Sun Salutations and the Rainforest

Woke up early today to take a walk down to the beach for the sunrise, but the clouds had other plans!  The beach was still beautiful and the water was warm but there was no glorious rise of the sun.  Today was also our only day off, as in we only had a morning meditation and yoga practice, no classes!  We all were heading to the beach and into town for a day of shopping and having lunch.  Morning practice was "cardio" yoga in the form of vigorous sun salutations...fitting considering we were trying to get the sun to come out for our beach day.  Sweating and cracking a few smiles, I actually enjoyed this tough practice and it seemed to be working because the sun began to peak out its bright face.  Then it began to rain on the ride to the beach!  No problem, time for a yummy cappuccino at the beach bar.  It cleared to overcast, so it was time for a swim.  It was pretty rough, a lot of waves and the ocean had some strong suction going.  Jumping into the waves I couldn't help but laugh and laugh like a child.  After such an intense past week and a half of studying and practicing yoga I needed that moment of pure bliss.  Then looking up I realized there was a huge wave was coming my way.  Figuring my jumping up and throwing my back into waves tactic wasn't going to cut it this time, I decided to just body surf this wave in.  Bad move!  The ocean showed me all its glory!!!  I was quickly sucked in to its undertow and pushed down to the sandy floor and dragged a bit leaving me with some battle wounds.  Sand rash right above my left hip and a little bit on my right knee...along with a bathing suit full of sand haha.  It's all good, I made it up right and had a good laugh about it.  Took a little break to catch my breath, then returned to the mighty ocean for some more!


It is supposedly dry season right now in Costa Rica, but maybe not in the rainforest?!  I don't mind, it mainly rains at night.  It's nice to sleep to the sound of the rain drops falling on the leaves.  Today was an easy beach day too, not too hot and I didn't get sun burnt.  The rainforest is a thing of beauty! 

delicious massage!

Today I treated myself to an hour hot oil ayurvedic massage.  Just lovely!  My shoulders have been hurting after two days in a row of Kundalini shoulder exercises, ugh.  Also I have had a nagging soreness behind my left knee and my yoga anatomy teacher said massaging it to get the blood flowing should help it out.  This massage was a worthwhile!  The hot oil was luxurious and used very liberally.  It felt so good on my overused muscles.  The massage therapist was really thorough.  Awesome foot massage, remembering all ten toes.  Even a stomach massage, which at first felt a bit ticklish but then it was really nice.  It was a Chakra balancing massage so it had a soothing spiritual side to it too.  I left feeling nourished, taken care of, and lighter.  Possibly  even a little taller.  Definitely a good splurge on my self!  This training has been more physically challenging than I had expected, so a massage was a necessary.  I love any excuse to have someone rub my body!

Shoulders and more tears

Today's morning practice was about opening and strengthening the shoulders.  Most of us have tight shoulders because of all the forward motions of life.  Reaching forward on the computer, hunched over driving, for me always reaching towards my clients heads while I color and style their hair.  Shoulders have always been a tight place for me and I have worked very hard to try and open them more.  I knew the shoulder opening and strengthening class was going to be challenging for sure!  What I wasn't prepared for was the tears that came streaming down my face as we pushed through the uncomfortable feelings and built strength in our shoulders.  We warmed up with some Kundalini yoga exercises with breath.  Very much like doing tiny arms circles to tone the arms, but many many different arm positions and linking the breath with the movements.  Inhaling and then forcefully exhaling, moving quickly and building speed.  It was extremely intense, so I just wanted to give up.  But with the help of our teacher leading us through, explaining we can keep going, moving through the pain and being strong...I can't even remember what she was saying, but I just broke down.  My shoulders were burning as I worked past that pain and just opened everything up.  All the things that I have been holding in there came streaming down my face.  It was such a cleansing feeling, very relieving actually.  We moved onto more of our standing practice and the tears subsided.  But that wouldn't be the end of tears!  As we rested in savasana ending our practice a beautiful song was played and again I found myself with tears flowing down my cheeks.  I hadn't realized how much I was holding onto inside.  Our next thematic class is heart opening!  Oh my, are there tears still left?!  I'm sure we'll all be a puddle of yoga tears at the end of that class and it will feel amazing!  I now understand what people are talking about when they say they cried in yoga class.

oh happy day!

