Orange Hill

I'm finally in new york! It was not easy. Coming from a girl with WAY too much stuff, I am so done with moving back and forth across the country. After an extremely long day, complete with a 2 hour layover in Chicago, and zero sleep the night before, I, along with my 1000 bags arrived at JFK. Apparently the city was not too happy to see us because it rained all night and the line for a cab at the airport was almost 1000 people long. My flight was delayed and it took me a good 20 minutes just to get all my bags to fit on a luggage cart (I do not have spacial intelligence, nor was the cart made to fit so much stuff- making it a very difficult task). The one good thing about traveling with so much stuff, being so small, and looking so young is you make a lot of friends and get a lot of help from people who pity you as you're walking down the isle of the plane dripping with sweat as you carry your 100 pound carry-on. Whoever said new yorkers aren't nice, obviously lied because I met about 10 nice people "who's brother's aunt's cousin went to nyu and loved it, and now lives in Brooklyn" all of which were from somewhere in long island, and wished me good luck in school.

I finally got in a cab, and eventually to kate's apartment which I later found out is only about an 8 minute walk from mine...very exciting. I got my stuff out of storage with the help of my friend David, and AMAZINGLY fit everything into one suv from Delancy's car service, the rudest & most effectient car service known to man. I bought a desk off craigslist, ordered a bed that was delivered this morning, and I'm on my way to actually living in a place that resembles an apartment. I'm even learning to hunt for coupons and use them to save money. Basically, the last few days have made me feel very indepedent. It is very exciting.

The second to last night in california I went to dinner at Orange Hill for my grandma's birthday. There was lots of family there and it was really a special evening. Orange Hill is BEAUTIFUL. My parents along with my aunt and uncle were married there, and a part of me, however much I don't want to follow in my parent's footsteps, thinks it would be pretty cool to get married there too.

It's on the top of a huge hill and overlooks all of orange county, you can see as far as catalina island. The sunsets are magnificent. It is probably my favorite place in all of the oc.

Life is good, moving is hard, I'm glad to be back!

A Yoga Depression.

It's officially been a week since the final day of teacher training. And boy, have I been experiencing a teacher training hang over. I miss it so much! I miss waking up at 5:30am everyday and leaving Costa Mesa parking lot every afternoon around 4:15 thinking I will change the world. And wanting to teach yoga to anyone and everyone I can get to listen to me! I still feel this way, but the high is slowly wearing down as I come back to normal life. I get unlimited yoga classes through the middle of September so I've been trying to go everyday, but I always leave slightly sad thinking "IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME!". I miss the incredible group of 28 yogis who all had something so beautiful to bring to training every day. But most of all I miss my teacher trainers. It's pathetic that I automatically go into classes not liking the teacher simply because they aren't Casey Coda, Kori Fletchner, or Sarah Tyler- all of whom are incredible people and yoga teachers.

The second to final day of training we were finally able to participate in a real practice. And the reasons I fell in love with yoga came back to me more strongly than ever. Not that they had disappeared during training, but one can only fill their mind with asana points and allignment issues so much until the passion is gone. But on this day, the passion was there more than ever. Some people feel close to God in church, while reading scriptures, or serving others, but I feel closest to God through my yoga practice. And this one particular day felt like an hour long prayer, and could not have been more beautiful. To make it ever better I got up into headstand all on my own for the first time ever. It was an incredible day.

The last day of training we each taught a pose in the 2 hour practice, got our individual feedback, and came together for a beautiful ceremony to celebrate ourselves, our work, our practice, and eachother. The room was filled with flowers and flower petals were sprinkled all throughout the circle. Each yogi had a personal vase of flowers, a candle, and 2 pieces of paper. On the small thin piece of paper we wrote down qualities of ourself which we want to let go of. After doing this we blessed them for serving us, realized we no longer needed them, and set them into the candle to burn. Then on our pretty large piece of paper we wrote down qualities which we would like to cultivate. Mine was filled, and it was so inspiring!

