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