The past few days

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Back in Thailand, in Krabi Town, and in recovery mode!

Up to this point, my days back in Thailand have been a hilarious blend of extreme highs and lows. In Phuket, I got to spent time with Eva, Peter, and Donna (for a few hours). Once they left, I realized Phuket and I didn’t like each other much and I made my way to Krabi.

From Krabi, I somehow ended up on a boat, then on a trek through the jungle barefoot (with my pack and all my gear), and then to a tiny beach surrounded by beautiful cliffs made for the real rock climbers of the world. I had made it to Tonsai beach.

Tonsai is certainly one of those places that will be hard to ever forget. The three nights I spent there all seemed like a dream. The views are glorious, the people cool and friendly, and the activities are endless (Tonsai is where some of the best rock climbers in the world hang out and now I know why).

I would still be there now in my little jungle hut without electricity if it wasn’t for getting sick. On night three, all my years of bragging about not getting any stomach sickness from Indo, India, Nepal, etc came back to me and hit me hard. Getting sick is fun nowhere, but getting sick in the jungle without electricity or running water (*and with only roaches, frogs, geckos and mice as company) is really fun. The next morning, I found another boat and a truck and made my way back to Krabi Town (apparently the place to get sick, electricity everywhere, real showers, and a pharmacy on every corner).

Although I still feel weak and only like a fraction of my true self, I’m trying to learn the importance of rest. My sick days have reminded me of the importance of yoga breathing and of giving myself and my body permission to recover.

Hoping for health and the strength to explore in the coming days.

Where I am now

kohtaoAnd I have no intention of ever leaving.

Koh Tao is one magical little place and I’m fairly certain I was born to one day live on an island.

The past few days have been incredibly happy, peaceful, fun, and important. I’ve met lovely new friends, practiced yoga on the beach and on bungalow balconies, and most of all, spent my sweet time in the water.

2014 goals and intentions

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This is a little late, but something about sharing this here helps me feel more motivated and serious (*whatever) about these goals // intentions.

So here they are:

+ Respond with efficiency (*take care of business) . . . emails // bills // invites. . . you name it!

+ Learn to take (*some) things in life seriously . . . including myself and my work.

+Inspire others in their personal yoga + meditation practices. . . encourage others to move // breathe // and to take care of themselves!

+ Get involved in yoga in prisons // at schools // in places that yoga often doesn’t get to. . .

+ Practice more partner yoga!

+ Find a doula // massage // holistic nutrition program!

+ BE. HERE. NOW.

+ Wear my hair down more often (*be okay with wild)

+ Learn to skateboard (*oh, and surf)

+ Roller derby (*yesss . . . or just start my own)

+ Go to church

+ Don’t give up

+ Make ONE work that I am proud of

+ Learn about money and how to manage it

+ Go skydiving with Dad

+ Pause. Think. . . All before I speak

+ Complete my portfolio and website

+ Get a grant or two and get out there!

+ Go places

+ Learn how to love more fully

+ Learn how to take a good photo

+ Practice patience

+ Learn how to tell a story

+ Make a food film

+ Take care of the bad foot and listen to my body (*run when I can)

+ Live with less. . . a lot less

+ Celebrate change and keep on changing!

*** words: Brain Krans *** photo: Mnts, Nepal

My practice these days

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Last night, while driving to go film fire and smash old tvs, I was asked the question

–> “What are you most excited by in life these days?”

I immediately knew what it was.

–> Yoga and mediation.

That is what I am looking forward to and excited by in life right now. Cold fall and winter (*just cold weather in general) severely effects my personal practice. I have an impossible time keeping myself warm and moving in layers is frustrating to me. When it gets cold, I tend to make excuses. I find other distractions rather than make the time to do what I really want to do.

This past summer, I enjoyed the heat and practiced whenever and wherever I could. And I miss that.

