Ciudad de Mexico

I took a quick visit to Mexico City!  I stayed in the neighborhood of La Condesa. The neighborhood is quaint, charming, with friendly people and so many cute pups! I have never seen as many dogs walking around in a neighborhood than in La Condesa (and I live in hipsterville, Echo Park, CA).
Avenue de Amsterdam is a street that's tree lined down the center for people and pups to walk! I felt completely safe walking around at night eating elotes and enjoying the neighborhood.

I stayed at Casa Nuevo Leon, I found it on AirBnb. My stay at Casa Nuevo Leon was perfect, the decor was charming and modern, super clean, with a very comfortable bed and enough room for yoga.  They even allow pets! Maybe next time Max can come.

La Condesa is a lovely neighborhood with tons of amazing restaurants.  I had one of the best meals of my life at La Capital- grilled octopus, risotto with shrimp and a mango mezcal drink.  The risotto was so melty and delicious I have never had anything like that in my life. I'm completely obsessed with this place I visited twice.
Another great spot is Temporal which is more of a bar, but also really good food and of course drinks.   One of the dishes I had there was crab sopes, and of course more mezcal. The night I visited, a jazz band was playing. You can find both these spots on Yelp which is how I did.

I visited the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Palacio des Bellaes Artes, Mercado de Coyoacan but mostly wandered the streets bumping into food stalls and night markets during my visit. 

What I didn't know when I decided to visit was the city was celebrating Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead.  It was one of the coolest holiday experiences- many people on the streets, lots of candles, flowers, vigils, honoring and remembering the dead. Also lots of great and scary costumes.

I wanted to stay a little longer since some spots were closed due to the holiday but that means I'll come back another time. Thanks Mexico City! Hasta Luego!

Here's a video of my time in Mexico City.

Coconuts & Elephants: Thailand 2017

Coconuts & elephants were the two things I was looking forward to most for my visit to Thailand but it gave me so much more than I expected.  It was the most adventurous trip I've ever taken; swimming in the ocean, playing with elephants, hiking up hills to see temples, boat rides, train rides, and lots of other things. I had so much fun and was slightly depressed when I came back to wake up in my own bed having to make my own breakfast, no longer taking tuk tuks to get around town. I've adjusted but I can't wait to go back.

Day 1-2 - We left LA on a Wednesday morning and arrived in Phuket Friday at 1AM.

Day 3- We woke up in our Phuket hotel by the airport, Chill House, took a taxi to the pier, boat taxi to Koh Yao Yai Island, and then a tuk tuk to THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON EARTH, Santhiya Koh Yao Yai.When I say most magical place on earth, I mean it.  There's not many places I've visited that I feel I want to go back to soon but Santhiya is one of those places.  I want to bring all my friends and family to this wonderful place where the food is delicious, people are nice and there's countless adventures to take part in.
As soon as we entered Santhiya, we were transported to a different world. Our bags were taken from us, greeted with a refreshing drink and cold towel. After 24+ hours of travel this gave us our life back.  We arrived a bit early for our check in so we got massages, had a delicious lunch, chilled on the private beach until our room was ready. The room was crazy amazing. I wasn't ready.  I really wasn't ready for the entire experience. We had a spa tub on the balcony and view of the ocean.  That evening we had a beach front buffet dinner, and took ourselves to bed.

Day 4- Excursion day! We took a 45 minute boat ride out to other islands, Natalie and I were the only non- romantic non-heterosexual couple on the boat, apparently Santhiya is for honeymooners. We went snorkeling, saw monkeys- those monkeys don't play. They will take things right out of your hands, drink your water and throw the empty bottle at you.  It was pretty funny to watch.  One of them even walked right up to me.
We were pretty tuckered out from our excursion day so when we got back, we had some chill time at the pool, with papaya salad, and fresh juices.  In the evening we had a dimly lit romantic set dinner at one of the restaurants.  I like doing set menus sometimes as it lets me try dishes I wouldn't know to try. Yum!

