Saturday, December 31, 2011

as the year turns from 2011 to 2012…from 4 to 5

do we choose the moment, or does a moment choose us,,,do we define life, or does the life define us…

"be in the world but not of the world", becomes clear when we begin to see association and identification with the structures, checkpoints, milestones…

we are born, the existence of a body is a structure, we grow with associations, checkpoints and milestones, each individual form becomes a world…

the outer world and the inner are aligned…how many things and how many thoughts we accumulate is a choice…

through the clearing, we begin to see space, in this space we feel a sense of freedom…

often as i lie under the open sky, with the earth beneath me, i look up, i feel i am soaring, flying like those birds...the feeling comes from the space, uncluttered space which i find inside me…

driving down the parkway, keeping my eyes on the road which is slippery, its lined with trees, each branch covered in glistening snow, its the moment, captured and imprinted…WOW!!!

this moment…peace and harmony

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Balance - in yoga, in life

The balance is the Oneness.

When duality flows into the non, we feel balanced.

When the four basic needs of food, shelter, sex and self-preservation are met, we feel balanced. A tendency towards the extremes of the basic needs, generally reflects that an imbalance is being compensated.

If balance is the Oneness, then where does the imbalance originate. Possible from our thoughts, that define who we are, from the expectations, those from our minds and those imposed by other minds. Its is how we are conditioned, by 'my' identity and by 'society'.

The attention to this awareness awakens us, it guides us in re-connecting to finding the balance.

We begin the 'seeking' and the 'search'…there is so much 'stuff' to swim through. The challenge becomes clear, its the thoughts and the fear which become the boundary.

We want to throw everything out, we want to see ourselves in a new light, we move, physically, live a different life, find different ways, see how others live; the four basic instincts are with us.

Travelling, we realize that soon it will be time to move, so lets not get attached. The lesson of non-attachemt is the important one, its the smooth and firm ground on which we build our life, live our life, irrespective of the places and people we meet.

In the clarity space is created.

How does this support the idea of "challenging" our limits, going "beyond the boundaries". For me the "limits" and the "boundaries" are the result of our conditionings, where the mind has filled the free space with fears and the lists of the rights and wrongs. The challenge then seems to be to find that space, which does not need to be filled with the "excitement state"; instead I begin to find the Joy by relishing each moment, then the excitement, wonder and awe of being knows no boundaries and no limitations. I flow, flow like the stream, changing into a river, at times a fast rapid, or becoming the deep ocean.

The Taoist concept of Yin and Yang, defines existence, they co-exist, as one balances the other, without the one the other is not.

In each moment the balance of the Yin and Yang, provides the balance to our life, to living. In the practice of Yoga, in our search for the meaning of life, in seeking love, in loving and in our surrender, when we feel balanced, we live and love with abundance and freedom.

Yin is Hidden, Dark, Cold, Still, Downward, Earth, Calm
Yang is Exposed, Light, Hot, Moving, Upward, Heaven, Excited

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

the day dawns...

Been thinking of random situations, those that happened, and those that didn't…is there a difference, its all in the form of thoughts…either ways they form feelings…so i decide to watch, and see those feelings with the eye of an observer and the heart of a lover/beloved…i soon get bored, its just thoughts, and the feeling of the sun on my face feels better…i make my self a cup of tea, stand by the window and soak in the sunshine, my cells dance with each sun ray…

I follow the sun on my walk, with a sensing that i am looking in from the outside…hmmmm, okay so lets stay with this feeling…the observer walks alongside, watching each step, each passing vehicle, each moment with heightened attention…the walk ends in a bookstore…"Aleph" by Pablo Coelho, I pick up the hardcover copy, put my hand in my coat pocket and remember that I had dropped some money as I walked out the door, but not enough for the book…I see Starbucks, and a peppermint mocha looks doable…browsing through my emails, people watching and i am "absorbed"…

The sun is almost setting as i leave the store, the sensing on the way back home is of Oneness, i am not looking in from the outside, i am in…

Later I download an audio copy of Aleph, should be fun 8 hours of listening…even if i fall asleep in the listening process the dreams will be insightful…i like it...

Saturday, December 10, 2011

in the city, the city of friendship, memories, love and sharing

I am back, in town the place that has the longest associations…last night i was reminded of this connection…sitting amongst friends, some new faces, the energy was familiar. shared laughter, stories, concerns, and i was once again reminded of these words "love is being silly together…", and "when you love, you have no time to judge"…

a glass of wine…smoking a cigarette, shivering in the cold, but so much laughter…for a moment all is forgotten except the realization that each moment is precious…

i am sitting in the kitchen counter, the sun on my back feels good…this is the home of a friend, Nimmi, a friendship spanning 35 years…she laughed the first time she met me i was making dal using a recipe…"tum ko daal bananee bhee nahee atee"…"my gosh, you don't even know how to cook daal?"…that is equivalent to "you don't know how to boil water"…well almost…as daal and rice is the staple everyone eats in their daily meals, where i was born…and our lives and stories, together, separate but somehow intertwined and continued, through babies, fears, tears and laughter…i love you Nimmi, you have always been a friend a sister, tolerant and supportive of all my crazy life choices…the stability, and home that i know will always be there. Good Job, kiddo...

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Dec 6, 2011…thoughts from Casa de Vida

I am packing, last minute stuff, making room, clearing out the external expression of the daily necessities of life….

what i need for the travel, is packed in a small bag, with the trust that whatever else is needed will be found wherever i am, no need to carry the extra baggage...

i close my eyes, the inner eye...and i have withdrawn from my senses...all the senses...the most powerful is my sense that is drawn from my conditioning...i sense a freedom...the judge the guide that is known to "me" is standing in this bright light of awareness...

i relate, interact, live with a clarity, an inner clarity...sometimes i sense a "need" to explain this clariy, "to who" i ask...and i realize that some aspects of "me", are part of the stories, the stories in which there are many souls, with their own conditioning and their ideas and beliefs...these are the associations...

my presence, is not just my soul in these stories, i have a form, a "me" which is linked in with other forms and associations…

i ask myself, what yoga practice brought me to the final savasana? the yamas, the niyamas, our contract with the universe and our commitment to life…the physical asanas, the attention and focused awareness of breathing, life energy, quieting the mind into the single focus, being in a contemplative space in mediation…

ride on the wings of the breath…

i realize what yoga is, its my life expressed in form;

in each moment there is a union to the "i" recognised as the free spirit, and the "me", in its association....the yoga that brings this union, the yoga of living, is savasana on the mat, and the living each mindful moment in life…i have mastered yoga, now i have to master living…

it begins to tie in, when i live each moment with the same guidelines, then the yoga happens in each thought, idea, action, feeling…

the same practice that brings me to mastering the savasana, surrenders me to life...i feel alive in this complete release...

life is my teacher…

Monday, December 5, 2011

my ship...

is my life contained in this human form,
i sail…

sometime i see land i reach out, yes i will stay here, the earth will nourish me, i will once again feel the ground beneath my feet…

the oceans too are part of the earth, i pull anchor, i sail again…
movement reminds me there is life…
the spirit is free, do not imprison the spirit behind the bars of conditioning…

no seeking, no searching,
give me a moment to pack myself,
i reach out to my inner anchor and i am ready to move…

Love anchors, moves and stays...

