It’s been a long time it seems that I’ve played tourist abroad. Spain will be an incredible adventure that hasn’t any set direction or expectation, apart from milder sunnier weather :).

Landing in Frankfurt after a wonderful Lufthansa flight has me on top of the world, although I feel physically drained and exhausted from little sleep over the past week. Several all nighters this past week took their toll as we crossed the Atlantic; I crashed deeply and soundly for much of the flight. I’d highly recommend the exceptional friendliness and attentive courteousness of the Lufthansa staff. The german culture with the meticulous emphasis on detail has me happy to recommend and fly with this airline anytime!

Meeting with our friend Mic at the airport has me grateful for world travelling friends who go out of their way in being hospitable. I’m constantly reminded by the generosity and lovely spirit of my friends in this lifetime. How lucky am I to be living the dream life that I am?! This trek into the European unknown has me excited about sharing it with my husband and best friend.

What excites you about travel and springing forward into life? What has you most grateful about journeying into the unknown?

I remember sharing a bunkhouse with an amazing nomadic world-travelling goddess in India, 7 years ago. She travelled scrupulously lean with little to her name except for her explicit desire for her music library by her side. Megan hauled around a ridiculous amount of CDs for her cd-playing Walkman. But she couldn’t live without her music. An iPod was not an obvious option for her at the time (she had never actually heard of an iPod 7 years back, even though this amazing Apple life-changing invention had been released in 2001). That memory of Megan’s music devotion reinforces the concept that many people tend to travel with excess baggage that they deem important and are unwilling to relinquish. Myself included! I’m having a hard time considering 2 months away without my laptop. Dang.

I’ve toyed with the idea of only travelling with a tablet. But after spending a few days out and about trying to navigate my working habits, I quickly saw the limits of said device. Editing photos and websites are tedious at best, even with several different blogging and photography apps. For me, nothing can beat a traditional computing experience where hardy software and an accessible hard drive provide for all my digital needs. Having a keyboard is key. I’ve yet to see a usb keyboard that would serve the functionality and ease of my laptop for the iPad. I’m open to recommendations and suggestions! So back to my plan A. Laptop goes with me to Europe. In reality, no one really needs a tablet to accomplish all their digital needs. But once had, tablets are certainly hard to give up! The reading experience is pleasurable compared to trying to surf on a phone. The screen size of my iPhone 4S is not meant for reading large amounts of material online or in book form. Hence the iPad. I’m a MAC girl at heart, and having the whole payload of Apple’s toys at hand is hugely gratifying and appealing. Worth toting around the European Continent??? Something yet to be determined. I’ll keep you in the loop!

To what lengths have you travelled the world with your toys and life possessions on your back? How much is too much when it comes to baggage? And what have you given up in the process?

I’m in the throes of excitement sparkled with fear as slaDE and I plan a last minute trip to Europe for 9+ weeks. I’ve always been a very spontaneous and somewhat fearless international traveller. If I felt an urge or craved an adventurous getaway, I would jump at any chances or opportunities that oozed my way regardless of their shape, size or form. My passion and enthusiasm for stepping beyond my own comfort zone into a different country and an unfamiliar culture in the past has been my strength and motivating force to perpetuate adventure in my life. And I am so feeling this with the notion of taking yogaFLIGHT to Europe. Specifically to Barcelona. Initially however, I was faced with a whole different and puzzling challenge of extending to my husband the premise that such a trip could be hugely viable, sprinkled with the potential for yogaFLIGHT greatness. I really wasn’t expecting his walls of uncertainty. Fear was getting in the way. For the first time in a longtime, we were at a crossroads in the way that we approached our life’s journey together.

Historically, I’ve tended to leap before looking, without forethought of the potential consequences when it came to travel (BS ~ before slaDE). On the flip-side, slaDE tends to logically think out and rethink every step of the odyssey. Me, I just go. And live with whatever unfolds along the way (I may be generalizing somewhat hugely, but you get the picture).

When I travelled in my twenties and thirties, I didn’t have the internet or the massive educational resources (library books, travel blogs and DVDs, etc) that we have today at our fingertips ~ instant consumption. Back in the day, I was an intrepid nomadic global wanderer. Now that, as a society, we have opportunities to go crazy in online planning, I’m finding myself overwhelmed by the possibilities and the plethora of vast information overload available online. Such a different medium and age in these travel plans. This however seems to be a positive influence for slaDE and his process, helping him work through any anxieties and fears that might have existed. After watching an instrumental inspiring video on living life fully (What would you do if Money Was No Object ~ Alan Watts), slaDE has now boarded the sKYtrain line of thinking, and currently, we are in the process of booking flights! Hurrahhhhhhhhh!

I’m noting that once an initial decision is made to actually go forth and explore, the rest is awesomely ‘easy’ and hugely fun!  For me, lists play a HUGE part in maintaining my sanity and organization. Thoughts, ideas and must-dos come tumbling out at the most random of times. And having a notepad at hand is vital to keeping me sane and on-track! One challenge that I am discovering, however, revolves around the planning details of currency exchange and money. I’m still trying to figure out best and common practises, and what would be the ideal choices for uS. My days of backpacking in the 90s revolved around the usage of Travellers Cheques (TCs) and cash as a way to live, with little difficulty in travelling from country to country currency wise. However, I’m repeatedly hearing that TCs are not as globally painless or accepted as they once were, during my heyday of overseas trekking. But I’ll leave that for another blog posting :).

As of now, I am so ready  and excited at the decision to catapult into this next shifting and phase. For the longest time, my head and heart have been out of the starting gate with an engine vibrating at the ready, yearning for international travel. It has been WAY too long!!! Yahoo!!!! Europe, here we come.

Here’s the transcript of Allan Watt’s video if by chance you are interested and searching for answers to that very same question of “What would you do if money was no object”!

