UPDATE: Goa, India
Hello again- long time, no posts! Incase you haven't heard, I have begun my 300 hour yoga teacher training course here on Patnem Beach in Goa, India. Week one of four complete, and I am already half way thru week two! I have spent the last week riding a beautiful wave full of emotion, transformation, adjusting, healing, and discovery. Because I've been backpacking and on the road, it has been two months since I've had my regular practice. This is the longest time off my mat that I've experienced since beginning my yoga journey several years ago. So physically, the first few days of last week presented a lot of challenges. But there has been a lot more to it than that. My first yoga teacher training was on the island of Bali, Indonesia back in July of 2017. I went into this training with the simple interest of deepening my own practice, but by the end of the training, I gained so much interest and insight that I couldn't help but want to share! I began teaching three months later in Napa, California and had three weekly classes at Napa Valley Yoga Center. I am still so blessed for that shala, my students, and that experience as a whole. And I was teaching a bit in Cabo, Mexico as well, at Baja Soul Yoga, though not as consistently.
My first training, like this training, was spontaneous and spur of the moment, but for very different reasons. Bali happened with the excitement of a child as I cartwheeled into the journey. However, this time around, I crawled my way in, full of heartbreak and immense sadness in my soul. Although my travels have been nothing but spectacular and beautiful, heartbreak is what "lit the fire under my bum" as one could say. Heartbreak has been my driving force, which is pretty radical if I do say so myself. Something so raw and painful has brought about an abundance of pure joy and child play into my life. I wouldn't be where I'm at right now if it wasn't for the shattering of my heart, the loss of my best friend, and the depth of the pain I felt (and am somewhat still feeling). I always knew I'd do a training in India, and I've always wanted to backpack Australia, but it was all the tear-filled nights that led me here. This blog would not exist if my heart was still whole. So, I feel grateful for that breaking, the shattering of the person I thought I was, and for this opportunity to grow once again.
This yoga training is about healing and accepting, detachment and faith, grounding thru the loss of security and finding the courage to walk alone. Yes, this week has been full of laughter and incredible connections, but also a lot of tears and some mental "eff you" moments, if you know what I mean. This is why I have decided to keep these next few weeks for myself, to disconnect and reconnect with the person I'm continuously becoming. Anyways, this is a travel blog, and I have planted my seed here in my own apartment beside the Arabian Sea for the next month, so not much traveling will be done. This is about silencing my mind and showering myself with infinite love. I am honoring the changes that have occurred in my life, I am accepting my decisions, and observing my path as it unfolds one day at a time.
In a few weeks, I will be on the road again. At this point, I do not have a return flight to the U.S., though I sure do miss my pup and his cuddles. But for now, my days will be filled with juicy movements, beautiful silence, delicious Indian eats, barefoot walks, dips in the sea, packs of cows, spices, herbs, oils, monkeys, laughter and new relationships as I experience all this with my two Gurus from Bali, Myron and Mallika, by my side (how cool to now be students with my first teachers). I will post when I travel, but for now, I turn inward and trust in the knowledge that I AM ENOUGH. With tears in my eyes, I say thank you, for reading me, for sharing in my journey, and for showering me in love.
OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTIHI!
