Tag: yogi

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Yoga for the People

YOGA FOR THE PEOPLE. 

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Yoga is not a work out, but a work in.

We practice yoga to awaken parts of ourselves that have fallen asleep.

We practice yoga to breathe more smoothly and joyfully.

We practice yoga to move fully and experience our bodies within our complete range of motion and expression.

We practice yoga to free ourselves from both physical and mental blockages and return to our pure, peaceful, and divine original wholeness and oneness. 

Yoga is not something we do, but something we are. 

Yoga cares not if you touch your toes. Yoga cares only how you let life bring love into your heart.

Through yoga we cultivate courage so we can walk bravely towards the unknown with curiosity;  an open heart, strength of mind and a grounded sense of stability within ourselves is what we building within this practice. We are not walking blindly but empowered to humbly accept the cosmic forces beyond our control the mighty, infinite, vast matrix of life in its entirety. (Ok.. now it’s getting exciting 😉) 

We are seeking connection far beyond what the eyes can see. We seek experience and acceptance fo the mystery of life. Life in all its totality… 

Embracing what was, what is, and what will be.

We practice yoga to release our grip on life and move with more ease and fluidizing through this delightfully beautiful, bizarre and challenging human experience. 

We practice yoga to connect our bodies, our minds, and our spirits – this is the foundation of our freedom, or our peace and of our joy.

In this union we are able to gracefully remove obstacles that life has grown around our hearts and our physical form. In the gentle removal of these physical and mental limitations we are able to return to our original pure-ness. A place void of judgment, fear, anger, jealously, greed…

In this place that yoga brings us to we learn to be content with ourselves regardless of outside circumstances. Yoga teaches us, that we are indeed, enough. 

Yoga helps us to breathe into all the parts of ourselves, and soften to be strong. Letting go, only creates more space to fill.

Yoga teaches, surrender and discernment. What to let go of, and what then, to bring in.

Yoga is a container to discover, explore an experience our bodies in deepest and most intimate ways, it is an invitation fall in love with all our perfect imperfections.

Nature grows, lives, thrives and blooms without agenda, or apology. And so should we. We are, after all, children of the Earth. When we can live in harmony with ourselves, all rives flow outward from there. 

Yoga teaches us that we are whole, complete, loving, dedicated, capable, truthful, kind, pure, brilliant and divine.

I invite you to take my hand and play and skip and dance and bend and breathe (and sometimes even cry and crawl) down this path of life with me. I invite you feel empowered within your own skin, simply because you exist. And that is the miracle in itself. I invite you learn, how the practice is the reward. How the journey is the destination. 

With the wild in our spirits, it should certainly be fun. 

Being human is not always going to be easy because let’s admit it, being in a human body, is really cool, but also really fucking weird.

I know not much beyond myself. But yoga has taught me life is not always going to be easy, but we can at least make it as beautiful🖤 

Join me, sweet loves. Join me in the bliss. 

Photo cred by the beautiful beings at https://www.myriselife.com GO check them out for all things health and wellness.

 

 

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To those who like to wander…

To those who like to wander,

I hope you know what a treasure you are and how brilliantly rare your free spirit is. In a world where comfort is often found in the security of routine and the known, you unapologetically seek the mystery of life. You move with fluidity that sets you apart, and in this motion, you often flow, to oceans and pastures away from the herd.  I hope you know to endlessly nourish this untamed spirit. I hope you know what a gem you are and how truly bright you shine.

Your ideals that rest and waken in the discovering the depth of self, is a quality to cherish. Life for you is a continued exploration of what exists beyond the edge of the visible eye. You sweet soul, finding comfort in the solitude, and joy in the lonely;  you’ve learned through it all, this is where you grow. You love the way new places and foreign culture can snuggly tuck you in at night. Your passion to experience the totality of existence is not be ignore.

In your endless pursuit to truly feel alive you’ve humbly come to know rejection as the hand that holds success. In this vulnerability you’ve learned what a powerful force you are. There is no stop to what you can dream sweet child. There will be no denying your radiance, your dedication to love, forever prevails. Even if sometimes you feel sad or alone, you continue with dedication to creating a greater fabric of inspiration.  To be knocked down is only an opportunity to get back up. You’ve learned that kindness and a smile can soothe even the angriest of hearts. You know now that your laughter is the pulse on which the tradewinds blows. There is nothing a sense of humor cannot solve. 

