It's been a while
It's been a while since I updated this blog. There have been truly amazing experiences to reflect on, and yet I hesitated to do the reflection here on a blog. It's humbling and inspiring to see all of the people who have supported me along this journey, and yet even some of you who I am closest to don't know what it is that I've been up to. So since its been almost a year since I decided to take this journey, I figure it's prime time to reflect on what's happened and look ahead to the next couple of months.
What I've been up to: Some highlights over the last year (without too many details)
- Bali - 200hr Yoga teacher training
- Bali - panchakarma
- Bali - Silent retreat
- Japan - 24 layover to visit Tokyo fish market
- Ecuador - seeds of seva yoga retreat
- Ecuador - apprenticeship w/ shaman (mamma rosa)
- USA - 4 winds 300hr energy medicine training
- USA - Adyashanti week of silence retreat
- Greece - integration
- Israel - studied Kabbalah
- Israel - mid-burn (local burning man)
- Greece- integration (again)
- Czech Republic - Tomas & Jana's wedding!
- Switzerland - Vipassana 10 day Buddhist silent meditation
- Germany - integration
- USA - time with family
- USA - burning man
- USA - Bhakti fest
- Iceland - watched northern lights
- Israel - visited friends
- Germany - mitochondrial medicine treatments in the Black Forest
- Switzerland - touring around
- Germany - integration
- USA - holidays with the family
This past year has consisted of incredible highs and equivalent lows, and has gifted me the opportunity to reflect on the importance of balance and equilibrium in my own life. I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunities I've had, and the gift of appreciating this amazing life I am living (that we all are living)!
One of the most amazing opportunities I've been given is to really sit in the unknown. Like many folks I've spoken with, the unknown has never been a particularly comfortable place for me. I've always pushed and maneuvered to try and make things fit so that there's always been a "clear" direction for my life. Prior to my silent meditation retreats, sitting still for 10-15 minutes was so difficult because everything in my mind and body would scream "why aren't you doing something with your life... you're wasting time!!" While I still hear myself thinking this from time to time, I'm really exploring sitting in the discomfort of not knowing, and allowing myself to stay open to when the "right opportunities" present themselves.
Another beautiful lesson I've encountered is that I don't have to "do" anything or "be" anywhere specific to be happy. And that the most amazing thing I can do is be fully present. Happiness for me now isn't the removal of pain and suffering from my life, it's the perspective I take on it. It's been wildly powerful to shift from saying - 'my circumstances need to change for me to be happy / content / enough, etc....' to: 'when my perspective around my circumstances shifts and I can be present with what's showing up, I can appreciate how amazing this life and moment are.' I still get upset and annoyed and feel all the feels, and I'm certainly not an expert yet at shifting my perspective to being fully present... but the awareness and practice of this concept have been life changing for me.
I continue to reflect on how what I've been doing over the past year will integrate into my life moving forward, both personally and professionally, and am very excited by a few opportunities that are popping up!
So what's next?
INDIA!!! I was invited to teach Yoga (asana, pranayama, and meditation) as part of a cultural exchange initiative for students in India! I will be in India for around 2 months and am so excited to share the experiences with you all. While my internet connection may not be ideal, I'll try to connect and share whenever appropriate and possible!