2023 Retrospective Perspective

I bring to you a blog post capturing my year in photos. It was a good year, overall, with some bumps along the road, especially this last month of December, when I had to close my yoga studio for one month due to flooding and the damage it caused.

Though many of the photos below are beautiful, my life is not all a bed of roses, you see. I’ve been around long enough to know that no one’s life is easy all the time. So when you see gorgeous retreat photos of Sicily, Iceland, and Greece below, you must know that a lot of work goes on before the start of each retreat. That smile you see is real because I did all the work behind the scenes to get to the point where the photo is being taken. And when you see a welcoming yoga studio, you have to know that it didn’t just appear. For years, I worked for everyone else until three and a half years ago, when I set up my own studio. When you see me smiling on one of my retreats, alone or with a group of yogis, you have to know that seemingly perfect moment or posture (asana) didn’t just appear out of thin air. Effort, consistency, fortitude, hard work, tenacity, honesty, a strong work ethic, a strong sense of putting one’s best foot forward, genuinely believing in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits of the yoga practice…and, quite simply, showing up day after day, even if just one person shows up for class, and showing up even when your sister is dying of COVID..that’s the real truth behind the photos. 

It’s no secret. You just show up and do your best, day after day. When I teach, I leave my  problems behind and step into the sacred space that is love and kindness. There’s a Sicilian saying that goes along the lines of The Bitter with the Sweet or The Thorns  With the Roses.  It goes like this, according to my mamma: “Lu Signiuruzzu li cosi, li fici dritti, vinni lu diavulu e li sturcìu.” God made things straight, and then along came the devil and twisted things up.”  Yeah, mamma got it right. Things get a bit twisted every now and then. People die and then we learn to carry the memory of those we love in our hearts. Studios close. Repairs are made. Studios reopen!

I was looking through some papers and came across this beautiful quote written some years ago by Leslie Shattuck from Vashon, Washington:

Appreciate what you have, because someone, somewhere, only dreams of being as fortunate as you are.

Mostly what I want to say is Thank You.

Thank you, family and friends.

Thank you, to the yogis who have taken classes with me for nearly 28 years and thank you to the yogis who have just recently discovered the studio and my teaching (in-studio and online) and who have started taking classes with me.

Thank you to my blog readers, for your interest and your comments.

Thank you to small business supporters. I could not do what I do without your support.

Thank you to everyone who offered to help me during my horrible studio flooding. I’ve had a really hard time, emotionally and financially, and I so appreciate your reaching out. I am feeling better now that the cracked foundation has been repaired, the dry wall done, and the flooring installation now underway. All restoration will be done at the 11th hour and I will reopen the studio on Tuesday, January 2.  The best way to help me is to help spread the word about my classes, workshops, and other offerings in 2024.

Most importantly, thank you to all who help spread light, joy, and peace in this needy world, a world hungering for kindness.

Wishing you, to all of you, a health-filled, joyful, successful, and peaceful New Year 2024.

Namaste, Fran

*************

January and February

Off to a strong start with the in-studio and live stream classes in full swing. My heart is so happy because I have a studio where yogis have a welcoming space to practice yoga in a peaceful, healthy environment. As you do yoga, you can relax and let the best of you shine through.

March

A yoga retreat in tropical Costa Rica.  Our youngest yogi was Baby Nora. So much fun to have her on board. And running a retreat with Laurie Leonetti is one of the best experiences.

Hard to pare down to just four photos, but here you go: Pura Vida!! 

April

Another year without Toni in this world. On the two-year anniversary of her COVID death, I made an altar for her once again.  My heart still aches from the loss of my special sister Toni. She comes to me in my dreams. In my dreams, I see no traces of the tracheotomy, no traces of pain.  She is loving, wise, and beautiful. She is whole. I think about her every day. She is a part of the fabric of my being.

And then there is Yoga in Sicily. Dreamy! This was the year of retreats. In 2024, I will take a break from leading international retreats and resume in 2025.  Here’s a memory of Sicily, the Pearl of the Mediterranean. It’s hard to pare down the Sicily photos!

Sicily Villa Saracena Clouds Beautiful!

Sicily Villa Saracena Clouds Beautiful!

And I celebrated 35 years of my life with Rick!

May

I celebrated Kathryn’s birthday in Santa Barbara, California. A short sweet visit. We enjoyed each other’s company. Enjoyed her Bengal Kitties, and I took a bunch of rose photos at the Santa Barbara Rose Garden.

June

Get Fit Yogis class goin’ strong. After a half hour of yoga, followed by weights, cardio, and core workout, the class gets to chill out for 15 minutes. Pure Bliss!

July

I guess you’d say I work a lot. I do!  I love teaching. And here is Yoga in the Park. It’s an annual summer highlight! Next year, I will start as soon as it is warm enough to be outdoors!  And I will go as long as weather permits us to be outside doing yoga!

My nephew John and family came to Washington for a visit! We went to Leavenworth for a week. OH, my heart!  I love them so much!

August

For the first time, I floated a lantern at Green Lake on the 78th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. This is a sobering and  meaningful annual event promoting peace.

September

And a retreat in Iceland. A week filled with Yoga, hiking, hot springs, glaciers, and otherworldly Landscapes. One of my favorite places!

October

I came home from Iceland, taught a week and a half at the studio, then took off again for two two-week back-to-back retreats in Greece. OY!