What do you desire? What makes you itch?  What sort of a situation would you like?

Let’s suppose, I do this often in vocational guidance of students, they come to me and say, well, “we’re getting out of college and we have the faintest idea what we want to do”. So I always ask the question, “what would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life?”

Well, it’s so amazing as a result of our kind of educational system, crowds of students say well, we’d like to be painters, we’d like to be poets, we’d like to be writers, but as everybody knows you can’t earn any money that way. Or another person says well, I’d like to live an out-of-doors life and ride horses. I said you want to teach in a riding school? Let’s go through with it. What do you want to do?

When we finally got down to something, which the individual says he really wants to do, I will say to him, you do that and forget the money, because, if you say that getting the money is the most important thing, you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You’ll be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living, that is to go on doing things you don’t like doing, which is stupid. Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way.

And after all, if you do really like what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter what it is, you can eventually turn it – you could eventually become a master of it. It’s the only way to become a master of something, to be really with it. And then you’ll be able to get a good fee for whatever it is. So don’t worry too much.

That’s everybody is – somebody is interested in everything, anything you can be interested in, you will find others will. But it’s absolutely stupid to spend your time doing things you don’t like, in order to go on spending things you don’t like, doing things you don’t like and to teach our children to follow in the same track.

See what we are doing, is we’re bringing up children and educating to live the same sort of lives we are living. In order that they may justify themselves and find satisfaction in life by bringing up their children to bring up their children to do the same thing, so it’s all retch, and no vomit it never gets there.

And so, therefore, it’s so important to consider this question: What do I desire?

What are your biggest hurdles in initiating change? Do you have someone cheerleading you on the sidelines when faced with the obstacles of doubt and indecision?

We wanted to combine the beautiful moves of yoga with this new visual approach to bring the full human skeleton to life. Hybrid’s illustrations and animations extend beyond the boundary of highly informative graphics: they enter the realm of high art, achieving a combination of Truth and Beauty

I am certainly inspired and entranced by this visceral journey through the skeletal landscape of the body, fluid in yoga motion. This dramatically unique video enhances my gratitude for a healthy mobile body that reaches beyond the proverb of beauty being only ‘skin-deep’. I hope you enjoy this profoundly gripping and humbling journey through the body in motion.

Herein lurks a deeper lesson for me. Beyond the movement of yoga lies stillness. And with the stillness and silence, one can explore the wisdom and lessons that are contained within each precious moment of our life.

The gifts of presence in body, mind and spirit is immeasurable. And magical.

What inspires you about your body, on or off the mat?

Et voila! Here below lies a recipe of gorgeous comfort that fulfills the gap of ease that has been missing from my day. I really hope you enjoy this yummy concoction. PLEASE experiment with your own sexy ingredients! And take pictures along the way :).

BTW, Valentine’s Day is coming up. This naughty decadence is a perfect ensemble for your special someone and day / evening / event planned. Make this concoction a two-way preparatory invitation to luscious fun. If you’re going solo, you get to enjoy this blissful naughtiness all.to.yourself. ENJOY!

Divinely Decadent Avocado Pudding (veGAN = Bonus!)

Succulent Vegan Ingredients:

• 6 ripe avocados
• 1 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/2 cup organic apple sauce (recipe made in Vitamix with organic russet apple – no sugar or water; 100% pure apple)
• 13 prunes soaked in boiling water (left to cool to room temperature). Dates may give this a different taste, consistency and sweetness. Prunes is what I had. And they worked beautifully in community with the other ingredients.
• 1/8 cup raw cacao nibs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 fruit juice (I used 100% passionfruit)
• 3 tablespoons coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons organic sugar ~ (this can be excluded if you prefer less sweet). Honey, coconut or brown sugar could be used instead.
• 1/4 cup boiling water (used to dissolve sweetener of choice) + prune soak water
• pinch of himalayan salt

Experimental Toppings:

• Chopped pistachios, cashews or walnuts
• Dehydrated pineapple slices
• Sea Salt
• Fresh fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, bananas
• Fresh mint leaves
• Shredded coconut
• Coconut cream
• Chocolate nibs
• Chocolate covered toffee bites
• Chocolate covered coffee beans
• Anything else chocolate that you can handle or desire

Spinny Directions:

1. Add ingredients to a VitaMix (a blender or food processor will suffice if you’re not lucky enough to own said VitaMix … go here to buy one if you’re interested! :)) in the order of ingredients as listed above.
2. Twirl until smooth and lusciously irresistible (I’d say about 2-3 minutes). Use the tamper if you’re using the VitaMix.
3. Add any additional liquid of choice until the avocado bliss pudding is the consistency you desire. If it’s a little thinner than desired, that’s okay. The more quantity, the merrier! The pudding will thicken up once it’s chilled in the refrigerator.
4. Spoon into beautiful bowls, cover and chill (IF you can resist it that long).
5. Take fingers or spatula and lick out entire mixing container.
6. Be forewarned:  this pudding is a high-fat, high-calorie, highly addictive dessert. It will serve about 4 people (or good 4 body-painting for 2 >> make less thin, and skip the chilling).

Now that’s what I call  delicious ease, grace and divinity with a creative twist!

What’s your definition of ease when life dips below the tolerable line, and much-needed simplicity and comfort is desired in your life?

PS. For those that don’t know me, I often speak metaphorically when I write — I couldn’t alcoholic binge if I tried :). I am, however, at times, a bumbling oaf.

These are my three words. They just emerged in the heat of my Moksha practise, from the depths of my being. I wasn’t looking for anything actually. But yet the words popped in to mind, clear as day, as if I had sought out an intention to rock my world for 2014. As I wrote in ‘A New Year‘, I am not one to set resolutions at the rollover from one year to the next. But somehow, this feels different. Perhaps the seeds of desire from another have soaked into my consciousness, and from there they have manifested as three guiding words? Mental and verbal cues that bring me back to conscious action. A visual framework of sorts that represents three major focuses that I want to evolve in my life.

