Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! I hope you all had a really nice holiday celebration, surrounded by good company and lots of love. This has been my first winter season away from friends and family back home, however I do feel your presence more than ever. The past two days have been filled with lots of beautiful gatherings, yoga and celebration! Although I do miss all of you, I feel so grateful to be in this special place right now in my life.

The weather here has been so hot the past few weeks that it really has not felt like the holiday season. On Christmas I rode my bike around town in a tank top and sipped on a smoothie at brunch while sitting outside under the bright sun - a huge shift from the snow, scarves and hot chocolate that I am used to! Christmas is not celebrated in Thai culture so there was little reminder of the holiday approaching. Although I have seen a few Christmas trees set up at the tourist restaurants and guest houses, as well as some gold jingle bells hanging from a palm tree (it was a pretty funny sight). With all of the decorations, songs and hectic shopping far from Thai culture, I have really enjoyed experienceing a different side to the holiday season. One that has been entirely focused on relaxation and community.

Christmas eve I celebrated in Thai style by having an authentic meal at my friend Rhiannon's house. Her roommate and his friends cooked us a beautiful homemade dinner- coconut curry with shrimp and vegetables, spicy fish and baked squid, freshly steamed root veggies, sticky rice, and coconut treats for desert. We sat crossed legged on the floor, eating with chop sticks and listening to reggae, which is truly a Thai favorite. Although there was no Christmas caroling that night, it was really a treat to gather with all native Thia's to exchange positive intention and energy. My friend Miako shared with us the Asian perspective on this time of year and I found it to be really beautiful, so I want to share it with all of you. Each year the winter solstice takes place on the evening of December 21st, which is followed by three days of complete darkness for many parts of the northern hemisphere. So the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th are considered the darkest days of the entire year. Then on the 25th light floods back into the world and there is intense brightness. In our culture this is represented by the birth of Jesus Christ, but people living here in the east see it as the birth of global consciousness, where each being awakens to the bright light that shines so brightly inside of their own hearts. I really love this this beautiful way of perceiving this time of year!

I received the amazing gift of being able to teach a yoga class both on Christmas eve and Christmas morning, and it was such a special way to start the holiday celebration centered around peace and love. Wonderful people coming together to consciously bring in the beautiful spirit of the season. Since being here in Thailand I have gotten to teach a yoga class on each one of our major holidays, and it really has been the best gift I could ever ask for - sharing love with my students as they reflect that same positive energy back to me. So wonderful! On Christmas day I also got to receive a Thai massage with my two friends Cat and Rhianon at a cute little shop here in town. Cat treated us as a Chirstmas gift, and as I lay there listening to Asian music while having my sore muscles ringed out, I couldn't help but smile... feeling just overwhelemed with happiness and peace. But I guess that is what the holidays are all about, right?!

Christmas evening I went to a party at my friend Jonas' house, who is one of the yoga teachers at Wild Rose from Sweden. There was such a nice community of people that came together to celebrate, and it was so festive. Everyone brought some sort of veggie to throw on the grill and
we sat outside under the stars eating, laughing and singing rock songs on Jonas' guitar. Again, no Christmas carols, but there was still that same beautiful energy of voices coming together to create the sound of union. Although I got a few small gifts from a couple of friends, it really was not the focus of the day, and I know that with the change in the economy back home, many of you may have had a very similar experience. It really was a nice reminder of the true meaning of the holiday season. However, I did receive a big box in the mail about 4 days before Christmas from my wonderful mom that was carefully packed with beautifully wrapped presents. When I opened the box tears of joy and gratitude filled my eyes, partially because it reminded me of home but also because I feel like one of the luckiest people in the entire world. I have such beautiful friends and family that flood my life with unconditional love! What more could I ask for? Each and every day I feel SO grateful for all of you! Just to stay connected to that feeling of appreciation, I opened one of my mom's gifts each day leading up to the 25th... which makes me smile because it combines the beautiful traditions of Hanukkah and Christmas, and not to mention I'm living in a Buddhist country. I just love the diversity of the world that we live in! It's so wonderful!

Peace and Love to you all this holiday season!
April

Being Connected

This past weekend was really one of fun and laughter. It was two of my good friend's birthdays so we celebrated by dancing for three nights straight! Rhiannon's birthday was Friday night and I got to explore break dancing for the first time, which was really a blast! We went to a club where we were the only forong (non Thia's) present, and not to mention the only people on the dance floor... I'm sure they had no idea what to make of our funny moves! Saturday night we went salsa dancing to celebrate my friend Sibyl's birthday, which was at a beautiful restaurant with a great deck and live music. There was a group of about 20 people from every corner of the world gathered around the same dinner table, all coming together to celebrate and laugh as one. Then on Sunday I got to hear live music again at a jazz bar, where we danced for hours. The musicians were really talented and clearly had studied their American jazz history because sometimes I would close my eyes and it really sounded like Ray Charles singing or on Louis Armstrong on sax. Three culturally diverse nights, with completely different styles of music, and yet there was a commonality running through it all. Music has the incredible capability of bringing people together from all walks of life, allowing us to feel connected by the same basic thread of humanity. Thai, Mexican, African, Italian, American, Canadian... it does not matter, we are all truly the same. Music creates that connection, and it's something we can not just talk about, but rather feel in our hearts. At the jazz bar I was so deeply connected to my Grandpa who passed away last year, feeling his entire being dancing with me and singing along to all of the songs. When I was out with the girls dancing to house music and playing around with break dancing moves, I felt like I was surrounded by all my amazing girlfriends from back home. And as I sat with huge global community listening to beautiful Spanish and English songs, all language barriers were lost and I felt completely surrounded by the loving energy of my friends and family. I love what music and dancing does to my soul, and this entire weekend was a great way for me to come back home to that place inside my own heart.