As I mentioned above, I overdid the retreats this year, so I will be taking a break from International Retreats until 2025. In 2024, I will focus on my studio offerings. Maybe I’ll even be able to blog a bit more in 2024. That’s the plan, Stan.  Some cool events/classes/workshops/local day and weekend retreats coming your way. Stay tuned!

Came home from Greece and immediately flew back east to Massachusetts to attend my cousin Fran’s Memorial Service in Plymouth. A grand adieu to my dear cousin. Sis Zina and I were hosted by our cousins, John, Anne, and Chris Gallo.  We loved our time with them. We hope to see more of them, under happier circumstances.

November

A home-style retreat in Gig Harbor, Washington. Tiffany & Family & Friends used to attend an annual weekend yoga retreat at our Ocean Shores sanctuary and home until we sold it in 2019.  Post-pandemic, we have started up again in Gig Harbor.

And the end of November holds two bundled celebrations: Thanksgiving and my birthday. Thank you, Barbara and Denise, for hosting us in your new home on Whidbey Island. This photo was taken on the morning of November 25, my birthday:

December

A flooding incident forced me to close my studio most of December. It’s been a hard time, though I am happy to report that the studio is being renovated and I will be able to reopen on Tuesday, January 2. Note: I am not including photos of the damage until the renovation is complete on Friday evening this week!

Hallelujah!

And here are the dreamy sunsets of December! If you live in or around the Seattle area, I know you saw these sunsets, too!

     Wishing you a happy New Year 2024!

http://www.frangallo.com

Otherworldly Iceland

Iceland 2022 Yoga and Hot Springs Retreat Slideshow (5 minutes long)

Research shows that the average attention span (in humans) is 8.25 seconds!  That is shorter than the attention span of a goldfish (a goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds). Can this be true? If it is true, you, my audience, will miss out on much of the above video. I did my best to curtail the number of Icelandic images, but, even so, the video is 5 minutes long. The song you will hear is by Eivør. Here’s to hoping you will take more than 8.25 seconds to enjoy this slideshow and blog post.

In case you cannot access the video above, try this link: Iceland Slideshow

Iceland!! Even with its dark cold winter days and, in general, its unpredictable weather, Iceland appears to be a Utopia of sorts. Icelanders believe there is no bad weather, just the wrong choice of clothing.  Iceland is the most peaceful country on earth. The country does not have a weapons industry. Iceland does not have a military and the country’s police are not armed. Women have six months paid maternity leave and men also have six months paid paternity leave. They can take their maternity or paternity leave at different times and they can split it up as needed. There is virtually no crime.  According to one website on “world happiness”, the happiest people in the world live in Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, and Iceland (in this order).

Iceland is beautiful, covered with mystical and rugged landscapes.  Some areas are covered in thick lush moss. I have never seen such soft moss. It beckons you to lie down for a while. The moss feels like a dreamy bed of memory foam.

Going to Iceland is like journeying to another planet. Black sand beaches, cliffs, lava fields, volcanic plateaus, mountains, fjords, glaciers and glacier lagoons, waterfalls, rainbows, and glacial rivers dot the landscape. Geothermal heat warms up hot houses, where tomatoes and other produce grow. Iceland hosts 60% of the world’s puffin population. We did not see any puffins because by September, they migrate to warmer climates.

And the hot springs are oh-so-relaxing!

I was in Iceland just three weeks ago with twelve very lucky yoga retreat participants. The peacefulness of the island is calming and the bright light, which comes in at an angle, makes the landscape look even more beautiful. We, surprisingly, had fabulous weather for a number of days (“fabulous” is defined by a mild daytime high of 60 degrees Fahrenheit and blue skies). At the very end of our time in Iceland, we had heavy rains. Even so, our entire time in Iceland was lovely.

Northern Lights: The Aurora Borealis light show took place on our first night. During our orientation meeting, I asked each person if they would be okay being woken up in the middle of the night in order to see the Northern Lights. There was a unanimous agreement to being woken up!  We were jet lagged and tired on our first night, but all of us knew that with the night sky so clear, there was a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Everyone slept with their ringers on in case someone saw the lights and texted. Before going to sleep, I pulled up the shades next to my bed and rearranged the pillows and down comforter so that I was facing the window and the star-filled sky. I fell fast asleep.

The Northern Lights made their eerie and spectacular appearance around 11:30pm. However, I am the world’s heaviest sleeper, so Amy could not wake me when she knocked on my cabin door. She and Einar left a number of text messages on my phone. Einar’s messages were urgent, “Please go have a look at the Northern Lights. They are spectacular tonight! Not to be missed!!” Even so, I slept through the numerous dings on my phone! What woke me up at 11:45pm was a series of loud whoops and hollers by the resort staff. They were all outside marveling at the ever changing green swirls and beams in the night sky! I opened my sleepy eyes to my green-lit room and I quickly jumped out of bed, put my coat on over my pajamas, grabbed my hat and gloves, and put my bare feet into my  boots. I quickly found Amy outside. Earlier she was unable to wake anyone up with texts and knocking on cabin doors. So, together, we went back to the cabins and pounded vigorously on cabin doors, waking up our group of yogis. Success! Well worth the sleep interruption.  Thrilling as you can see in the slideshow.