You sweet child are pure and vibrant. Your failure has come to teach you, that failure is not what they say, but simply a nudge in a different direction. Success lives in the breath and energy of how you believe you can. Infectious is your wild spirit that refuses to behave in any way but free. The way you bravely embrace the unknown with curiosity love is an endless ray of sunshine. I hope you know to never diminish the fire that burns inside of you. Because with your audacious capability to abide in a journey that satisfies your deepest truths, you give others permission to do the same. 

With love,

Someone who understand your wild urges

 

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Humaness.

I can’t tell you how many times over the past months I have asked myself

Who am I?

As I look down and my nikes ( yep,  haha, not only has life gotten me into shoes, but nikes…woah)

My no longer sun kissed skin (white as a ghost, uhhhhgggg the crime…

Or my sad salt-less hair (these mermaid locks have not tasted the salty sweet waters of the sea in months…) 

And, ya know, it’s funny.  Because in this journey of living and loving – healing and growing I have realized that these things outside of me like shoes or clothes (or no shoes and bikinis) do not define who I am. Life is happy regardless.

On the inside I am the same.  We are all the same. 

I am not these clothes or these circumstances.  This accident and the injuries have essentially forced my life to go in one direction (at least for the time being) and defaulted me to a (short term) stagnant place. A physical place of not allowing me to choose the activities of surfing or yoga or traveling, or walking down the street or driving, or so many of the everyday things we are able to do when our bodies are healthy and well, this experience has violently shoved me in a direction, a direction that has led me to like myself even more than before. Even pale, and in shoes, and clothes, and layers, and broke… but smiling, always smiling.

So who I am has as nothing to do with anything external. I am someone who has seen a bit of a detour, a setback as some may call it, and learned to love myself even more. I am now, deeper, kinder and more compassionate. And that’s that thing about life. We have no control over what happens to us. Only how we choose to respond. We are truly not a reflection of our outside circumstances, and I don’t say this from preaching – I say this from my heart. I say it to remind you that if you find yourself faced with a challenging times, you yourself have to power to shape how you experience it. My hope for you is that you find the tools and see the benefits of taking the path of positivity. I’m not saying be happy all the time, cause even I lose my shit every now and then, but it’s about more than that. It’s about finding a way to enjoy life.

 

San Diego Christmas. Enjoying the waves in my mind =)
little bits of life’s sweetness outside the realm of normal activity
Mermaid loving
Birthday Party fun
New Years, and a gazillion reason to celebrate another day of life.

Speak to me only with your eyes…

–

Oh the ways Robert Plant can sing to my soul. I love this set of lyrics from Led Zeppelin. It’s always stirs a visceral reaction from me, but even more so now, that I have been pushed to  examine life from such a different perspective. For me it alludes to the magic mystery that exists beyond the physical – beyond the surface of clothes and shoes, skin color and accessories… it awakens our awareness to a Self that lives deep within. Words like this, and a seeking for greater awareness, that sparkle that lives in the eyes of awakened beings – is an invitation to find and  to live with joy. A joy that is so available in all of the everyday things we see – to me that’s exciting part about self discovery and a spiritual journey. Nothing has to change for this to happen, only the way you look at things =) 

And when you begin to look at things differently, the things you look at begin to change. You just have to be willing.

 

As FDR said. And which I know in my life to be very true.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” 

–

Music, wisdoms like the one mentioned above, and the mystery of looking into someones eyes evokes so much meaning,  if we let in these vulnerabilities in we arrive in places of empowering awe and wonder, places we can only arrive to if seek what is beyond the surface….

