Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Caves and Turtles...

Today was our “full” day off… We still had morning meditation and our 2 hour vinyasa practice, but we were off to the cenotes by 11.  I had a mini freak out while we were in there because I didn’t have enough time to get my mask situated and it started to fill with water.  A maskful of water was enough to keep me from venturing in to the nooks and crannies, and the “Bat Cave”… but it was still so beautiful, I had quite a bit of time to swim around and look at the beautiful stalagmites and stalactites, it was such an amazing experience.  We took some time to dive and swim and then were headed off to beach in Akumal where we snorkeled over a beautiful reef and got to swim with sea turtles- so cool!  I split off from the group a bit (closer to the shoreline than everyone else in my group Mom so don’t worry) and spent 20 minutes watching and following and swimming alongside a really big guy- I’d like to say we had a moment…

I’m feeling very tired and I’m frustrated with the physical set backs that I’m experiencing with my knee, but at the same time I have victories in my practice every day- for example I did an arm balance yesterday morning that I have never lifted into before (side crow)!!  Going to tuck in early tonight because the rumor on the street here is that tomorrow is a cardio practice (as if that hasn’t been whats happening everyday thus far- sheesh)! 
I love you all and promise I won’t stay here to live amongst the turtles- probably…

Good Night!!
Az

Sunday, September 25, 2011

one week!!!

Well haven’t been doing so well with keeping up with my communication on here, but to be honest it’s been quite liberating.  I have been experiencing so many new things… new foods, new colors, new animals, and new emotion that I haven’t really been able to find a way to articulate them all, but feeling like I wanted to share today…

As many of you have already seen via Facebook, I was part of a sea turtle search and rescue mission… ok so that wasn’t really what anyone else was calling it, but a spades a spade.  It was such an experience, we were called down to the beach by one of my fellow yoginis in the training who had over heard that one of the nests had hatched and we all had the opportunity to gather together to release them into the sea…  I know it sounds like such an interference with a process that the turtles were born to do on their own, but unfortunately that wasn’t the interference…  our resort was.  See the turtles would hatch and the light from our cabanas or from the restaurant would draw them away from the water “go into the light”…  So we had to walk them into the ocean.  I spent over 45 mins walking them in, and then reversing out of the surf only to find another that had worked its way in the wrong direction and so on.  As I would try to return to the cabana to call it a night the same would happen, I’d find them everywhere.  There was a point when I saw so many around the brick at the restaurant that I had to call down to the beach for help taking one in each hand myself.  I even came across two more the next day that we walked into the surf (video to come!!).  So now they just call me the turtle whisperer!  Not really, but I wouldn’t object if they did…

I have gotten a chance to snorkel with my roommate as well as take a 5 mile walk down the beach with her.  She is such an amazing woman and we really get along quite well… the beach is lined with cute boutique hotels and we even witnessed the “you may kiss the bride” part of the sweetest lil intimate wedding…
The weather has been absolutely perfect, raining some days while we are in our two hour practice which has really cooled things off.   The city is quite small, and the people are very friendly.  It is so beautiful here, I’m really in love with this place!!

More about the “work” side of things.  We observe silence from the time we wake up at 6am until after our meditation and practice through to breakfast at 10:30 so I’ve had a lot of time to go inside…  I’m learning so much about myself and my body, and am breaking down barriers that have held me back in my practice.  Mainly fear- I’ve been afraid to go deeper for so long because I’m afraid of injury, but being here has given me the confidence in my strength to reach for a further extension of my physical practice.  Although I am nursing 2 mild injuries… a seized up adductor muscle in the left leg and a very tender knee from the hard tile floor on the right side- didn’t have enough padding down with one thin Jade mat, but at least I have equanimity with an injury on each side!!  I am also learning so many valuable things about anatomy, and I’m surprisingly quite a bit more fond of it than I thought I’d be.  The body is a truly Divine design!!

So since today marks the one week anniversary of my journey I thought I’d fill ya in a bit, hopefully I will find myself inspired to write more in the next 2 weeks to come, but this time I had to reflect inside has been such a gift!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Shes heeeeere!!!

So grateful....
This is going to be a wonderful experience!

Cancun was particularly busy when we landed so I had quite a wait at both immigration and customs, and what I did with that time was sit in both awe and let myself be overcome with joy.

I'm writing this to you from in front of a large open window being covered by the cool ocean breeze and the taste of salt in the air.  I took my shoes off upon arriving at the resort and have never felt such silk under my feet before.  Had a wonderfully flavorful dinner with my first ever taste of papaya, which was the most beautiful color of red I have ever seen.  Getting to know the women of my training and preparing for the journey.

I'm here, I'm open, I'm ready, and I'm elated...
Thank you all for your love and support and I'll check back in soon, going to enjoy the company of my fellow adventurers ;)