Now that the stuidos are back in full swing, I have started teaching a lot again. In addition to Wild Rose, I am teaching a few days a week at another studio in town called Namo. The yoga community is so small here that everyone knows each other and the studios support one another, which is really nice. Yoga means union, and just like music it has that power to bring people together as one. As always I am learning and growing as a teacher and student all the time, it's really humbling! Last week was my last class at Freedom House for a while since it is closing for a holiday break. The owner has been in the states for the past two months trying to fundraise for the school and has been having a really hard time. People are feeling financially strapped right now with the holidays and the economic situation, that charitable donations seem to have been put on the back burner for a bit. I am not sure if Freedom House will have the financial stability to stay open, and I just ask that everyone sends out their best intentions and prayers to this amazing organization. It has been an incredibly challenging, rewarding and beautiful experience working with these children. Right now I just hope they can continue to receive an education and feel encouraged to explore the inocense of their childhood.


With all the changes and shifts that are taking place here, I find that I'm thinking about you all back home more than ever. I know that it is a bitter sweet time of year, with immense amounts of fears and suffering, as well as tons of love and beautiful gatherings. My heart goes out for all those who have already or who may risk losing their jobs in our shifting economy. And I'm sending out so much love to all of my friends and family who are experiencing physical or emotional pain right now. It's hard to be across the world when loved ones are hurting back home, when all I really want to do is reach out and help. Right now I know that my role is sending out love and positive intentions, and having faith that you all will feel my heart back home. Since we really are so deeply connected, nothing that we face can be experienced alone. It's the support and love from everyone in the world that helps us through any difficulty. When one person feels pain, it ripples through all of existence. My heart goes out to you all right now back home, and I hope that you can feel all the love I'm sending during this holiday season!

Miss you all!
April

Get Comfortable...

I haven't gotten a chance to write in almost two weeks because I've been so busy, but no complaints because it's been all good things. I have lots to share, so you may want to sit down and get comfortable because I have a feeling this is going to be a long one!

First I want to tell you about my camping experience a few weekends ago, because it was really amazing! My friend Ali teaches English at the Chiang Mai University, and one of her Thai students organized a trip up to the very north of Thailand and invited us to go along. About 15 people (mainly all Thia's who spoke very little English) piled into a small truck called a saung tao for an eight hour drive into the mountains! Luckily I pulled the motion sickness card and got to sit up front with my friend Dave the entire time, but I know that my karma will come back around for all the people who squished into the back without even complaining.... Thia's really are wonderful people! We drove to Pu Chi Fa National Park which is at the very tip of Thailand on the border of Laos. But the long trip was completely worth it when we finally got out of the car to see the view! We camped out on the top of a mountain that overlooked the Mekong River and this enormous mountain range between the two countries. We watched the sunset from the mountains peak and gazed up into the most incredable starry night sky! The only down side was that it was absolutely freezing, and none of us were prepared at all! I had no idea that tropical Thailand could get so cold at night, and of course the warmest thing I brought was a light jacket. Needless to say we huddled around the camp fire (sadly, no s'mores in Thailand) and cuddled together in our tents to fall asleep! The next morning we drove another hour higher up into the mountains to hike along the side of this cliff that is well know for its incredible view, and don't think I have never seen anything so beautiful! I know we have amazing mountain ranges at home, but I've never gotten to sit on top of one of the peaks and see across the entire stretch of the Rocky Mountains. I had no idea that the mountains here where so enormous, but gazing out across the vastness of the earth was a truly humbling experience. Being with nature really takes me away from myself, and reminds me that I am just a smaller part of a much greater whole. I took pictures to share with you all when I get home, but of course they couldn't truly capture the real beauty!

Last week I took a Thai Yoga Massage course at an international training school here in Chiang Mai called ITM. I had class each day from 9-5, and going from a laid back schedule to these long days was really a big adjustment for me! I learned a lot and really enjoyed the program, but it was definitely a challenge! We started class every morning with either Chi Quong or a yoga practice, which was a really nice way to begin the day. Chi Quong is a type of slow mindful dancing, combined with martial arts and yoga. Of course I really enjoyed it, and I look forward to taking more classes during my stay here. The days were filled with lectures, demonstrations and time to practice the sequencing. Thai Yoga Massage is a beautiful combination of the intentional stretching of yoga and the energetic release of acupressure points. It originated in India thousands of years ago by a man who traveled with the Buddha as his personal physician. In Thai culture, massage is viewed as a deeply healing practice that frees us from physical pain, emotional blockages, and psychological suffering. Through this program I really have come to understand the amazing benefits of using massage as a regular practice towards health and well being. In the western culture, we often rush to get a massage after receiving an injury or illness, or when feeling stressed and close to burn out. But here it is viewed as a type of preventative step towards taking care of our mind, body and soul. Of course this really speaks to me because I am interested in a holistic approach towards overall emotional, physical and spiritual health. Since so many of the techniques are in alignment with yoga postures, I felt really comfortable working with the body and exploring the meditative side of being a massage therapist. I initially took this course to enhance my yoga teaching and also to give a little TLC to friends and family, but now I think massage may be something that I really would like to put into practice. I guess we will see what takes shape when I get back home!