"An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα (ankura ).[1][2]
Anchors can either be temporary or permanent. A permanent anchor is used in the creation of a mooring, and is rarely moved"…
~wiki~

Monday, November 14, 2011

the dawn breaks the night...

i am awake, i smile, i am the spirit that remembered to return, or did it…

i absorbed and i was absorbed, who returned? i ask...

the free spirits danced, flew, they soared over the mountains, swam into the oceans, touched the untouchable, co-mingling with other souls, with other spirits…

who re-entered this body?

where was i? my soul and my body…i lie still, the body and the mind absorbs…in the awakening, we are who?


in the lightness and in depth…the dawn breaks…i see numbers 16 and 17

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

November Full Moon and 11.11.11

i sit here on my computer, less than 24 hours away from the full moon in November....a time of contemplations, realizations, of acknowledgement, of release and manifestation.

If Existence is an expression of the Universal Conciousness, then through thoughts, words, feelings and actions this expression is shared. We relate through this expression…

Rituals, are also a mode of expression...we meditate at the time of the full moon, and in the night have our release and manifestation ritual around the fire....turning into 11.11.11 at 11 am we will be doing our 108 sun salutations….

As we focus on what or how we want our lives to be, somewhere, somehow the realization will dawn, "which of my fears and conditioning can i let go"....

We awaken to peace and joy...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

November 8, 2011...

the eagles soar, between the clouds and the sky…i take a puff on my menthol cigarette, smoking is considered yet another "bad for you"…

before the morning yoga, Jackson comes up to me and says "yoga mama, you always ask everyone how they are doing, today I want to ask you"…i accept the hug, my eyes fill up…woooooooo, is that all it takes to touch the source of this fountain, a hug, a touch, a concern from the heart…

the teacher training coming close to finish line…the two students say they have gone deep, lots of stuff surfacing…

i take my last puff, before the 10 am anatomy session, where we will breathe out the toxins…

a comment once made to me, "you go too deep in a yoga session, bring into people's awareness stuff that is lying buried"…yesterday the guest who released as i lay hands on her shoulder, she has a lightness about her…

i just hold space, there is no label, no judgement…

sometimes i love, as in a deep connection, my soul loves, i long and yearn to touch to feel the closeness the intimacy….i choose those who are unreachable, untouchable… as if through my love, i can invoke in them to love, could it be me, no se...i smile through my tears and glide away... i find other eagles and we soar to the limitless expanse of the blue sky...

Thursday, November 3, 2011

November rains, YTT and Hot Springs...




Halfway into our teacher training program, we decided today was a great day to soak into the minerals of the hot springs...

off we went to Baldis…
we continued our discussion on the koshas (energy sheaths) and meditation continued…we also managed a guided meditation in the warm water, invoking Saraswati, the goddess of creation to guide and heal…

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Day 12 of YTT...

The last 10 days have been a time to re-visit the "nuts and bolts" of a yoga practice…what is yoga, it is unique to each individual yet tied together with the sutras, the threads of yoga philosophy…it is what each of us brings to an immersion, of days filled with yoga and more yoga…

Asanas are the aspect of yoga, for some of us the awareness, that our body is the vehicle through which our self or soul expresses its existence. One of the "contract" or "commitment" that we make to ourselves, as part of the yoga Niyama is Tapas or "self-discipline"…what an important component of any commitment, to any goal...

I look around the casa, the poster paper with notes and highlights of information, the yoga mats strewn across the floor, the cushions and books spread out…candles and incense, mantras and tea cups, presence and absence, filled and empty….

Standing in the middle of the bar, as we change the venue for our philosophy session, and i am engrossed in explaining the "bandhas" or the locks that we open in our body, through awareness and breath, through the balance of structure and softness; i look up across and someone is copying my warrior 1 pose….i laugh, yes yoga does become the life, on and off the mat…its intoxicating, its addictive, you are drawn unable to resist, you get a high…i look at the two wonderful students, they look at me as their coach and mentor…they have made a resolve to be on this journey, trusting me and this space to allow them to dive deep, swim through the currents of their pasts, belief and conditionings, and come out transformed, from a "caterpillar to a butterfly". This feeling like a caterpillar with all this information wrapped around her, and knowing she will emerge transformed, was the analogy given by Sandy. Jen said "its like a door opened, and i walked in"…

and we continue, with our 6 am meditation, 7 am yoga, followed by philosophy, exploring the energy centres, tying it all together in our morning 2 hour sessions, and re-grouping for 3 hours of asana practice; each asana broken down to its smallest and fullest aspect. we meet again for an hour or two in the evening to wrap up the day…

this is our time, our life, each moment…

when the days are done, who will we be? a little clearer, able to smile through our tears, hold our head up, feel the ground beneath our feet, take the light we see, hold a torch close to our hearts and continue on our journey of sharing yoga, sharing the love, living each "ordinary moment as extraordinary"….

Saturday, October 29, 2011

in the early hours...

i awake to life to a sensing, this sensing is all i know.

there is space, and there is an emptiness, there is life…

who is living, who is feeling, who is sensing…

unite the attention to the awareness, marry the awareness to its breath,
breathe in the intoxication of the silence within, and the light called life…

i fill my jar, with thoughts, with feelings and action, then i seek the other to help carry this load….

and it dawns, "empty your jar into the ultimate lightness of Being"...