Today was a good one!  Pepe (the kitty here) sat on my lap as I drank my morning coffee.  I sat on the opposite side for morning meditation and yoga practice.  To my surprise as the sun came up, being on the other side of the room I could feel the warmth on my back.  Of course this warmth then turned into a nice hot practice!  Sweating out all the toxins haha!  During our practice I felt so happy...sore yes, but also blissful! There were a couple songs on the playlist that I recognized from yoga at home, so that made me happy and lifted my spirits.  Also today I finally saw some wild monkeys hanging out in the trees!!! It was so amazing!  One of our "homework" assignments was to set up ten minutes of a yoga flow to teach.  We got into groups of four, taking turns at being the yoga teacher.  It was a fun experience and makes me excited to keep building upon this.  In two days we have to lead a 20 minute class...and we'll just keep adding on!  This yoga teacher training course has been incredibly challenging, but I feel like things are coming along.  I'm getting better with my Sanskrit and find all the history & anatomy to be quite interesting.  I just want to soak it all in.  Oh and the best part of today...CAKE!!!  Yes one of our teacher's celebrated her birthday with us tonight and we actually had dessert!!! It was on the healthier side of cake, banana nut cake, but had a delicious marshmallow frosting on it.  Just divine after eating so healthy...Happy Birthday!!! Namaste!

Tears

This mornings practice was one full of emotions.  Starting with a chant to Ganesh which was very moving.  It was a practice focusing on opening the hips.  Of course that felt great because of all the travel and stress which can make your hips feel on the tight, uncomfortable side.  About an hour and a half in, I found myself getting exhausted.  My body has been challenged by so much yoga, and although this is a wonderful thing sometimes when you haven't slept well and you're feeling bogged down by studies you just reach a wall.  Then we enter lotus position, crossing our legs, and were told to roll forward on our knees leaning on our palms and to just open our mouths and let out all that frustration and anxiety we were holding onto.  Roar like a lion!!! Release all that negativity! As we rolled onto our knees and palms for the third time I felt overcome by my emotions and tears began to fill my eyes.  After that third time we came out of lotus, flowed through a vinyasa to prepare the sequence on the other side.  I wasn't sure what to do with these tears, so I tried to tuck them in.  After we finished our two hours of yoga practice, I looked up at my yogi friend and told her I was so moved that tears filled my eyes.  Then I actually cried as we gave each other a comforting hug.  My tears weren't a bad thing, they were just a needed release from everything I was holding onto.  The stress of being away.  The strain of a difficult practice.  Missing my husband.  The anxiety of being in a school like setting with homework and quizzes.  So many things needed to just be let go of.  I will most likely cry again at some point I am sure.  This is a transformational time for me and I am ok with that.

Always treat yourself with kindness and be open to what you're experiencing. Namaste

I can hear them...

But haven't seen any of them yet!  Howler monkeys!!! So there are lots of monkeys all around us here in Costa Rica.  They love to make noise!  Yesterday morning during our meditation they got real loud.  It was the most amazing thing to be sitting in meditation and hear such a commotion out in the rainforest.  They usually make their occasional  bursts but this one was a long drawn out shouting match.  All the sounds here are incredible!  The monkeys carrying on, the birds chirping and the buzz of all the insects...it makes for a peaceful present meditation. Hopefully before my time is done here in Costa Rica I will catch a glimpse of one of these rowdy monkeys up in the trees!

