Budapest

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of visiting the young and thriving Ashtanga yoga community at Bandha Works in Budapest, Hungary, and what a community it was! Enthusiastic, thirsty to learn, this community was formed only a year ago and the energy and unity they created within the year was truly inspirational to witness as well as experience. I loved every minute of my contact with the students and left deeply touched by their willingness and sincerity to dive into the heart of the practice with both feet! It warmed my heart. It energized my teaching. There's no doubt that heart of the student enlivens the heart of the teacher, and the learning goes both ways!

As a city I can't say enough about the beauty and history that is Budapest. The architecture, the history, the people! Everyone speaks of Paris, London, and Rome when planning to visit Europe but if you have the opportunity I would definitely put Budapest on the list!

Geneva

At the beginning of November I had the pleasure of traveling to Geneva, Switzerland to lead an Ashtanga yoga workshop there. One cannot deny one of the benefits of this work is visiting fascinating new places and meeting generous and warm hearted people and Geneva was no different. A beautiful city nestled between two mountain ranges, on a clear day you can see Mount Blanc in the distance, the highest peak of the Alps. The city is clean, affluent and surprisingly diverse, with more than 50% of its inhabitants being foreign. A french speaking city, whereas other parts of Switzerland are German speaking, I couldn't help but enjoy hearing french being spoken. Ooo la la!

The quality of life is high in Geneva and I was pleasantly surprised at how well mixed various cultures and races mixed together. It was very refreshing to see. The bonds we forge with others shouldn't always be defined by what makes us comfortable but also by what wakes us up to see another perspective, another way of life. Travel teaches me so much and it is also amazing to see this represented in some of the places I have the sincere privilege to visit.

Highlights from Mark Robberds' Workshop

At the end of October we had the pleasure of hosting Mark Robberds at Yogayama here in Stockholm. Mark was magic! He transmutes the practice in a way that is both beautiful, thought provoking and inspiring merging our connection to the heart. More and more, this is where I'm driving at in my own reflections. If it doesn't open our hearts and minds, then what's the point? 

To follow more of what Mark is up to in the world you can find him at www.markrobberds.com

Back in the U.S.

Massive Sequoia in my sister's neighborhood!

My precious 7 year old niece. Time flies!

Castle Rock State Park, California

I've really been behind with updating. I really miss it though! Life has been a balancing act over the past few months and will continue at this pace with a few breaks in between. I can't complain though. I feel extremely lucky to have had a number of opportunities come my way, and well, consistency and hard work have a way of steadily paying off unexpectedly when you simply immerse yourself in the work. 

In October I traveled back to the U.S. for the first time in almost 5 years! Can you imagine?! I didn't think it would take that long to get back when I first moved to Sweden but that's how it worked out. In a way I felt like a foreigner in my own country of origin, hahaha. Not in a bad way. But, I have to say, there is something about the European lifestyle that jives with me. At least for now. I can't predict the future but I'm content on living in Sweden. It works, especially if I get the chance to go away someplace warm and sunny during the winter months. 

So I headed to the west coast first to visit my sister and her family, including my adorable niece above in the Portland, Oregon area, then afterward, to San Jose, California to teach a weekend workshop there. I'm thinking maybe it was a good thing I visited the west coast for my mode of re-entry. There is open minded thinking everywhere but there seems to be more of it in place out there. I guess my one and only complaint is America's obsession with the automobile. The bigger the better it seems, and I feel myself being turned off by it, especially after living in a country where public transportation is not only done well, but extremely well. 

However, through it all I had a lovely trip. There are some things I just don't have in Sweden. Like family and Whole Foods. In case you didn't know I'm obsessed with Whole Foods. Everything also seems so much cheaper in the U.S. versus Sweden. So for consumption, yeah, America's got Sweden beat. The 25% Vat can really add up but somehow I don't feel like I'm getting too burned. There's a quality of life and a balance of life in Sweden that I can really appreciate. The contrast of travel and living in another country has given opportunity to open my eyes to many facets of life. For that I am grateful. I'm still no doubt American but the beauty of practicing yoga, traveling and living abroad you realize that there is a thread that connects us all no matter what labels or nationalities we identify with. If we could open our minds to that our world word be a different place. 

Gangster Yoga with Alexander Medin

So great to see Alexander Medin speak on his current project, "Back in the Ring" on Tedx!