Last thing I want to tell you about was the organic farm that I stayed at this past weekend, which was absolutely amazing! I went with a few friends by motorbike about an hour outside of town to the most beautiful country side, surround by tropical mountains and so much greenery. The farm is called You Sabai Home, (sabai means relax) and we stayed in this amazing tree house build from bamboo and logs! The community that lives there is very conscious about sustaining the environment and use no waste or unnatural products to support themselves. Their homes are hand made from the earth, using mud and clay for bricks, and hay for thatched roofs. Their drinking water is collected from the rain run off, and all electricity is solar powered. Although I did not stay long enough to learn much about farming, I got to help the cook prepare the most amazing meals using organic locally grown ingredients. For breakfast we would have fresh ginger tea and banana sesame smoothies; lunch and dinner would be stir fries with amazing mushrooms, cashew nuts, bamboo shoots and garlic, or huge salads filled with ripe avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, tastey red flowers, and topped with a squeeze of fresh lime! Oh, and desert was either sliced pumpkin in coconut milk or big chunks of juicy mango. Yea, it was pretty amazing! I feel like I really learned a lot about flavorful fresh cooking, and I'm looking forward to having a kitchen again when I get back home to put some of these recipes into practice. During the day I would spend hours trekking through the mountain trails, or exploring the fields which were lined with so much beautiful fruits and veggies. I taught yoga in the mornings and spent the evenings surrounded by beautiful people all gathered together to enjoy the simple pleasures of reconnecting with the earth. I feel like I tapped into a secret paradise, and plan to go back for a longer stay in January! I think there is so much more I can learn about living off of the land and appreciating the environment that so generously takes care of our every need. Such a beautiful world we live in!

I hope you are all staying warm back home in this winter season! I miss you all and send you a great big hug!

Love
April

Coming Back to Center

Last night was Thanksgiving and we truly celebrated Thai style! I went out to dinner with a few friends from Canada and the US to this cheesy American diner serving turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and wine, and we had such a great time! The food was really not that good, but the comforting feelings of home that it gave us made the night so perfect! I taught a yoga class earlier in the evening, focusing on gratitude for all the abundance and beauty that we have in our lives. It was a really special evening dedicated towards remembering the simple things that we are so blessed with everyday. Recieving the opportunity to travel the world and see so many new things, when so many people will never leave their villages. Having a roof over our head, food on our plates and clothes to cover our bodies, when so many are starving and without a place to call home. Being able to practice our yoga in a safe and peaceful environment, when many places in the world are stricken with war and turmoil. All of the love, joys, personal strengths, passions, opportunities for growth, relationships, struggles, and uncontrollable laughter that makes life worth living each and every moment! We really are SO blessed to be alive, and to be experiencing this amazing journey called life. Being grateful should be a part of our daily practice, but sometimes it takes the holiday seasons to bring us back home. With all of the political unrest that is happening right now in Thailand, as well as the social, economic and environmental injustices that are taking place all over the world, I find that gratitude can be really grounding and helps to bring me back to my center.

So I want to update you on the situation right now in Thailand, because I know there is a lot going on in the media that may be making you feel worried about me. I am completely ok, and I promise that everything is safe here right now. I actually have not even seen any demonstrations or rioting because it is all taking places at the Bangkok airports, and more recently at the Chanig Mai airport as well. Despite what the media may portray, the intention is a peaceful demonstration directed towards overcoming corruption in the government. Although it's supposed to be a Democratic system, the Thai people do not have much say in the decisions made by their government and they feel that now is the time to speak out before the next Prime Minister is elected. I think that their courage and strength to stand up for what they believe in is really incredible, and I do hope that changes take shape in the government so that the people can feel that their voices make a difference in their country. Demonstrators are sitting on the run ways of both international airports in Bangkok, which is the central hub for flights all around Asia. It began on Tuesday night and people are stranded in all different parts of the world, waiting for the government to take some form of action, and for the airports to reopen. I am actually surprised that it has gone on this long, because this is a vital part of the Thai economy and I feel that the government is really putting the country in jeopardy by not listening to the peoples requests. I know in the media it is being portrayed as a type of terrorist act, but the demonstrators are young educated students and professionals just like me, who are tired of being controlled by a corrupt government. I believe everyone has a right to have their voices heard. As of this morning, the government ordered the police to go in and clear the run ways of all demonstrators, and I just pray that no one else gets hurt! There have already been some casualities, which is far from what the peaceful Thai people want.

