29 February 2012

My last day in Utopia

I dislike the feelings that swell up like a tide pool when I have to leave the beach. Regardless, I do have to thank my lucky stars (and planets) for my time in this little paradise: no flight delays getting here, no inclement weather and memorable experiences. 

My morning walk on the beach was bright and communal, just enough other folks with the same idea sharing a beautiful moment in time. The ocean was mirror smooth in a cool hue of aquamarine and the air was practically still-just an occasional light breeze.

The ocean invited me to sit for a while, 

So I knelt down into virasana posture to...I don’t know, 

But I closed my eyes and        sat.  

The ocean spoke slightly above a whisper:

Draw in

Draw within 

Rest your awareness 

In the first moment 

When The Spirit

Hovered over the water

And I did

And it became so quiet

Like I had slowly submerged under the water

But I still felt bright and warm from the sun

I felt like my spirit and my body temporarily separated

Experiencing calm and wonder 

Then the ocean asked me to breathe with her

And I did

28 February 2012

Surfing the Vinyasa Wave

Yes, I told myself to not fixate on asana for a while and look deeper in the meaning and relationship of my yoga. But, I can’t help it...the Power Yoga at Bala Vinyasa Naples was mind blowing! Feeling the energy of the Bala tribe this morning just set my practice into motion and I hovered and floated through class. I realized that it is not very often that I get to practice at a Baptiste affiliate studio, so my time on the mat seemed more sacred. 

Paddle boarding the day before set my perspective and attitude in such a positive tilt. I only wish I was able to jump into the ocean every 10 minutes to wash the enormous amount of sweat off of my body, I was really getting nasty from lotions and moisturizers on my sunburned skin. Self, make a mental note to rinse off in the shower right before a HOT yoga class and things will flow smoother for yourself, ok?

Bala Vinyasa is about to open another location in Coral Gables, Florida, so here they go into my contact files--in case I happen to visit Miami or come back to Naples, a gal has to stay on top of things, you know? The vacation getaway is nearing it’s end and with it, the sadness of have to leave this little piece of paradise.

 It’s late in the evening, but I still have the Bala shatki pulsing through my body.

27 February 2012

Pada Bannnndha Baby!

Pada= foot

Bandha= lock 

Bandha is usually translated as a lock, it also implies a "binding" or "harness". To create this effect in the foot, stretch and lengthen the foot. Spread those toes, baby! Don’t forget to plug in the front of the heel, base of the little toe, and the base of the big toe.  These pressure placements help the arch to lift upward. If you visualize a suction cup, you kinda get an idea of the engagement of the feet. This Bandha is used in standing poses to increase stability, balance and a sense of grounding.

Don’t waste this tool-take it off the mat and have fun with it, i.e. experience life! The Pada Bandha was quite handy in my first try at SUP (stand up paddle boarding). Spending the afternoon of the Gulf of Mexico with me and my board was incredibly fun and relaxing. Paddling with a canoe paddle will give you an abdominal and upper body workout; staying on the board is where alignment principles and Pada Bandha come into play and challenge you even further. 

Once I found my ‘sea legs’ and Pada Bandha, the time on the water started to feel like time on the mat- it was all mine. Free from life’s distractions and responsibilities, the dipping of the paddle, the bright sun and smooth breeze soothed my soul. My breath started to match the flow of my strokes... it just felt familiar and friendly.

Living my yoga.

26 February 2012

A Photo Journal Entry: BLISS

Well, I suppose that about covers it for today!

Namasté

24 February 2012

My first day of our getaway long weekend started the night before with an unexpected round of food illness (or poisoning-I won’t be ordering the Jimmy John’s lettuce wrap tuna salad ever again.) When I woke up this morning, I felt like I had been drugged and then thrown in front of a bus. Along with a 32 ounce bottle of water, Pranayama (breathwork) kept me sane and calm as I boarded the plane. I sipped, snoozed and meditated my way through Atlanta; my focus: So Ham. 

So Ham in its English translation means “I am that”. It is such a breathy mantra to me, your body practically makes the sound ‘soooooo’ on the inhale and ‘huuummmmm’ on the exhale. This mantra keeps me on a peaceful, non-reactive course in a way that nothing else has in quite some time. There is no memory, image or other type of attachment to these two words to distract me in any way. 

I continued with my game plan all they way into Fort Myers Airport, the deep breaths helped soothe my aching ribs and the continual H2O IV drip of the water bottle slowly revived me.  I enjoyed a leisurely tour of Naples and a relaxing afternoon by the hotel pool...lots of Vitamin D!

Feeling well enough to consider dinner, the hubby and I had a spectacular meal at Sea Salt in Old Naples; fresh fish does not get any better and the eclectic recipes were stunning. I have to admit that the crowning moment to our first day on vacay was the universe’s cosmic display: Jupiter, Venus and a Cheshire Cat shaped moon. The universe does not disappoint, neither does South Florida.

So Ham

Summer’s Spectacular Light

To see the Summer Sky

Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie -

True Poems flee.

~Emily Dickinson

It’s mysterious, glorious, and enchanting. Its constantly changing depth, hue, contrast and intensity creates a dazzling display of illumination and texture; the summer sky never repeats itself. It doesn’t matter if it’s dawn, mid-day, the glowing hours, or the inky twilight, the light show never ceases to stop us mid-sentence. Even though it is August, we have plenty of summer left down here in the South to admire the evolving canvas of the heavens.

Personally, I like (or at least try) to capture ordinary vistas in extraordinary circumstances, taking a common and familiar Kodak moment and giving it a twist. I was fortunate enough to snap some photos in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina two months ago. There were a couple of variables, some might call them annoying circumstances, that heightened my anticipation of getting some awesome shots: (a) wild fires in North Florida were blowing smoke up the coast (b) the reliable summer afternoon coastal showers bringing in amazing cloud formations. I was vacationing, so I was praying that I would be able to shoot some pictures at an agreeable time slot, getting up at crack-thirty was not on my agenda.

I shot the first image (right) from our villa’s balcony with my iPhone in the morning hours; you can see the haze in the low sky blurring Daufuskie Island. It’s not morning fog burning off but the smoke from the wild fires. Overall the image is somewhat predictable; I suspect hundreds of vacationers have the same photo of the harbor in their family albums from vacationing in these villas. Predictable and ordinary, except for the monster yachts that are docked in the marina!

Advance forward to the next day, late afternoon to be exact, and a summer shower had just passed over Hilton Head Island. I can remember that it was so silent when I took these photos- I think my husband and cousin were napping and my cousin’s wife was in the shower. While setting up my camera, I realized that I had an opportunity to add a couple more interesting elements to the landscape, but I had to be patient. 

My first shot (at top) is just capturing some interesting filtered light and remnants of storm clouds. In case you were wondering, I currently shoot with a Sony A55 SLT and had a 18-200mm lens on the camera for these photos. I need a couple of ‘landscape lenses’ but currently, I have some budgetary constraints!

While crouching on a chair on the balcony, I wait for the timing of the lighthouse beacon to face me and the wind to catch the flags on the lighthouse... it took some time. I think it took about thirty five minutes to pop off the next two shots, but oh, was it worth it! I now have some illuminated memories of vacationing with my husband and cousins that will last a lifetime!