WARSAW

Warsaw, Poland. For the past three years I've arrived during the first weekend of October as the Fall coloring begins to form. A beautiful time of year. A time of transition. I've done a fair amount of work in Eastern Europe and an affinity for this part of the world has begun to form. The people understand hardship and they also understand triumph. It's interesting being in places that have experienced a fair amount of upheaval as well as healing. When it comes to the city of Warsaw I love it. Right now it seems to be a good time for the people here. There is a vibrancy emerging bringing a sense of aliveness and change.

I feel grateful to have had the chance to return to many of the places I have done workshops. Each return there is a chance to more deeply get a feel for a place and the community. There is a familiarity and at the same time always new places to discover. Meeting yogis in various parts of the world once again bring to light how our sameness is much stronger than or difference.

Touch The Sky

So many timeless themes in this short film. I love it.

Wow, Moscow!

Entering the Red Square

Last weekend I was in Moscow. My second time there and all I can say is, WOW, Moscow! This city is massive. They say it is around 15 million but locals claim it to be closer to 20 million. The landscape of the city is more spread out unlike metropolises of New York, or let's say Hong Kong. In the center the historical sites are in tact and in amazing condition. There is something about the architecture in Moscow that really gets me. A mix of beauty and power united together. Everything is on a big scale if you know what I mean. It has spurred my interest to visit more of the cultural sites my next trip. There will be loads of ground to cover and much needed planning. It is also a dream of mine to see one of the Bolshoi Ballets. Tickets sell rather quickly so I'll have to be proactive in terms acquiring them.

When it comes to the people and the workshop I led, I am further impressed by what is instilled in the people here. There is a formality and a respect, but at the same time a warmth and resiliency that has no doubt been a big part of their history. A history that is complex, rich, provocative and tumultuous. It has always been a great experience to visit. Another dream on of mine is to see St. Petersburg. That's next on my list!

St. Basil's

On Moscow's Riverfront

Chia seed pana cotta at Fresh

 At Fresh - One of Moscow's vegetarian restaurants

With Leonid - The best Ashtanga teacher in Moscow!

Back in Colgone

The weekend before last I was in Cologne, Germany teaching a workshop or better known as Köln. I so enjoy this city. Like Stockholm there are many green areas and the city is made for walking as well as biking. There are quaint cafés that line the streets, perfect for people watching. When in Germany I can still feel the stark contrast from Sweden even though the two countries aren't that far away from each other. One country has felt the travesties of multiple wars in the last century while the other came off affected by pretty much unscathed. It makes a difference in the energetic make up in a country and it isn't necessarily bad. Next visit, I'd like to see some of the well known museums and get more of a feel of the history. Somehow I'll get it inked in the schedule. 

We Are Dead Stars

Imagine. We are dead stars. Wow.

This Summer

Ta

Just under a month I've been back home after an intense and transformational summer in Mysore, India. As always it took me a while to land and digest all that transpired, and in many ways I feel as if I am still digesting. I know transformational is a word that is thrown around a lot these days, and the only way to describe it is something shifted, for better or worse, who knows. I felt challenged on every level, mentally, emotionally, physically and most definitely spiritually. I cried this summer more than I had in a long time. I was broken down to be built back up. A toning from the inside out. A reckoning. The buzz of practicing there has just about worn off. It seems like the more you hold on to it the faster it goes. At the same time there is an inkling of a light that has been lit and the knowing it won't ever burn out.

Having the opportunity to immerse oneself in the way that we did this past summer was an opportunity of a life time, and really every trip I feel it, but this was on another level. I am always so grateful to have the time and space to focus on practice, ultimately focusing on the truer parts of life. I need these reminders. If I didn't I would be lost. It all goes back to the quality we lead in our hearts and minds in day to day living. Thankfully the practice of yoga helps to lead us there.

Moving forward there is so much that comes to mind. It is so easy to be swept away by the rhythm of our rushed society. I'm learning not to be so dictated by it. I too see how distracted I can be and how challenging it is to maintain this internal connection, but no one said it would be easy. It comes down to one's thirst for ultimate freedom as I contemplate what is that really? What does that look like? I'm getting the tiniest sense of it and yet it feels exciting and scary at the same time. Funny how that works. It's like balancing on the edge of a razor. 

Monday Inspiration: The Secret of Happiness - Alan Watts