Day 5- Our last full day at Santhiya, we took a Thai kick boxing class in the morning.  I thought I would do terribly but it wasn't as bad as I thought.  I kept it together.  Looking back at the videos makes me laugh because I am so tiny and non-intimidating I couldn't really physically fight anyone.
After kick boxing class, we had a lovely breakfast overlooking the water and other islands.  The views were unreal.  There are places when you look at photos and you get there and it doesn't live up to photos. This is the opposite of true for our time at Santhiya.  Words, photos can't describe. You just have to go, experience it! We treated ourselves to the most amazing spa treatment ever-steam, scrub, massage, facial and lunch.  And it only cost us $100. It was the most amazing spa experience ever, it even started raining during our massage, which was was pretty cool.

Day 6- It was time to leave Santhiya...we took a taxi to the pier, a private boat to the main island, taxi to the airport, and flew to Bangkok that afternoon.  We had a bit of a mishap as we took a bus to the main train station which took us back through the airport to get to our next city Ayutthaya.  Oops! We arrived at our gorgeous hotel Sala Ayutthaya around 9PM.

Day 7- We took a tuk tuk tour around Ayutthaya, visited a floating market. The city of Ayutthaya is based around a river, so naturally we took a boat tour around the city, visiting various temples and ruins.  We had some noodles and coconuts on the side of a road, which was my favorite meal of my entire time in Thailand.  It was a no fuss meal, made fresh and delicious.
We stumbled upon a Buddhist ceremony at one of the temples.  People donated for golden fabric which was then draped over the large golden Buddha.  Prayers were said and a monk blessed us with holy water.  It's serendipitous experiences like that which make traveling to other countries and experiencing different cultures so special and memorable.

Day 8- After a riverfront view breakfast, we were on our way to our last city, Chiang Mai.  We stayed in the old city at Hotel Makkachiva which is fairly new, the staff is nice but were not as experienced or as knowledgeable as our previous accommodations and there were lots of bugs! I didn't like that.
Natalie and I took a walk around the city ate some food from a Thai woman who had her dishes out on large metal trays. She put it in little plastic bags and we ate out of the bags with little spoons. This is one of my favorite things of traveling, eating street food.  It feels like your eating the city, all the flavors, textures, even sounds, personified into a meal.
Later in the evening, we headed to the night market.  There's heaps and heaps of things to buy.  Mostly junk to me but there were some cool hand made things in between and of course massages.

Day 9-Cooking class! Baan Thai Cooking School picked us up from our hotel, took us to the market to learn about ingredients, then to cooking class!  The school is run by young women who were in college or recently graduated.  They all spoke English and could cook! I made pad thai (which was bomb), tom kha, khao soi, and fish cakes.
After class, we visited the oldest market of Chiang Mai and more massages.  That night we went to a traditional Thai dinner and show compliments of a friend from home.  It was interesting to see traditional music and dancing while eating endless Thai food.  We drank lots of roselle. 

Day 10- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep sits atop a hill, which you have to drive up really far.  Art, our new friend and tour guide, who owns a travel agency Lanna Tours & Travel, drove us up the hill.  He says it reminds him of going up Griffith Park but much higher.  On our way down we stopped by a few smaller temples and the Bhubing Palace.
That evening, I walked around the neighborhood, ate so many foods on the street.  I had hearts on a stick, noodles and soup from plastic bags, coconut sweet treats, mangoes, even sushi, everything I saw...

Day 11- ELEPHANT DAY! I couldn't leave Thailand without seeing some elephants.  I visited Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary, they have just 3 elephants there which looked to me as the elephants live amongst the family that owns and operates the sanctuary.  The elephants were very sweet and calm the entire time.  They loved splashing around in the water and eating all the treats.  They eat alot! I was happy to see, touch, and play with all of them.
After I got dropped back off to my hotel, I scurried to my next hotel,  At Niman- this place was totally my vibe, I could stay for days. After checking in, I hurried to my first aerial yoga class at Satva Yoga which was a lot of fun. I love being upside down.
After yoga, I walked to the local mall, mostly American brand stores-Levis, Gap, Adidas, even Dungarees! After the mall, I found a night food market; I ate meats on a stick and a bowl of noodles.
I think I got home around 9pm, it was dark out.  I chilled in the hotel, ate some more snacks and drank some Chang.

Day 12-When I visit places I like staying where locals stay, going to places locals go, doing regular things.  After a nice breakfast, I got my nails done in the morning.  It cost me $40 to get a pedicure and gel manicure with custom design. That's unheard of in the U.S.  The young ladies there were cute friendly and very good at their craft.  Big ups to Rainbow Nails for getting my nails on point.  I held on to my manicure for 2 weeks.
Art picked me up to look for some gold jewelry but most shops are closed on Sunday except for the outside markets and mall.  I ventured around the market, eating snacks and other yummies just taking in the city.  I went home to rest for a bit and went out again around 9PM.  It was my last night and I certainly had to eat more street food before I departed.

Day 13- I took yoga in the morning, ate some pad thai and headed to the airport. 5 hours to China, another 15 to the states and I was home by Monday evening.

If any of you want to take a fun vacation, I highly recommend Thailand and certainly Santhiya.  I'm grateful to see different places and people all around the world and enjoy sharing it with you. Until the next adventure...

Love,
V

Canada Ness

I visited Quebec, Canada in September 2016. Check out what I did there!

Yoga BTS

A little Yoga BTS with my friend Hope Reiners for Mahana.




Warrior I from Vanessa Doan on Vimeo.

The Underground Museum

I visited The Underground Museum...and this is what happened.

It's in Arlington Heights, this is an area I love visiting because everyone is always friendly and always greets me.
As I'm opening the door to the museum, a very charismatic man who is sitting in his walker on the sidewalk exclaims to me, "Are you a model? I bet people tell you all the time you look like a model. You're beautiful. You're a model aren't you?"
I'm laughing, a lot. I say back to him, "No way! Between us two, it must be you!"
"I can't be a model, I'm too old. See all my grey hairs," He lifts up his hat to show me. "And you got dimples too! Mayynnn..."
I thank him for such a warm welcome and we bless each other a good day.
PEOPLE ARE AWESOME.
I get inside, greeted by Justin who has watched this entire exchange and it's brought a smile to his face and he says "It's all love here."
I was already excited for my museum visit, now I'm even more thrilled to come across beautiful souls. All this and I haven't even gone inside yet.

This space feels like a refuge. It feels like a birthing place of many good things. I'm touched by this space. I'm moved by this space. I feel something resonate inside me in this space-filled with love, hope, compassion.  These feelings are only possibly through the understanding of suffering.  What black people have endured in this country, and I'm so sorry.
There's a garden out back, with flowers and many seats. Someone's playing good jamz. I'm in love. I sit and write down these thoughts which I'm sharing with you now.
I'll never know what it's like to be a black person but I'm out here seeking all the awareness I can on an experience that is unknown to me.  Ever since I was young, the black experience has intrigued me and I always felt connected to it in some way.  The books I chose to read, the friends I had (still have), a lot of things. I didn't realize they were "black" things until I got to college and I met my friend Antanice who brought it to my attention. I don't know why it's just been this way. I think it's because justice matters to me.
Tupac says, "I'm not saying I will change the world... We might not be the ones but let's not be selfish because we're not going to change the world let's not talk about how we should change it.  I don't know how to change it but I know if I keep talking about how dirty it is out here, somebody gone clean it up."
So let's keep talking and making art and finding awareness and coming together in communities because that's the way to move forward. To all my brothers and sisters, it's all love.