Hana’s photo of the Northern Lights

I’m sure there will be an Iceland retreat encore sometime in the future. Einar asked me if I’d like to change the program, but I am reluctant to change an already perfect itinerary.  It will stay the same for next time.

http://www.frangallo.com

Loving Kindness Yoga

I am back from South India, reeling from jet lag, sorting through the visuals in my mind, and processing various feelings floating around in my heart. This blog post touches upon the yoga we experienced as a group while traveling throughout South India. I say “touch upon” because I don’t think I can ever convey exactly what our overall yoga experience in India was like.

I came across the following lines while reading Jeannette Winterson. She writes these words as she is reflecting on her life. Her words remind me again why I love yoga so much.  Yoga helps me to savor each and every moment in life. Yoga, especially while touring in India, gives me permission to slow down and be in the present moment. These thoughts come through in my teaching:

Why have we learned to hurry through every day when every day is all we have?

Every yoga session I led in India was unique. I’d show up for the yoga session, planning to teach a certain sequence, but, often, the environment took over and influenced me to intuitively sketch out a completely different sequence to teach.  In other words, the environment often influenced our place-specific class themes so we ended up having classes we called Monkey Yoga, Peacock Yoga, Rice Barge Yoga, Hummingbird-Sized Bomber-Bee Yoga (yeah really…you try doing calming yoga in the presence of bomber bees so big they look as if they could take your nose off (Thank you, Jayne for the “take your nose off” description. I told you I’d use it because you weren’t exaggerating!). We were reassured by hotel staff that they don’t sting unless provoked which didn’t sit well with any of us!). There was also Pool Yoga, Windy Beach Yoga, and Sunrise Yoga.

At other times, our yoga sessions were performance inspired. For example, after we watched the martial arts performance known as Kalaripayattu, I added some postures I observed during the performance. Many of these poses were Horse Pose-related moves and hip openers.  I also added a side-thigh thunderous slapping action which was part of the martial arts performance. We had so much fun doing that move! We discovered that side-thigh slapping really wakes you up and makes you feel invincible! No wonder the martial arts men could jump eight feet high!

Going to the temples to see ancient carvings inspired me to give the stories associated with the asanas, including stories of Virabhadra the Avenging Warrior and Kartikeya, Ganesha’s brother who searched and searched to find the center of the universe (he didn’t find it but Ganesha did!), and Shiva the Dancer of the cosmic universe and father of yoga.  Hanuman carvings gave rise to the Monkey Pose, aka the splits. Arjun’s Penance wall carving panel gave rise to a new meaning of Tree Pose.

Our yoga sessions were held outside in a variety of locals: courtyard gardens, next to swimming pools, on a floating rice boat in the backwaters of Kerala, and in a dedicated yoga studio called a “Yoga Hall” in India in the magical lush green jungle of Cardamom Hills.

In India Yoga is most often described as individual union with cosmic energy. I spoke to Arvind about yoga in India today. He says that yoga is definitely a part of most everyone’s life in India. Yoga is not necessarily about doing asana. It is more about meditation, clearing one’s mind, and living yoga, or the union of the individual with the greater cosmic energy. Yoga is acknowledging and feeling the divine within oneself and every living being. Arvind’s mother meditates.  Her meditation is a silent prayer. When Arvind was a child, his mother taught her children how to sit still in a meditative pose, how to clear the mind, how to meditate. Like Arvind, most children in India learn yoga from early childhood.

Below are some photos from our South India 2020 Yoga Experience:

1) Most of the time, we did morning yoga. But in Mahabalipuram, we had an afternoon yoga session and it was hot out.  The pool was so inviting.  No one else was in the pool. Just us.  Pool Yoga made perfect sense. I’ve done Pool Yoga in various places during yoga retreats.  Water adds much fun to the yoga practice.  Here we have twists, arching, half moon, and floating shavasana. At the end of our session, we did a lovely Om which reverberated throughout the resort.

We had two morning yoga sessions in Mahabalipuram held on a wooden platform overlooking the beach. The first session was called Windy Beach Yoga because it was so darned windy. We dedicated the session to Vayu, god of the wind, father of Hanuman. The next day was called Sunrise Yoga. The sun was a giant ball of red and orange fire. A lot of people on the beach and passers-by paused to do yoga with us from their beach chairs or from the beach.

In Tiruchirappalli, I had to do some yoga poses at the temples, especially considering that my outfit matched the temple perfectly!

Then in Madurai, we had Peacock Yoga. The wild peacocks roam the grounds of the hotel and graced our yoga sessions! The peacock, the mayura (and so we have many forms of peacock poses in yoga, most of which are fairly advanced) is the Indian national bird and a symbolizes grace, pride, and beauty. The peacock is Brahma’s winged vehicle. It is fun to do yoga with the peacocks.

In Tekkady, we had our own Yoga Hall and we called the yoga sessions Monkey Yoga because the monkey families were hanging around in the jungle trees just outside our yoga hall.  How often did we stop our session just to watch the mammas and babies hanging out in the trees?

Little monkey brothers, thinking up their next mischievous move! Here they are looking inthe window, probably trying to figure out how to get in.

We had very relaxing yoga on the rice barge / houseboat in Kumarakom. The tranquil waters of Kerala add to the dream-like atmosphere of complete calm. Rice Barge Yoga

And the theme for houseboat yoga meditation has to do with the title of this blog post (I hope you read this blog through so you don’t miss out on the BEST part). While on the houseboat (just like the one above), I did a Loving Kindness Meditation for the group.  Call to mind the people in the list below.

