Daniel and I had a beautiful last day in Northern California. Old friend, Melissa, took us into S.F. to lunch at the Legion of Honor Cafe in Golden Gate Park and then to the exhibition of paintings from the Musee D’Orsay – featuring Van Gough, Gaugin, and much more at the De Young Museum. Brilliant!
I kept thinking as I walked around dazzled by paintings like “Starry Night” and “Beach at Heist” how much I was missing the green vistas of our home on Mitchells Island. […]
Those of you who have practised yoga with me know I am a sigher. Why hold back? Sometimes yoga is so delicious pleasure begins to burble up from the belly, the kidneys, the heart, and who would want to stifle such an organic impulse. Add voice to it, and, voila, perfection!
I’ve traveled miles on this U.S. trek, now drawing to a close, maybe 450 miles in Arizona alone. Sighs have been too few and far between. […]
I’ve kept my blogging hat on all across the United States and done it easily, even in the middle of hard Nevada desert at the Burning Man Festival, where WiFi was as weak as a cuppa American coffee.
I was able to stay in communication with my audience on my trusty iPhone. Now, I’m somewhat hamstrung because I know not where my device is. It could be in the seat pocket of a United Airlines aircraft; it could be in the pocket of a United Airlines flight attendant or cabin cleaner. […]
The yoga class I took Yesterday paled next to the offerings we saw at the Museum of Modern Art.
It was an interesting class, though, as much as I hate using that dull adjective. The decor of the Hatha Yoga studio was amazing; it was like doing yoga in a temple, with dark wood wall panels, Hindu statues, altars and icons everywhere, floor to ceiling.
The guru Ramakrishnaanamda is the galvanizing energy behind this studio. […]
…little bedroom with loft bed….that’s where I’m sleeping for the next five days.
Am I happy to be here? I’ll say!
Reasons why:
1. I can walk everywhere until I drop, but I won’t because it’s a snap to catch public transport. Street life is so fascinating in any direction you walk. And, the only American franchises I’ve seen have been in Times Square.
2. This city is the epitome of multicultural, but not in the “melting pot” sense of a bland blend. People seem to take for granted that they are what they are. […]
My yoga practice is in tatters at the moment. And somehow I’m surviving and I can still hold my head high as a yoga teacher.
Maybe there is a category, a branch of yoga, if you will, which is practicing being in relationship with your family. […]
I’m in Annapolis tonight although I haven’t seen this town’s raisin d’être yet: the U S Naval Academy.
That will happen tomorrow.
So far I’ve had good old quality time with my family – nephew Mike, wife Karen and kids Grace and Nick. Also my totally gorgeous nieces Christa and Whiney (plus boyfriends).
Warren, their dad came with his financee Marion. He sold the family home and moved in with Marion; my sister Sue’s been gone twelve years now. […]
The secret to longevity…. The giant sequoias have got it.
We visited them in their Mariposa, California home today…hundreds of them. The biggest towering up to 300 feet and 20 to 30 feet in diameter at their base.
These whoopers can live to be 3,000 years old. […]
Last night was the ritual of burning The Man.
We arrived at The Man site and took up seats on our blanket right in the front row, waiting for the fire show to start.
First there were marching bands. Have you ever seen a fiery tuba or flaming kettle drums? Setting a wild rhythm, the flame-throwers, eaters, twirlers, dancers appeared next, certainly the biggest pyro show I’ve ever seen. […]
One week from tomorrow I will be an attendee at one of the bigger festivals on the planet called Burning Man. It’s held somewhere named Blackrock, Nevada.
As a joiner of this instant, albeit temporary, community of 50k or so, I’m encouraged to bring gifts.
Something from Australia seemed
appropriate, even from Mitchells Island.
Here’s a photo of my offering. […]
Well, actually the Night happened in Wingham, a sleepy, charming little town not far from Taree.
What was it? Part of an on-going series of events that draw on local performers. The last event was held at the Wingham pub and was a Burlesque Cabaret, in which Daniel and I both performed.
I’ve been blown away by how many people turn out for these evenings and how they enjoy getting dolled up for them. […]
Happier than a calf on the teat….
Happier than a white horse rolling around in the mud….
Happier than a sun-shiny day after weeks of rain and clouds….
Happier than teaching yoga to my new crop of students….
Happier than the anticipation of 7 weeks holiday….
Happier than harvesting my first crop of tomatoes….
Happier than sitting in the sun, sheltered from the sun and reading a good book….
Happier than a beach walk at high tide….
Happier than a roaring fire and hot bowl of soup on a winter night….
It’s been a good day! […]
One of the benefits of doing yoga is that it opens the door to beautiful friendships, ones that can last for decades. It’s easy to find like-minded people in classes, retreats and workshops, and yoga becomes the matrix that reinforces relationships.
I received a phone call from an old friend last week- we’re talking more than 30 years – who asked if he could come for a visit and an overnight stay.
Trevor Tangye and I did yoga teacher training with Martyn Jackson in the late seventies and early eighties. […]
Sydney yoga community gathered to celebrate Simon Borg-Olivier on the occasion of his 50th birthday last night.
There were gorgeous stilt walkers, singing, techno dancing, wholesome food, body painting, and everyone in costume.
For instance:
I met Simon when he was 24 and a grad student working on his masters at Sydney Uni. I was the director of Sydney Yoga Centre, one of the early schools. We had a wonderful program of 6 am two – hour classes and Simon was a lively, natural yogi, attending those sessions faithfully.
One of the funny stories re. […]
Oooh, it’s wet on NSW eastern seaboard. My Canberra friend wrote that even the dessicated capital city had had rain. Ninety-eight percent humidity has become normal and you could squeeze liquid out of the air, even when it doesn’t rain.
We are growing unanticipated things on the wetland portion of our land – the area that dried out completely in our several years’ drought.
I’m not complaining, no sir-ee, not in this wide brown country called Oz. […]
Being as close to and surrounded by Nature as we are, it’s a treat to watch the gradual slide from one season to the next. I don’t mean summer, fall, winter, spring; I mean, for instance, the January/February black cockatoo season. You should see and hear the cacophonous feeding that goes in our pines followed by raucous and drunken swooping from tree to tree.
As the weather becomes colder and even frosty, the local livestock grow wooly coats, much like the way a man grows facial hair on a holiday weekend. […]
A friend who is a Passion Map coach has been in a process with me today of walking me through creating a Passion Map. You can look up the topic on line – http://passionmaps.com – but basically a P M is like any map, a device for discovering where you are, helping chart directions and getting you to where you want to be.
The directions relate to interests that inspire you, even thrill you. For me that would be yoga and yoga teaching, for sure. […]
I am probably like you in that I have experienced many happy things in my life. Bliss, which is related to the last of the koshas that I’m discussing in this blog, has been more elusive in my life.
One experience I had in which I felt annandamaya kosha, my bliss body, was so unfamiliar to me that I actually became frightened.
At the time, I wasn’t reaching for some kind of out there, spiritual experience; it just happened. I think there is that element of serendipity to experiencing bliss. […]