Sunday, October 16, 2011

a day in life...

soft sound of the falling rain, i look through each rain stream, its like i am looking through a veil…i reflect on my day.

seeing a bird trapped in the room, how slowly should i move so as not to scare the bird, and yet get to the windows, so there is a way out…we manage, the bird flys off…

the sliding doors, i see a butterfly, struggling to get out, the glass is in the way…okay take a deep breath, and be very still, reach the hand towards the butterfly and somehow slowly invite it to trust you and come on your hand…many flutters later it lands on my finger…i am mesmerised, the wings are closed and its has the same markings of a "snake' look on its wing tips, as the picture i saw a few weeks back. i take my hand out the door, and wait, some beautiful moments before i shake my hand slightly indicating to the butterfly that its free...

later at yoga i feel something under my feet, its a little sparkle that has found me, i place it on my third eye...

the moments unfold, i read a chapter from the book "women who run with the wolves", i smile at the message, writers are so beautiful in their articulation, its inspiring....

the day passes, a drive to Nouveau Arenal to pick up Cade and meeting and chatting with different people who have dropped by at the ranch...not to forget a nice shoulder rub, i must have pulled a muscle, thanks to Zee and then later Jeremy for easing it away...remind myself that when i am teaching, not to jump in the middle of a shape, i too am human, and susceptible to injury...

the rain continues to fall...i hear music, time to meditate, relax before the 4 pm yoga....

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Love is without fear

i relate to you, i see you, we talk…there is no ownership…

then years pass, people proudly own and are owned, and in there resides a resentment. why! i ask, does the seed of life grow into a tree of resentment; the tree that provides shade, love, nurturing, joy and freedom to be, becomes a prison…

keep the freedom, love without labels, without judgement, be with someone for no reason, no dramas, without the hero or the villain…when you look over a room full of people, see someone across on the other side, engrossed in conversation, you smile, eyes meet, and the hearts smile…you know that your heart has two homes….LOVE

Sunday, October 9, 2011

i accept myself, and I accept you, with gratitude

Gratitude…many definitions only one feeling.

How is gratitude invoked, there are many triggers that invoke this feeling, we all find reasons to appreciate or not. Expression of gratitude can be as simple as saying "thank you", to building a Taj Mahal, and all those in between ways. Sometimes acknowledging the presence of another with a look, speaks volumes…

In the North East, where I have spent most of my living years, October comes and I feel, smell and sense the changing of seasons. I like the fall season, the nip in the air is refreshing, the sunlight is still warm, the changing colors light up the world and nature paints the most beautiful hues of earth tones. I connect with the trees, they are ready to release their leaves, knowing that when spring comes, there will be new buds. The cycle of life continues.

October also brings the long weekend in Canada, a holiday where we celebrate with family and friends, as many get together for the Thanksgiving holiday. Today I find my thoughts, returning to a home where many parts of my heart reside. As I type, I am sitting in the middle of the rainforest in Costa Rica. The trees surround me, the rain falls, the birds sing their symphony…

In my heart, I give a silent "thanks", sending energy to all those hearts that have touched me...I touch you today, with an "energy hug"… of gratitude.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

each moment is a life…this realization the blessing

time spent and memories saved…

the last two days spent in Toronto, reminded me once again how precious each moment of our life is…i breeze in and out of town, in and out of the life of "special people, each and every one of them" (this is a borrowed line)...doing what needs to be done, being with what is required, and absorbing the energy…

each smile touched the source of the fountain…the droplets nourishing…

Pura Vida, si y siempre...

Friday, September 23, 2011

coming home...

…to many hearts in many homes

you visiting for? hours or days?

each moment is precious…

in the pre-fix "i wish"…i sense a wish, but not of the present,

for in the present there is "no wish", there is just being…

when the present is this presence, and the joy is now…

life unfolds, with a smile, with gratitude…

the source of the fountain is found…

i am home

Sunday, September 18, 2011

is life a dance...

or why is life a dance...

we know not, we think not,we say not,

why.

hear a tune, absorb the tune and invite yourself to move...

to a new tune, dance another dance,

find another partner, take another chance...

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Marrakesh…the journey continues

on the train from Fes to Marrakech…encounters…

i am flattered by one and entertained by the other. in the first instance a young Moroccan strikes up a conversation, he connects and decides that in the fifteen or twenty minutes that he has he will focus on convincing me to get off the train, return to Fes, and spend two days with him…i am smiling, he does not look more than 23, he says he is 33…he misses his first stop, and the five minutes to his next stop he pulls money out of his pocket and says "i will pay you for your ticket"…Wow….flattery is hard to resist, and he is charming…he gets off at the next stop and we say goodbye…

Henna is studying Computer Engineering, in her last year and travelling home for two weeks. We get into some deep philosophical discussions. At the Casablanca stop, three men come on the train, and we realize that two of them were in our four seater section…we move, chat, and realize they are Indian descent, living in Riyadh, one of them stayed in Toronto for 12 years, for his medical degree…the next 3 hours are spent in conversation, switching between Arabic and Urdu, with some French thrown in…we sing songs…one of the men is charmed with Henna, and I say too him in urdu that she has a boyfriend…later standing outside the train station, he says he has fallen for that girl, and if she contacts me to please give her his email address…hmmmmm, here i thought Rancho Margot in Costa Rica is a place that supports the romantic liasons, maybe its travelling that allows one to shed inhibitions and enjoy whatever the moments bring…So Ayad, Amin and Khalid are really kind, they ask the taxi driver to take me to a hotel, and one of them accompanies me in my taxi. We see a hotel in Jumma el Fna, the centre of old Marrakech, but I shake my head, I don't feel that adventurous on my own…the safe bet is Novotel, and they drop me at the hotel, making sure I get the room and am not left stranded…real people, where kindness is present.

I spent yesterday meandering, in high temperatures, my body reacted…so today i succumbed to being a "tourist", on a red double decker, i spend about 4 hours seeing the whole city. Now the vision of this place has created many images in my mind…

some highlights:
raw dates on the palm trees...
on the bus i enjoyed chatting with the English couple
or giving my coke to the guy, who slipped off his scooter as he turned the corner, i was sitting at an outdoor cafe, waiting for the bus…
the salesman in Jemma, who turned the fan on, spoke to me very softly and said i don't have to buy, just look, how I distracted him by saying if he can do the tree pose for me, I will, and he did…
the place where i paid 100 Dhirams for pedicure including tip, how happy the girl was to see me eating peanuts and gladly took a handful…
how i was short of two Dhirams, and the storekeeper waved his arms and said "manana"
how it has been wonderful to practice speaking Spanish…
how the first words that come out of people's mouth when they discover that I am neither Moroccan, nor Spanish but of Indian descent, is "Sharukh Khan"
to Salim and Hafsa, and their love story, my realization that I know another with the same name
to Abdel and to his caravan…
Rabia and Aisha…
Abjuma, the Moroccan who is often mistaken for an Indian, he took me to the best sheesha bar in town
Jamal, for his help and for coming back to meet me with his daughter, Fatimah Zohra
the cleaning girl who reminds me of Maluka
To Ayad, Amin and Khalid…i hope they find what they come to seek
to all the hearts, may they beat as one….

Monday, September 12, 2011

me, n Fes, Morocco

Sitting in the eating lounge of a Riad Khouloud Fes...www.riadkhoulod.com


A riad (Arabic: رياض‎) is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, "ryad". [1] The ancient Roman city of Volubilis provides a reference for the beginnings of riad architecture during the rule of the Idrisid Dynasty.[2] An important design concern was Islamic notions of privacy for women inside residential gardens. ~Wiki~

the morning light, the breeze, the bright sky and the advent of the warm air, all indicating of the rising temperature with the unfolding day...

I am joined by the cheerful smile of Selim and his girlfriend Hafsa...last night Selim and I talked late into the night, his turmoils and inner conflicts...his love for his girl and his fears that he will not be able to fulfill the requirements to make her his wife. Very real conversation, at 27, when what your inner knowing contradicts with the outer world of conditioning and expectations, the torment is internal. The belief i heard was that there is something “wrong with me” ...Hafsa is a delightful 18 year old, she speaks fluent Spanish, and we converse he laughs, saying to us “i may not speak it, but I understand your conversation”...little encounters, un masked, while we eat breakfast...The analogy that comes to mind is of life as a train journey...we are traveling in different compartments...and the best part is one can move between the compartments, spend time with others and share the view from where we are, and then return...

The train journey from Tangers to Fes....three people in my compartment...switching between Arabic, French and Spanish...once again I am wowed with the brains that speak multiple of languages...two stops before Fes, Jamal comes onboard...he speaks English as well, so the conversation for me is a little smoother. I have a few places in mind where I was going to stay in Fes, but Jamal recommends a Riad, near the Medina (walled city)...we are half an hour short of Fes, he gives me the card of the place he had just stayed a week earlier with his family...i tell him i have a UK sim card, and he says no it will be too expensive, I will call for you, just because you seem like a nice person...gives me the phone, its all arranged, and sure enough I get off at the station and a smart looking man, comes up and greets me, tells me his name is Sheriff, but he is not Omer Sheriff...I find out later that the expensive car he is driving belongs to his boss and he is hired...we drive into the gates of Medina which i understand to be the centre, or the walled city. There are parts being restored as a UNESCO Heritage Project. The centre is close to 800 acres, with a population of around 300,000.

I experience the Medina, when an official guide takes me for a three hour walk through this labrynith...it is a world where people walk, mules and push carts carry stuff, and a whole village exists...shops, and goods, perishables and non, electronics, and woodworking, brass and gold, churches, schools, morgues...the guide I am with, Ahmed, does not say it but i sense that as part of his “tourist” guide job, he is to direct people into stores, and although I had mentioned to him that shopping is not part of my trip, we did go into a couple that were interesting. Along the way, he stops and chats with his friends, and I look on, gives me a reprieve to do my own “culture watching”.

Through a small doorway we enter the carpet weaving place, here they make berbers. I am whisked away with a salesman, only French as the language of communication...he showed me how to make knot on the carpet, the “right handed way”....took me into the showroom which had the most beautiful hand crafted carpets, and here I sensed that I will need some skills, beyond language to explain that i am not in need of any “thing” to buy...yoga of course comes as a saviour, again...i show him the tree pose, he tries it...then i ask him to bring me the smallest rug, i lay one down and do a head stand, i am laughing at myself, that i am “using” yoga as a form of communication. Soon a woman in a local costume (long kaftan), the secretary comes, and other salesmen are called, and i am asked to “perform” for them...i later sit for a few quiet minutes, with my eyes closed...and the message is received...as we leave i ask the guide to translate this message, that “they have beautiful clearing in the middle of the showroom, if they put a sign outside and let other guides know that we are doing a yoga session, then they can get money from the tourists, that is my gift to them”...we laugh and part...i would like to mention here that the mint tea they made was the best so far.

We also went into another store, that made and sold oils, and creams and bakhour (the rock which burns with a fragrance)...the smell and looks of the “rock” is similar to the one used by the shamans in their ceremony…it is also interesting to see how the seeds from the Aragon are processed and ground, to make the aragon oil, cream and paste for exfoliation.

Hafsa says goodbye, and is off to her school, she is keen to learn yoga with me, i am sure i see her later and we chat more…she is a wise soul, a little girl, who fell madly in love at 15…i smile and pour myself another cup, must remind them to not add sugar…mint tea will help digest the fried egg and the “paratha” i ate for breakfast…








Saturday, September 10, 2011

Tangers, Morocco

soooo…manana, Fez or Rabat???? it will be decided in the morning…

had an interesting day in Tanger…those of you who know me, and how i have absolute no sense of direction…the amazing streets that wind and turn, people walk, children play and stores do business…i stop to buy a hair cream to calm my hair, this guy has a store where everything is packed, and yet carefully he is able to show me two different hair products. He spoke amazing good English, self taught with a British accent, there were books on his counter, apparently an avid reader. I gave him the remaining Figs, that i had bought, they were fresh and delicious, but the guy gave me too many for a euro, so it was time to share.

I walk through the Kasbah, and find this store with natural oils and creams, i spend a long time trying this and that, conversing between Spanish and French, i was just making small conversation in Spanish, the store man was rambling away…after buying a few products, aragon oil, soap oil, saffron cream for the lips and savon, and somewhere in there finding time to discuss yoga, i left them with two brochures of Rancho Margot, the last i remember is their eyes gleaming looking at the pictures…