Within the past week there has also been a bit of trouble with the yoga studios here in town and with acquiring authentic working visas for the yoga teachers. Most of the studios have closed down for a couple weeks while all of the legal matters are sorted out, so my teaching schedule has really slimmed down. This week I only taught the Thanksgiving class last night which was only offered to the community on a word or mouth basis. We are hoping to have everything reopened within a few weeks, and I have a lot of trust that it will work it's way out exactly the way it is supposed to. This unexpected change has created some extra time for me to explore other areas of Chaing Mai. This weekend I am going camping with some friends, up in the tropical mountains overlooking an amazing canon. I am excited to get away from the city for a bit, do some hiking and to see the clear starry night sky. Next week I am planning on taking a week long Thai Yoga Massage course at one of the local schools here in town. Since a lot of my friends are massage students I have been lucky enough to receive weekly treatments, either on a yoga trade basis or they will often use me as a body to practice on. I know, I know, rough life! I have really been exposed to the deeply healing benifits of massage- physcialy, emotionaly and psychologicaly- and I'm really excited to learn more about it. Touch is a huge part of Asian culture, and I think it's something we really have gotten away from in the west. Although I'm not interested in becoming a massage therapist, I am looking forward to incorporating some of the physical adjustments into my yoga classes, as well as giving my friends and family special loving treatments. Hopefully some of you are interested in letting me practice on you when I get home!

Have a wonderful weekend and I will talk to you again soon
Peace
April

Hello Again!

I feel like so much as happened since I last wrote, and I'm not quite sure where to start? Well, lets see... this past weekend I went on the most amazing hike up these waterfalls at a near by mountain that sits just outside the city, and it was truly beautiful! It's really tropical here, so it's fun to look at all the different kinds of trees, flowers and insects. There is so much timeless beauty in nature, and I find that I can get completely lost the miracle of it's creation. I was really starting to miss hiking because back home I try to go at least once a week... I'm so spoiled with the Flatirons in Boulder! I'm really happy that I found this trail so now I can go more often. The waterfalls were just beautiful and the trail winded up the mountain for a couple of hours. It was great! This past weekend I also visited one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples I have seen since my stay here. It's called Wat Omoung and it's tucked away in a national forest surrounded by huge bddhi trees and incredible greenery. I am not sure how long ago it was built, but I could really feel its deeply routed history while walking around. It was built underground, blocked by a mossy wall that has three small entrances. The dark passage ways inside are made of fading red brick and winde around through different series of tunnels. As I ventured around in amazement, I felt chills in my spine at knowing that I was walking in the same place that people prayed in secret, probably thousands of years ago when Buddhism was not widely accepted in this part of the world. There were two alters set up in the caves where a golden statue of the Buddha sat in lotus position, and where people would sit to pray or meditate. What was even more fascinating was outside of the temple entrance sat dozens of statues of the Buddha that had been rescued from different parts of Asia from around the 1400's. The statues were incredibly worn torn, with missing limbs or heads, but the beautiful part was that they all evoked the same peaceful image that the modern representation of Buddha provides today.

Apart from visiting new places and experiencing all of the beauty that Chaing Mai has around every corner, I am falling in love more and more with the community of people that I am meeting here. It's amazing how we tend to let our guards down while traveling, especially while traveling alone! I feel like at home I was always a bit guarded when it came to bringing new people in to my life all the time because I always made myself so busy, that there just did not seem to be enough hours in the day. Work, to do lists, traffic jams, etc., are all things that kept me from being open to the wonderful people that surround me at every moment. Here I don't really have those distractions, and most of the other travelers do not either, so all we have is time to connect, and it really has been amazing. I have met some of the most beautiful people, and even though many times it's only just for a few days while they are passing through this cute town, it really is just a blessing to exchange such positive energy and learn something new from each person that I meet. This really is an international community here in Chiang Mai, but of course the more diverse people I meet the more I come back to the same conclusion, which is that we are all exactly the same. We all have so much love in our hearts, and when we can openly allow ourselves to express that, it really is the most beautiful gift you could ever give someone!

This week I attended a series of lectures given by a couple named Tara and Gonga who were living at an ashram in India for the past two years studying with a siddha master named Shri Kalishwar. They are traveling throughout Asia giving workshops on the 5 elements of healing with an intention of reconnecting people to mother earth. They talked about how rapid modernization creates a sense of personal separation from the universe and from each other, and since everything is made up of the 5 elements (fire, air, water, earth and ether) regaining balance within ourselves will help us to also experience balance within the world we live in. With the direction of the global economy, social injustices and our environment spiraling down ward, I think this is something very important to direct our intention towards. Eastern philosophy takes a mind, body, spirit approach towards manafesting positive change within the world, which is something that I support as well. We really can not just isolate the gas prices or the housing market or the mass amount of global starvation, because it isn't getting at the root of the problem. Going back to the Dali Lama's teachings on interconectivity: if everything really is connected in this world, then all of our individual actions directly effect the greater picture. Looking inside and asking "what can I do to help elevate the suffering for the entire world" is a huge question, but I believe that it's the right step towards positive change. I do think that our modern lives have created disconnection from the world 's natural recourse and from the universal energy that we all share. For me the work starts inside, so that I can then take it out into the world and help those around me. I am looking forward to taking the 5 elements healing workshop this weekend, because I think it will help me to create balance within myself so that I can also work towards bringing balance back into our world. So excited!