• oneself
• people you love
• people you consider neutral in your life or people whose paths cross with yours (perhaps co-workers or the checkout person at the Trader Joe’s)
• all living beings, including the difficult people in your life

For each person or people above, including yourself, you will say the following beautiful thoughts:

May you be safe.

May you be happy.

May you always be a source of love, light, and joy.

May your life unfold with ease.

Namaste, Fran

http://www.frangallo.com

Paradise Redefined (in four parts)

PARADISE (I)

Growing up, I attended Saints Peter and Paul Grade School and Andrean High School (named after Bishop Andrew Grutka). It was a big deal for me to go to Catholic school. My parents scrambled and worked long hours to pay the hefty tuition for my private school. They had five children and not much money to spare.  My parents, immigrants with very little formal schooling, drummed into my head the value of my education.  From a young age, I knew how hard they labored to give me the schooling they never had and I took my school very seriously!

In my Catholic schooling and home upbringing, I was taught a definite idea of Paradise. Paradise was a place. Paradise was where you went after you died, but only if you were a good person in this life.  Paradise was sunshine, clean air, birds chirping, angels singing, children playing, and happy people hanging around eating watermelon, potato chips, or buttered popcorn (my favorite things on earth).

Later, I learned that you can create paradise on earth. For the last twenty years, Rick and I created paradise at our home in Ocean Shores, Washington. We diligently drove out every possible weekend. I went often enough, but Rick never missed a weekend.  We held scores of home-style weekend retreats. We hosted countless weeks and weekends of family and friend gatherings. I cooked hundreds of meals. I planted a vegetable garden every year. The paradise we created demanded work and more work.  We called our paradise Little Renaissance. It was a sanctuary and wildlife reserve, in addition to being a second home.  I wrote “was” because we sold our paradise one month ago!

BUT wait!  This is a happy story! Since selling our second home, we feel FREE. We have not felt this free in years. Going through twenty years of things, purging, thinning, selling, donating, and giving away items has left us light and free.  Consolidating our lives to one home feels so simple, it makes us giddy. We now know that paradise is a state of mind, not a place!  Our home now is in a small gorgeous condo overlooking Green Lake.  I wake up and see the autumn leaves of Green Lake looking back at me.  Soon the leaves will fall from the trees and we will have our winter view of the lake.  We carry paradise inside our hearts, inside our minds.

Anemone I took this photo on my last day at Little Renaissance: 

The Most Precious Find While emptying out the house, I finally found this misplaced precious photo of my parents’ hands. The photo was taken by my nephew John Urbano. I love this photo.

MAKING PEACE (II)

And I believe Paradise Redefined is making peace with someone who was irrationally mean to me! Yes, I bravely Facetimed my uncle today (with the help of my nephew John) and had a pleasant conversation with him for the first in years! See what freedom does? Feels GOOD to make peace with a 92 year old guy. I wrote about my uncle years ago (BLOG LINK) 

I love him so much. Always have. Always will.

FALL, GLORIOUS FALL (III)

Not having to spend hours in the car every weekend driving out to Little Renaissance, I now have time to walk Green Lake daily with Rick. We never tire of Green Lake. Paradise is right outside our door. The lake and the park is cast in a different light every day. And I now have time to hike on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Soon the hiking will give way to snowshoeing and cross country skiing.  “I love my life!” as my Women’s Spiritual Circle shouts every time we meet.

The following photos were taken on our Lake Serene hike:

COSTA RICA (IV)

Lastly in this blog post, I want to let you know that registration is open for a fabulous Spring retreat in Costa Rica.  Yes, Costa Rica is another kind of paradise. Instead of watermelon, you will be eating the exotic fruit of Costa Rica. I know, here I am reveling in Autumn, but I have to plan for the Spring Retreat now.  I offered this retreat last year and it was fabulous. I loved having Laurie Leonetti on board with me to lead water aerobics and cardio workouts. We have a few nearby outings and one optional day-long trip to Cano Island to snorkel (alternatively, some may opt for bird watching on this day). There are skilled body workers at the resort, too, so you can treat yourself to a relaxing massage.

I sent out a Newsletter last Monday, and have since opened up an additional week.  So here’s the skinny:

Week One: March 21-28, 2020 (Five Spaces Available)

Week Two: March 28-April 4, 2020 (Two Spaces Available)

WEB LINK for Refresh Your Soul Hatha Yoga Retreat in Uvita, Costa Rica.  Check out my web link for details. I’d love to have you there! The Retreats are all levels Hatha Yoga held at the boutique hotel Vista Celestial.  

Our evening yin yoga sessions take place on this area of the resort, where we watch the sunset and are silenced by the cacophony of birds and cicadas.

The yoga platform (below) is where all our morning sessions take place. All yoga props are provided for us.

Below is the evening yoga spot, overlooking the rain forest and sunset. 

Sicily Slideshow

Here is the slideshow that didn’t link the first time around.  Fingers crossed that the link works this time! Hope you at least enjoyed the writing based on my unique way of defining Sicily (in the previous post).

VIEW SLIDESHOW

Sicily: Kissed by the Sun

I put together a slideshow for you (fast moving, not boring, less than three and a half minutes long)! Both weeks one and two are represented in the slideshow. As you turn up the volume and watch the imagery, you will understand why I was inspired to write “Sicily is” (see below).