–

There are so many things In life we can and will miss out on because (or if) we are afraid to look beyond the flesh. It is a fear. A fear that we will find something we are afraid of within ourselves. Fear of inadequacy, of unworthiness, of self doubt, or maybe the fear is even bigger than we can comprehend, so instead of diving in and finding out what vastness lies beyond, we choose to stand safe on the surface and wonder, but that unsatisfied wonder, only leads to more fears. We fear limitations, or perhaps the opposite, we fear the enormity, of the spirit, or the soul of life in its entirety –  it can be crippling. Or mind blowing. To really begin to imagine how very small yet simultaneously powerful we are. 

When we look within and see wounds to unwrap – know that these traumas are there to guide you to the parts that need to heal- they are not going to kill you, they are challenges that live has given you  to help you grow. They are there to teach you. Life is a students game. 

A quote I found through my spiritual studies, a quote that I return to often when I am feeling overwhelmed by the unknown is this. 

“In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, in the experts mid there are few.”

Shunryu Suzuki

To me this quote offers a perspective about not knowing, a perspective that says in the not knowing the possibly to learn is endless, and that potential is where all the magic of growth is waiting for us. Perspective is powerful. And there is another yogic practice called pratipaksha bhavanam. (That I’ll talk about soon, but its about our ability to cultivate the opposite of a situation when we don’t like how it is going or making us feel) =) …. Soon, i’ll share that soon – OR – ( The beautiful people at http://www.rebelandmuse.com have recently invited me to be on their podcast, and we chat quite a bit about this idea there….. go check it out! ) ANywho

We will only benefit from the continuous exploration of self. This injury, in my perspective, has only been good. Painful and life changing, yes, but ooey gooey dripping in epiphanies that take place driving on the freeway or by way of the hot steamy shower, at the gym of all aweful places, or sitting in my car in a parking lot in the rain…kind of good. Pain is a part of life, choosing how we respond to this pain is what dictates the quality of our lives. I absolutely had moments like this before the fall, but these are different. These come on the dawn of a cold dark night, and for some reason to me that makes them more profound. Maybe I guess then, the way I see it is, this experience has deepened my understanding of things that only have light shown on them by looking over the edge of darkness and sinking right into it.

And then coming up smiling. Because well, it’s fascinating down there, deep in the depth of our wounds, it’s a vast majestic an if we dare to go there (with an open and positive mind set, of what can come from this situation)- anything is possible. I believe now more than ever in the power of our minds. This power is the same way people like Nelson Mandela survive lock up or humans survived the holocaust. And although I am no comparison to these kinds of hero’s maybe my journey can be an inspiration to other ordinary people like me and you. Maybe I can be a reminder that we are all capable of greatness, and that “greatness” doesn’t look the same for any two people. That’s the greatest part. As we change and grow our best also transforms day to day, and season to season. But believing in a bigger something, anything, the possibilities to overcome, to create, to learn, to forgive (ourselves and others), to grow, to let go, to thrive are literally infinite.

Being injured has given me an opportunity to be with myself. It has given me time to explore me. My thoughts, my feeling, with out interruptions to the things we as humans normally do to fill our days. And this opportunity has allowed me to fall even deeper in the love with with who I am. It has showed me parts of myself, sad parts, strong parts, injured, humble, simple gentle unadorned with life’s decorations parts…

(Below, the documentation of my knee’s sweet journey =) I am proud of what a healing machine it is!!)

Post Surgery. This is all it will bend.
And a leg that feels like the weight and pulse of a thousand raging, rushing furious waterfalls
and the bruising..
a struggle to bend this much continues,
and the wound =)
eeeeep! progress, painful process, but yay.
the journey of the knee, inside there are Malcom and Archie. My new MCL and ACL. yes i named my ligaments, it makes the process more fun!! =)
and here….
look at those beauties. heheheh.
and dang girl. look at that bend! Simple pleasures in full effect

 This essence of self, of life that maybe is only revealed in times of challenge , of woundedness, is what makes us strong. This injury has been a beautiful opportunity to see my body broken and in pain, but capable of healing, capable of finding the light, the positive, and what a miracle it is to see the body heal. To see myself in my lowest time, and still find the beauty in who I am, this my friends, is a truly humbling and empowering  lesson to learn. And for that, this process, this experience, maybe I will go as far as to say this gift of a different and deeper, more simple (even more simple than I already was) approach to life – well for that i am extremely grateful. I