Words of Focus

1. Clarity:

I’ve been feeling extremely muddled and cluttered the last few months. Mental disarray to the extreme. Focus in thought, word and action has not been my strong point. Clarity in intention is vitally important, and has  been lacking. Sifting through my disarray means that I need a roadmap of sorts, to guide me through the chaos of my unhealthy patterns. For me, prioritizing and being accountable to a person or schedule is a big first step. I’m really good at sticking with a course of action that requires a daily commitment. I’ve successfully accomplished several yoga and smoothie challenges over the past year. But I didn’t have anyone to answer to, beyond my own desire to maintain a 30 day habit.  I have Maneesh Sethi to thank for my current impetus: “Hack The Habit Program”, which I stumbled upon more on a whim than with a plan. And before I knew it, I had two accountability partners, one in Singapore and the other in South Africa. 30 days of answerability. The concept – create a daily habit that is enforced through daily accountability checkins. My daily task must be cued by an already established pattern or routine  ~ i.e. after brushing my teeth every morning, I will do my 4 sets of plank holds. What happens if I fail to accomplish my desired task? A monetary stake is established for every day that I miss. At $50 a pop, the motivation to carry forth with my task is high.

I hope that with digging deep in my daily motivations, I can expand on my accomplishments and pave a pathway of clarity throughout my daily life.

2. Determination:

A seemingly simple word that establishes firmness of purpose and resolve. A commitment to my greater self, of establishing what it is that I want (clarity) and dedicating my all. I know that depending on others can be scary and messy, but depending on myself can at times be simultaneously empowering and terrifying. What if I fail? How do I bounce back without allowing my vision to dwindle away, disguised by the clutter of defeat and distraction?  By seeking out tools to guide me through the process of resolve, I might find that staying the course is easier than that without a plan. Meditation is a wonderful place to start. Starting small, committing to watching the breath, allowing for distraction to flow through rather than build story: this is my first step to building success on the path to determination. Creating an actual written daily plan of action, such as Donald Miller’s Storyline Productivity Schedule is helping me be productive. An aid to overcoming procrastination by setting forth an action plan. Focusing and prioritizing what’s truly important in my day to day life is vital. By establishing my current state of being, and accessing where I am going / where I want to be, I can navigate both the path to clarity and resolve, in tandem.

3. Fulfillment:

The power of Gratitude is mind-blowing. Appreciation for all things {from the most basic elements of the cosmos to the most complex of thoughts and emotions}, I believe, will help me in the process of finding more clarity in life. By envisioning and understanding things differently (creating an alternative paradigm of thought and action), I am beginning the process of wanting and desiring from a place of transformation. Stepping outside of my comfort zone, and being open to the challenges and opportunities of daily living, allows for a flow of grace that is juicy & balanced, wondrous and accepting, guiding my innermost truest self to complete fulfillment in all that I do.

“We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude.”

~ Thomas S. Monson

The biggest challenge through this entire process? Knowing myself, honouring my needs and being kind to all those around me (including myself ~ especially when I stumble and falter).

Yoga = connection, being open, attuning to my inner awareness, and easing into a state of meditative groundedness. Savasana is that place of stillness; the culmination of a yoga practice, that perfect possibility for tuning in to the power of ones own unity and balance.

“Savasana: savasana is being without was, being without will be. It is being without anyone who is.”
~ Light on Life, B.K.S. Iyengar

Yesterday, as I sweated it out in my new-to-me Moksha hot yoga class, I was inspired by the cleansing effect of my sweating. I’m really not one to sweat. Rarely. So I found myself quite surprised by this intensely hot yoga class …. the humidity, my shortness of breath, the at-times unbearable uncomfortableness of so.much.heat. that produced an alarming amount of sweat dripping from my body. It was like a faucet that I couldn’t turn off. Drip, drip, drip. I ached to leave the room into the coolness of the reception area, yet I was determined to weave my way through this strange sequence of asanas that left me, admittedly, a bit befuddled. To be honest, the class took me by complete surprise.  After the standing practice led to the sweet release of my body to the reclining series, I found that my mind was completely clear and focussed while my body was entirely at ease and perfectly released. There I lay, almost comatose in a state of savasana bliss. Whisperings of the breath, unwinding inwards to complete surrender. Now this is the exotic tranquility of complete emptiness. Bliss seems like the inimitable and only way to define my state of surrender to the Moksha practice I experienced.

At first, I was reluctant to be drawn in to the ‘cult’ of hot yoga (that’s what it feels like when I read about and witness the flow of people entranced by this practice). But I was curious, and I had a 30 day intro offer that I couldn’t pass by. $40 for 30 days of unlimited yoga at the Moksha Yoga St Clair West studio was my idea of a good deal that I wanted to take full advantage of (even if it means a 30 minute walk each way to the studio). Oftentimes, at home, I find it hard to maintain a sense of motivation to practice daily asana. I may have the intention, but my day gets carried away by the spell of my internet and working journey. By having this 30 day commitment drop in to my lap, I have an incredible opportunity to explore a new style of yoga that will help me get through the cold brutality of this winter of Polar Vortex weather here in Southern Ontario. So far, I’ve attended 10 challenging Moksha classes, 8 consecutively (all late evening = 8:30pm!). Not that I’m counting. I just don’t want to miss out on this amazing window for growth and yoga. And the nighttime repose sets me up with the divinity of relaxation sublime after a hectic day.

I LOVE this poem from the website “Peace. Love. Free“. For me, it describes Yoga and Savasana perfectly. Release the stories that do not serve us … SUCH a difficult but necessary task!