I hope the music makes you sway to the mysterious, haunting, enticing, and inviting melody of “Pasta Dub” by Marco Messina. I first heard this song while watching the film I Villani last November at the Italian Film Festival in Seattle. I Villani is a documentary following the lives of four Italian farmers who work from sunrise to sunset. One of the farmers is from Enna, Sicily, and when he talked about agriculture, his love of earth, family, cooking, and respect for the planet and all living things, I felt a surge of happiness. I have that same surge of happiness whenever I am in Sicily.

Enjoy the imagery below, both in words and in the slideshow.

Sicily is being kissed by the sun while eating sun-kissed tomatoes.

Sicily is a series of colorful sunrises and sunsets and Homer’s wine dark sea.

Sicily is Demeter’s longing for the return of Persephone each spring.

Sicily is September’s moody skies.

Sicily is a bowl of freshly-made steaming ricotta.

Sicily is olive oil the color of gold.

Sicily is roasted and caramelized onions, peppers, zucchini, and eggplants.

Sicily is a smile whose warmth will carry you through the cold of winter.

Sicily is the beach lily, thriving through sheer strength and perseverance.

Sicily is Mt. Etna, the loving gentle Mother who can let out a fearsome rumble from time to time.

Sicily is pride, creativity, and excellence.

Sicily is full of wildflowers, even in September!

Sicily is the melting pot of the world’s ancient civilizations.

Sicily is a series of stones that carry stories dating back to the Greeks, Phoenicians, and to prehistoric peoples.

Sicily is a ray of sunshine bouncing off the sea.

Sicily is a ravioli bursting open.

Sicily is an over-stuffed canollo.

Sicily is a grapevine whose roots dig deep into the rich volcanic soil, producing rich complex wines worthy of a grand celebration.

Next Sicily retreat won’t be until Spring 2021. Meanwhile, lots of other incredible opportunities to do yoga retreats with me. 2020 Schedule to come out soon.

Lush South India

LUSH South India awaits you!

Here is your chance to experience India with one of India’s best tour guides, Dr. Arvind Singh, and to practice daily Hatha Yoga with me, Fran Gallo, while you are touring various jewel-like sites of South India. There are two enticing trips to choose from and this blog post focuses on the South India adventure. My next blog post will focus on the second trip being offered in Rajasthan.  Readers, kindly share this blog link with friends who may be interested.

• South India January 2 – 18, 2020 (this blog’s focus)
  
• Rajasthan, Agra, and Varanasi in North India January 18 – February 5, 2020

The deadline to register is August 31, 2019 or sixteen days from now. Both trips are organized and offered by Spiritual India Journeys. I am lucky enough to be hired by Spiritual India Journeys to teach daily yoga. I get to experience yoga with you and help you navigate one of the most fascinating continents on earth.

There’s got to be a reason why I go back to India again and again, right? I was certain that last year would be my last time taking part in the India tours (only because I have worked with the tours six times and would like to offer a variety of other yoga-related travels).  However, I had such a great time and felt so deeply connected to the tour participants and to the experience of being fully immersed in India that I committed to teaching again in India in January 2020!

Why travel to India? India is simply other-worldly and enticing! It is a vast country with much diversity in its people, religions, languages, cuisine, spices, terrain, climate, art, music, dance, history, and architecture (to name a few!).  Being on one of Dr. Arvind Singh’s tours is like a college course in that you learn so much.

Quite frankly, it is really mind boggling to write about India. Where do I begin? In this blog, I will use my photos from South India to give you an idea why you must go to India at least once in your lifetime. I hope to and intend to perhaps convince you to come with me in January 2020. Your greatest challenge will be deciding on which trip to sign up for because, honestly, they are both incredible! (Perhaps you will sign up for both trips since they are back to back!) The following is only a sample of what you will experience in our South India tour with daily yoga.

LUSH SOUTH INDIA

Mamallapuram

The first time I went to Mamallauram, I was greeted by the ching ching ching of the stone cutters chipping away at their stone carvings of bulls, lotus flowers, Ganesha, Saraswati, and Gopi Krishna, to name a few. Not only does this town have a name that is a mouthful and very fun to say aloud, it is also home to some of India’s most well-known historic monolithic temples and carvings. There is a singular boulder lovingly called Shiva’s Butterball. It is enormous and seems to balance delicately on a steep hill. The boulder leaves you wondering where on earth this stone came from. Did this magically rendered boulder drop from the heavens? And if so, did the earth shake and quake when it dropped? Or did it pop up, erupting from the bowels of the earth? Did Shiva forget to eat his tasty butterball and leave it to melt in the sun? And, let’s say this boulder rolled into place from some invisible disintegrating mountain chain. If so, why did it stop rolling to where it is today and how has it managed to balance in place so perfectly for millennia when most of us cannot even hold Tree Pose for more than three minutes? The lone-stone sparks the imagination of schoolchildren and adults alike.

Many school children arrive by the busload to admire the mysterious boulder and the nearby carvings. The children are beautiful, dynamic, boisterous, and adorable. It is ever so fun to interact with them as well as the adults accompanying them.

Our guide brings meaning and life to the ancient carvings, Shore Temple, and stones as he interprets the stories behind the ancient artwork.

Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We usually arrive early evening and are greeted by a local guide who gives us a tour of the temple. The temple and grounds are vast and the guide gives us access to sacred places of Hindu worship. The temple is overwhelmingly exquisite in structure, art, and architecture.  The early evening brings a sense of magic as the temple lights are turned on.