The walk continues, climbing and winding…soon i have no clue where i am, a French speaking lady had said if i keep going i will come to this great restaurant where i can find sheesha, hence my motivation…

so i continue, pretending i am some detective, following one person or another…and suddenly i am up on a terrace area with the view of the mediterranean and the long shadows of the evening sun…after a while i realize that i had better move and find my bearing before it becomes dark, i see the street below and instinctively know that is the main road I have to reach...
a group of about 10 or so teenagers, wanted me to jump down to the street…luckily one of them spoke some spanish, so i convinced them that i am not doing that, and then the noise, so i turn around, close my eyes, bring my hands to the heart centre and say: "silencio, es muy importante para itelligente mente" so this kid, his name is Hamza understands me, apparently he went to visit Barcelona and learned Spanish, Arabic is his mother tongue…so i ask them if they go to school and they say no, i go "WHAT, you spend all your time playing?", and they have a good laugh…They agree that they play futbol, and I tell them about a friend who plays futbol and always meditates and does some yoga before his game, which makes his game so good... continuously the boy Hamza pays attention to all that I am saying and translates it for the others…they loved my next question, I asked them if they all had girlfriends, and I got a big smile from them…we walk down towards the street, they all surround me, and i felt like we were part of some gang, at one narrow part of the street they were following me like i was the pied piper…

we ended near the cafe where i was going to eat, and even though I asked them to join me and have at least tea, Hamza said "no, we are too many and its not fair"…all our conversation was through Hamza, the boy who spoke Spanish, he was so attentive, as his peers were all rambling at the same time, he would ask them to quieten down, attentively listen to my broken Spanish,and translate…

we parted, with me promising that i will meet the group once more tomorrow morning at 10, we shook hands, gave high fives, amidst cheers and clapping…

what brought me to Tangers? i think i got my answer…

Friday, September 9, 2011

nowhere to go, no one to be and nothing to do…

i have heard the above line when i am in Savasana, and I often repeat this in my sessions…

As i sat in the bus today, these lines came back to me, universe was saying this to me, or maybe i was saying it to myself…an immense sense of freedom and calmness surrounded this awareness…

The travel which began on September 6th, started with a known destination…and somewhere along the line, i was sensing that this trip is leading into the unknown…the effortless flow of events, bookings, landing in Malaga, Spain…

I have lost track of time, when there is no benchmark, each moment is just that, how long have i been travelling, is unknown…i have seen some of Malaga, met an interesting German Lady, who just happened to be on the street that I was wandering, and she directed me to the Bus Station, I bought her coffee and she shared her life story, Luis Beermaann…living twenty years in Malaga, a traveller to South America in the seventies, and to India…places that were relatively unvisited by women travelling alone, she has been there.

Liam, the Irish guy at Victoria station…he is ready to quit his corporate life and travel to Ecuador, he and his colleague looked through the Ranch brochure, and were fascinated…we shared a hand hug through the glass window…

Yesterday, a day and night spent in Granada…Salim, the owner of the Indian grocery store on San Martias, trusting me to take a whole bunch of adaptors and pay later, also met his wife Bilquis, they have lived in Spain for six years, speak fluent Spanish and love it here…

Last night I smoked sheesha, eating at a middle eastern restaurant, and spent chatting with the girls from the U.S, a group of three travelling in Spain, a reunion for them, they had first met doing humanitarian services in South America…

Oh yes and doing a lot of people watching, sometime in wonder, ?is there the same energy in them and me?…do they take time to contemplate, is there gratitude in their lives, do they love with abandonment, just because…

...at times i watch and there is a sense of oneness, as if our separate forms are just moving bits of light...

In the unknown, there is a known…i wait for the bus to Algeciras, another hour to go…and i find McDonalds', with wi-fi…the fish sandwich tastes good...

Reminds me of the existence of a lotus flower, a stalk that is fine and delicate, can bend but cannot be broken…the lotus flower moves over the water, the stalk is attached somewhere deep in the mud, as the lotus moves, its grounded without attachment…

Saturday, September 3, 2011

unknown...

how is life my teacher, i ask this life…
and the life answers:

ask no one to guide you, travel your own path, be the trailblazer...

all that is known, was once an unknown,
in the vastness of that unknown, a thought was born...a life created.

empty the life and the thought, and move into the emptiness of the unknown...
in that space, lies the freedom to live, to explore, to love, to grow….

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

language for communication...

in one aspect of life, "silence is golden", and to borrow these lines from a song "you say it best when you say nothing at all…"

But we teach our young ones to speak, to read, and sometimes to communicate…

So I start to learn Spanish, again, with the Spanish teacher, a different one...and I ask myself why can I not invent a language, that no one has to learn, and i smile cos we all know the answer to this one, the language of love....the hardest to master….we all think we know it and speak it, but who gets it? I guess no one, hence, all the conflicts...

Back to Spanish. this is Latino culture, so the “words” of love are spoken generously, and i find myself repeating those, they stay...slowly conversations are happening, between the “no entiendo”, “repete por favor”, and of course “si”, when in doubt.

The other day in the buffet area, i was asked a question, i was not attentive hence, “si” was easier to say, the girls in the kitchen were looking at me expectantly, and seeing the nodding of the head, they all shouted, “no, si”....the guy was asking me to reaffirm that on first sight women check out a guys butt...when i said “eyes”...all the chicas gave me a “high five”...i guess people, generally men and women focus on different things, at different times…

is this a lesson in a language, or just a lesson...no se

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Love is... no boundaries, no form…i am born


on this day...i am again reminded how life unfolds, each moment, always flowing into the next...

birthdays, milestones, do they take us away from the moment, or bring us deeper into the moment...

twenty two years ago this day dawned, changing the course of life, affecting and impacting so many lives....a beloved form, called a son, brother, father, husband, but most of all a friend, disappeared somewhere into the mountains of himalyas...everyone who met him felt he was their best friend...his purpose was done, so short lived? but then that is our desire, our attachment which wants to hold, to be near, to see and feel through all the senses, make infinite from the finite...

gratitude flows, my brother, my friend, who i last saw 22 years ago…left his form, on this day...

never forgotten, i love and miss you, even through tears, each tear turns into a smile…
when i see the love in the eyes of souls, your presence prevails in each moment....i hear you whistling “don’t worry be happy”...that was your message to the world…

the presence of truth and sincerity wrapped up in the big bow of friendship….this is your birthday present to me, Thank You, my friend…i share this gift, so you continue to live...

Saturday, August 20, 2011

"zindagi kai geet kee dhun badel kur dekh leh"...

listening to the words of this old Indian song, I am reminded of times in our life when we keep playing the same tune, and wonder, ?why am i still doing the “same dance” of life…

"what if you change the notes/tune of the song of life”...is how I would translate the words...

“in the simplicity of nature, it is so much easier”, is the comment I often hear...

I chose to change the tune of my life song, or did i choose? maybe this is just a brief stop in the life path...where to? i know the universe is to guide me.