The mind says ‘mistake. regret. punishment’.
The heart speaks ‘long. ache. grieve’
The body pulses ‘want. want. want’


Yoga answers ‘you are nothing but your breath. exhale’


The legs scream ‘go. run. escape’
The ceiling fan whispers ‘you are still here. be present’

The critic declares ‘not enough. do more’
The practice replies ‘exactly right. infinitely curious. eternally gentle’

The hips protest ‘no. I can’t’
Yoga says ‘release the stories. they do not serve’

The hands grasp ‘hold tight. don’t let go’
The pose demands ‘loosen. relinquish. release’

The tension says ‘do not move’
The breath says ‘you are free’

The habit pushes ‘control’
The mantra answers ‘surrender’


The spirit cries ‘scared. so scared’.
The music sings ‘every little thing’s gonna be alright’


The head whispers ‘afraid of shadows’
Yoga answers ‘you are nothing but light’



The muscles complain ‘so tired’
Savasana responds ‘rest now. be still.’


The fear says ‘ordinary’
Nameste reminds ‘divine. divine. divine’


The self says ‘I am here’
Yoga says ‘yes. yes, you are’

om shanti shanti shanti om

My life as a teacher and student has me consistently on the lookout for ways to propel my life forward to higher heights of health, wealth, renewal, integrity, generosity and empathy. Human as I am, I fall down (far too often for my own liking). But after the lesson is (hopefully) siphoned, it’s important that I pick myself up and brush myself off (both mentally and figuratively ~ oftentimes with tears and cries of pain), so that I may continue on this amazing life journey, with forgiveness and love in my heart. For this, I need and resolve to move inwards (meditation and journaling are perfect tools in this internal pilgramage). It’s critical that those insights are conceptualized, contextualized and garnered from within, or I will find myself continuing to propagate an unhealthy pattern ~ sometimes leading to destruction of self and relationship. It’s vitally important to remember that I have all the information within my being that I could ever need or want in sustaining a healthy and happy life: I am my most perfect role-model and mentor (Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa aside … RIP). If anything, religion and spirituality (or lack thereof) has taught me this greatest of lessons. Positive momentum in an imperfect world is renewal enough, regardless of the outcome.

For me, this decline from the winter solstice is a time to excavate the deepest bowels of my wisdom, and tap into the intelligence of intuition. Such a challenging task, especially when nigglings and nuances of fear, uncertainty and trepidation get in the way. But I know that my well is full. It’s time to seek clarity at the deepest roots of my core.

Whoa. Looks like 2014 might be a rocky but highly rewarding year of deep channeling and discovery!

Today, I was unwinding and enjoying some quiet time, shopping at the local market, intent on a selection of delectable dinner fixings. Food for the soul: mundane but comforting after a flurry of activity over the past week. Sadly, what really elevated this day into a strange cataclysm of emotions was a simple interaction at the checkout counter.

As I approached the Cashier who was assisting the Gentleman in front of me, I overheard the employee sharing an unfortunate incident that she had experienced earlier in the week, all the while elevating her voice so that the whole checkout line could share in her harrowing tale. This Lady had hit a motorcyclist, almost changing the destiny of the young man involved. Fortunately, both lucky souls walked away relatively unscathed, although the motorbike was totalled and the Rider was undoubtedly shaken AND stirred. Who knows what emotional scarring may have been experienced by either party involved? All I could do was listen intently with compassion. Until the Cashier blurted out that she had no idea why this bike or Man was on the road at this time of the year. She started purporting that motorcyclists should stay off the roads in the Fall & Winter, and the Gentleman with whom she was conversing exclaimed that they should ban motorcyclists entirely. She nodded her head in agreement, smiling & exclaiming at the craziness of her misadventure. I was thinking … what next? Ban pedestrians from crossing the road? Outlaw cyclists from ever being a nuisance? Hinder any attempts at free will in a democratic society? What really blew me away was the Cashier’s total neglect for taking responsibility. She had in fact hit the motorcycle, seemingly (and obviously) unaware of her surroundings and of him.

Yet I suppose, what really stirred me were the emotions coursing through my soul at remembering my brother who had lost his life in a motorcycle accident, 22 years ago. One of the less lucky ones. My family crawled away, scarred for life, losing a son, brother, artist and mentor.

As the transaction was completed before me, I remained calm, quiet and somewhat terse when the Cashier asked me if I was okay. I nodded numbly, turned away quickly in the midst of my tears and briskly walked away. In this moment of quiet angst, I had lost an opportunity for sharing my story. Such was the potential for education that could have ensued on a matter that wreaked of crazy bias and self-righteous indignation. But I was too afraid to speak, lest my emotions runneth over into something uglier than what I was witnessing and hearing.

Sigh. A missed opportunity to be sure, but this was a point of reflection for myself that shifted me. Surprisingly, I moved into a sense of compassion for the checkout Lady, once I was able to step away from my trigger point, assessing what had actually transpired before me on this beautiful Fall day.

Have you ever missed such an opportunity for growth in conversation where you held your tongue, for fear of emotion overtaking your sense of duty to educate and communicate? Or worse, spoke your mind in anger or judgment without really allowing room for conversation? Life truly does begin at the end of ones comfort zone.

I feel that it’s so important for all the involved parties to take a figurative walk in the other person’s shoes, rather than expressing theoretical proponents of insight that are most likely non-relevant to the situation at hand. Informed insight is a far better way to educate oneself, learning through experience, than by espousing our self-imposed belief system. Knowing that we are all imperfect, human and hopeful allows room for growth, trust and the potential for mutual understanding, in a life worth living, with every sense that we can muster.

As Colin Wright has quoted: “Think. Do. Learn. Share. Grow.” Add in ‘Breath’ and ‘Repeat’, and here I have myself a winning formula to a life full of exploration and positive development.

I feel that it’s our duty to humankind to create a better AND kinder world for those around us, one loving and compassionate breath at a time. What do you think?

