Adventure

It's been whispering my name ever since I can remember...that small voice that lit my wanderlust. Maybe it's because I was born to American parents in England and was in-utero as we cruised across the Atlantic. I felt the pull to see as much as the world as possible. Apparently, my first camping trip was when I was about three, and we roamed the United States, pitching a Coleman tent and sleeping on cots and in lumpy sleeping bags throughout my childhood. My father, in particular, liked to get out and explore, hiking on trails, spending time at ranger talks and in visitor centers, looking for the wonder that you find being in nature. It stuck as not much inspires me more than looking forward to my next adventure.

The idea of having an adventure can mean different things to different people. Some might be drawn to bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, abseiling or hitchhiking. Those adrenaline-provoking, heart-pounding experiences which are both exciting and terrifying all in the same moment. For others, having an adventure may be on the opposite end of the spectrum-undertaking a new course of study or trying a different food. So what sounds like an adventure to me, might not be the same for you. 

Whatever it is that makes you feel uncomfortable, yet excited at the same time, is your adventure and it's important to find it as often as possible.

Having an adventure means stepping out of our personal box of comfort, stepping beyond our normal boundaries, and experiencing something from a new or different perspective. Traveling the world has given me one major lesson -a broader world view and perspective. When I've been away traveling and return to wherever home might be, my previously parochial view has been altered. It teaches empathy and compassion. It offers an education that can never be taught in any school or structured system. It connects us to each other and to our own selves of self-reliance and curiosity.

To approach something with adventure in mind, go someplace you've never been. It might be something in your hometown that's off your well-worn path, or it might be buying a one-way ticket to some exotic place in the world that you've only ever dreamed about going to. Say "yes" to the inner calling of travel and exploration and try to avoid having to have everything be perfectly in order before you head off. Why delay what you can do now? What are you waiting for?

Some of the most exciting times I've had unfolded without having a firm plan in place. It reinforces the practice of presence. It connects us to meeting our basic needs of food, transport, and shelter and, in doing so, much of the peripheral details of life that we can become overly obsessed about begin to subside. 

I know I will travel for as long as I'm able, particularly reinforced as I bear witness to the shrinking world of my own Mother, who has dementia. An adventure for her might be getting her out for a pedicure and frozen yogurt. As we never know what's next, what I hope is next is my willingness to say yes to the next thing that scares me a little bit and brings a smile of anticipation simultaneously.

I'm packing my big boots. I'm off...to have an adventure and I hope to hear about yours when I return. And to quote Winnie the Pooh:

"When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure an Adventure is going to happen."

~A.A. Milne

Delayed

About a week ago, I returned from running my first Icelandic Yoga Retreat-Experience the Midnight Sun! It was a fantastic week, filled with lots of yoga, waterfalls, lava flows, windy beaches, and Icelandic horseback riding. We were fortunate to have a group that jelled and were fun and supportive of each other throughout the week. It was magical...once we all got there! To begin with, my husband and I had a five-hour layover in the ginormous Dallas/Fort Worth airport, only then to be delayed by three hours. I stood looking out the terminal window as the lightning struck the ground and with a sickly feeling in my gut of, "oh...this doesn't look good".

The delay in our arrival meant that we would miss the first half of the first day...a foodie walking tour. As the instructor/leader of the group, I began to feel anxious at the prospect of not being there from the beginning. I began to text my contacts, figuring out the next steps of arranging new transport from the airport and catching up with the group. Once we arrived in Iceland, we hit the ground running, grabbing a pricey taxi to the hotel, dumping our bags and connecting for the final two stops of the walking tour. We arrived...finally...safe and sound, albeit a bit harried.

Unfortunately, another retreater was delayed with a flight cancellation and missed the first day altogether. At the end of our morning yoga practice on the second day, we would be picking her up at the airport on our way to the tour for the day. I suggested that we offer her a big, loving welcome upon meeting. As we found her at the airport, I slid open the doors of the van, jumped out and yelled, "Welcome!" as I gave her a big hug. At the end of the week, she said that this was one of her highlights of the retreat!

