India 2015 - Part 4

I will begin this post with a classic Ang story. In my last post I talked about the amazing doctors I’ve seen since I’ve been in India, but I did not discuss the magical ora of Dr. Raj, they physiotherapist. To say the least, all the girls find him groovy, in the most Kindergarten crush kind of way. The last appointment I had with him, the power went out so we had half of our appointment by a combination of mobile phone light and candle light. The power was still out when I was about to leave so Dr. Raj offered me a lift back on his motor bike. I accepted, considering that I had seen 3 snakes since I’ve been in India and I did not have my torch with me. On the ride we had a nice chat about my research paper and how a full moon affects the human body (Think how if affects the tide of the ocean, our bodies our mostly water…).  When he dropped me off, there was still no power, it was very dark out. I stepped off of the motor bike and fell into a ditch. He was like, “Oh my gosh! Are you alright?!” I climbed out of that ditch so fast, said I was fine, thanked him, and then ran into my villa in a mortified manner with a scraped hand and leg.

With a bit of a bruised ego and bruised body,  I made it to the end of my program. Stephen literally completed his nearly 30 hours of travel just in time to make it to my graduation Pooja. It was really nice to have him there.

After two days of beach bumming, Stephen and I headed 7 hours East to Hampi. Hampi is known for it’s amazing rock formations and historical ruins built between 1300-1500.  Our first day in Hampi, while waiting for the boat to cross the river, an Indian family placed all of their 5 children in front of us and proceeded to take pictures. We just went with it. The photos didn’t stop there. Throughout the next three days, I posed for around a dozen photos with several school groups. Stephen was never asked again after the family photo. I'm not quite sure why they wanted photos with me. I'm funny looking?

Our Hampi visit would not have been complete without Stephen and I getting slightly lost on one of our excursions in 90 plus degree weather. We rode some shitty bikes with no gears over 10k up and down not very well paved rolling hills. We did eventually find the lake we were looking for and took a dip. Of course we couldn't stop there. After the lake, we rode to the "Monkey Temple," and climbed over 500 steps to get to the top. 

Wearing our selves out was the best thing we could have done. That night we had reservations for a 12 hour train ride to Mysore. Getting to the train station itself was something I have not yet experienced in my travels. I have definitely experienced some very uncomfortable and scary modes of transportation, but nothing like this. I don't even know how to describe this rickshaw ride other then when we arrived at the train station I felt as though all my organs had switched places and all of my muscles were soar. 

Thank God we splurged and paid a few bucks extra for first class train tickets, we got "beds!" At the train station, Stephen spotted Indian Ang, I made some more dog buddies, I prepared for my train ride with what else but the "Darjeeling Limited" soundtrack. The outside of the train definitely looked like the train in the movie. The inside, not so much.

Presently, we are in Mysore. Yesterday we saw the Mysore Palace which is unreal! Google it. The next few days I'm hoping to take some yoga classes with BNS Iyengar, who is my yoga teacher's teacher. BNS Iyengar studied under Sri T. Krishnamacharya. My teacher told me that I just need to tell the school that he sent me and I should be able to get into a class. Eeeek, I'm scared! Stephen's a bit under the weather today so we're chillin in a nicer hotel watching The Hobbit and drinking tea. This nice hotel only allows us 4 hours of internet on one device per day so I can't upload any pictures off of my phone quite yet.

Goa, India 2015 - Part 3

I wish I had taken a picture of myself every week since I arrived in India. I don't wish I did it to prove that I've magically lost tons of weight because I have not, but to show what no alcohol, Ayruvedic meals, and a regular yoga and meditation practice can do to you. Not that I fancy myself (I picked that one up from English roommate), but to show how much alcohol, your diet, and stress effect your physical appearance. I'm sure my insides are also looking pretty nice. You are what you eat!   I feel like I'm glowing. My skin is brighter, my eyes are actually whiter, and my hair and nails are shinny and strong. It's blowing my mind!

The last few weeks I've finished my research paper, "Reconnecting Ayurveda and Yoga," I've created an outline for my business plan,  I've presented my research paper, and taught a meditation and asana class relating to my research. On Monday, I will turn in my final portfolio. BIG sigh...