All these thoughts are trailing through my mind this morning, as I’m marvelling at the gorgeous Autumn weather being blessed on us as I pole-vault into my daily walk. Sadly, a few minutes in, I stumble across an empty Tim’s cup {with the non-biodegradable plastic lid intact} haphazardly thrown from the window onto the road. And I think, REALLY?

What kind of person still throws their garbage out the window? I am truly mystified. Delinquency indeed comes in all shapes and sizes. Moreover, I think said actions stems from a combination of laziness, self-centred stubbornness and climate change denial. Ignorance about one’s own actions, in this case, is certainly not an excuse. Such careless and disrespectful actions leave me sad and a little bit seething. Just because it’s convenient certainly doesn’t make it right!

I try to think compassionate thoughts, but my no-nonsense environmentalist brain won’t stretch that far today. All I can do is roar an inner growl, pick up the offending rubbish and make a small prayer to Mother Earth for our transgressions. If only our Politicians were as thoughtful and caring in the roles that they fill, cleaning up the garbage and mess that they’re leaving behind instead of stomping all over terra firma and the law-abiding thoughtful citizens of our planet (most of whom are tax-payers supplementing government incomes).

Perhaps if everyone in this world had a daily duty to clean up a mile-long stretch of an Adopt-A-Highway, and/or had the moral obligation to show compassion in some form to Mother Earth, we could literally bag all the offenders and realize that the tiniest of self-imposed actions can all make a difference. The snowball effect would be incredible!

Now if only we could clean up all the political trash, turning the wasteful actions of the delinquent into something positive to help those less fortunate and able.

/rant. Full-stop.

Spearmint essential oil strikes again. Brilliant! Rodents dislike the smell of mint and it seems to keep them away. So very important in maintaining a clean and healthy living space. Nobody wants vermin burrowing in the walls of their trailer, especially as these pets have a tendency to chew away at anything along their path, including electrical wires. Any access given to food, water, heat and shelter is a huge bonus for vermin. The key to rodent-proofing an rV (any home for that matter) is to prevent them from entering in the first place. Steel wool stuffed in small places is another deterrent to mice biting their way in through narrow entryways. Here’s a great article on other ways to keep the rodents at bay, away from your home and rV.

So off to Lou & Larry’s for the evening before winding our way back home. Decompression with some Rockband guitar and relaxation, enjoying the sun and friendship of our Ohio friends. Life sure is grand!

I was thrilled to be offering a yogaFLIGHT class for kids with slaDE, once again. But in actuality, it’s more of a giant play session. My husband has such a wondrous knack with teaching children, skilfully weaving an engaging and spellbinding varying story that has us adults enamoured with his style of yoga play. This year, we taught something near and dear to our hearts … the 12 young participants learned how to skydive, from exiting an airplane, teaching them how to ‘steer’ their canopies, to landing with a finesse and flourish. And of course, slaDE took them all for an ‘airplane’ ride afterwards. A few of the children stayed around afterwards to try out some of the more involved yogaFLIGHT moves that we play around with … ‘4 Step’ and ‘Shoulder Stand’. The boys did marvellously! I had to laugh when the one young boy, who was being spotted by our friend Kelly (while I roamed to take photos), exclaimed rather independently: ‘I’ve got this’ ~ translation = “Don’t spot or support me. I want to try this on my own”.

Antsy Maclean finished off a magnificent day with a rip-roaring spellbinding evening of 3 hours of raw wicked talent, interlaced with many an Airstreaming song. Antsy is definitely a favourite with this rVing crowd :), especially when he sings songs like: ‘I Married Up’.

It being the final farewell evening to spend with friends here at Alumapalooza, we chatted and cuddled, sang and laughed until our weary bodies begged for rest. Oh how I will miss our friends! Until next time, fare thee well ….

However, all is not champagne and roses on this windy, schizophrenically rainy day. The weather was failing to ‘cooperate’ as requested :). Backup Derby in the rain … not the best idea, especially with the threat of an impending torrential downpour with 50mph winds. Today, the winds started out much milder than yesterday’s stormy schizophrenic weather (although the skies threatened with their similar tempestuous character). It was actually perfect kite flying weather!

This year, slaDE and I decided to register for the Backup Derby. This truly is a tough event where a driver can show off their backing skills.  Teams of one or two can sign up to participate (note: married teams are coached to be prepared for marital-disharmony potential). You can find the 2012 rules here. The other 3 years I had been completely intimidated at the thought of pairing up with my husband in a trial run of rVing communication skills that would test the most skilled of rV marriages / friendships! Somehow 3 couples (including ourselves) managed to weave our way backwards through the seemingly simple track before the skies opened up in a heavy rainfall that had us scampering to the Airstream factory’s safety and dry interior.  The Derby looked deviously easy with the supplied single-axle trailer, until you saw that the supplied truck had ‘blacked out’ rear + side windows and mirrors, and that the traffic cones were strategically placed considerably close together. Aha! This would indeed be interesting. slaDE and I were 2nd up to bat. And managed to finish in 2min 3 seconds with two penalties (we hit the cones twice ~ slaDE was driving and I was outside with a walkie talkie), giving us a final tally of 2:23 minutes. By the time the first rain hit, our score was indeed the best of the three. However, there were 6 other couples to compete in the finishing round tomorrow. Wonder if we’ll win ourselves another set of ZipDee Alumapalooza special edition chairs for this year (we won the Rivet Master contest last year, with 2 chairs as our special prize!)?

The rest of the day was awash until ‘Happy Hour’ and then things started to really liven up! I announced that we would be offering a yogaFLIGHT workshop as a Roving Happy Hour pitstop, but we needed all participants to be sober. That caused quite the funny heckling ruckus, until I stated that we would be having a wIne & cheese afterwards. We in turn received a huge hurrah!

