Hi all!
I'm back from my travels to South Africa and there is a lot to say and still much to process and chew on from my experiences there. I'll just say a few things on this first introductory post back and then on Monday, I'll get back to my regular posting schedule with more insights and overviews.
It was beautiful and so different than I both imagined and have ever seen/felt/smelled/touched having never been to Africa before. The retreat was beautiful and the yoga was spacious, quiet, allowing, playful and intuitive. I am inspired now to dig a little deeper into my own practice and teaching as well. I met women there from all over the world and an adorable stuffed animal like dog named Jude who napped with me when I was sick with a stomach bug and had wiry fur like the donkeys we visited one day.
I got sick! With food poisoning or else some sort of stomach bug still to be determined. I spent a lot of time napping and eating plain pasta and toast and missing out on retreat food--which all looked delicious and being grateful for little things and moments of higher levels of energy even just for a moment and doing yoga in the evening time and feeling spirit move through me as the teacher, Bridget Luff, put her hands on my lower back in pigeon and I cried and cried.
I dreamed weirder dreams than I have in a long time and maybe ever. Ex boyfriends visited me in my sleep and I took it as a sign of my subconscious trying to tie up any lose ends. I began to get a little clearer about what 'moving on' looks like---and what moving forward feels like. I want to move forward slowly and with deliberate action and choice---leaving plenty of time for things like yoga and movement practices and not to mention, connecting with myself.
I stopped drinking coffee. This was by accident. It was for my stomach at first but now my desire for it has waned quite a bit (not sure how long this will last)---I was, what I thought, heavily addicted to the stuff before I left..and now, the idea of it makes me nauseous...and I do notice less jitters, less anxious energy coursing throughout my body and I consider in this moment what taking a break from it actually means for me and perhaps if I will keep it up.
So, that's what I have for now having just landed last night. I just wanted to hop on here and write a little bit before heading back to Austin. Back to teaching this evening. Back to clients, students, friends---commitments...but I will gladly be moving slowly through all of it now.