My body craves it. It always does, but like all seasons in life, I am struggling to find what I want out of my practice. When I start to think like this, I realize I have a long way to go still. A practice isn’t about wanting, but rather, living.

And that is what I am committed to right now.

–> living it. breathing it. being it.

Abby’s recent quest for fitness is entirely honorable and I so look forward to doing yoga with the family in a few days! (*P.S. Abby, no one is terrible at yoga. It is impossible to be terrible at a practice that’s all about your own body and the way YOUR body works!)

“At various points in our lives, or on a quest, and for reasons that often remain obscure, we are driven to make decisions which prove with hindsight to be loaded with meaning.” – Swami Satchindanada

Most of all, these days, in the midst of trying to stay warm, school distractions (*exams are heavy upon us now), and concerns about my future, I’m working on meditation. Working on staying focused. And most of all, working on practicing appreciation.

So far, I’ve found joy in my practice these days and in doing the same, simple, yet powerful routine.

[*Note: I DO sometimes wear a bindi and DO practice yoga while in India and Nepal. And have been more than encouraged to do so while in both places by friends and family there. That said, I do not do either to attract attention while there. When I practice, I practice in quiet]

Kathmandu. First night back

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IMG_7036Back.

Kathmandu.

Nepal.

LOVE.

The moment I saw the first glimpse of a snowy mountain from the airplane, I knew part of me was going back home. It was the third time I’d flown from Delhi to Kathmandu, and I’d forgotten how tremendous the landscape is here! Here in this entirely special, tiny, sacred country.

I landed and embraced the calmer, cleaner, cooler air. I couldn’t stop smiling and nothing could have disrupted my good mood (*not even the troubles I faced in getting my visa. I landed without the right amount of money in USD because there was no working ATM after security in Delhi and the ATM machine was broken in Tribhuvan airport when I arrived, so. . . I somehow managed to convince the kind money exchange worker to exchange my Indian rupees to USD *even though 1,000 and 500 rupee notes are illegal now in Nepal! He was so kind that he even offered to loan me USD in the hopes that I came back in a week and gave it back to him! Amazing offer and outstanding kindness, but. . . I opted for a 30-day visa *all that my money could get me and will have to go get an extension later this week).

That aside, I victoriously walked out of the airport and felt perfectly at home and comfortable driving back to the place I love and know so well. Few things have changed. There are a few newly painted walls, a recently burnt down building, and a bit more garbage, but other than that, it all feels familiar and right.

Hugs, a shower,  and then dinner at Niti and Sanjiv’s place followed. Beautiful view//whiskey//homemade buff momos//soup//good conversations//Nepali lessons.

I slept soundly and woke up early to do yoga on the roof. This roof.

Right now, it is all a sort of happiness and excitement that makes me feel that I could crack, and crack into a thousand small pieces.

I never want to leave this place, but unlike last time, I know that I have a lot to go back home to as well. There are many people to share life with here, but I am confident the same exists back home too. I have a lot to look forward to now and the future, here and there. People to love here. People to love back home.

[Photos: First night back in Kathmandu//Grace Farson]

Rishikesh. An overview

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I feel that I could stay in Rishikesh for a lifetime.

Rishikesh is the kind of India you want India to be a lot of the time. It’s a holy city filled with life, and it’s an easy, good life. It seems to sparkle and move, but move at a much slower pace than a lot of India.

I spend a lot of my time here in quiet. In solitude. Practicing yoga. Sweating. And feeling free.

+ Enjoy this lovely song, sent by a truly lovely person this morning:

“Are you real or something from wanderlust
Who can you can we trust my dear, sweet, flower
Who can you trust
From cradle to grave
From ashes to ashes, from dust to dust” – Fink, “Yesterday Was Hard on All of Us

Today will be filled with waiting//showering (*I fear that I smell of hot curry and sweat more than ever before)//more yoga//itching a new collection of bug bites// packing up my life again.

[Photos: Day one, around the great Ganges river in Rishikesh//Grace Farson]