Diving head first into the belly of injuries and recovery is honestly anything but cool. It’s not glamorous. But it is real. It is a process, it is a time to really sink my teeth into all the things I preach when life is healthy and thriving. It is truly a time to digest what exists beyond the physical world we live in. It is a time of letting go, of surrendering, of shifting the energy away from negativity and back towards gratitude. It is a time of patience, of acceptance, of love. Of looking myself in the eyes, and loving what I see. It is a path of gentleness towards self, of not judging the days when I want to be anywhere but here. And knowing that as a human, a spiritual beautiful divine being, but a human non the less, that it is okay to struggle. I am not any less of a yogi, a teacher, a leader a light bearer or a guide because I too face demons, demons that can paint even my light and sparkly  sky with darkness. And you sweet person are the same. Remember that with impermanence comes happiness and sadness and if you can just stay afloat when the seas are the roughest then that is enough. Not only is it enough, but it is a sweet victory when you rise to meet the new day, maybe naked, and battered but resilient, stronger and ever so beautiful 💙 so I send you this message,  to you inviting you join me on this humble journey to discover the limits of the universe, a reality juicy with life’s subtle joys, full of adventure and full of  love.

This idea of the mind and greatness and how no two things are the same from person to person, has been a duality I have been applying to the idea of success; and how it’s come to look and taste In modern society but that maybe that’s not actually what “success” is at all…

I feel good about it:) got that coming to you nexts

I hope my story inspires you of what greatness you have within you – as a human – as a divine magical being living inside a bag of flesh, stacked with bones, wandering freely on this planet. Trying to make sense of this wildly joyful life experiment.  Life’s great mystery is our prize.

Be well my friends. Be kind, Be love.

xo

Mermaid

ps. im also helping host an epic event tomorrow. here in the link =) if you are in town, come join us!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yoga-daytreat-live-music-soundbath-energy-healing-vegetartian-lunch-tickets-52180804190?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

 

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Surf House Nicaragua When dreams become reality 😍

Traveling is one of those things- you can never know what to expect. I suppose this can apply to life in general- but specifically when you travel. The possibility of what can happen when you are away from home, not in normal routines, on the road, is exciting to me. I like the unknown- I feel so comfortable moving about- it’s weird. I almost feel more uneasy when I’m only in one place for too long. I find the growth and insight that comes from constant change is profound. For me, it seems that maybe the secret is finding consistencies- routines- normalities- within the change. By this I mean, findings constants, the things that keep you grounded and secure, within the comforts of your own (magical, divine) self. I am always pretty stoked to spend time with myself. I can only speak from personal experience but the allure of the unknown, of the potential challenges, what I learn from new people, places, things, is what drives me to move, to expand, to create and to love. At this point in my trip (which is now the end- haha since it took me a month to finish writing anything) I’ve been all over the place. Costa Rica to Nicaragua, Nicaragua to El Salvador, El Salvador to Nicaragua, Nicaragua to Costa Rica, and currently back in Nicaragua. And lots of cities in between. Playa Grande, Liberia, Asseradores, Managua, La Flores, La Libertad, Puerto Sandino, Leon, Playa Negra, Nosara, Garza, and at this particular moment I’m in laying in my bed in a hotel room in Granada thinking how silly it is that I haven’t wrote yet. Although I do use my social media to share, it’s not the best avenue to actually tell stories- and I believe it’s our stories that tie us together. These stories allow us to realize that we are all human beings with the same basic need of food and shelter- to love and be loved. We are citizens of planet earth and that is why it is so very important to be kind and spread love to one another.

**Quick disclaimer- now that I’m reading all this after a month of non publishing it’s eh- average, but I wrote it, so here you go. Hope you at least enjoy the pictures:)

 

Up until this point I’ve taken a hiatus on finishing this blog (twice) and have spent a day and a half in the town of my future home, could 9 is floating all around. (Yes- one more writing break to come before I actually finally finish this story, but it’s hard to be inspired to write on my cell phone especially, when I can lay in a hammock and watch nature and be endlessly entertained- clouds and animales, trees and waves… absolute uninterrupted stoke)
So I’m dreaming. But I’m not. And it’s bliss. I’d found myself speechless with a silly smile plastered to my face, and for those of you who know me, the smile is normal. But speechless, haha- pretty special moment in my life. Ive never been so excited for so much hard work. Yes rad- to find something you are passionate about sharing and want to do nothing but enjoy the path of that dream. I can’t help but feel excited and inspired by everything around….