Berkeley Yoga Birthday

I recently traveled to Berkeley, California to take my Iyengar Yoga certification test, and I passed!
Being from the bay, it was nice to be somewhere familiar but also new to explore.  I stayed at an AirBnB, very close to the yoga studio.  I felt very at home in the community- the local shops and people were wonderful.  I spent one day just hanging out with people, I did not even thinking about the test, acting like I live there!
The day before the assessment, I explored the neighborhood. I spent much time talking to Reverend Betty Gray at her gift shop on Alcatraz Ave. We vibed on the teachings of the Universe, she shared with me about the community, how she opened up her shop and some of the lessons she learned along the way.
I visited Hercules Records, spent a lot of time in there going through many albums.  I picked up a few- including a "Dirty South Anthems"--of course.
I had lunch at Easy Creole, a girl cannot resist some cornbread.
There's a really cool brewpub in the neighborhood too, Hoi Polloi. I'm not much of a beer drinker but I've been trying many different kinds since my one night in Munich (on the way back from Budapest).  I figured, I'm here, might as well enjoy myself.  So I ventured in there and the couple who own the place are so friendly! They let me try a few beers to help me decide.  They serve up truffle popcorn with the brews, there's something about truffle...yum.
The next day was the first day of my assessment, also my birthday.  I woke up feeling great. I walked to Home Grown Oakland, to have breakfast and get some last minute studies in. When I walk in there Blackstreet was playing. Who plays Blackstreet nowadays? I inquire, Robin who works the counter, said something along the lines of "90s R&B is the only R&B that matters..." LIFE. So my birthday started off really well, with a delicious breakfast, amazing jamz and study time.

Now for this test I've been preparing for what feels like years, I walked to Adeline Yoga for day 1 of assessment. There were only 6 of us to take the test, it was nice to meet everyone and the assessors made the experience nice and light. I really enjoyed my time with everyone.  It was tough though, I felt a little roughed up after day 1.  I had some Thai food with a new friend and we went our separate ways to prepare for day 2, the teaching portion. This is the portion that is supposedly the most difficult.  I knew I had prepared myself for this, all I've been doing for the past 8 months is study and practice. So I went through my sequence one time that evening and left it alone.  Day 2 which was the 2nd anniversary of Guruji's passing --RIP to him (it was quite a weekend), came and it was time for me to teach.  My practice was beyond the teaching portion of the test, it was yoga that I had to practice, to keep the fluctuations of the mind at ease, to be present.  

Thanks to Berkeley for a lovely time, I am grateful for the people I met during my stay there and the new friends I made. I'm a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher now. I'd say it was a pretty great birthday this year. Until next time, blessings to you all.

Just how much do we love truth?

In the end, we return to the question, just how much do you love truth?
Do you really love truth or are you just curious?
Do you love it enough to rebuild your understanding to align to a reality that doesn't fit your current beliefs, and doesn't feel 120% happy?
Do you love truth enough to continue seeking even when it hurts, when it reveals aspects of yourself, or human society or the universe that are shocking, complex and disturbing or humbling, glorious and amazing- or even when truth is far beyond human mind itself?
Just how much do we love truth?
It's a good question to ask ourselves, I think.
-Scott Mandelker

Yoga on the Rim

I went on a spontaneous camping adventure to Arizona with my friend Jimmy, and Max came too! Jimmy is a sort of expert outdoorsman while I didn't even own a sleeping bag.

I pitched my first tent, slept in a sleeping bag and cooked dinner on a fire in the darkness of night.

We stayed one night in Sedona, AZ, the red rocks are beautiful! I have never seen so many stars in my life!  This Universe is grand and infinite, seeing all the stars, made me feel small, and then I realized my sorrows are even smaller. Though my pains may feel heavy some days, they are not as significant as the complexities and beauty this world offers.

On day two, we traveled to see The Grand Canyon.  I did not know much about this place except for it's on the list of places to visit in the world, like the Eiffel Tower or the Pyramids.  Jimmy suggested I do a yoga session at the canyon. He would take pictures. Sure, I said.

