- 17
MAY Brilliance...
Self Portrait
It doesn't interest me if there is one God
or many gods.
I want to know if you belong or feel
abandoned.
If you know despair or can see it in others.
I want to know
if you are prepared to live in the world
with its harsh need
to change you. If you can look back
with firm eyes
saying this is where I stand. I want to know
if you know
how to melt into that fierce heat of living
falling toward
the center of your longing. I want to know
if you are willing
to live, day by day, with the consequence of love
and the bitter
unwanted passion of your sure defeat.I have heard, in that fierce embrace, even
the gods speak of God.— David Whyte
from Fire in the Earth
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- 06
APR The Mountains of Tibet
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- 03
NOV Anusara Immersion
Anusara Immersion level 1 at yoga 109 studio in the French concession was awesome. The studio is an intimate space hosted by Lorraine from South Africa, and Sally from China. The space is clean minimal antique chiq and has a very homey sweet feel. I was so stoked by the students sincere curiosity and desire to learn, but mostly by the genuine attitude of maturity and openness. I brought my mother with me to Shanghai for the week and she lit it up, day trips to old towns outside the city, day markets, the bund, the newly opened H&M and of course I took her out each night for fabulously weird interesting and always tasty food. Shanghai is a city, like a full city. Yes, it's polluted and big and noisy, and on and on... All of our cities are to a degree, but shanghai the name alone conjures up all kinds of exotic images and feelings and it doesn't disappoint. The restaurants are housed in old embassy's surrounded by lakes or in a vaulted ceiling colonial mansion (albeit starbucks is downstairs... Where isn't it these days, right? We can deal) and while eating the epicly hot dishes from the Sichuan province (I so want to visit) the room fills with Chinese, French, and random Neveau riche from the surrounding provinces and countries all adding to shanghai's age old mystique of being a cultural artistic bourgeoisie center for Asia! Yoga 109 is in the French Concession on Fuxing road. Although I haven't seen the whole city (30 million people who has.. ) I clearly feel this is the neighborhood. Three blocks away you'll find Ginger restaurant cafe which is the friendliest staff I met in all my trips there. Above it you'll find Y+ Yoga, and another thre blocks you have Bakers cafe. Deadly coffee and amazing baked goods (no gluten free - bummer). So check it out. The city is alive here, and YOGA is too. How cool....Coming back for another Immersion in March. Join me!
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- 14
OCT Yoga warrior
Yoga warrior in Johannesburg is a small studio owned an operated by a new mom, Clara Woodburn, in the quaint neighborhood of Rose Bank, on the hill. Before going I was told by countless worried friends and strangers to "be careful!" "Super dangerous!" "Don't go out at night!" "avoid it all together!" With all of that in mind I got off CX 879, was picked up and driven through town to the hotel. En route it already became evident that Johannesburg is a beautiful city with houses cover in barded wire with walls and security signs, not may people on e streets, all leaning towards the Hollywood set of bad social apocalypse movie. Only the apocalypse would be completely adorned with huge and incredibly pinkish purple flowering jacaranda trees. The city was stunning. And of course, to add to that every person I met while in jo'burg was so kind and open and welcoming. I received so much gratitude and generous offers (would I like a place to stay? Would you like to join us for dinner? Wanna come rock climbing?) What I had been told to expect from Johannesburg, and then believed into was so opposite to what I experience. I love when that happens. Total revelation. The window of our mind, our consciousness expands upon each of these experiences. And our yoga grows, so long as we can remember them, weave them together to create an ever expanding open view to the wide savanna of life. Staying open to mystery of life is so clear when your somewhere new. I savor the memories of those trees.
The apartheid museum in Johannesburg is one of the most powerful experiences of it's kind I have ever seen.
educate to Liberate.
Cape town. Wow. This city is ready to rock anyone who visits. With all the low expectations before Johannesburg, I was arriving in Cape Town with huge ones. The most beautiful city in the world! Spectacular! You'll love it! Well, what to say... It's true. This is a serious contender for the most balanced attitude of sophistication (euro styled cafes lining small neighborhoods with funky peeps strolling with sunglasses looking like they just walked out of a Jay-z video) and raw natural power (great whites lining the beaches, right whales cruising 200m from shore on a breezy oct tuesday afternoon, urban kite surfing that challenges anywhere on the planet, and lets not forget there are wild lionsout there somewhere... Africa) of any place I've ever been. The yoga scene is aliveandkicking. Yoga Life is the beautiful new big studio on the scene there, and my home for the workshop, while karma Shaka with it's shakti filled intimate walls welcomed me with open chakras! The feeling of being on the edge of the earth (cape town pretty much is) adds fuel to the fire of life down there. People are participating in life. I'm going back!
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