And then haha- took another hiatus from finishing this story yet again, cause life continues to happen and the “distractions” of nature and waves and naps has been keeping me busy- still (was, until this morning) in this same town, still in love with everything I see in front of me, but just a few days away from finishing up this month long adventure..

Let’s rewind a bit. I started this trip In Costa Rica-

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because sometimes I don’t know what the heck I’m doing and let’s be real- i didn’t plan this one well at all… all part of the journey. Se la vie. And when you have no specific “plans” you go with what you know- so I flew into Costa Rica. Less than 24 hours later, a quick trip to and from the beach at playa grande, a random encounter with a friend of a friend of a friend in and from Costa Rica (yes it’s a small world), and back to Liberia I go. So back in libera I’m pumped to head north, buss ticket in hand, El Salvador bound, via Nicaragua…

 


But In Liberia is where I stay, holding true to the idea of is something can happen it will, even if you actually properly planned (and for once I did). Well the bus never came. Prepaid ticket in my pocket, i waited for that damn buss for 3 hours. Long story short, I caught a cheap cab to the border scooped up some Imperials on the way and wondered what the heck am I doing from here. As I’m walking across the boarder from Costa Rica to Nicaragua I hear a voice holler at the back of my head “katie! Is that you?!?”

 


Ha. Yes only me. And from here the long way home continues. I took at ride with my friend 4 hours out of the way north and 4 hours all the way back south to Managua the very next morning. Being a “yes” girl gets me in some funny situations, but I always end up with a good story to tell. My detour oddly enough took me Into the town I’m moving to, I met some new friends, caught some waves and then continued my journey north, with another 12 hour travel day Into El Salvador.

El Salvador-
What a beautiful country. Everyday we have choices to make. And if I listened to the things people said to do, to play it safe, my life, I feel would be boring, unsatisfying, and average. I believe I am not here to be average. I’ve been here before, I’ve learned some things and it’s my role is this life time to share this inspiration, this passion to live life fully, with others. Code orange. Says the president. Code love says Katie. El Salvador is a little bit sketchy, but at no point did I ever feel unsafe. I planned a week Tour with a rad company based out of LA called AST. First stop in El Sal, was the location at the “east” of the county called Las Flores. Anywhere the jungle meets the sea is absolute perfection for my salty soul. Add in a Birdseye view of a fun playful right hand point break- Cherry on top:) Oddly enough, El Salvador is a country on the pacific coast of the americas that actually faces East. So every morning the fiery blood red sun levitated into the still, calm sky. Absolute Bliss.

 

I’ve got a whole blog on AST coming up next, but go visit these people:) I then stayed at their Punta Roca location. The hotel is perched on the edge of another epic right hand point break, I saw some waterfalls, ate delicious food and I am hoping to be hosting a surf and yoga adventure here next year!:)

From El Salvador. I go back to Nicaragua. In addition to my life being a gypsy trail of places it is also a wild journey of love and heartbreak. If you follow my shenanigans, you know my transparency about feeling the feels, loving hard and my practice (of yoga, a practice goes much deeper than the physical poses) – it’s trusting, surrendering and learning to let go of things that no longer serve you. This part of the path is sweet. A love story, tender and pure, it’s softens me to the edges of everything.

 

I found my way back (to an epic little reef in central Nicaragua) and really, the important part, into the arms of a man, (the vibrations of a soul) I have loved for millions of years. I do believe we are from the same star. And although our time together always seems short, I’m learning with this kind of love there is no hurry. And I’m also learning the graciousness and humility and peace that comes with acceptance of things as they are, regardless of how you want them to be. My soul needed to see him and touch him after 10 months of “exile” from one another, it felt like…
One of those things, that’s leaves you staring up at the stars for hours in comple awe of things you can’t explain, and this is one of those things- I don’t have words to explain…and maybe it would cheapen it it if I did. I feel at peace to know one way or another he and I have reconnected. AND to know all the wonderful things I feel in my heart, despite our physical distance we had- are true.

