The Birds y los Sapos

I’ve been enchanted with the soundtrack of Central America ever since my first morning when I awakened in Nicaragua to the sounds of street vendors singing the names of fruits they carried in the large baskets balanced on their heads.  I managed to capture a little piece of this soundtrack for you all one ear;y morning when I recorded the howler monkeys waking up the jungle.  After teaching a yoga class last night to a soundtrack of rain pounding on a tin roof punctuated by sapos – toads, and frogs and crickets chirping into the night, I was inspired to make the following to share with you all.


Jungle Night Noises

Continue reading “The Birds y los Sapos”

A-Z Yoga Class

Another rainy day in Costa Rica.

Buckets pour from the sky, leak from the eaves and windows.

Cars dip heavily into muddy puddles in the street.

Dogs huddle close when the thunder strikes.

Each drop offers new life, fresh prana, lush green plants.

From sea to mountains, the clouds lower heavy.

Group yoga classes made magical by rain drops on a tin roof. Continue reading “A-Z Yoga Class”

Reiki Level One Training and Chakra Balancing Retreat

I am so excited to announce the first of many collaborations with my dear friend, Paty.  After much plotting and planning, we are offering a Reiki Level One Training and Chakra Balancing Weekend in beautiful Dominical, Costa Rica.

chakra

The weekend will be jam packed full of yoga, meditation, beautiful beach walks, yummy food, and good community.  Best of all, you’ll learn to get in touch with the natural, intuitive healer that you have within you.  Space is very limited, which will make for an intimate atmosphere as we learn and practice reiki on each other, learn about how to identify and heal chakra imbalances, and stretch, hum, and mantra-ize our way through a beautiful, tropical weekend.  Expect to find elements of vinyasa flow, kundalini, shadow work, chakra work, and your intuitive healing voice in this training.  Wahe Guru!

bamboo studio

I hope you can join us!  Click here to learn more details about the workshop, about Paty and myself, and the incredible deal we got for this weekend.

Raga – The Klesha of Pleasure

Raga is the klesha of pleasure and the attachments that creates.  While pleasure itself certainly is not one of life’s poisons, the chasing of pleasure is, and it is an all too common klesha that is woven into Western culture.

Megha Malhar Raga painting

Megha Malhar Raga paintingThis klesha views the small pleasures of life as hooks, digging into us and creating attachments to the past.  Because whether you’re looking for the next pleasure to come or seeking to recreate a pleasurable experience you’ve had, both aspects of this klesha will keep you from being fully present in this moment.

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Pura Vida en la Pacifica

Life on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica is tranquilla indeed.  Surfers pepper the breaks at high tide as a slight mist enshrouds the rocky coast.  The jungle creeps close to the ocean and rivers meet the beach on either end, infusing el mar with cool water and the threat of crocodillos.  At low tide, the ocean bows backward revealing a smooth sandy area comfortable for walking barefoot.  A surfer’s paradise, indeed.

Playa Dominical 001

Life is quiet here at the moment, smack dab in the middle of el temporada baja, or the slow season.  Continue reading “Pura Vida en la Pacifica”

Travels

I’ve covered many miles since my last post.  I’m feeling gratitude for the big, comfortable buses of Costa Rica and the stalwarts who drive them, allowing me many safe landings.  I also hold gratitude for the many kind strangers who gave me lifts.  Hitchhiking doesn’t have the same taboo of danger that it does in North America.  Here, it’s a normal and oft-used way to travel.  I’ve been blessed to have had three amazing rides over this time, each with their own pearl of wisdom to share.

And oh the wisdom!   Continue reading “Travels”

Gratitudes

I have been a whirlwind of activity lately as I pour myself into writing projects, planning special yoga series and a teacher training, and biking or hitchhiking to and from Puerto Viejo to connect with life in town.  These things add some extra sweetness to my days: Continue reading “Gratitudes”

Kleshas – Avidya Dances with Maya

Yoga Philosophy talks much about Kleshas, or things on the yogic path that can lead us astray.  Like all moments presented to us in life, the kleshas can also help point the way back home to our divine self.

The Kleshas are described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras as afflictions on the path to enlightenment.  As we are able to identify these afflictions, or games our minds play, we are able to overcome them and move forward freer, lighter, and with a stronger connection to truth. Continue reading “Kleshas – Avidya Dances with Maya”

A Day at the Beach

My favorite thing to do lately is take long walks on the beach.  It’s temporada baja, or low season right now, and the normally uncrowded beaches are virtually deserted in some areas.  As I walk, there is endless ocean on one side, unspoiled sand in front of me, and a jungle lush enough that I can forget about the road on the other side.  Sometimes the jungle pushes right up to the ocean and I move to a cool path that follows the beach.  This allows for more interaction with the wildlife, like the other day when I paused to watch a Capuchin monkey enjoying the delights of a pecan tree.

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Salud

I’ve always been one to take my health into my own hands.  When I’m sick, I’m much more likely to turn to Google and WebMD than to head out to see a doctor.  I also try to listen to my body and give it what it needs.  If my body craves a certain food, it’s better to give my body that food than to resist.  That means a bit more sugar intake than might be healthiest, but it also means that I try to tune in to my needs and feed my body accordingly.  That’s why, eight months ago, I began eating land animals after 12 years of abstaining.

That decision came after months of feeling fatigued and low energy, and ultimately, I learned, iron deficient.  Continue reading “Salud”