Hope you are all doing really well! Have a great Thanksgiving week, and I will be sending out my gratitude towards your side of the world on Thursday!
Much Love
April

Loy Krathong

Hi everyone, I am feeling so much better! Thank you all for your encouraging words and love during the past week. I have my health back and I am continuing to be cautious about what I eat, so hopefully this does not happen again. Talk about an incredibly humbling lesson in gratitude! Speaking of feeling grateful, there is a holiday going on right now here in Thailand that celebrates this very idea. It's called Loy Krathong and the festival officially started on Saturday night, finishing tonight (Thursday) with a parade as the grand finale. Let me tell you, the Thai's sure know how to party! They love finding any possible reason to bring people together with music, food, dancing and celebration. It has been a very fun week.

On Saturday night I drove by motor bike with a few friends to a near by town where the start of the festival took place. There were thousands and thousands of people gathered in a huge open field surrounding this beautiful white Buddhist temple. The Thai people make these big white lanterns from paper mache called khom fai, and hold them over a burning flame to create a small hot air balloon that they send off into the sky. As we were approaching the festival, from a distance we saw hundreds of tiny burning lights being lifted up into the night. They looked like yellow stars softly dancing together in the sky, moving with the wind towards some magical destination. We parked the motor bikes and sat for a while to watch this amazing sight, which was followed by bright fire works. We then ventured closer into the big crowd, which at first was incredibly overwhelming because there were so many people that at moments that I couldn't even move. There was food and music everywhere, while people bought their big lanterns to set off into the sky. We were surrounded by burning tiki torches and people throwing fire works into the air. I started to become really nervous- at home this sort of crowded event involving fire and a mob of people could get out of hand really fast. But then I realized that instead of people pushing or elbowing their way towards the entrance, they were walking quietly with the occasional apology for accidentally stepping on your toes. Thai people truly are so gentle and polite, that it felt like I was in a peace mob- if such a thing exists. Once we got closer to the big temple was when my eyes were in for a real treate! As far as I could see there were flaming torches in perfect rows, surrounded by groups of people holding their heated balloons to be released into the night. And in the middle of all the excitement, there was a small golden Buddha brightly lit by the most beautiful white light and surrounded by tiny candles. It's presence casted an even stronger feeling of peace over the entire evening. The meaning behind this festival is letting go, and with each khom fai that is released into the sky, the person lets go of something in their lives that no longer serves them. This makes me think of all the things that we hold on to every day that weigh us down and take away from our ability to experience joy in the present moment- material possessions, relationships, anger, resentment, old habits or patterns. It's as if we are constantly carrying around two big suit cases full of old emotional junk... life becomes so heavy, and it feels like we are treading up stream with both suit cases in our hands. When I walked away from the festival on Saturday night, I felt so much lightness and freedom because along with everyone else that night, I also let go of things that I have probably been holding on to for far too long. It felt great!

The second part of this holiday is about gratitude, and this I got to experience last night with the children and other teachers from The Freedom House. A loy krathong is a tiny floating raft made from a section of a banana tree trunk and elaborately decorated with beautiful flowers, folded banana leaves, candles and incense. I had such a great time making my own loy krathong with the children, feeling so excited to be experiencing this beautiful tradition with so many wonderful people. Since the students at Freedom House are from Burma, and this holiday is only celebrated in Thailand, this was a first for most of us. A few of the Thai teachers taught us how to make our floats, and explained the meaning of placing them into the river. The Thai people believe it is important to show their respect and appreciation to the earth and the water for graciously giving them so much rain during the wet season. I love how they take time to recognize the many gifts that the universe has brought into their lives simply through the blessing of rain. It's a beautiful opportunity to stop and give thanks for things we take for granted every day, much like the upcoming Thanksgiving tradition at home. I had a really nice time with all the kids and teachers, traveling to the river and taking pictures of this festive time. Although only a few people spoke English, I felt surrounded by so much common love and feelings of appreciation. It's amazing how sometimes words can not express the deepest feeling that only the heart knows how to feel!

Many of you have asked about further information for The Freedom House, and how you can help out. The main thing they need is personal donations to keep the electricity going and pay rent for the building. They are graciuosly gifted with school supplies and books all the time from locals here in Thailand. If you would like to learn more, please visit their website: http://www.thaifreedomhouse.org/

I hope you all are surrounded by so much beauty and feelings of gratitude during the upcoming holidays. I love you and miss you very much
April

Health and Happiness

It's Wednesday morning and I just heard the exciting news of Barack Obama being elected the new president of the United States! Although I am half way around the world, I can feel the excitement you all must be experiencing at home. What an amazing time for our country and for the entire world. This morning before the poles came in, I went to a yoga class dedicated towards positive change. We focused our intentions on stepping away from the past and embracing what is to come. It was a powerful way for the yogi's here in Southeast Asia to be apart of supporting Obama's vision and dedication towards change. It's amazing how the global community recognizes how big of an impact this election has on our lives, not just for the United States, but for the entire world. I also have to admit how happy I am that this election is over... now we can get back towards refocusing our energy on bringing peace to the world. No more Democrats vs Republicans, young vs old, black vs white, United States vs the rest of the world. Hopefully now we can begin to see once again that we are all just human beings, and that is all. In seeing that there really are no differences between us, we can truly begin to work together as one people living on the same earth... an earth that so desperately needs all of our combined efforts to create positive change. Ok, ok, there is my personal view on the duality of politics!

