Sunday, November 23, 2008

Taj Mahal

As many of you know I'm going to travel through the North of India the last three weeks in December before heading back down to Mysore..I'll be arriving in Delhi and traveling around a few days on my own before meeting up with the Gap Adventures tour that will take us to Delhi, Amritsar, Dharamshala, Shimla, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Allahabad, Mirzapur, and Varanasi. During my travels alone I am going to make my way to the Taj Mahal and spend a night in Agra. In doing some looking online I found a really great site with a virtual tour of the Taj Mahal - worth a look for sure http://taj-mahal.net/augEng/main_screen.htm

This is another worthwhile site to learn more about the Taj Mahal for those who may be interested! http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_agratajmahal.asp

Wishing everyone a wonderful Sunday! It snowed here in Edinburgh really early this morning - it was simply gorgeous!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Dance Base - National Centre for Dance

Dance Base is Scotland's National Centre for Dance - they also offer other body movement courses like yoga and pilates. I am teaching a Yoga Course for Dance Base this term during my stay in Edinburgh.

About a month ago Dance Base asked me to be on the cover of their spring brochure. I felt quite honored by the offer because they know I won't be here in Edinburgh next term but wish to take the opportunity to work with me now while I'm here.

The photo shoot was a lot of fun and I just got word yesterday that the brochure is presently at the printer...

Please take a moment to check out Dance Base's website -
http://www.dancebase.co.uk/ - when you click on the SPRING BROCHURE link scroll through and have a look (especially the first couple pages ;)

Great quote from my mama

"I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom."-George Patton

Friday, November 14, 2008

Here's the Scoop

Hello and Happy Friday, November 14th!

I'm sitting at a cafe in Edinburgh sipping some coffee before teaching my beginner ashtanga yoga class at Bristo Place. I had a delicious mysore practice this am at Union Yoga with David Swenson. He is in town this and next week doing workshops and teacher training, but he's also offering morning mysore practice at 6am each morning this and next week, which I am very happy about - it is so nice to practice in heated room with about 20 other yogis early in the morning. I've been thoroughly enjoying my daily practice alone or with my friend Chris at Bristo, but it is mighty cold down there in the basement of this building I use, and after 2 1/2 months of it, I welcomed the chance to do morning mysore at Union Yoga. Practice was really special this am b/c yesterdays moon really knocked me around - I felt physically and mentally drained all day - but awoke this am with a new found energy and pep in my step - and my practice was just amazing! Hot, sweaty, bandhas, breath, drishti - the whole shebang!

Here's the Scoop: this week I officially changed the Bristo program ;) Since the 15th of September, since I first started the program of Ashtanga Yoga classes there - I was doing a beginner class at 11:15am Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then a Led Ashtanga Yoga class at 12:30pm Monday through Friday. My students are ready - and so am I..... Starting this week the beginner classes stay the same but the Monday, Wednesday and Friday Led class is now Mysore style but am keeping the Tues and Thur Led Ashtanga for the next two weeks to help ease some hesitant students into the program. Before I leave though it will be a full on Mysore program and that makes me happy! I have learned and grown so much through building this program and I feel truly blessed. I will miss all my students here when I leave, but I am grateful to know I've been able to share my knowledge and passion with others. I hope this program stands the test of time!

In other news, Kwang arrives in TWO WEEKS! I can't wait - I'm counting down the days...He will fly in Thursday the 27th and will be here til the following Thursday. So sweet he's made sure to plan his trip to be here on my Birthday ;) It's been six months since we saw each other - we have NEVER been apart quite this long before. Needless to say it will be a long anticipated reunion!

I will be flying to India in One Month! I leave on December 15th - I will fly into Delhi, travel a bit on my own for a week and then will meet up with a tour and travel through the North of India for two weeks before flying down to Bangalore and making my way back to Mysore. I'll be spending my Christmas in Dharamsala and New Years in Varanasi! I CAN'T WAIT!!!