Three couples showed up to participate in the hugely successful and playful class. Turned out that afterwards, we had a really amazing happy hour under the big top tent, dry and tucked away from the fickle weather. Food and wine kept showing up after our supply ran short. It was a wonder to witness!

Josh Rogan finished off the night with a wonderful 2 hour set of rocking great tunes. What a fabulous day :).

Today’s highlights beyond the yoga tent ….

• A vigorous countryside bike ride – very WINDY with the added bonus of a front-seat visual of the lovely Ohio countryside, topped with a big side of kick-butt exercise
• A revisit to the Airstream factory tour. Nothing like being called to the Mothership :).
• The ‘Aluminum Gong Show’ was a fundraiser where anybody could offer up their talents, and during their act, people who wanted the act off the stage could speed up the process with donations of large sums of money, after the gong was . Oddly, enough, if one liked the act, people were encouraged to give money as well! slaDE and I offered up a yogaFLIGHT routine to wow the crowd, Cirque Du Soleil style :). No gong was initiated for us. BONUS!
  • Over $800 was raised for the Red Cross to help with tornado relief in the midwest (in light of the recent Oklahoma disaster). Talk about generous Airstreamers! What an amazing community. Brett and Rich pledged to match dollar for dollar of the donations, leaving the grand total at $1,636!
• Sitting around Colin Hyde’s trailer with fellow Airstreamers, shooting the breeze and podcasting via Colin’s cell phone (Colin Hyde is the Panel Pro) with VAP host Tim Shephard. The VAP usually discusses the weeks vintage topics , but tonight, everyone hanging out at Colin’s trailer spoke mostly about their Alumapalooza week thus far and how each individual found themselves at this venture in their Airstream life. You can find ‘Episode 186: Live from Alumapalooza 4!‘ VAP here.

Our first official day as this years Alumapalooza Yoga Instructors started out beautifully with our 7:30am yoga class … 20 people in total! The weather was pure perfection, and with a freshly raked mown lawn under the big top tent, the earthen carpet for those to practice on was soft, clean and so very compelling in its true connection to Mother Earth, in every sense of the word. I love it when  people who are new to yoga, make the effort to come to our morning classes, never having attended any sort of class before. From the outset, we were very clear that these classes were purely a practice of breathing and stretching where we learn to listen to our bodies. Becoming attuned to one’s senses and connecting with in the inner world can be a very new experience for many. Any of the extra benefits of yoga (such as flexibility and strength) are just that … additional perks rather than goals. No excuses necessary or allowed! We had 7 new attendees, 4 of them new to Alumapalooza. YAY!

I learned a lot today from the multitude of discussions being offered in the main tent …. many great tips on rV Organization by a new friend Ramona Creel, the tech tips behind axle replacement on the Airstream by our friend Colin Hyde (we are possibly due to replace all 3 of our tandem axles). I had a tremendous amount of fun learning how to fly a trick Revelation kite (‘The Rev’), with Joe and my hubby. Roving Happy Hour was a wonderful success! We’ve been hanging with a similar group for the past 3 nights, and I’m thoroughly enjoyingWe were very blessed to have lent to us the wide variety of personalities, talents and knowledge base of these various new & old friends. It’s been such an amazing day of weather, warm sunshine, a cool breeze and endless blue skies. We topped off our day with sunset kite dances. Spectacular! Life is pretty incredible and amazing.

I also love the fact that slaDE dared the local waitress to experience a yogaFLIGHT, even though she had never heard of acro yoga and was completely reluctant and skeptical. I can’t blame her really, after seeing and photographing us geeking the camera yogaFLIGHT style.

Everything is AWESOME about this pitstop. Oh how I love being a photographer / journalist / yogi nomad (a yomadic hippie ?? :))!

We chose to start a list of the unique things one does not see on the Interstae. I am hoping that this is a trend which we can establish on this blog for each and every state and province that we drive through. Sound like a plan?

Things you don’t see from driving the Interstate in Indiana

• Amish ladies dressed in red dresses, riding palomino horses
• blondes mares, manes glistening in the sun faithfully drawing black buggies
• beady eyed buzzards collecting carrion from the roadside
• playful ponies dancing with their foals
• simple farm houses sustaining the moral soul of america
• towering oaks shading the road
• family cookouts on memorial day
• small little white steeple churches
• placid ponds with swans upon

• cool little airports (without fences and such)
  • Whoa! There’s a dropzone in Fort Wayne Indiana, right along Route 20 (Angola Airport West of US 69)! Skydive Fort Wayne. So we decided to stop and say hello. With perfect weather conditions (no wind), clear skies and a plane just having landed, we were persuaded to make an unplanned 4-way skydive. Well I’ll be …. Prettiest little random mid-west DZ I’ve ever jumped at! We introduced the previous DZ owner, Audrey, to some yogaFLIGHT. Made for a remarkable roadtrip distraction!
• people gathered around a 100 foot tall bonfire

The drive to here from Vegas was spectacular. We had hoped to visit Zion National Park  upon first leaving, but with the late timing in our departure from the city, it would have given us a few hours to set up a tent and check out the area. Best left for another time where we could spend a whole week exploring all the gorgeous red rock canyons and vista views. Glorious hiking is surely to be had throughout Utah!

The trek through Utah and Colorado was truly breathtaking! The Rocky Mountains have such character, especially with the passing of each season. Winter vs Spring … a whole new animal! We had a spectacular stay with my dear South African girlfriend Jill, who lives in beautiful Boulder Colorado. Her two children are a joy to be around, and whenever we stop by (it’s usually a quick overnight visit), there is sure to be much healthy eating, giggling, play and yogaFLIGHT! If I could live anywhere in the US, Boulder would be one of the top choices for a home. I love their clean healthy living outdoor lifestyle, nestled just at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. But alas, as Canadians, we are travelling the world just as visitors and are happy to make Canada our permanent home and country of choice.