Now it is Friday night, and shortly after I finished the first part of this blog I went back to my apartment to spend the rest of the day in bed, laying in the fetal position... which is now one of my new favorite yoga postures because it's so comforting! I have been having digestive issues for the past week, but was hoping that with healthy eating and lots of positive intentions, it would just pass through. Well, at about 7:00 on Wednesday night I decided that I had had enough of the pain and took myself to the Chiang Mai hospital. When I arrived I had a fever, and was starting to worry that I may have the very common Dengue Fever, which so many of my friends have caught from the mesquitos that live here. After a few tests, an IV and some pain medicine (I'm not sure what child birth is like, but I'm quite positive that after this unbearably painful experience, I will be more than prepared) the doctor decided it would be best that I stayed until my fever went down. Throughout all the discomfort, I do want to share that as soon as my wonderful nurse found out I was an American she came into my room with a huge smile, waving her hand while saying "Yea Obama!" That definitely made me laugh! I stayed two nights at the hospital under the amazing care of sweet nurses and a very attentive doctor. I have a bacterial infection in my large intestine which is commonly caught through contaminated fruits and vegetables as well as poorly prepared street vendor food. I'm not sure if I have been carrying this little pest along since India, or if I caught it here... but either way it's like one of those uninvited guests at a very private dinner party who brings along his wife, and his mother-in-law, then stays well past desert and asks for an extra glass of wine! That is what it feels like! As if he as no intention of leaving, but I am determined to cautiously watch my diet and persuade him that it's not worth hanging around much longer. I have learned that the best way to treat bacteria is to follow a micro biotic diet which was modeled after Japan following the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The Japanes people's health improved rapidly because they primarily ate miso soup, seawead salads, brown rice and vegetables. So my diet is going to be pretty restricted for a while (at least until the ping pong match and intense bloating in my stomach dies down)... but that's ok because as most of you know, between being a vegetarian and having a gluten intolerance, I am pretty use to being the picky orderer at dinner!

What an experience that was! However, I am grateful for the new found perspective it brought... you know me, always have to find a positive message in everything! I really have never lost all of my strength before, nor been in fear of truly loosing my health. These are things I take for granted all the time. Waking, riding my bike, yoga, even fixing my own meals. Well, my hospital room was on the top floor and it had the most incredible view of the entire city, with the mountains as a backdrop. Apart from one book and a few friendly visitors, I had more than enough time to gaze out the window and watch the amazing sky smiling down on me throughout the day. I saw the sun rise in the morning, and then watched it set at night. I felt so much gratitude for my abundant health and for all that my body allows me to do each and every day. I felt appreciation for all the care and love that surround my life, and that I am able to reflect that love back to those around me. This evening I was sitting in my apartment stretching out my stiff bones from too much laying in the hospital bed, when I suddenly felt called by the universe to go outside and look up at the sky. I found a little hidden ladder and climbed up on the roof of my apartment building (totally safe, I promise) and sat down to watch the most breathtaking work of art I have ever seen. In that moment I felt all the beauty in the world gazing back at me. The sky danced between light blue, pale pink, peach, dark purple and deep blue, fiery red, fushia, bright orange and soft yellow. I saw all the beauty in the world, as well as all the pain and suffering. I saw each one of you, and I want to wish you so much abundant health, and so much peace! More than I can ever say!

I love you dearly

April

Home is in the Heart

I found myself feeling pretty homesick for the first time this past week. It's not that I haven't gotten a chance to miss you all over the last month and a half, but it's been so exciting traveling around and meeting new people that it hasn't really caught up with me yet. Well now that I've been here in Chaing Mai for almost a month (I can hardly believe it's already been that long) I'm beginning to feel a bit more grounded. I moved into a new apartment yesterday where I will live for the next 3 months- the guest house I was staying at for the past week and a half was really great, but this new place is going to save me a lot of money... only 2,500 bat a month, which is around 80 dollars! I'm sorry, I don't mean to rub it in... I know that our economy is having some troubles back home, and you are all truly in my best intentions right now. However, it does feel a bit abstract to me since day to day living is so inexpensive here. But I do hear people talking about it all the time and hope that positive changes are about to take shape! So, this new apartment is pretty nice and in a cute part of the city, surrounded by lots of great organic restaurants and fun tea shops. I think all this newness I'm experiencing daily really began to catch up with me: having a different place to call "home" every few weeks, meeting so many different people all the time, and trying hard to remember how to find my way around without getting lost. Nothing seems stable... So I started to miss home because of the consistency of being in my comfortable community, knowing where everything is, and being surrounded by so many familiar faces. Not having to wonder where to go to buy a role of toilet paper, or waking up to unfamiliar sounds every morning.

Yesterday I began to read a book called The Heart of Understanding by Thich Nhat Hanh, which of course told me exactly what I needed to hear. He talks about how everything is impermanent and how change is essential for life to happen. He uses the analogy of planting seeds of corn and waiting for the crops to take shape. Change of seasons is needed in order for growth, otherwise receiving vegetables from the earth would not be possible. The same holds true for our emotional and spiritual growth; During times of change is when we truly have the opportunity for transformation. And that is what I am finding right now. Each day I learn something new about myself, each moment I am faced with opportunities for growth. There is no familiar place to run to and really nothing comfortable to occupy my time with, so instead I am faced with whatever comes up... and what I am finding is really amazing.

