Isle News

I’ve been trying to think about how I actually spend my days here, so that I can offer you a little snapshot of my life on the island. As I try to think back on the almost 3 weeks I’ve spent here, though, they seem to melt away into a sea of beautiful people, yoga and amazing food…. A few things, however, stand out as highlights so far:

I took my first little journey on the scooter the other day, into the big “city” of Thong Sala; I managed to find the market, get a real yummy cup of coffee, buy myself a sarong, and a few other errands all without getting lost. On my way by I stopped at this little temple, which I’ve always wanted to do, yet never asked the person driving to stop. It’s a simple but beautiful Thai-style Buddhist temple, complete with a few lazy dogs lying around in the shade. The doors were closed so I didn’t venture inside for a view of the Buddha or a short sit, but maybe next time…

When I walked in to my first class in the big pyramid I saw 28 people in a deep state of meditation. A few minutes later, after opening their eyes and doing a few breathing exercises, Marina (one of the facilitators of the training) looked over at me, bowed, and handed the class over. I stepped to the front of the room, all eyes were on me as I took my seat. I didn’t know what to expect that first class, so I felt as if my plan for what to teach was very general… I basically asked the universe for guidance, opened my heart, and listened as the words flowed out of my mouth. It was an incredible experience.

As if it’s not hot and steamy enough here in Thailand, locals and visitors alike seem to adore spending our time in an herbal steam. There is a popular one here at Wat Pho (a temple) a few kilometers away from the yoga center. We ride dodgy little motor-bikes to arrive at the temple, pay 60 Bhat (about $2) to a woman who hands us sarongs to wear, change and step into a dark, cave-like room with super hot steam pouring into it, smelling of yummy herbs. We sit and sweat until we can’t take it anymore, step outside and pour cool water over ourselves before going back in to do it all again. It’s amazing.

A week or so ago a few of the students here asked me if I’d like to go for a short hike to see a waterfall. I have been dying for some other-than-yoga-exercise, so I happily joined in to the adventure. As it turned out, this waterfall was actually so close we could have walked from the yoga center; it was simple and no huge free-fall, but just clear beautiful blue water, rocks worn smooth from the flow, and little pools for sitting in. We left our bags up on a hill and scrambled over rocks for hours, soaking in the pools and getting water-pounding-massages as it cascaded over the rocks above our heads.

Most other days are pretty simple. I wake-up early, with the sun or before, and meditate in our rooftop studio overlooking the ocean. I practice and study, eat amazing fruit, go the beach, and teach a lot. I’ve had some spectacular body work, including a session where an osteopath used the flow of energy in my own body to put my neck into alignment, without any cracking involved. There are so many healers here, so many gifted teachers, and I feel truly blessed.