Trichy Rock Fort Temple

Rock Fort is a historic temple complex built on an ancient rock that reaches 272 ft, located in the state of Tamil Nadu. There 344 steps cut directly into the stone and the steps lead directly to three temples. One temple is all the way at the top of the rock.  The rock was used as a fort by various rulers. The oldest structure within the fort is a cave temple built in 580 AD. The cave temple is filled with intricately decorated columns, carved directly from the existing rock.

And just so you know, it’s not everyone who can make it to the top of the 344 steps. The day might be hot and the sun beaming on the stones may make you feel like a fire walker. Usually, if the day is particularly hot, jute mats are placed over the stone so you can walk more easily without feeling the hot stones on your sensitive feet. To enter temple grounds in India, you must always remove your shoes and enter barefoot. Some clever people in our group packed several pairs of socks to wear on such occasions.  After walking around the temple in socks, they simply tossed the used pair of socks in a rubbish bin. For those who can not climb so many stairs, there are markets and shopping stalls, tea shops, and more accessible places for you to visit while the others in your group do the stair climb to the top.

The climb to the top is exhilarating.  And at the very top, you get to pay homage to Ganesha as the temple is dedicated to him. Ganesha offers protection and power. He is the remover of the obstacles that life throws your way. The climb is a journey, a pilgrimage. Even if you are not Hindu, the climb to the top gives you a chance to experience Tapas. The tapas I mention here has nothing to do with small tasty and delectable dishes found in a restaurant in Spain. Tapas in Hinduism is an ascetic practice voluntarily carried out to achieve spiritual strength or purification of self.  Tapas are spiritual practices that often involve a high degree of self-discipline, like climbing 344 steps to reach a quiet temple in the sky. Engaging in a period of deep meditation or going on a ten-day Vipassana meditation retreat are also forms of tapas.

In the yoga practice, Tapas is one of the niyamas, yoga’s ethical guide to living.  Tapas refers to “self-discipline”. Everyone who manages to undergo the temple steps has an intense experience. It is a powerful and unforgettable experience.

The word tapas comes from the Sanskrit root word tap, which means “to be hot.” This relates the word to the concept of spiritual rebirth and the inner fire needed to achieve spiritual rebirth.

Madurai

My best writing about India happens when I am actually there, when my head is swimming with stories of gods and goddesses, or humming with the sounds of humanity, or filled with names of birds I have just seen in the quiet of the morning in Madurai. There is one hotel where we stay which has employee-groundskeepers who double as avid birders. These knowledgeable birders offer early morning and early evening bird watching on and near the hotel grounds. Even if you are not a birder, you will want to go on these walks. You will most likely see at least a few of the following species of birds: Indian paradise flycatchers, blue-bearded bee-eaters, Indian pittas, red-whiskered bulbuls and red-vented bulbuls, Malabar trogons, Indian golden orioles, purple-rumpled sunbirds, and the greater raquet-tailed Drongo with its showy long tailed feathers! The magical names of these birds are beautiful but nowhere near as lovely as the actual birds!

Meenakshi Temple in Madurai

This temple is fascinating. I am not a Hindu and yet I feel perfectly comfortable in this and all Hindu places of worship. I believe the reason for this is because temples in India embrace universal aspects of spirituality. Temples in India represent a macrocosm of ideas related to what it means to be human and our relationship to the divine. I do not understand all that is happening around me when I am in a Hindu temple, but I understand that the temple is a powerful place of worship. In Meenakshi Temple, I feel the sanctity of this temple strongly. I understand why this temple is so beloved a place of worship. This is a temple dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi. She sleeps with one eye open because she is always looking after you. Intricate stone carvings, colorful mandala-covered ceilings, festive bright saris, and ceremonies greet you. Arvind explains it all for us, but really, in the end, you take into your heart what you feel while you are there. Large numbers of women come to this temple to pray for safe pregnancies. The women also come to pray for their husband’s health. When I saw the women praying for their husbands at this temple, I felt so deeply moved. This temple is truly a special place of spirit.

Periyar National Park

This national park is home to the wild Asian elephant. The elephants are magnificent and can be seen from your boat on Lake Periyar.  In the evening, the elephants make their way to the lake for a refreshing drink of water. Mothers create a moving fortress for the baby elephants as they walk by putting their cherished toddlers in the center of their group!

Cardamom County

Cardamom County is the name of the hotel we stay at near Periyar National Park. Besides a large inviting swimming pool and a beautiful yoga studio, where you can see a giant squirrel up in the trees, there is an Ayurvedic doctor who gives each hotel guest a complimentary Ayurvedic consultation. I cannot tell you how much I benefited from this consultation! I had very specific concerns and the doctor gave me some great ideas on hydration, diet, and lifestyle. I was given guidelines on many aspect of life. I dream of going back and checking into the Cardamom County Hotel for one full month to simply get treatments, consultations, and eat a wholesome Ayurvedic diet prescribed specifically for me! There is a wonderful Ayurvedic spa at this hotel and the treatments are heavenly and affordable!