I am learning the truth behind the Dalhi Lama's teachings of interconnectivity, and how we truly are connected through everything we do. Feeling lonely and uncomfortable in a new place is just an illusion, because in truth home is here with me, and wonderful people are surrounding me at every moment. Only thinking about loneliness creates isolation from all of the abundant love that surrounds us everyday. Realizing this has been pretty powerful, because it allows me to feel at home exactly where I am in each moment. That home is in my heart, and if we all share the same love inside of us, we will always be connected.

Finding a piece of home through teaching the union of yoga to new students everyday, and in the smiling faces of my precious students at the Freedom House. Finding home in the familiar taste of a fresh avocado salad, and in the funky music that's played at my favorite tea shop. Finding home in a smiling face from an old woman as we ride pass each other on our bikes in the morning, and in the green leaves that poor over each towering tree. Finding home in the chilly night air as we enter the "cold" season, and in sitting around a table of new friends sharing food off each others plates like family. Finding home relaxing in a garden while getting lost in a good book, and in watching children play games with rocks and sticks in the hill tribe villages. Finding home on my quiet mediation cushion each morning and also in the busy street markets each night.

Home is in the Heart

Love to you all

April

Sending Love

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing really well, where ever you are and whatever you are doing. I have been thinking about you all so much, and want to thank you again for all the wonderful responses and emails you have been sending my way! I feel so much love and support from home, it's just wonderful!

This past week has been another one filled with new experiences and opportunities for growth. I am beginning to truly fall in love with the beauty of Thailand and the wonderful people that live here. This past weekend I rented some motorbikes with a few friends (don't worry I wasn't driving) and took a trip up the mountains just outside of Chaing Mai. The lush trees and tropical forest here is absolutely amazing! Incredibly tall trees with winding vines that map out the entire forest floor, amazing leaves of all shapes and sizes, the most beautiful flowers with bright exotic colors, interesting birds and insects singing their little happy tunes. Needless to say, I love leaving the city on the weekends and getting lost in the mountains! We drove to a hidden hill tribe that is well known in town for growing their own coffee beans. The rows of coffee fields were so beautiful and peaceful, lined with little bungalows where you can rent out and stay the night. Although I really have never acquired the taste for coffee I ordered a cup at their little treetop cafe made from sticks and bamboo branches - it was so strong I only had a few sips! We then hiked up a broken dirt road to a village where all the people live... and what a humbling experience! The homes where made of sticks and bamboo, stretching out across a dirt compound. I think I may have saw more chickens and roosters than I did people. Despite such a small population, there were a good handful of people who had deformities or some sort of mental handicap - one of my friends pointed out that there may be a lot of incest because so few people live there, and not to mention prenatal diseases. Most of the residents that we saw have probably never left their village- there was no carts or motorbikes, and the road that we hiked up was definitely not drivable. We saw some of the most beautiful children swinging from the trees and playing in the dirt with sowrds made from sticks.  They were covered head to toe in dust and dirt, yet they were some of the most happy children I have ever seen. My first reaction upon coming to this village was sorrow, because they truly do not have anything... no toys for the children, no running water or electricity, homes made from sticks... but then my friend Sibyl reminded me that just because they do not have abundant material wealth like we do, does not mean they're unhappy. In fact these were some of the most content and joyous people I have seen this entire trip.  It was a humbling experience because I saw how we tend to place so much value on acquiring new things, in hopes of finding our happiness. The perfect house and nice car, all the clothes we could manage to stuff into one closet, and endless shoes to match... yet many of us are still unhappy. These people literally had no material possessions, yet they had each other. They were surrounded by friends, family and love, and they were so happy! What an incredible message to take home with me. 

Monday evening was my first night teaching at Freedom House, and what a learning experience that was! My lesson plan was to start with some yoga poses and then teach the names of each body part in English. The children had a really fun time with this activity, but it was not easy, mainly because they are all different ages and at different learning levels. The ages range from four /five to twelve /thirteen. Some of the older kids know how to read and speak in English pretty well, while the younger ones do not even know the ABC's. Idealy the children would be split up into two classes, but because there is such limited space and so few volunteers, learning together is the only option. All of the children did a really good job at memorizing the names in English, like hand, food, face and eyes, but next week I think it may be a good idea to go back to the basics and teach them how to sound out each words. It's all just a learning process right? The other challenge was that they really do not understand most, if not all of what I am saying.... which is something I expected but didn't realize how tough it would be to get around. So I use a lot of arm gestures and physical demonstrations like opening my note book and getting out my pencil. But in the end, the children are just incredibly grateful to be in such a safe place, and to receive the opportunity to learn. Most of them spend the entire day working in the construction sites with their families or selling goods on the streets, so to come together in a fun atmosphere with other children is such a treat! In seeing this, I made sure to allow them some time for playing and talking because I know how important it is for them to be around their peers and to just be a kid!