In my free time I've done a lot of watching crabs, frogs, lizards, dogs, and ants very closely. I went to the beach by myself one Saturday afternoon and spent close to an hour trying to get a good picture of a tiny crab. I didn't get one. I have also been taking advantage of cheap massages and Ayurvedic doctors and physiotherapists.

The local Ayurvedic doctor, Dr. Rohit, teaches my Ayurvedic class. Dr. Rohit welcomed everyone in our program to come for a free consultation; to find out our dosha (body constitution) and what we need to do to keep ourselves balanced. When I went in all he did was feel my pulse for 15 seconds and then proceeded to tell me; I am a Vata, I was bloated, and that my heart chakra needs work. For those of you that don't know me very well, I get bloated easily and I had open heart surgery, I still have a tiny heart murmur.

I was recommended to see the local physiotherapists by both of my roommates (whom are both Amazing - from London and Brazil) for my siatica.  Raj is his name and he is quite adorable and knows his shit. When I went in, he spent about a half an hour just asking me questions. When he began the physical examination, he literally put two fingers on my back and told me that I need to stop over exerting myself. Again, if you know me, I get told this a lot. We further discussed my 31 years of age aches and pains, but I shall spare you the details. My back is feeling great, I h

ave another appointment with him next week.

All in all, things are going great. I'm trying to stay present, but I am extremely excited for Stephen to get here next week! We'll be staying in Goa for a day or so and then head East for some real Indian adventures.

Also... I got my nose pierced.

Goa, India 2015 - Part 2

I've now been in India for 2 weeks and wearing the same blue shirt for the last 2 weeks. My life has consisted of a lot of asana and sitting crossed legged on the floor. My body is getting stronger and more flexible, I've actually seen a great improvement in my yoga practice already, but both my body and mind are feeling wiped.  By the end of each day, my knees are aching like a 90 year old woman and I usually have no feeling in my right leg. In our classes we are not allowed to sit with our legs extended. Showing the bottoms of your feet to your teacher is considered disrespectful. When I want to whine about my knees, I think about the Baba that has been holding one arm in the air for a year or more. I will survive.

Because I've been so achy, I decided to get a massage. Massage's here cost between $10-$15, steal of a deal.  I made an appointment for an Ayurvedic warm oil massage. I've had massages before, you usually get almost naked, underwear stays on. Not here.  The massage "therapist" had me get butt naked and just stood in front of me as I undressed. I was feeling a bit uncomfortable, but I was going with it, thinking this is how they do it here. First she had me sit down on a chair and then dumped a bucket of oil on my head and give my a head, neck, shoulder massage. It wasn't so bad. Next I got on the table, she dumped another bucket of oil on my back and proceeded to beat the shit out of me. Then... I had to flip. As if I wasn't uncomfortable enough. She dumped another bucket of oil on me and went to town. I was trying to stay cool, but my body was extreamly tense throughout the entire thing.  However, she didn't leave me feeling completely taken advantage of, she wiped me down with a towel.  After my massage, I went to dinner with the girls. They asked how the massage went. I replied that it was ok. They proceeded to talk about their experience and how annoying the paper underwear they give you is. Only me...

I quickly moved on from my massage experience and got sucked right back into the craziness of the program. [Side note: I did go to another place for a massage and it was great. I quickly became friends with the owner; I played with her little boy, she showed me a video of him moments after he was born (he was premature), she fed me curnels of corn off of her corn on the cob.] I have been chanting and meditating so much that when I go to bed the chants play in my head like I am actually listening to music.  My dreams also sometimes contain the chants as well as my fur child.

This past week we have been meditating on the chakras. I am the wiggliest person ever, so meditating is a challenge for me. Most days, I find myself day dreaming. However, this week I thought I was daydreaming, but apparently I was doing something right. After we meditated on the heart chakra, my face swelled up and I exploded in tears. I have no idea what I was crying about.  After we meditated on the throat chakra, I found myself writing down all the things I hate in my meditation journal. This yoga is some crazy shit. I love it!

Goa, India 2015 - Part 1

Getting to Goa is like having a baby. It's a pain in the ass and it hurts real bad, but once you are there you fall in love and forget all the pain you've endured. I've never given birth, but that's what people say. This is my second time coming to Goa, therefore it's like I've had two Goan children.