Wikipedia provides a great outline of those enthralling acts:

O has eleven acts in total, which are performed both in, out, and above of the water.

• Synchronized swimming: A group of synchronized swimmers perform in the pool.
• Duo trapeze: Two aerialists perform on a single trapeze above the water.
• Barge: A unique combination of banquine and adagio is performed on a floating raft on top of the water.
• Bateau: A group of acrobats perform a combination of aerial cradle and parallel bars on a swinging boat-shaped apparatus high above the water.
• Fire: A group of artists perform fire dancing.
• Russian swing: Acrobats propel themselves high into the air with three sets of Russian swings and dive down into the water.
• Cadre: A group of acrobats perform on a suspended frame high above the water in an artificial rain storm.
• High dive: A group of four world-class divers leap from 60 feet above the stage into a 20-foot-deep (6.1 m) triangular section of the pool.
• Washington trapeze: An artist performs on a fixed trapeze that swings in a long pendulum motion and is raised and lowered.
• Contortion: Four young women with extreme balance and flexibility create graceful and lithe figures and movements.
• Aerial hoops: A group of performers perform on hoops attached to the ceiling to perform various tricks both in and above the water.

Acts in rotation

• Solo trapeze: An aerialist performs on a single trapeze high above the water.

Here’s the official O trailer: http://youtu.be/Vm11jzx7Ka0

slaDE and I have seen 3 other Cirque Du Soleil shows, all memorable and amazing experiences. But for me, I think that “O” will be the highlight of my Cirque Du Soleil viewing experiences, thus far! Do you have a favourite Vegas show? Have you ever seen any shows from Cirque Du Soleil? If so, what was your experience like? I’d love for you to share!

Here is a favourite email felicitation that brings a smile to my face, from my Airstream Forum group. I can’t help but think about why I love the dreamy lifestyle we lead and my lust for all things aluminum:

Happy Birthday from your friends at AirForums; we wish you all the best in the year to come.
May your aluminum be leak free and shiny.
May your tires be round and always properly inflated and
May your days be filled with the exquisite pleasure of new adventures, fabulous destinations and excellent friendship.

A small group of around 25 participants are set in seclusion for 4 days, embarking on a personal journey that invokes a deeper level of meditation and purification practice. To help calm the mind and allow it to turn inward, the staff incorporate a light diet of pure foods alongside a variety of purification practices, an observance of silence, and a meditative cave-like atmosphere of seclusion, all designed for inner reflection. A number of hours each morning and afternoon will be devoted to prescribed meditations, breathing exercises (Pranayama) and practice of asana in the tradition of Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Baba Hari Dass. Time for reflection and study, spiritual stories, rituals, chanting of mantra and other devotional practices are also part of this special retreat.

Since coming to Mount Madonna, my education on the finer things of all things yoga (think Ashtanga Yoga and its eight limbs — we’re not just talking asana) has multiplied beyond my wildest perceptions. My meditation and pranayama practice has lovingly developed to an almost daily tradition that allows for a deepening of clarity and vibration in my life. It’s indeed beautiful and awakening in its energetic magnitude. In our weekly classes, I have learned so much more about the art of yogic breathing, the ability to go inwards, the energetic properties of prana (life force & vitality) which flows through each of us, the chakras and so much more.

With learning more about the chakras, as they are associated with our pranayama meditations, the imagery of a lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera) comes up quite often. When we are taught about of the chakras, the lotus is visualised as seated on the crown (Sahasrara) in a subtle form of a thousand petaled lotus that opens upwards to receive divine cosmic energy. Also, it is typical for chakras to be depicted as either flower-like or wheel-like. I was truly curious about the symbolism of this flower. And so began my research. According to Wikipedia.org, in Buddhist symbolism, the lotus represents purity of the body, speech, and mind as if floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire, and is a symbol of wisdom and purity. According to legend, Gautama Buddha was born with the ability to walk, and lotus flowers bloomed everywhere he stepped. The lotus flower grows from the bottom of streams and muddy ponds to rise above the water, opening when the sun rises and closing when the sun sets, sinking below the muddy water, resurfacing the next day, untouched and unsoiled.

From this interesting blog, the author states that the eight petals of the flower could be taken to signify the eight noble paths. The white coloured lotus stands for mental purity and spiritual perfection, the red for purity of heart, love and compassion, the blue for wisdom, and the pink lotus is often considered as the supreme lotus reserved for the most exalted deity. This behaviour of the flower is a metaphor for the mind … without spiritual knowledge, the mind withdraws its beauty and form; with sadhana, the mind blossoms with illumination. Overall, the lotus flower is an archetypal symbol of the evolutionary potential and sacred development of each human being, signifying purity of consciousness and the journey of transformation from ignorance to awakening. The ‘Enlightened Yogi’ lives like a lotus flower, being fully grounded in earth yet aspiring towards the divine.

In Sanskrit the word for lotus is padma पद्म. The lotus posture (Padmasana) takes its name from the position of the feet and legs, representing the petals of the lotus flower. This asana helps to open the hips, strengthen the back, and increases flexibility of the knees. Padmasana (Pronunciation: pad-mah-sa-na) is also used as a base for meditation, chanting, and pranayama as the pose creates a natural balance throughout the body / mind, facilitating relaxation, concentration and ultimately, meditation. I however beg to differ when sitting in lotus pose for any length of time. In doing full lotus for any length of time, my knees and hips both start to ache with raw pains shooting through my legs. Luckily, there are a few variations …

1. Ardha padma-asana or half lotus posture (ardha means half) is where one foot is placed on top of the thigh and the other is placed under the opposite thigh (full Padmasana places both feet on the thighs). When I sit in this posture, I must periodically alternate my position so that I get an equal stretch in both knees, as it is a “two-sided pose”.
2. When full or half lotus is not comfortably available to a person, one can practice baddha kona-asana (bound angle pose).