Teaching yoga is also going well, and like anything, it's such a new experience every day. My classes are Tuesday/Thursday morning and evening, with some subbing in between. I really enjoy my schedule because it isn't too much- many of you know I'm am used to taking on way too many projects and activities, so it's nice to learn how to slow down a bit. My students are all different levels and coming from all different yoga traditions, so sometimes it can be a bit challenging knowing what to teach to. But I'm finding that if I just keep true to my authentic voice and allow modifications, it really seems to benefit everyone. Once again, it's all a learning process right? Speaking of all different backgrounds, I went to a Kirtan this weekend and was surrounded by people from every part of the globe. Kirtan is where people come together to sing, chant and share creative energy for a deeper purpose. Usually it's done in the Indian tradition, but we also sang chants in African, Rastafarian and English. There were drums, guitars, dancing and singing, and it really was amazing to have so much creative energy in one room. People from all walks of life coming together to feel the unity that we all share- to recognize that apart from our external appearance there is no real differences between us. It was really beautiful!

Have a great week and talk to you again soon

April

Seeing and Feelig So Much

Each day brings something new, and I am working on being completely present to watch it all unfold. I am also beginning to feel more comfortable with finding my way around Chaing Mai and exploring all it's beauty. I bought a bike this past week, which is the little red cruiser you've seen in the pictures bellow- yep, there really is a seat on the back that is great for toting friends around town! Everyone has a motorbike here, they hand them out like candy without requiring any kind of training or even a helmet! I've seen kids as young as ten driving them around, and the locals often ride 2 or 3 people on the back. I guess nothing really surprises me after seeing entire families in India packed on to one tiny motorbike, with infant babies sitting side sattle on their mothers laps. But honestly the Thia's are very safe drivers... the real people you have to look out for is the tourists! The sidewalks here are all broken so I ride my red cruiser in the bike lane with other motorbikes and bicycles- the main thing I have to be careful of is remembering to stay in the left lane, other than that it's a great way to get around! I am able to see so much more of the city... a beautiful park with a lake and bamboo trees where I go to read during the day, street markets that sell the most amazing tropical fruits, as well as peaceful temples that I visit for daily meditation or chanting.

There really is so much I want to share about my experience here so far, but since I really only have a small space I'll tell you about the amazing non-profit organization I've found called Freedom House. It's a school that is dedicated towards helping Burmese refugees receive an education. Many families flee Burma to live in Northern Thailand in hopes of escaping poverty and hunger, only to be oppressed by the Thai government. Many take jobs at construction sites making next to nothing a day while their children are exposed to child labor at a frighteningly young ages. Because they are living here illegally, they are denied any formal education by the government, so about three years ago the founder, named Lisa, opened her house to hold classes for the refugee children and their parents. Recently she received enough funding by local and national doners to move out of her house and open a small school. Lisa donates her time, making absolutely no money, and all her teachers are volunteers. She holds classes every evening (so that the families can work during the day) downstairs for the children, and upstairs for young adults. Lisa is headed back to the U.S. for a few months to raise more funding for the school because she barely has enough to stay afloat. And that is how the universe brought us together - she needed a teacher, and I was looking for a way to help within the community. Everything always happens the way it's supposed to. I will be teaching English every Monday evening to a small group of Burmese children varying in all different ages. The school is a tiny building with brightly painted walls decorated with the most beautiful children's artwork. When I visited a few days ago for my first time, I arrived to find children sitting on the floor coloring pictures with so much excitement and joy. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work with such wonderful children and to help in whatever way I can... although I have a feeling I will learn much more from them then they will learn from me!

A culturally shocking experience I had this week was another one involving young children being deprived of their innocence. Muay Thai fights are held twice a week at a nearby arena and are a popular form of entertainment for locals and tourists. I felt a bit nervous about going because this really isn't something I am ordinarily interested in, but since martial arts is such a big part of Asian culture I wanted to experience it at least once. I went with a few friends and was totally unprepared for what I saw. First to describe the arena to you; it's basically like what you would picture a dark, smokey warehouse to look like. There was a bar, tiny tables surrounding the rink and lots of men placing bets. The evening was scheduled to start at 9:00 with a long list of opponents paired to fight. Two tiny boys in small gym shorts and over sized boxing gloves entered the arena - they could not have been older than 11 or 12! I watched as they prepared for the flight and wondered if they really wanted to be up there, or if they would rather be playing hide and seek with their neighborhood friends. When the bell rang and they lept on each other, I really couldn't even watch. Grown men circled around the rink yelling and screaming as these two boys violently thrashed at one another. I realize that training for any sport starts at a young age, but it was so sad to see such young children fighting while so many people stood around cheering. My friend Sibyl has a 10 year old son and she began crying next to me, so I took her by the hand and we left. We talked about how important it is for us to be aware of the differences in the Thai culture, but it doesn't mean we have to support it.

I think back to the children I saw coloring pictures on the floor of their classroom at the Freedom House, and how a few of the kids must have been the same age as the boys in the boxing rink. I realize that children all over the world are forced to grow up too fast, whether it be homelessness, child labor, exploitation or prostitution... but within the past month I am really experiencing it directly, and it's pretty painful. I feel even more inspired than before I left to work towards helping those children who may not be able to help themselves.

Love to you
April

Take a look through my eyes...

Ok everyone, I figured out how to put some pictures up!!! Yea! But I'm sorry I can't figure out how to write a caption under each one to tell you what you are looking at. Just know that you are starting with me here in Thailand, and working your way down into India. Enjoy!















































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