From here pura vida time:)
Yew!!!
Oh how I love Costa Rica. I can’t afford it. But having so many magical souls there I get to call my friends, and so many fun fun waves to surf- no price tag can keep me away indefinitely.

 

So I crossed the boarder (again) and rented a car this time right at the border. Epic. If you travel to Costa Rica and find yourself on not too tight of a budget- I would recommend this entirely. So easy. Almost felt too easy. This simple process sure beats busses and dragging around my stuff (surf board bag included.) My heart and soul are pleased to the heavens with my decision to splurge a bit. Fuck it, it’s just money right? I love Costa Rica road trips. Well, any road trip for that matter, but especially ones through the wandering, winding roads of this magical place- something special, particularly reflective, healing, and wonderful always happens to me as I move… especially solo, especially in this part of the world. First stop. Playa negra- good friends- bright shining love friends, always bringing me the best little unassuming moments and conversations. Moments that fill my soul, that make life worth living. These are the times I live for, connection to others. I believe it’s one of the things we are all really searching for. I’m so grateful to have this “home” my body, my soul, that I get to move about in and with all across the globe and connect to others. The very best way to experience life is through the lens of your true authentic self. I spent the next morning surfing a secret spot, an outer reef tucked somewhere in northern Costa Rica. Then having coffee, doing jungle yoga, and enjoying the company with one of the most generous, brilliant beautiful souls I know. Woohoo, positive vibes pumping, and off to Nosara I go. But first a poem inspired by the blessing of true friendship and a handful of morning spent like this that always seems to linger long after the moment.

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-Friendship-
Can be better described in flavors…
Like Morning coffee talk.
The sweet organic taste of
::Fresh roasted smiles::
Straight from the mountains
And into my heart.
Porch hangs.
Chats about love and life.
-All positive everything-
Time well spent
Doing nothing but indulging.
In our stories, in our dreams.
Sharing our secrets with the trees.
Laughing like wind
Celebrating this simple bliss.

 

Nosara.
Welcome home.
I never realized what beautiful words these are to hear. It’s weird to you go back to place where your heart broke, and you haven’t been since. But it’s also powerful to be able to return to that place and be reminded of those emotions that used to be so painful…and no longer feel pain. I have done so much self work since I left this place broken hearted and broke- its wonderful to come back and to be in such a positive, grounded, inspired, loving physical, mental and emotional space. I am now able to greet these feelings with nothing but peace and gratitude for the growth and lessons they have given me. I encourage you to not let life not make you bitter. I instead encourage you to stay humble and try to receive the high and lows as they come, search for the blessings. Embrace the sweet mystic joy of life in its entirety. The journey is indeed, the destination. Final stop….

Northern Nicaragua.
Asseradores. Santa Maria Del Mar
Surf House Nicaragua.

From Costa Rica back to Nicaragua I go and finally to spend some time in the place I get to call my home. Oh man, smiling heart shaped eye emoji. It’s perfect here. Perfect is relative. But it’s perfect to me. As David Henry Thoreau so nicely put it-

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

And I see beauty all around. It’s amazing actually, I’ve been here just a little over a week- and even though time moves slow here, in the best kind of way, it seems like so much has happened. For this part of the journey I randomly scooped up an Aussie friend of a friend on the way, and for a woman who loves to go
solo, having a side kick to share this huge week of my life with was a very special gift.