As an afterthought, I have totally been grooving on sprouting my mung beans and eating them with my rice breakfast cereal. YummY!

Hara Hara Hara Mahadev Om Namah Shivaya Namah Shivaya

An approximate translation would be: Two of the names of Lord Shiva, which invoke His energy as the great God and destroyer of darkness. Om, I bow to Shiva.

From the translation website proz.com: “Ohm Namah Shivaya” is one of the most powerful of Sanskrit mantras. These phrases are designed to create a transformation in consciousness. This mantra begins with the primordial sound ‘Om’, which is a mystic syllable, considered the most sacred of all mantras. “Namah” means “to bow” or “to honour”. In Hinduism, Shiva is that aspect of the Divine which breaks down or brings to a close the creative cycle. The mantra may be experienced as an appeal to God as the destroyer of our illusion and ignorance that stands in the way of perfect union.

From my very basic understanding, ‘Om’ is the sound the universe made when it came into creation. It is the merging of everything into one, an energetic vibration that contains all sounds. The About.com article on ‘Om’ explains that ‘Om’ is actually made up of three syllables: “It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om.”

When I first started yoga, we would sometimes chant ‘Om’ in our yoga classes. I had no idea as to what the meaning was behind this mystical vibrational incantation was all about. It appeared to be a ritualistic ceremonial offering that everyone seemed to understand but me.

AAaauuuuummmmm …. Do you ever chant om? What does it do for / mean to you?

Traditionally Shivaratri is observed on the lunar fortnight, when the moon is waning, in the western month of February or March. This particular night is considered a time of consecration and dedication, which can result in the mind’s illumination. The festival is principally celebrated by a multitude of offerings to Lord Shiva, with all day fasting by those participating in the ritual circles and an all night long vigil by those who wished to celebrate in Shiva’s name.

Kirtan played the biggest part of the evening with Puja and Yajna ceremonies intermingled between the kirtan marathon sessions. The holy mantra most commonly chanted throughout the evening {with many different artists offering their renditions and blessings} consisted of five-syllables: “Na” “Ma” “Shi” “Vaa” “Ya” (Om NamaH Shivaaya) in praise of Lord Shiva. Nataraja (the king of dancers) is a favourite form adored by dancers and musicians.
An example of one of the evening’s mantras:

Sanskrit Wording:

English Meaning:
At dawn I contemplate on Shiva, the God of gods, the remover of the fear of transmigration, who holds the Gangã in his locks, and rides a bull, the Lord of Ambicã (the Divine Mother), the wielder of the club and spear (in two of his hands) and with the other two offering boon and protection and who is the one infallible remedy for the afflictions of relative existence (Samsãra).

The best foods to eat after a colon cleanse are fresh raw / cooked fruits and vegetables, vegetable broths, well-cooked whole grains, nuts & eggs and lots of water. Alcohol, fried foods and processed foods should be avoided at all costs. Alcohol is not an issue as no alcohol is allowed at Mount Madonna. Fried foods I tend to stay away from. Chocolate and processed foods: a bit more of a challenge. However, today I stayed true to a fasting ritual: I incorporated a drink of homemade yogurt and rice milk to my liquid fast today. However, in the evening, my tummy was bloated. At first I thought it might be the dairy, but my co-cleanse partner Annie thinks it might be the rice milk and the processed oils contained in it. Regardless, I am taming the shrew and cutting back on my Lassi drink (my tongue is super coated with a thick white mucus = perhaps a dairy intolerance??).

Here’s a couple of Lassi recipes from the website Ayurvedic Yogi that I didn’t have access to a blender to follow, but will be making in the future!

Lassi

Aids digestion at end of meal as increases Pitta. Blend 2 cups of water with ½ cup plain yogurt, skim off the fat that rises to the surface, add 2 pinches of ginger and cumin powder. For Vata types, add a little rock salt; for Pitta types a little jaggery; for Kapha types a little dried ginger powder and black pepper.  Or try:

• Pachak Lassi: Add 1 inch of fresh ginger, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds / powder, pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander to garnish. Balances all doshas.
• Spicy Lassi: 2 tablespoons sugar, (or less) ½ teaspoon fresh, grated ginger or ¼ tsp. Dry ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom. Good for all doshas.
• Sweet lassi: 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 drop of rosewater.

The advice out there is that the best foods to eat after a colon cleanse (which this cleanse literally is) are fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lots of water. It’s strongly advised that one should avoid alcohol, fried foods and processed foods at all costs (yes, that would include sugar and chocolate, oh my!). The rule of thumb is that it’s very wise to be gentle to the body after a colon cleanse, slowly introducing certain foods to the system. Not listening to this advice would send my digestive system and liver in to sensory and task overload. If I were to fast on the final day: who knows what might happen. That info is not provided in the book nor anywhere that I could find on the interweb. However, there are many benefits to fasting, a major one being preventive health care. Personally, I feel magnificent after 8 days! At times, a little bit tired and as the day has progressed, quite hungry. Yet I feel light-hearted, light in body and clear in vision and desire. So in the end, I have decided to break my cleanse early on the final cleanse day with a fast. This gives me an opportunity to participate in the full ceremonial rituals of Shiva Ratri.

Sidenote: As the day progressed, I realized that fasting for 48 hours on liquid alone would be too difficult after a 8 day cleanse. My hunger was overpowering by dinner time, even if I could only eat kitchari. I needed nourishment and sustenance. So I eliminated the idea of the ceremonial making of 1008 Lingams and followed my intuition on what my body needed. Regardless of what opinions I had read or been given, the end result for me lay in the importance of hearing what my body had to tell me. And I am grateful for having that ability to listen to and follow my instinctual body signals. A blessing indeed!