When I first arrived, my excitement got the best of me, instead of taking a nap after over 30 hours of *nightmarish travel, I drank masala chai, I swam in the pool, I walked to the beach and jumped in the Arabian Sea, bought some weird pants, and ate curry.

*Nightmarish travel - When I got to Mumbai, at least 3 different people told me to go take the bus (15 minute ride) to the domestic airport. I did, no big deal. I hung out there for over 3 hours. I got in at 11:30pm, my next flight wasn't until 5:30am, check in didn't open until 3:30am.  When I went to check in, the gentleman at the counter told me that I needed to go back to the international airport and that I was probably going to miss my flight. I almost cried, but instead I put my big girl panties on , grabbed a cab and navigated my way through one of the largest airports in the world. Seriously, google it. And then... on my flight the gentleman sitting next to me asked me a few questions. I responded politely and then went back to what I was doing. In one of my answers I mentioned my husband. He told me that I don't look or act like a married woman. I'm not sure what that meant, but I apologized to Stephen (my husband) for not looking or acting like a married woman.

On Monday, January 5th, I began my yoga program with Himalaya Yoga Valley. This program aint no joke! What my schedule looks like...
* Silence from 6:30am-11am everyday. Silence from 6:30am-6:30pm on Thursdays.
* Half-days on Saturday. Off on Sunday
6:30-7:30am - Meditation, chanting, pranayama (breathing)
8:00-10:00am - Asana (yoga poses)
10:00am-11:00am - Breakfast
11:00am-1:00pm - Lecture (either - philosophy, anatomy, ayurveda, business)
1:00-3:00pm - Lecture
4:30-6:30pm - Asana
On top of that we have homework and reading to do every evening and a research paper that is due at the end of the 5 weeks. I kind of want you to feel bad for me because that's a lot of work, but to be honest, I am loving every minute of it. In my few hours of free time, I've been hanging out with my local dawgs that are actually dogs - Lilly and Molly,  perfecting my English accent, drinking watermelon juice, and day dreaming of living here.

A Year in Seattle

After traveling on and off for the last three years, I have finally settled myself down in a brand new place, Seattle. I don't know how long it will last, but thus far it has been over a year. I am of course here with Stephen. We live live in an apartment on top of a hill with the most spectacular view - the city with Mount Rainer behind it. We again some how acquired dogs that are not really ours, but yet they are. Two dappled dachshunds sisters, Demi and Desta. We have a couch, a tv, dishes... all of the the home furnishes domestic people have. We go to work and buy groceries. We watch Netflix and American Idol. I never thought it would come to this, but it feels good to have a place I can truly call home, a stable environment. Even before I began my travels, I never had that.

Seattle is a progressive city with a lot to offer. This wonderful place, nestled in between three mountain ranges is it's own world. It accepts everyone as is, as long as you eat organic and buy local. (joke) Every weekend, I have a new place to go and to explore. Hiking, restaurants, hot springs, dog parks, snow shoeing, etc. I never run out of new things to see, eat, trip over... I especially love that every single restaurant has at least one vegetarian/vegan option. I love that there are bars that allow dogs. I love that there is a yoga studio on every corner, which also allows me to do my dream job. I am proud to announce that I am a full-time yoga instructor. Yipee!

In the last year, I have realized that Seattle is where I belong. It just works. I am happy to be here and I hope to keep taking in what it has to offer and learning more about what it has to teach me.

My goal for this new year - 2011 - is to blog at least once every week or two. I plan to blog not necessarily about me, but about everything and anything else. I would love for you to join the conversation. Till then... namaste!