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Did I mention I bought property in Nicaragua?… No big deal. Holy everything… Non stop, puppy wiggles, super happy, stoke fest, little kid on Christmas kind of dance party…
But first- Waves, nature, conversation, and latin men, just a few of my favorite things:) Then there was Saturday. Saturday was super special. I went on a beach walk- into the black sparkly sand and past all the broke down palaces lining the palm tree shores. I saw a mama and baby horse grazing in an abandoned yard.
Then as I continued on to the beach two more beautiful wild horse crashed through the jungle trees and paused to look at me from afar. They proceeded in my direction and joined me for several minutes and we wandered down the sand and through the waves together. It was magic- so pure. The most raw level of energies, horses and human, nature and human- finding a place together on a secluded beach in Northern Nicaragua. Something happens when you slow down enough to receive and witness the miracle of life coexisting, breathing and thriving as one. The flocks of birds living in the trees graciously celebrating and announcing every sunrise and sunset. The chickens, little baby chicks, and roosters roaming around the yard. Pelusa the kitten, who I’m convinced thinks he’s half dog – sleeps, plays and snuggles with religion, he loves to chase toes, frogs and spiders at night, and snuggle in my lap purring with delight.
The yellow chested birds baithing in the pool. The sweet gimpy puppy who adopts you for half the day to join you on your afternoon walk about, panting and smiling the whole way. The goats and cows gently grazing and passing the time in sweet innocence. Life here is simple. The man with his 3 daughters who lives in the beach side property and is kind enough to let us walk through their property to enter the waves. These precious little girls told me the want to learn English and I asked them If they also wanted to learn to surf. With sparkles in their eyes and giggles in their bodies they said yes. I am beyond grateful life has brought me here, to live and share, and teach. To empower and uplift and ultimately to learn as much as I get to share. Life after all is one big give and take. It’s reciprocal, cyclical and forever full of endless knowledge. From books, the sea, to the poor family living in peace, there isn’t a soul or thing from whom we cannot learn.

 

So now- my property. Daaaaannng. Boss babe things in full effect. My property is perfect. I feel so happy when I stand on it go near it and envision what a place of conversation, connection, and love it is going be. Surf House Nicaragua is a dream- my dream- that is now a reality- in the making. I’m full of humility and happiness to be living this life. Inspired. Humble. Excited and even scared. Fear is good. It’s in this space I am finding we learn and grow.

I left this magical paradise this morning and am now in Leon, feeling moderately assaulted by over stimulation of a busy city. Honking horns, loud music, cars and motos zooming by. But as the sun began to set I was naturally drawn west and made it just in time to a Euro vibe room top bar called el mirador. 🙂

 

It’s not the beach, but still special to watch the sun fade away, off shores blowing solid, sweeping the sun below the roof tops and shadowed city scapes. As my trip comes to a close it’s nice for once to actually be looking forward to going home. Every other time in the past I have felt so sad to go back to the states. This is the first time ever I have been so content with where I am, and where I am going, and where I have been. I’m stoked to work, and keep the ball rolling as I stay focused in my dreams. I guess my point for all of this, and it’s not something I’m preaching, but truly living, is to believe in yourself. And to believe in your dreams. Yoga and the breath, and my practice in mindfulness, daily intentions and positive affirmations continue to shape my life and my dreams exactly as I imagine. And when things don’t go my way, my practice allows me to accept and understand that this too is all part of the plan. So live your life my loves. And remember, keep smiling, be kind, be patient (life is about learning wait). Take your sense of humor with you every where you go, and go with love. The law of attraction is real. What you seek is seeking you, and the people crazy enough to dream the dreams are the people who actually see them come true.

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Have a beautiful day 🙂
The mermaid gypsy

 

Posted on

Back to Cali ☀️

Finding inspiration in the day to day grind can be challenging.
Then I go outside and I am reminded of what a beautiful planet we live on. Backyards vibes are pretty sweet. All kinds rad trees and plants. Succulents are such a trip. And Incredibly brilliant. They can survive, in just about any and all conditions. If you break them off, and replant then, you don’t kill them- they are almost like a Voulenteer for more & more life 🙂 very cool.

I sit and watch the bees enjoy the nectar of the blooming trees, hear the birds and feel the wind. It’s October and I’m writing in a bikini, in a hammock and the waves are just a bike ride away- So I suppose you can say it’s a bit of a paradise.