Intense

This training is very intense and amazing!  I can't believe how much I am learning.  We are much busier than I think I expected.  Starting with a 30 min meditation which is followed by 2 hours of yoga practice.  Breakfast break is for an hour after practice, then it's time for 4 hours of class...learning poses, adjustments, anatomy, yoga philosophy and sanskrit. Lunch break is 2 hours, which usually means food and study time because when we get back to class we get tested and go over homework. Finally we have dinner and it's dark, we're tired and have more studying to do!  Not sure when I am supposed to work on my tan haha!  Twice a week we don't have class after lunch.  We can just relax at the pool or beach, go to town, or do various excursions.  Tomorrow will be our first afternoon off!!!  I am planning on relaxing by the water in the sunshine, while I study.  It is so worth it and I am so grateful for this experience.  Sending my love back home to everyone.  Looking forward to coming home ready to share so much xoxo

Goddess Garden

So today we made the four hour trek from San Jose to Cahuita.  All I can say is thank goodness for availability of ginger ale and crackers at our half way point rest stop! All the mountainous, bumpy roads did a number on me...haven't felt car sick in a long time and haven't missed that feeling one bit.  We arrived to a healthy & delicious lunch and then hopped right into things here with introductions and what to expect these next 3 weeks.  We did a nice gentle yoga flow before dinner and we dive right in to this intensive training first thing in the morning.  The retreat center is very rustic feeling, like living in the jungle.  It's amazing to hear the monkeys yelling and the buss of all the insects.  Yes, there's a lot of insects!  Spiders like I have never seen and it will be quite the experience for me getting over that fear haha!  And during yoga tonight a little baby bat some how lost his way and landed in the middle of our practice.  Then as we finished, just as I stood up, a frog jumped past me and into my yoga blanket...what a welcome I have had here!  Oh and there are a few kitties, a doggy and how about a pair of peacocks too! Tomorrow I will surely have more things to add to this list and I will get some photos up as well.  Exhausted and have to get up with the birds (or monkeys!) to start our morning meditation...good night all!

Being here

Buenos dias San Jose, Costa Rica!  Last night was my first night at Hotel Aeropuerto, got in about 9 p.m. after a very long day of travel that started by leaving my home in Marblehead at 7 a.m.  The hotel is nice enough, a small but very friendly place.  I tried to stretch out some after sitting on the plane and ate some peanut m&ms for dinner.  Yes thank you American Airlines for ignoring my request for a vegetarian meal, for dinner on the plane I received a bag of Fritos, a Twix, and because I don't eat meat they just gave me the tray with lettuce, tomato and pickle that was meant for the turkey sandwich! Oh man I was laughing to myself about this very filling and extremely healthy meal!  It was odd sleeping alone, I definitely miss my husband right now.  I know once I'm surround by all the other yogis and we start our training it will be better but last night and this morning felt odd. Of course I think it is a good thing to be alone sometimes and really sit with yourself.  This morning I woke up to do some more hotel yoga.  Feeling especially tight today, but hopefully some pool time later will help that!  The breakfast here at the hotel was a delicious treat...eggs, rice & beans, sweet plantains and of course a bunch of fresh fruits!!! Oh yes and I took advantage of 2 cups of cafe con leche, because on the yoga training schedule it says "tea" every morning at 7 a.m.  This leads me to believe I may be forced into a coffee detox hahaha!  Tonight the rest of the students arrive so we can all take the long bus ride together tomorrow morning out to the garden Goddess in Cahuita. 

Paz y amor 

Leaving on a jet plane

Sitting at the airport, full of so many thoughts!  Excited...nervous...wondering what this trip will bring!  I'm looking forward to being in a new place with new people and to be completely immersed in the yoga.  What a special trip! I am so grateful to be boarding a plane soon to go on an amazing journey.  Of course I will miss my husband and our doggy & kitties. But to be able to escape off to a beautiful paradise and take a moment in my life to only worry about me and my yoga practice, this will be something!  Time to board...next post from Costa Rica!!!
Peace & Love

Om...here we go!

So here I am!  Setting up a blog to share my experience as I take a journey to Costa Rica to complete yoga teacher training.  Thursday morning I leave on my adventure, an adventure I have wanted to take for some time. Lots to do before then!