India - week 3/4

The last two weeks have been challenging and a bit scary, but well worth every minute.
Earlier this week, Goa got the tail end of a cyclone, which apparently is the same as a hurricane, but in the Northern hemisphere (that is what I was told- don't hold me to this fact). On Monday evening the rain began. My roommate and I were in a friend's hut chatting. We sat, waiting for the rain to slow down, but it did no such thing, it only got more and more severe. Eventually, we made a break for our own hut. Because of the weather conditions, we had no power; therefore, Katyanna and I had to feel our way into our beds. When I cam to my bed, I also came across a nice puddle on top of it. (Leak #1) Suprisingly, I was very calm about the situation. There was nothing I could do, so I laid a blanket over the wet spot and crawled on it. Throughout the night, rain continued to drip on my head. Problem solved... put another blanket over my head. Although, I was ok with the dampness of my bed, I couldn't sleep. I was scared there would be sever flooding considering that where I was staying was destroyed every monsoon season and rebuilt afterward.
Eventually I fell asleep, and in the morning woke up to strong winds and seeing the beach being completely wiped out. Thankfully, no one was hurt during the storm, but it was really sad to see the huts and beach chairs, that the stafff spent so much time rebuilding, completely gone. The ocean and the storm completely transformed the beach, not just by wiping out the things that were on it, but it changed it's shape.

On a happier note... Before I leave Goa, I want to recognize all the people that made my month here wonderful. My wonderful yogi girls, the resort staff (The Dunes), Christna- my cab driver and Sunny- the best shop owner ever!
My yogi girls: without the support and positive attiude of these ladies, I would have struggled. Without the unique personality and good nature of each, I would have been bored. I love them all and can't wait to see them again!
The Dune's staff: They were fabulous! They were not only hard working and patient dealing with 20 some emotional females. Not to mention, 20 females who were practing bramachara (aka...no men). Those poor boys. They were not only there at our beckoning call, but you could always count on a big, beautiful grin from each and everyone the moment they saw you.
Christna: Again, the biggest and best smile as well as the best cab prices in town!
Sunny: He was able to give a girl exactly what she needed... A pile of beautiful colorful fabrics in an air conditioned room while serving you masala chai. I probably spent a good number of my free hours sitting on a pile of Indian silk.

India-week 2

It has only been two weeks since I've arrived in Goa. It has only been two weeks since I've began my life long journey studying yoga. It has only been two weeks sence I have met 22 of the most amazing women. In two weeks I have manged to gain knowledge useful for a lifetime and friendships that will last a lifetime.

When I signed up for this yoga program, of course I thought it would be fabulous, it's my cup of tea. I didn't realize or expect that it would exceed my expectations. My first day of the program, one of the teachers told us that in the next month a large amount of purification would be taking place within our bodies, minds and souls. So, if we needed anyone to talk to, they would be around. I blew off the statement because I didn't know what it meant, and I was just there to do some yoga. Two weeks later, after 12 hour days filled with meditation, yoga and yoga philosophy. Twelve hours of my day where I was left alone with my mind and thoughts. I had a breakdown, along with about 7 other people.

Each of us come from entirely different backrounds and locations. All of us have our own personal stories of why we started yoga and decided to drop everything and come to India. I've learned that no matter the situation or reason, no one's reason is more important than the others. We all came to better our selves and our lives.

I entered Goa with the determination to learn some yoga and lose some weight, but I soon found out I was here for much more than that. I realized that I was truely here to do some self-realization. Without going into details, it has occured to me that there are a lot of things that have happened in my life that I brush off as nothing. I have said I'm ok with it, I still say I'm ok with it, but I am sincerely not. I lie to myself, a lot, and I am not the only one. We all want to be stronger that we really are. We all want things to look perfect from the outside no matter how ugly they are on the inside. I'm working on that.

On a happier note... I love it here! I love the people, the food, even the little critters that live in my hut. My roommates are fantastic! We are like a little international family; Hong Kong, Scottland and the U.S. We became very comfortable with each other extreamly fast due to our bathroom door being nothing but a sheer curtain.

Even though I don't have a lot of free time, there is always time for a dip in the ocean and a chai masala tea (soy milk of course). This weekend, the director of the program put together a Halloween party for us. We had to scrounge through our limited resources to make ourselves a costume. The theme was, come as your favorite asana. I was "goddess" duh!
Saturday after noon, we shopped at a near by market, searching for things to gather for our costumes. In the evening, our yoga shalla was used as a giant dressing room. One of our teachers provided us with body paints and glitter to spice things up. After making ourselves beautiful we headed down the beach where we induldged in a veggie buffet and danced to Indian musice all night. "Boots with the Fur" was also thrown into the mix. It was a fabulous evening!