The point of these two stories is about letting go of what we can't control. Both of our delays were due to bad weather. Nobody's fault. And, it's about recognizing that our yoga practice really begins once we step away from the mat. What we do in our regular practice is to reinforce and build resiliency so that when life throws us a curve, we are able to steady ourselves sooner rather than later. All of us could have stayed angry at what happened, but instead, the practice showed up. I definitely felt strong emotions of anger and frustration, contributing to being anxious and nervous. As I recognized and felt these sensations in my body, I was able to respond by walking around the airport, laying down and listening to music creating a new playlist, stretching and meditating. Many deep breaths and giving myself permission to let go were also part of the process. It was vital that I personally let go of the more negative energy as to not carry that forward into the retreat once we actually arrived.

It was also interesting to simply people-watch at the airport. We had yet another short delay on our way back to Palm Springs from Dallas/Fort Worth and as I sat waiting for things to get moving, it was fascinating to see how people were responding to things not happening at the time/pace they wanted. It was as though you could see those who had some sort of practice of being present and those who perhaps didn't. Agitation only seemed to accelerate the discontent and, as a yoga teacher, I thought that these moments, although they challenge us, are the perfect moments to practice letting go. 

Our practice begins once we leave the mat or meditation cushion. It helps us to be consistent, building a stronger connection for when life isn't going the way we want it to be. And all of us have had those experiences of being delayed and having to change course, so in some ways, your practice can only get stronger and stronger as life will undoubtedly show up in unexpected ways.

Take a deep breath. Get centered and enjoy whatever the present moment has to offer. That's it...that's all there is!

Serve Others

I love it when something happens that reinforces a previous theme but in a more potent way. This time it was the energy of our most recent Summer Solstice Kirtan, with our small but mighty band - Jayne & The Om Boys. We gather to play music and support a local charity on each of the turning points of the year-two Solstice and two Equinox celebrations. This past weekend, for the Summer Solstice we raised over $1,700 for a local grassroots charity-The Girlfriend Factor. They support women, 25+ to complete their college education at our local universities and community college. And one of the cool things about The Girlfriend Factor is that 100% of the monies raised goes to the scholarship recipients to use as they need, for books, uniforms, childcare...whatever!

The energy of the weekend once again affirmed how powerful it is to serve others. My journey of service, called Seva in the yoga world, began to unfold when my husband and I took our first trip to India. We spent our time visiting sacred sites and well-known monuments, inhaling the complete experience of sensory overload...smells, vibrant and confronting sights, poverty, extreme wealth, honking horns and rumbling trucks. India had reawakened my desire to expand my yoga practice in the form of service, but on my return home, I wasn't quite sure how to go about it. I knew the calling to be of service felt as though it would expand and further extend my intention to live a yogic lifestyle. Known as Bhakti Yoga, a branch of yoga focusing on service and devotion had been calling me. And then...only a few months after returning from India, I came across the Global Seva Challenge with Off The Mat, Into The World. They were raising money and awareness around the issue of sex trafficking in India...my answer had appeared.

So in 2012, I began and as I didn't really know how to begin raising money to reach the $20,000 goal, I turned to my local community and asked for help. Eventually, I raised over $25,000 and took a bear witness tour to India in 2013 with a contingent of others who had reached the same goal. 

My thought for the week is that sometimes we need to place our focus outside of ourselves...as though we need to move our all-consuming personal agenda aside and bring our energy and time to something else, something larger than ourselves. My focus shifted away from me to raising money for people and organizations doing incredibly challenging work in India and I began to become invested in finding and giving voice to young girls who had been silenced. And as I went to India the second time around, I felt as though my entire local community was with me as they too, had invested an incredible amount of energy in helping me reach the goal.

From that time, Seva has continued to be part of my practice and when I opened the Desert Yoga Therapy Studio in December 2016, I realized I could offer whatever I felt would be supportive of our intention to serve as well as offer a safe and sacred place for people to attend. What evolved are four gatherings each year to support our local community and its charities.

I have deep gratitude to the Om Boys who donate their time, musicality, and energy to bringing Kirtan to DYT. Thank you, Ken, Shawn, James, and Oggi. I am grateful to my husband who walks this path with me. And what's more, I am not only stunned and humbled but deeply grateful to our community of generous supporters who step up each and every time donating money, bringing food, and helping set up and break down the event. You inspire me and my heart is full! 

Thank you, Namaste', and Om Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi!