Surprising myself

Spontaneously deciding to do a yoga training in Bali wasn’t in my traveling plans this year (especially since the last yoga class I went to was about 2 years ago?)… and yet when things magically come together for you to be somewhere, you know it’s right.

After 3 weeks of *intense* sweating, stretching and learning I’m forever altered not only by witnessing the miracle of our bodies but also by the power of community - of doing hard things together.

Being in the rice fields of Ubud while meeting physical, mental and emotional edges was a revelation.

Being constantly invited to be aware and present in my body (with the fullness of its delights and limitations) was humbling, beautiful, challenging, vulnerable and alchemical.

Being in the sweetness of a shared transformational experience after traveling alone for so long was balm to the heart.

Despite having no yoga clothes with me after 8 months on the road, and no intentions of becoming a yoga teacher (for now), I am oh so grateful for every single moment and for all the special souls I met who I know will be in my life forevermore.

I will treasure us sipping on fresh coconuts, eating tempeh daily, avoiding being ran over by scooters, being woken up by crowing roosters at 2/4/6am, syncing while doing 108 sun salutations, marvelling at watercolour sunsets, smiling at butterflies dancing into the shala, aweing at lit up fireflies, slapping through mosquito hour (while spraying copious amounts of insect repellent), laughing together and hugging each other while covered in sweat saying “it’s ok, I am sweaty too”.

Ilysfm x