Yoga on the rim of The Grand Canyon, is the scariest thing I have ever done. Standing on the edge, I had to keep my focus on being grounded, back to basics in all my postures, I could not think about falling, or I would fall.  I've practiced these postures may times, in a room, with even flooring; it was challenging to feel the uneven earth and to look forth onto the other side which was 15 miles ahead of me, and a canyon that's about a mile deep in between. Then it came time to do a headstand, I couldn't get up. My heart was beating fast, I was nervous, because if I fell, I would roll off this cliff. I kept trying, finally I got up! I stayed for a bit, then to come down slowly and safely. I did it! I didn't fall! I didn't kill my self! I felt liberated.

I am reminded, life is to be lived on the rim, the space where you are doing with effort, when it's scary but you keep going, between too much and not enough, between knowing you can and doubting your abilities.  I'm glad to have experienced yoga on the rim, because that's what yoga is, it's on the rim.

Thank you to a dear friend who let me crash his trip to see The Grand Canyon and for being an encouraging presence. Until the next adventure!

Budapest Ness

I took a holiday to Budapest, Hungary.  I was intrigued by the history and culture and left with many new friends from all around the world.  I visited most of the tourist sites: Fisherman's Bastion, Central Market Hall, The Parliament...the list goes on.  These sites were beautiful and full of a rich history, what I did not expect was to come across so many friendly, warm people along the way.

For those who know me, in my regular life, I'm usually costuming or studying yoga, in bed by 10PM, this was not the case in Budapest.  Janelle and I stayed up until morning!  That is not my life!  People were very curious about where we were from, a black girl and an Asian girl traveling together really threw them off.  It was a good conversation starter.  People demanded I was from Asia.  It was endearing. The night life in Budapest is very casual, everyone is out to have fun and talk to those around them, I love that. We met so many cool people, talked until the morning and went on adventures with them the next day.  It reaffirms that it doesn't matter where we come from or what we do for a living but when there's a connection from human to human we can all get along and even share some laughs.

My experience in Budapest really opened my eyes to living in another country.  I love my home here in LA, I am grateful to own a home and share it with my pup Max, taking walks around the lake everyday but I realize that I could make a life almost anywhere.  Until the next adventure! Enjoy the photos. =)
If you can't view the slideshow, click here.

The Way Of Love

1 Corinthians 13:1 - 3

The Way of Love 
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.
If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

The Architecture of Peace

Yoga, what a powerful thing indeed.

I visited Michael O'Neil's On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace at the Taschen gallery in West Hollywood.

Yoga is deep y'all. As I walked up, I felt excited to visit the gallery, almost giddy, like a child. Walking around, seeing all the imagery, I felt something deeply, I started crying! Just me, walking around this gallery on a Wednesday afternoon crying. I'm sensitive.

The images of people committing themselves to something greater than themselves, committed to a spiritual life, a life beyond this flesh. This body of ours, it is also fleeting, though we do use it as a means to practice and discover.  Seeing the portrait of "One Arm", a sadhu, had me mesmerized. He has one arm! And a ring around his penis! (Totally not for sexual pleasure.) He wears a crown of rudraskha beads (he strung together the beads with one hand and a stick), no clothes, instead, covers his body in ashes (a symbol of death and rebirth). I mean, come on, that's real dedication and some of us can't even commit to going to the gym. Some of us think our bodies or their parts define who we are as people. Let's look deeper.

What really got me as I walked around, was the mural of "The Roots of Yoga," as soon as I saw the names B.K.S Iyengar (illustrated hanging upside down), Geeta and Prashant, I lost it. It was right there on the wall that I'm part of something bigger than I could ever imagine. And yes, we know we are part of a very big universe, but when it's right in front of you like that, you feel things. I'm grateful to be part of this architecture of peace, this path that is infinite and I'm figuring my way along it.

There were so many beautiful portraits, some of yogis I've heard of before, and some not. It really opened my perspective of yoga and all the different ways it manifests.

Yoga is not about being physically flexible, touching your toes or contorting your body, it's about the union of your outer self to your inner self, renunciation of the material world. It's about connecting with each other and to something greater than ourselves and we do that through practice. Through earnest, honest practice.