The four weeks spent in yoga training were some of the best weeks in my life. Never have I felt that I belonged anywhere as much as I felt I belonged here. I want to share yoga with as many people as I possibly can. I NEED to teach yoga.

Goodbyes

Nate and I seem to have developed the tradition that the last day we have together we fill with fun activities. I think it keeps us from being sad, and its working. Yesterday we went to the San Diego zoo. It was awesome, all the animals were what you would expect, but the MONKEYS. Oh my. I completely fell in LOVE with the monkeys. They were amazing. There is a chimp family and they came right up to the window and spent an hour just hanging out. The baby chimp kept coming up and smacking himself against the window and then running across the glass giving everyone high fives. They were so human it was incredible to watch. I made Nate spend an hour just watching the monkeys with me.

Then we went on a boat tour around San Diego harbor. It was pretty neat, we got to watch the sunset and have a very productive last day together. It ended with the most amazing Mexican food Old Town has to offer, a good way to say goodbye to a wonderful summer in San Diego.

He'll be back in New York sometime in October and another chapter will start. It's sad to see the summer end. I don't think I'll ever master the art of saying goodbye elegantly. Now to final exams for yoga, wrapping up the summer, seeing people I haven't got to see, and beginning the monstrous task of moving back to new york and into a new apartment- all on my own!

Sunrise.

I have a new found appreciation for the sunrise. It's not something I'm too familiar with, but it has become my best friend throughout the last three weeks. There is something truly beautiful about being on the same cycle as the sun. Going to bed early, waking up early. This summer I've especially come to love drives down to San Diego as the sun is setting, and drives back up to northern orange county for yoga in the morning as it rises. I don't know if it's the fact that I'm about to embark on a day filled with something I love, the ocean off to the left of me, the wide empty road, or the fact that I just visited someone I love, but there is something just magical about it.

In yoga today, our class of 28 teacher trainers taught the entire two hour asana practice. I have never in my life seen so many magnificent personalities come together to share their love for something in such an amazing way. I taught happy baby (my favorite pose!) and savasana and read a quote at the end of class. Being able to give the other students the kind of calm our world so desperately needs was such a liberating experience. In the afternoon we learned about prenatal yoga and spent the whole two hours with a blanket rolled up and strapped to our bellys like a baby. Then we did a practice as "moms". I don't think the smile left my face once during the practice. (The picture is of my friend, Marlene, and I with our baby bellies during prenatal today.)

In other news, I am no longer homeless. I have a place to live in the fall. And am on my way to making a very strict budget...which I have never done before!

The last three years I feel like my life has gone through 1000 transitions. Nate leaves this weekend, yoga ends next week, and before I know it the summer will be gone and I'll be a junior, which is unbelievable.

Here's the quote I read at the end of class today. I found it from none other than Yoga to the People:

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your hearts longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even if its not pretty every day, and if you can source your life from The presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the sliver of the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are and how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Indian Elder May 1994

Two days off!

This weekend was the first two days off I've had in two weeks! I spent the whole weekend in San Diego and it was wonderful. Saturday night Nate and I saw 500 Days of Summer which was pretty excellent. Afterwards we wandered around Hillcrest which apparently has a very liberal community. We saw some interesting people, I felt like I was in the West Village of new york again! While we were looking for restaurants we met a nice woman holding the cutest little baby. She recommended some places to eat, and I complimented her on how cute her little one was. Then she turned to Nate and I and said "Aw, thanks, do you have guys have kids?". I think Nate's about peed his pants after hearing this. Although it was pretty funny.

We ate at this hole-in-the-wall greek place that ended up being AMAZING. We got the hugest meal ever for eight bucks. If you are ever in this part of San Diego eat at Alexis Greek Cafe.

On Sunday we made a strawberry pie concoction and went to the waterfront to see the Midway and this statue of the famous picture from world war II.

Now back to a week of yoga!