighborhood and can hear a variety of sounds, ranging from the cow that's my neighbor, a group of children playing, the sounds of a man chanting, and tunes playing from the local rooms within the school. Ah India, thamks for welcoming me. It's about 5 PM here and I cannot wait to get up for an Ashtanga practice in the morning, my body has been craving it. Needless to say that's all for today.