Houseboat

Hands down, this is the most relaxing part of the whole two weeks! What else are you supposed to do on a houseboat but relax! The houseboat has sleeping rooms and space for us to do yoga. The bedrooms are wonderfully air conditioned. The waters are lined with colorful homes and as we go out on smaller canoes, we can see local life taking place along the canals. From the canoe, I felt terribly voyeuristic watching a woman squeeze the excess water from her freshly washed long thick hair. But, I shamefully kept staring, mesmerized by her beauty, unable to pry my eyes from the scene.

On the houseboat, the staff is attentive. They prepare delicious meals for us. Most people just chill out drinking fresh coconut milk straight out of the coconut. We lie back, taking in the essence of India. After a full two weeks together, we all just lounge about and smile, digesting the journey together thus far. No need to talk at this point. Time to just take in the sun setting over the water, the water turning pink as sunset deepens. This is a bit of heaven on earth.

Cooking with Maria

I am proud to say that I found Maria. When I told Arvind I wanted to add Maria’s cooking school experience to the itinerary, he looked at me askance! After all, he had never had a cooking school component on the tours. However, he gave in to my request. Shortly after the cooking experience with Maria, he said with an ear to ear smile, “Tell me again how you found her????” Maria is lovely and reminds me of a wizard mixing up some magical concoction that will make you fall in love or make you fall deeper in love with all that is India. Oh, yeah! We all file into her modest kitchen and it’s all hands on. We create a gigantic meal over her little 4-burner cook-stove. Later we eat together at a big table while her husband sings for us. While her husband sings Bollywood love songs, Arvind happily bops his head.

FOR SOUTH INDIA REGISTRATION and ITINERARY DETAILS CLICK HERE

 

The Stones Do Speak!

I am in Greece with a group of yogis, enjoying every moment of this Greek adventure.  I will photo-document this trip and write a few words about the photos.

We started out with two nights in Athens.  Our hotel overlooked the Acropolis so when we did rooftop yoga in the morning, we had a most inspiring view.  About every fifteen minutes, the sound of church bells graced our yoga sessions. Later, we had a fantastic guide show us around the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.

These stones do speak of a rich and long history of Greek and Western civilization!

Below we have Vasiliki and her cousin Nasi. Vasiliki is the brain-child and genius behind this incredible trip. Over the years, she kept suggesting we do a yoga trip to Greece.  Last year, we began the planning in earnest. The itinerary, the restaurants, and our two hotels are based on some of her favorite places to visit.  We could not be luckier to be on this retreat in Greece and have Vasiliki on this trip with us!

Our group at the Acropolis in Athens:

While still in Athens, we had dinner at the Port of Mikrolimanon, a small picturesque port, located near the commercial port of Piraeus.  Stunning setting and fantastic food.

On our way to Nafpaktos, a lovely quiet town off the beaten track where we are staying for the bulk of our time, we passed this bridge:

The Rio–Antirrio Bridge (Greek: Γέφυρα Ρίου-Αντιρρίου), officially the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge, is one of the world’s longest multi-span cable–stayed bridges and longest of the fully suspended type.

Taken from a photograph in the small museum next to the bridge. The bridge was completed in 2004, just in time for the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Athens that year. Below is the opening torch bearing ceremony of the bridge and the Olympics!

And the site of the original Olympics below.  I loved our day at the Olympic archaeological site with the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera, the altar of the Olympic flame, the Stadium, and the archaeological museum.  This day was very hot, but oh so worth the outing!  Three of us ran the original Olympic race course. Yes, I am officially crazy to run that in 95 degree weather, but it was thrilling.

All the museum pieces come directly from the Olympic site. They are so beautifully preserved and detailed.

And last but not least, a magical late lunch in a Greek home.  When in Greece, eat like the Greeks! It was Vasiliki’s idea to have our main meals daily at 2pm.  It’s a great idea. That way, in the evenings, we can go to one of the many sidewalk cafes and enjoy some drinks and light appetizers (Greek meze). The food was fresh and delicious.  Our host, Maria, cooked all this amazing food served in her gorgeous home.  Her sister Vasuli helped serve the meal.

Photo of Maria and Vasuli, our lovely hosts.  Gail took this photo (thank you, Gail!).  These sisters are two of FIVE sisters, just like my family!

I knew I would love Greece, but I had no idea what that love meant until I came here!

Costa Rica Waterfall: Guest Writer

One morning during shavasana, while still in Costa Rica, I ended the class with a visualization. The visualization was about becoming the element water. As water, I guided the group into becoming a flowing river. The flowing river was alive and well aware of its tumultuous journey, aware of the enormous boulders made smooth by the power of water to wear away stone.  The river flowed fearlessly forward, aware of other rivers snaking and tumbling through forests and meadows.  The rivers became the veins of the earth, essential to life. My visualization described how other rivers were also striking their own unique course and how eventually the various rivers would meet up in the vast waters of the ocean.

After shavasana, I learned that Sarah Tsagris, one of the retreat participants, had created a piece of writing along the same lines the night before!  Her body of water was a waterfall.  Her writing is beautiful and she gave me permission to share it on my blog. Below is her writing. This is my first time to have a guest writer appear on my blog.  I’ll also add more photos from our fabulous time in Costa Rica. Slideshow of the retreat is at the bottom of this blog post.

The Waterfall by Sarah Tsagris

As the molecules of water flow down the waterfall, what must they be thinking?

Maybe they started deep within Mother Earth and were birthed gently by the spring into the river? Maybe they began as cloud vapor and huddled together as a raindrop falling hundreds of feet to moisten the earth before finding the stream? Maybe they crystallized into snowflakes and drifted gently towards the Earth.