Often we mistake a checkpoint, or a pointer for the destination... no matter how brief, the destination and the path is not the same. Sometimes we get off the path, and maybe that is just a resting place, for a time.

So is life a journey, or are there many destinations. I would choose to believe that in this journey of life there are many brief stops, it is when we get a chance to rest our head…to explore, to love, to grow and on continue….

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Sturgeon full moon in Aquarius...

in Costa Rica the full moon is at 10:58 am on August 13th…

"The August full moon is often called the Sturgeon Moon in North America. The Sturgeon Moon harks back to the bygone centuries when this large fish roamed plentifully in the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay. The August full moon is also known as the Green Corn Moon or the Grain Moon"
http://earthsky.org/tonight/august-full-moon-named-for-fish-or-grain


The August full moon is also referred to as the "wort" moon, preserve what you have…


the effects of the upcoming full moon is beginnings to reveal itself in the emotions and the associated behaviours…


astronomically the moon is full when it is directly opposite the sun


we plan to channel the energies by performing 108 sun salutations…what is the significance of 108?

Here are some interesting insights on the number 108:

  • diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the earth
  • average distance from the sun to the earth is 108 times the diameter of the sun
  • average distance from the moon to the earth is 108 times the diameter of the moon
  • silver represents the moon, atomic weight of the moon is 108
  • 1 = higher truth, 0 = empty or complete, 8 = sign of infinity
  • 108 is the Harshad number (a number that can be divided by the sum of its digits)
  • in sanskrit Harshad means great joy
  • there are 108 energy lines converging into the heart chakra




Saturday, July 30, 2011

the mirror within the mirror

if conditioning creates perception

and perception is reality…

in the mirror of life i see my reflection, 

is perception like a mirror….reflecting the reality i perceive?

what if life is a collection of mirrors, all placed at different angles... 
how many mirrors am i seeing, reflecting a life within life…a perception embedded and reflected in another perception...
is it all an illusion, when i see others?
i look, at the mirror called life...yes that is me i see
but wait, who is there, i sense a movement behind me, 

its only another mirror in mirror...
i look, i dive deeper, revealing all the mirrors...
i laugh, is that all life is? is it that simple...
maybe….

an awareness that there is no-body, only  mirrors, within mirrors

Friday, July 29, 2011

Thoughts from the Ranch

experience, what is the meaning of experience and how it becomes a part of life, living and who we are.  
as a noun the dicitionary defines experiences as “an event or occurrence that leaves an impression on someone : for the younger players it has been a learning experience.”
as a verb: to feel, as an emotion
The usage in english comes via Old French from Latin experientia, from experiri, try;  Compare with EXPERIMENT  and EXPERT
of recent this word as associated with living, has come up many times.  frequently i hear “i want to experience everything in life”.
how do we “experience” life? where does learning reside? is it a big part of the answer that leads to the quest of finding “who am i?” or is it the realization that there is no one answer.  is it possible that all the learning that happens is very soon our past, the feeling and the emotions tied to those experiences are our past.  when does one, or rather how does one find that space to be in the moment, become the experiencer? is it through the seeking of other experiences? through replacing  one experience with another?   is life a reality “show?”
do i need answers? or only the questions?  the quest of the mind, giving rise to the questions, and where are the answers? going somewhere to find them, or seeing them in each encounter...when the encounter is not centered on oneself, but the other, how does the experience feel then?
there comes a point in life and living, an “aha” moment, when the search for experiencing life ends, and living and experiencing life in each moment itself becomes the Bliss, called Life.
basically my friend nothing is missing, a friend wrote these words for me when he gave me the book “Riding the Ox Home”...

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

7-20-2011...enroute to Costa Rica

Airports, flying, the transition time at the terminal where all you do is wait to board a plane is time, time for me to reflect.

I watch the planes, its summer in Toronto...the sun is shining with an intensity, inside the coolness of the air conditioning makes it all so "comfortable"...

I am recalling with gratitude the time spent in North America, the three plus weeks in Maryland, brought yoga of six practitioners to a different level, now they are comfortable leading their own sessions...teachers we never are, others do bestow this label but life itself is the Teacher...

The two months spent in Toronto, yes the family, they are adorable, and we are connected...meeting and reonnecting with old friends, is always energising...some new friends and some old connections renewed… and in yoga, I saw how this practise miraculously changes, rather allows people to emerge in their true form, many thanks and smiles were shared...

And, it was time to surrender, to release, to let go of any lingering expectations, and it happened....

Life revealed and I saw...

Monday, July 11, 2011

7-11-11

3:30 in the afternoon…i sit by the water…the waves are moving with the high winds…the seagulls flap their wings…the sailboat appears to glide…the planes lift and dive with a purpose….a soul kayaks by…

in this moment, am i this breath or its awareness, or the hand that holds a pen…the thoughts that are reflected in these words…the feel of the soft breeze through my shirt ( a plane lands in the distance)…

two full moons ago,  during a full moon fire ritual i surrendered to the universe, i wrote "360", where this number came from and what it means i have no idea…what is the metaphor?  being home holds space and answers come…being home in Toronto, i see 360 on a sign advertising a  restaurant on top of the CN tower, so the mind says "maybe the universe is saying to me to rise above, see the unobstructed view from the height of your Being - Sahasrara…

before coming to the water i pass Roger Centre where U2 is playing tonight, i enjoy their music but i had not realized that their concert here is part of a "360" tour, the souvenirs say U2 - 360 - 2011.  on asking i am told that 360 signifies the stage that they will be performing on, its a revolving stage and no matter where one is sitting they can see the performance…as i write this another plane lands…i am also told that 360 is the name of their tour as they are going around the world, and i wonder if i am to travel around the world, will i catch their concert somewhere?  questions? and more questions?, i just watch them arise, if i don't give them any importance they always disappear…

a duck bobs up on the water…seagulls flap their wings, a plane lands…i am home in my heart…360

the clouds part and the sun rays sparkle on the water…a sailboat docks, two planes are taxiing, another lands…i like the warmth of the sun, it balances the breeze…

feeling secure the awareness moves into the Muladhara…the flowing water locks my attention in the Svadisthana…i pause…and feel the energy of the sun in the Manipura…the breeze fills my lungs and expands the awareness into the Anahata…i close my eyes…the Vishudha and the Ajna are in the field of awareness…i savour this delicious feeling, this moment, my eyes closed i withdraw my senses, Pratyhara…

iMeditate...