Why do we practice? Why do we go to class? To say we go? To look good?  To bring a sense of closeness and intergration within ourselves and the world we live in? We go to class but are we practicing yoga? We must find out.

I am grateful to Yoga, I am a beginner in my studies and I look forward to whatever I find within.

Blessings to you and your practice.

Conscience ask the question...

Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles.
Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances.
Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it.
Cowardice asks the question, is it safe?
Expediency ask the question, is it politic?
Vanity asks the question, is it popular?
But, conscience ask the question, is it right?
And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Rap and Yoga: The truth of it

I practice a lot of yoga and I listen to a lot of rap.  Alot of people, mostly all people who know me, think that I'm a bit odd for this.  It doesn't make sense, how a little Asian gal can love rap music so much but also practice so much yoga.  I really do, from my soul love rap music and love yoga.  I guess if we are looking at these two things on the surface they seem very different.  Often times, yoga imagery is depicted as pretty girls who are flexible, wear colorful pants, flowers in their hair and live some sort of "holistic" "vegan" life style while images of rappers are of them flashing their hoes, money, cars, living life in the streets.  On the surface level, yoga and rap music appear to be worlds away from each other, but if we look deeper; the core of Yoga and the core of rap music is the same, it's truth.

Yoga is about living your true self, connecting yourself to who you really are and living from that space.  The path of yoga is shedding all the suffering, to discover who you really are.  It's about realness and honesty.  The goal of yoga is enligtenment but we cannot practice with the goal in mind, then you are not practicing yoga-but that's another topic to be discussed.  While rap music, is letting truths be known, it's a way to shed our suffering, through lyrics, through music.  And if we know anything about hip hop, it's for reals.  Keepin it 100. How many times have you heard a rapper say that?

So if we really know what Yoga is about and we really know what rap is about, it's not so odd that they are more similar in their core than they are different.  No wonder these two facets are a huge part of my life.  I've been listening to rap music since I was 8 years old, and I could not tell you what drew me to it in the first place. (My parents were definitely not listening to Biggie or TuPac around the house and they weren't too thrilled that I was either.) Since I discovered yoga, I have earnestly practiced. The more I practice, the more I can see. I never questioned why I like what I like and why I live how I live, I just do it and I'm gaining more clarity each day. The more I practice, the more parallels of rap music and of Yoga I find.  Still I think many people may disagree or find it odd but maybe it's because we are not used to looking at things for what they really are but instead making judgments when we can only see the surface. The surface is fleeting, it's ever changing, the core of us, the spirit of who we are, that doesn't change, and we should let that part of us shine.

This life can be hard to live and it takes a lot of courage to speak the truth and more courage to live it.  The power of yoga is to be comfortable with who you truly are and live from there.  The power of yoga is living your truth and not letting anyone tell you other wise.  Dr. Cornel West says, "The telling of truth allows suffering to speak." So continue to shed your suffering, whatever your practice may be, and allow your truth to shine. Don't let em kill yo shine, you betta live!!

Happy Birthday to Guruji!

December is a special time of year. Along with the holidays, are birthdays of a few of my favorite yoga people. B.K.S Iyengar, his daughter Geeta Iyengar as well as my yoga mentor Dora Hasenbein all have December birthdays right around each other.

I did not have the chance to study with or meet Guruji, he passed the day of my birthday (or day after- depending on your view of time) but his presence is certainly felt. And it was surely felt when I visited Pune, India in December 2014 to study with Geeta.

Geeta is so dope! She's one of my favorite people. Everyone knows how smart and wise she is; she's also super witty, I was constantly giggling to myself during the sessions. Her words are quick and there's always a lesson in them. She also has mad style.  She wore beautiful scarves and these golden pants to class every day. She's my kind of lady. I adore her. I wish I could hang out with her, just to listen to her, maybe drink some tea. Maybe if I was older and lived in Pune we could have been friends, maybe in the next life. :)

Me meeting Geetaji in Pune, India-December 2014.