Once in the river, the molecules flow along together. Maybe their path is calm, maybe it is turbulent, maybe they get frozen at times, maybe, at other times, they are assaulted by chemicals or pollution. Whatever path they encounter, they will eventually flow down the river.

What must they be thinking the moments before they enter the waterfall? They can hear the roaring water but they cannot see what is coming next. They can sense the anxiety of the surrounding molecules. They cannot turn back. There is no other way to go but downstream. They must surrender to the flow of the river, the flow of life.

As they flow over the edge, they must feel as a child feels going down a slide for the first time: scared, exhilarated, and energized. As the water molecules bounce and cascade down the rocks, maybe they lose their direction, maybe they make contact with the rocks, maybe they have a free fall, or maybe they glide effortlessly down the falls. Finally, they land in the refreshing pool at the bottom of the falls. They regroup, breathe, and look back at where they came with pride and thankfulness.

Their journey does not stop there.  It is a never ending cycle. They will head back into the river with more confidence. This time they know with all their being that they are doing what nature intended. They know they can just BE and THAT is enough. They must surrender to their fate and find faith, trust and fearlessness. They need not exist with uncertainty and anxiety. Eventually they will burrow back into the earth or vaporize into the air and the cycle will repeat itself.

And below is the link to the slideshow I put together from our fabulous week in Costa Rica!

VIEW SLIDESHOW

The next dates for Yoga in Costa Rica will be (two weeks to choose from!):

March 21-March 28, 2020  AND March 28-April 4, 2020

Details/Information

Embracing Pura Vida in Costa Rica

I came back last Sunday from a one week yoga retreat in Costa Rica. I love Costa Rica! The expression Pura Vida takes on a lifestyle in Costa Rica.  This simple beautiful expression refers to the “simple life” embraced by the people of Costa Rica. This expression embraces a philosophy. When you say thank you in Costa Rica, you will hear “pura vida” in response to your gratitude.  The expression can be used to say:

Hello

Goodbye

Everything’s cool!

You’re welcome.

Last week I gave perhaps one of my most successful yoga retreats in Costa Rica.  Everything about the retreat was wonderful. The setting, the delicious fresh and organic food, the kindness of the staff at our boutique hotel, the weather, the views from our yoga platform and sea view terrace, and the birds and sounds of the lush jungle contributed to a perfect place to rejuvenate, rest, and relax!

On the first morning of our yoga practice, I asked everyone to share an affirmation with the group.  The affirmation became a mantra or a set of words carrying a positive message that would keep us focused on peacefulness and well being.  The affirmations are below, accompanied by my favorite photos of the week.

I am healthy and pain free.

I am enough.

I am strong.

I am confident.

I am fearless.

I like me here.

As I breathe in, I connect to my spirit.  As I breathe out, I smile.

On day four, we did affirmations again. This time, they were different in an interesting way. When I heard these affirmations, I felt they reflected a deepening of our yoga practice:

I am strong.

I am happy.

I am present.

I am kind.

I am evolving.

I have strength by being gentle.

I am getting healthier.

I have balance.

I am released.

I am enough.

Never doubt how powerful words are!

And how about a little free write for you?  Written on the bus on departure day…

iridescent blue butterflies, each wing as big as my hand, flutter magically in the jungle…four days is all they are given..four intense days of life to feed, sleep, breed, reproduce, be beautiful, shine, fly, live, explore the jungle…what would you do with four precious days of life? 

time concepts..it takes nine months for a pineapple to grow and ripen, just like a human baby..think about that next time you eat a pineapple!

pepe-the-coati eats bananas every morning, a coati is related to the raccoon, looks like an anteater and walks like a monkey, suzanne watches pepe’s little tongue lapping up water out of her hot tub, john and i spot a bird with an incredible red head and shiny black body, and on the boat we spot spotted dolphins, they are attracted to our boat and gather round, swimming and showing off! howling monkeys sound like apes and singing cicadas almost make it impossible for everyone to hear me during yin yoga! costa rica is rich with wildlife

dancing tango and salsa moves, music stirs the soul, forty years dance instructor shows his great skill, teaches me salsa steps, encourages and teaches a young man who wants to impress his girlfriend with new dance moves..certainly new dancing skills will give our young man the confidence he needs to dance flawlessly with the love of his life

warm weather..sun turns my skin brown, sunshine factor of 10!!, we all become more flexible, my skin is so clear, my eyes are a deeper brown showing flecks of green i inherited from my dad, clean pure food feeds body and soul, i feel light and healthy and free

morning yoga on the jungle platform filled with birdsong, cool wet towel is comforting, forests are alive and forest bathing is real, the trees give off chemicals that are cancer fighting and ever so soothing to the soul, i am one with the jungle, the rainforest calms me and brings us serenity, hardly any mosquitoes at this elevation, a cool breeze comes just in time and the infinity pool offers cooling waters…evening yoga on hot stone slab, the sound of the cicadas accompany the sunset..everyday is spectacular from start to finish, red streaks in the sky and we hear a bird crying over and over again, “last call, last call, last call” or at least that is what it sounds like and we laugh until our stomachs hurt..spa drink quenches out thirst and is soothing after our evening yoga on the sea view sunset terrace

NEXT COSTA RICA YOGA RETREATS March 2020: LINK

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