Making magic with these sweet mermaids
Happy place. Surf and smiles 🙂

It’s easy to get caught up in a desire for “perfection” when sometimes you have to take a step aside and realize that this IS perfection- the perfect day is happening to you right now. It’s all a mater of being present, having a positive mental attitude, and experiencing the joy within the reality of whenever you are at—-
Blah blah blah.
What am I trying to say?
Well 2 things specifically.

The adventure is in your mind. The more time I spend at “home”, in San Diego, the more I tap into my yoga practice and the more I am reminded of “as you think so you become.”

The mind is a powerful tool to create and manifest any and all things we desire. And that everything we are all “searching” for resides inside of us:)

So as life happens we have to remember- everything is temporary- it’s always changing. No matter what phase of life you are experiencing you have to stay grateful- wether you are wandering through tropical jungles and surfing warm epic waves or navigating the concrete jungle, traffic lights, and censorry overload of a high pulsed society of an industrialized nation- this too an adventure. There’s always a lesson to be learned and with the abundance of our lives there are always a millions reason to stay stoked and keep smiling.

The no wave solution
Front yard magic
Making stuff for local art shows 🙂
Ah the joy of the journey
Underground backstage fun at the pepper and Fortunate Youth show at red rocks. Brrrr

The second thing if was trying to get at is importance of remembering that everything is a cycle- and within this cycle all the attributes of nature are always present. In yogic philosophy these attributes are called the gunas. I refer to the guanas to help me stay calm, content and at peace within the center when ever I feel the extremes of nature pulling me in every direction.
So what about Gunas you ask?
It’s pretty simple really- it’s a great tool or reference to use to stay in balance (or at least to be mindful of if we feel our lives being affected by super positive or negative energy or as we encounter times of happiness and sadness). My favorite example is this cycle is the growth of a seed. All seeds (even us a humans) starts in tamas- inertia, stillness, little to none movement or activity is present as the seed planted is in the ground, from here the seed begins to grow- and rajas happens- imagine all the force and activity that is need to be present for a seed to break out of its shell, sprout out of the ground and begin to become a plant. This is where the growth is happening and from human standpoint, this phase may seem overwhelming or consuming or exciting and uncertain. Ah- but what happens next is nothing short of magic. From here sattva occurs. Balance. The flower or tree is in perfect bloom- the fruit is ripe- and any individual looking at this plant would think its a magically beautiful representation of perfection. However, at this point – we must remember what a journey the plant went through to achieve such brilliance, and remember where it is going. The tree then drops its fruit, the flowers die- the soil is replenished and the cycle begins again.

In my life i just returned from the dreamland of tropic jungles and great waves- it was “perfection” however I was living reality that was not sustainable and now back Cali I am realizing (only 4 months later, yes, sometimes I’m slow to get on the bus) that is my time to sow the garden again. To get rooted, grounded, connected- and manifest and create new journeys and adventures. This part of the cycle might not be “glamorous” but we are only as solid as our foundation, only as strong as our roots and so I am finding the joy of this phase of my life because from here all things grow stronger. Also remembering that within this phase there is so much delightful magic that is present and to be grateful for abundance and lessons here and now.

last weekends yoga retreat with rebel & muse up in the mountains of SLO – an early morning shot of the setting full harvest moon:)
Scored some Sunday afternoon waves in Ventura
Stoked to be an ambassador for Avasol skin care:) checks out the ladies and I at Mermaid Mafia to see what it’s all about
The best part of travel the friends you meet along the way- a buddy i met in Nica, from Ventura- party time!!
Surf. Yoga. Music. Create. Travel. This photo says a lot about me

So, these Gunas important to remember because within our entire macro cycle of life this micro cycle is spinning, daily – weekly- monthly- yearly. We must be patient and gentle with ourselves. It’s not necessary to have all the answers. We have to remember we are a part of nature and it’s imperative to trust and surrender to the forces around us. Otherwise we cause avoidable suffering to ourselves and others. The sun will set and rise. The tides will rise and fall and In the end everything is going to be okay:) if it’s not okay. It’s not the end…
These are just a few of the many gems of wisdom I have learned from the yoga tradition that I am oh so happy to share with you.

With all my salty and sunkissed love
Namaste