I met Dora in 2009, in my last year at school. I used to take classes here and there, but then I moved to Los Feliz and I didn't see her much. I started coming back a few years ago and my practice became more regular. I mentioned to her I'd like to teach one day and she's been guiding me since.  I thought it would be years from now when I'm almost done with my costuming career, but here I am, apprenticing. I'm so grateful to have a mentor in Dora. I didn't know it would all come so quickly but I'm glad it is going the way it is.
Happy Birthday to a few of my favorite yoga people! Thank you for your wisdom, your compassion, your light. Thank you.

Nessa In Pune Mini Movie

I recently came across some footage that I took while I was in Pune, India last December.  I can't believe it was almost a year ago. 
Before embarking on this little journey, I had no expectations.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I just knew I had to be there. It turned out to be one of the greatest experiences of my life (granted I'm still in my 20s but still, it was amazing). I forgot how much I loved being there, I forgot how valuable that experience was to me and the process of putting together this little video reminded me of what a wonderful time in my life that was.
I'm grateful for everyone who supported me while I planned my trip, who supported and loved me while I was in Pune, and who welcomed me with such warmth upon my arrival back.  I am deeply grateful and am blessed to have shared it with the individuals back home and the ones I met while I was in Pune.
So this video is dedicated to all of you, and the Iyengar community, with so much loving kindness, thank you.
Check out the original post with photos here, Nessa in Pune.

Falling In Love Is the Easy Part

This is an honest, vulnerable talk on love.

Here's the original article, To Fall in Love with Anyone Do This.
Here's the set of questions, The 36 Questions that Lead to Love.

I have a funny story about this article/video. This video was sent to my inbox recently by TED talks though I've been asked the first few of these 36 love questions a while back and I didn't know it was part of a science project at the time.  I thought it was a cute idea when it was proposed to me and I'm all for sharing in an honest and deep way.  Maybe it didn't work out because we didn't get through all 36 or maybe it was because we didn't choose love when it got hard. Who knows.  But what I do know about love is that when it's real, it lasts.  And what I realize when I look back is that love is terrifying and I was terrified.  And I hope to be more courageous the next time love comes around.

A few things that resonate with me from Catron's article and video: 
Love didn’t happen to us. We’re in love because we each made the choice to be.
There are many times in a relationship we must choose love, to choose our partner every time and we hope that the other person will do the same, but all we can do is hope.

The moment you admit to loving someone, you admit to having a lot to lose.  

This one is rough.  You've let yourself be vulnerable, that's terrifying! It takes a lot of courage to admit to loving someone.  You're putting yourself out there saying "Hey, I have all these feelings for you and I don't know if you feel the same way. I'm hoping you do too..."  Then where do you go from there?  What if s/he doesn't feel the same?  What if s/he isn't ready? What if s/he has 2 babies and a crazy baby mama/daddy and lives with her/his uncle in a trap house?  There's all kinds of craziness that could affect the outcome of your relationship but at least you had the courage to admit it.  That's the beginning of it all, isn't it?

How do you stay in love when things get difficult and how do you know when to cut and run.   

This one is tough for me because I try harder when things get difficult.  I may stay longer and fight for people more than I should, I may be too patient. Maybe because I love really hard and when I commit myself to something I do so with earnestness and great dedication.  I'm not sure yet, I'm still discovering.  What I do know is it's hard sometimes and we make it what we choose to make it.

