Yoga Peeps

Currently there are 5 of us.  We were at 6, but the one guy was only here for a couple of weeks.  There have been “rumours” of a 6th person joining us at some point, but like I said previously things are a little weird here, so maybe they’ll show up, maybe they won’t.  Who knows?

David is our teacher and he’s had some pretty interesting experiences.  His history and experiences take up the first six pages of our teacher’s manual and he’s done some pretty amazing things and experienced some cool stuff.  He’s originally from Canada, but has been living in Thailand for the last several years and is now setting up a yoga center/community in Port Barton.

Danielle (girl on the far left) is from England.  She was a lawyer there when she developed rheumatoid arthritis.  She quit her job (which she hated) did some traveling, then went to Thailand to try a yoga course for a week, and ended up staying several months.  Someone introduced her to David while she was there which is how she ended up here.  Her journey is really about trying to get off her medications and find a way to heal herself.  She planned on staying for one month, but is now talking about staying for two.

Paolo (our token male) grew up in England, his mother is from Malta, but he has spent the last 5 years in Holland.  He’s an electrician, has an interest in the metaphysics and is trying to find a way to live a simpler lifestyle as he was burning out in Holland.  He has done a lot of travelling and has a lot of interesting stories about his travels and all the things he has learned or experienced along the way.  I feel like I learn something new and really interesting every time I talk to him.

Kirsty (next to Paolo) is from Bahrain.  She is the mother of the two kids (Jack – 5 & Kai – 7) that you see in some of the pictures.  She is passionate about food and nutrition and is an amazing cook.  She and the kids are currently next door to me in the units we are staying in at the moment.

Joy (beside me) is from New York.  She was an interior designer there when she had an epiphany (during a ceremony) that there is more to her life than living in New York and working.  She quit her job, rents out her apartment and has been travelling (often doing yoga or metaphysics courses along the way) for the last 10 months.  It’s obviously working for her as she is the most upbeat, postive person I have met (in a genuine sort of way, not a Ned Flanders sort of way).  If I learn nothing else from Joy but how to be more positive and see the magic in life, I will be very happy.    

And that’s our little group for now.  Everybody has been great.  I won’t lie and say there have been no problems.  It has been great, but also a bit frustrating at times having a couple of young kids along on the course.  It’s great to have their energy and enthusiasm at times, but there haven’t really been any boundaries set and they are sometimes a bit distracting when you’re trying to do work on yourself.  I’m finding it especially hard because with them next door (the walls are thin) it’s sometimes hard to get away from them at all to just have some quiet time.  At this point I’m just trying to make it a part of my practice – how to change my mind set and just let things go : )

So, the only pictures I have to leave you with are of yoga class as it feels like that’s all I got up to (with a lot of swimming time in between!). Also, here’s a list of the movies we watched this week. Both of them were really interesting and I’d highly recommend them – check them out when you have a chance.

– Water (documentary from 2006)

– Placebo: Mind Over Medicine (I think this one is also called Placebo: Healing the Body with the Mind)

Setting up for class.