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