Sunday, July 10, 2011

"some people become old friends…instantly"

as soon as she saw this card, it reminded her of me….what a compliment.

the simplicity, honesty and openness spoke volumes….

another day a friend calls and says: "freedom is the space between the stimulant and the action", and "confusion occurs when there is no space"…later i hear a talk by Echart Tolle…and the clarity of the comment is speaking to me…i am able to be in the pause, in the space, in the freedom…

i continue to see the thought, feel the sensing, and the awareness of the "space" has freed me from the desires and the attachment.  BINGO!!!! the realization happens that the people, ideas and place that i was attached to were and are the "spiritual teachers"…a karma, a lifetime has ended with this freedom...

i am an eagle

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Relating….

…can be both simple and complicated.  relating falls in the same category as living, loving, laughing and dancing etc, the common element that is required is to Be with an Ing…


To Be is to shed the should, actually they cannot co-exist peacefully.  when i want to Be, Should disappears, and when Should exists, the natural state to Be disappears.

Ing is my abbreviation for I in God, its the oneness, the awareness of my action in each moment that becomes the Being.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Power of Seven

Question: "so how do i loose weight, can yoga help me loose this extra weight,…………………."

This morning brought these suggestion, follow using your own understanding...  IF you want to use Yoga as the trigger or motivator, then keep in your awareness these two contracts each of us has with the Universe:

  1. Non-harming, (this includes non-violence, non-judgement towards self and others)
  2. Truthfulness (using the guidelines of point number one)
Here is the power of 7:  Each week is from day one to six, on day 7, you continue to do what you choose.

Week 1:
Days 1 to 6 write everything you put in your mouth.  Before you go to sleep, pause and repeat three times "i love my mind, body and spirit".   Day 7 , don't write

Week 2:
Repeat Week 1 
Plus before you put anything in your mouth, pause take 5 deep breaths, close your eyes and say "nourish me".

Week 3:
Repeat Week 1 and 2, in addition double your awareness of taking the deep breaths, and half what you put in you mouth.  As an example, instead of one slice of bread make it half, or you may choose the number of meals, instead of three meals have one and a half meal, whatever you eat and drink make it half, you get the idea.

Week 4:
Repeat weeks 1, 2 and 3, plus begin daily walks of about half an hour.  You are bringing movement, so if walk is not possible, then find whatever movement works for you, put on some music and sway to the music.    Remember that you are still doing what you did in the first 3 weeks (including one day of doing or not not doing whatever you choose.   Daily review the two points of non-violence and truthfulness, to ensure that you are in union).  Once again by day 7, you have the choice to do or not to do anything.  

Weeks 5 and 6:
Repeat weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4.  In addition include in your writing your thoughts and feelings.  Choose your time, at the end of the day, early morning or midday, just sit and write your thoughts and feelings.  

Week 7:
Repeat weeks 1 to 6, from days 1 to 6.  Remember day 7 is your day to BE, whatever you choose to do or not do, including following any of the suggestions for the the Power of Seven.  

Repeat the above seven weeks for another seven week cycle.  In about 7 months you can choose to continue with the suggestions outlined above.  If you plan to continue then the only part which you will change is the week 3, you can see why, if we keep making the food intake half,  there is chance of starvation.  Instead replace week 3 suggestion by sharing whatever or how much you eat the same amount with another person.  It could  be in the form of food bank, or shelter, or anyone in your neighborhood.   Whatever groceries you do, give an equal amount to someone else.

The weight and life management happens with building the awareness in focused breathing, food and thought management, bringing movement and sharing into our life…hence yoga becomes a practice off the mat…finding time space and a teacher to guide the practise on the mat, is another choice we all make...

Monday, June 27, 2011

evening stroll in downtown toronto...

i walk and dance to a beat…the musical notes in my ears, move each cell…

the foot steps on the pavement…i look up, all exists as i exist, i am no longer an observer, its an energy moving in energy…
a sign post says "Believe, trust your instincts"….Wow….

i continue to walk to the beat, and it dawns that truth, has no sides, it has no boundaries, it requires no explainations…truth is the same in privacy of ones thoughts, and in the openness of its expression…truth takes up no energy, it requires no alibi, no mask, no guidelines, no regulations…living with truth is living with the lightness of Being…

there is one question i ask, when will we wake up to living with truth, a simple basic way of life, way of truth…

Sunday, June 26, 2011

a look, a word, a heart opening...

…i am inspired, by the honesty of an unmasked soul…

We do what we do, we know what we know, i am a sum of integers and decimals, a fraction of the whole…yes it is okay, I C, i feel, and i do what needs to be done in any moment, to make it whole…

The realization, that in the form of existence, could be the physical body, the form of thoughts, the form of feelings and emotion, in all forms there exists time, and where there is time there is change, and where there is change there is the search…all entwined into this tapestry of life and we live life, not because someone tells us to live but this is our purpose…when the purpose is over, the form ceases and becomes deceased…

We are all searching, always searching…the search is for that inner space, for a space where there is no conflict and no duality.  We seek this space, we taste this space in moments…moments shared with friends, family, loved ones... moment when we have met a challenge and satisfied a hunger, in that  moment when a stranger smiles at you because you give them a lighter, and say keep it…watching a sunset or a moonrise over water, where the wave meets the shore… as the wind rustles through a tree, in the stillness of the high sun, in the light of the full moon...holding hands...endless moments of silence, and a lifetime found when eyes lock, souls connect…

It dawns on me that i am the space, and the enjoyment of the moments becomes me…the reliance on external triggers becomes unreliable…

when i am the fountain, when i am the source of water, there is no thirst…the divine union of source and destiny has been consummated…
I C






Wednesday, June 22, 2011

June full moon…and the summer solstice

The full moon brings with it a surge of emotions…the pull on the gravity and the rising of the tides have an affect and impact on our feelings and thoughts… its time to contemplate, purge and release stuff we are holding on, to create space for the universe to guide and show us the life we seek…planting the seeds of desire at both the physical and spiritual level, we find our own ritual… fire is a great ritual to provide the energy for both the release and manifestation to happen.

Living close to the harbour my first choice for meditation was the water, and the day before the full moon, I found a bench…with closed eyes and in my silence, a question was asked…the silence was broken by the sound of voices, I open  my eyes to see that a boat had docked right in front of me, the name of the boat was "New Beginnings"….mesmerised I sat for a long time, just absorbing what had just been shown to me….