How do you live with the doubt that creeps into every relationship.  How do you live with your partner's doubt.
Every relationship has doubts that creep in.  Everything I've ever done had doubts creep in but just like everything I've ever done, doubts do not serve me.  I have to let doubts go.  And so in everything I do, just like in love, I move forth with an open heart and good intention.  Guruji B.K.S Iyengar said, "Nothing is achieved by a mind that doubts."  So if we let those doubts in to our relationship, it won't work.  But if we let it flow and grow organically, it has the better chance to flourish. I can only let go of mine, but my partner's doubt I have no control over.  I don't think I could be with someone who had doubts, it feels a little cynical.  What we believe, we manifest  I like the idea of creating a myth, a fairy tale, a love story that's all our own.  It's not going to be easy but I'm going to choose love every time.  I could never betray my heart.
I've never shared so much about my love life before, it's a little scary though I can't be the only one out here a little terrified, a little unsure, a little worried about when he's going to show up and how it's all going to go down.  I look forward to it though, as I'm learning about what it means to love and to be loved.  Dear future husband, I look forward to loving you. We got this. =)

Iyengar Institute of LA turns 31!

September 20th, 2015 marks the 31st anniversary of the opening of the B.K.S Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles! Here's to a very special day and an ongoing legacy! 

Here's a video written and directed by one of my favorite teachers, Scott Hobbs! xo

Santa Cruzin

Growing up in the bay area I rarely made it down to Santa Cruz, CA but I am so glad I got the chance! I love exploring new places and having yoga be the reason I get there in the first place has been a blessing!  About a year ago I took Kofi Busia's workshop in LA, from that day I knew I had to study with him again! And so, he had his Autumn Equinox Intensive and I signed myself up!  Good luck for me that I'm on hiatus now and timing worked out perfectly.
A few things I noticed while exploring:
-Lots of beards and backpacks
-I've never seen so many people with dreads (and none of the people were black!)
-People are friendly -I had a lot of people greet me with smiles and even say very nice things to me as I walked around.
-There are a lot of pups around (Max couldn't make it out this time.)

In my exploring I visited the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History.  I saw jewelry made out of things found on the beach, one necklace was made out of tampon applicators. I don't know how I feel about that one (you can see in the slideshow). The 2nd exhibit, Uncommon Threads was pretty cool too, being I have an affinity for clothes and all.  The 3rd exhibit, showcased the history of how surfing started on the west coast; it was introduced by 3 Hawaiin princes, and it all began in Santa Cruz. They made their boards out of the redwoods that were (and still are) growing all over the area. I had a great time at the museum, if you can make it out there it's definitely worth it.  Shout out to Scarlett who let me charge my phone at the front desk. =)

Now the yoga...Studying with Kofi. Oh man. What a special way to study.  Self study. Yoga study.  He's a special kind of person and certainly a special kind of teacher. I'm so grateful to have spent the time with him.  As I deepen my practice I find that what I'm learning, reaffirms my path and in that, my path of yoga. There comes a clarity in understanding and in being. I guess I've been practicing yoga I just didn't know it was yoga. Mr. Kofi teaches beyond the mat, it's life lessons really, it's real yoga!  He's so dope and has one of the coolest looks with his pullover sweaters, sweat slacks and the most killah mustache. Here's one of my favorite Kofi videos.  I watch this whenever I feel a little self doubt and it reminds me of what I'm doing here.

Thank you to Santa Cruz for a lovely visit. Until next time, namaste y'all.

Namaste

Pastor Eddie D. Smith Sr. shares what Namaste means. =)

I recently went to a yoga lecture with Phillip Goldberg,  where he shared this video.  It's simply fantastic!  I love it so much! We must all honor ourselves and each other in this world, across all races, religions, ages... beyond circumstances, beyond all the stuff that may happen in this world.  We are all connected in a divine way, deep within, let us honor that part of us.  I like how Pastor Smith places his hands on his chest when he explains the word namaste.  It's from that heart center where we will find our true self.  We have been mistreating each other for much too long.  Let's treat each other with respect and kindness.  And don't forget about yourself too! I hope we can let go of whatever it is that is keeping us from who we really are and keeping us from each other.
Namaste.

International Yoga Day

Last December, the United Nations declared June 21st International Yoga Day!  Hurrah! This is the first International Yoga Day and in honor of it, I will be leading a free class. Come celebrate! Everyone is welcome. Namaste. XO. Love. Peace.