The next day, the bright warmth of the sun enticed me to find a secluded spot by the water…i enjoyed the space and did some yoga asanas before sitting to meditate... around the time that the moon was full, 4:13 pm local time I had a powerful vision in which I see the earth, with the map of the world, and the globe clearly… and then slowly the map begins to dissolve….somewhere in my awareness I was awed with what I was seeing…the round globe of the earth was there, but there was a blank space, no map of the countries and continents…with close eyes I watched the slow appearance of what looked like sparkles, which turned into the shape of a map, a new world, with new lines showing a new earth…

What is the message, seemed to be coming from the moon, to our feelings…somehow I believe it has a good omen to it…as the night before the full moon I had seen the face of the man on the moon, and it was smiling…

Yesterday was the summer solstice, did the combination of the full moon and the summer solstice have an impact?  noticing my energy and feelings, and in conversation and emails I received, I would answer yes.  If I may add that taking time to meditate, contemplate or journalling of ones feelings and emotions guides and helps us during such energy shifts of the celestial bodies.

as the sun stood still to admire the beauty of the full moon, the earth bowed to the union

Sunday, June 19, 2011

why wait to celebrate

Our conditioning and our "understanding" of life guides us in all we do.  i put the word understanding in quotes, because, I am wary of the connotation of this word.  It is possible when I say "understand", i am understanding from a premise which is colored by my experiences, what about yours? and maybe the moment has changed and so has my understanding...

to be silent, to understand with your eyes, is really the doorway to the soul... maybe hold a space of non-judgement...give hugs, party favors, laugh with the swaying trees, run like the waves, embrace like the shore (which releases as soon as it receives) and there is no holding on, no grasping.

iCelebrate

life and its moments

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Moments in yoga...

I was searching for a song to accompany the slide show of my yoga pictures, and selected a song by Rahet Fatheh.   Jafer was reviewing the video and recommended this song, and Wow, its exactly what I wanted, song by Eddie Vedder and Nusrat Fateh Ali:

"And I wished for so long, cannot stay...
All the precious moments, cannot stay...
It's not like wings have fallen, cannot stay...
But I feel something's missing, cannot say... 

Holding hands are daughters and sons
And their faiths just falling down, down, down, down...
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today

We all walk the long road. Cannot stay...
There's no need to say goodbye... 
All the friends and family
All the memories going round, round, round, round
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today

And the wind keeps roaring
And the sky keeps turning gray
And the sun is set
The sun will rise another day...

We all walk the long road. Cannot stay...
There's no need to say goodbye... 
All the friends and family
All the memories going round, round, round, round
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today 
How I've wished for so long
How I wish for you today"

hur lemha aik kahani, hur kahani mein zindagani(when each moment is the story, the story of a lifetime)…and it is all in just a moment…be in yoga, be in life

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Rancho Margot - Yoga Teacher Training(YTT)

Yoga Teacher Training @ Rancho Margot, Costa Rica

"I learned so much during my 4 weeks at Rancho Margot.  I learned about asana, breath, my complicated relationship to meditation, sutras, yamas, niyamas, I learned about all of you and I learned so, so much about myself.  I thought I had myself all figured out - but no one ever does.  

The idea that as sure of ourselves as we are we can only root down so far because we need to be able to bend - not break - when the wind changes.  I had known myself so well as an unshakeable, strong, independent woman and then I opened myself up to being seen and loved.  Then I found myself crippled and sad and helpless.  I think my old self would have hated that version of me - if I ever even let myself get to that place.  But I don't.  I'm trying to hold these feelings with compassion.  Knowing that I can and will feel like this again and it's okay.  I will eventually come to know some other version of myself that is completely seen and unconditionally loved by someone else and I will love all of the versions of myself I meet along the way on that journey." Danielle, December 2012

Ivannia and her yoga teacher training reminded me that the universe has its own timing to deliver our dreams….she had wanted to do her teacher training a year ago, and events unfolded such that she decided an important aspect of her life needed her time,  this was the weekend the training was due to start…
I was impressed with her "deep dive" into her soul and for the following five months, she read all the recommended readings for the training…

and so the story continued, the next teacher training was with me, and and sure enough her commitments needed her attention, and once again she surrendered that this was not the right time…

Mario, ivannia and irum
Then one day just like that, first Mario asked me to be his teacher, and the same afternoon I mentioned to Ivannia, if this is time for her as well; she had already said to me one day "Irum, I know that I want you to be my teacher"…and it happened…

Ivannia and Mario came into the YTT, centered and ready to flow…for three weeks we laughed, and did yoga and more yoga, we were all sore in our bodies but there was no stopping us…I learned and I shared, and the light shone on all.  Revelations, and sharing continued… then the day when they taught their first session, my faith was sealed.

"The YTT in Rancho Margot allowed me to be fully immersed not only into the wildness of the rain forest but also into the deepness of myself. Starting the day with a silent meditation guided me to the real meaning of Yoga. This awareness made me realize that yoga sessions can be the opportunity to share and guide souls, minds and bodies to join and find the path for their purpose in life through surrender and awareness.
The Yoga Philosophy sessions were so pleasant that it was like having “tea time” with your best friends sharing about your journey. It was during one of these sessions that I had my “click moment” when I recalled when Santiago in the book“The Alchemist” found his treasure, the one that he had very close to him but he wasn’t able to see. Fifteen years later, I found mine. It had always been there.
I will always be thankful to Irum for introducing me the wonderful practice of meditation and for sharing her Light and knowledge with me.
Rancho Margot will always be the blessed land that allowed me to find my treasure.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti"…Ivannia Esquivel    


Ivannia, Brianna, Mario and irum
"Looking back on my teacher training at Rancho Margot with Irum, I will always remember the wealth of knowledge, intellectual and experiential that I took from those 5 weeks. The environment, the energy, the food, the people, the understandings I grasped from that journey will stay with me for a lifetime. I see that Yoga Teacher Training as a base for living with awareness. I can now take what I learnt, and intergrate it into my daily life, and live a yogic path. I can share my practice with others as well. Being able to volunteer and teach at the Ranch was a very worthwile experience as well, which gave me confidence to know that I too, can share my practice and provide a great yogic experience to others.  
Moving inwards and working with the Chakras an awakening experience that brought me into a new magical world inwards that changed my preceptions and the events that occured outwards.
I am thankful for the patience Irum had with me and grateful for her abundent generosity
." Brianna Fitzpatrick



Jennifer and irum
irum, Jennifer, Paula and Sandy
Fran, Rosalie, irum, Sharon, Mary, Debbie and Katherine

Pond Deck at Rancho Margot