As adults in an achievement-based society, we can learn a lot about cultivating joy and presence when we humble ourselves, step outside of our comfort zone, and become beginners again.
I thought there was something magical about an adult ballet class in which grown-up people who had chosen one thing as a career, were consciously developing themselves in another area. It was so magnificent to me because it seemed purely internally motivated unlike so many things in our lives and society. Something about it was joyful.
The past weekend was a beautiful triad of experiences in nature. Each distinct, yet harmonious together. As summer transitions to fall, the outdoors were calling to be recognized. Sun and moon shine, day and night. For whatever reason, this weekend felt important and left me with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the place I am in and the people I am with.
Yesterday I arrived home, after a couple very long days at work, to a large brown amazon package on my doorstep. My kitten, Zéb, was thrilled about the three layers of boxes now available to him as playspace. I was overwhelmed by a very generous gift from my Aunt and Uncle for my recent graduation …
I originally wrote this article to submit to an online yoga publication, but I’ve been thinking about what the practice of savasana looks like in our lives a lot lately and decided to revive it from my Microsoft Word draft. — We often start our physical yoga practice in child’s pose, folded forward over our …
Before the sun rises in the morning, the birds and cicadas sing a symphony at the full volume of their voices. Then, slowly, the sun paints the colors into the trees, leaves, branches, and stone pathways of The Yoga Forest. By this time everyone gathers for a morning meditation. On our first morning waking up …
A trip to the dentist. The following adjectives immediately come to mind for most people: painful, uncomfortable, anxiety-inducing, and the-last-thing-I-want-to-do-8AM-Monday-morning. This weekend those associations have drastically changed for me in what I think will be a lasting way. At this moment I know a trip to the dentist can be empathetic, familial, and even profound. … Continue reading
Three days a week this summer, the kids filed diligently into the secondary schools for English classes. A line of students from the girl’s village and a line from the boy’s village met at the school with fading blue paint. In each classroom one of the older boys taught the students–pointing to the board and having … Continue reading
I spent four months in India last fall. That’s over 100 days and over 300 meals. I ate at dozens of restaurants in a few different regions of the country and found a place at the table in several family homes. Of all of the warm, spicy, flavorful dishes I ate, a few nestled their … Continue reading
Today is August 11th. It’s officially been 2 months since Kelsey and I boarded our two-hour flight to Haiti. I arrived first, June 11th, and made myself a little spot to sit on the carpeted floor by our gate. All the other seats were filled: occupied by Haitians returning from business, families traveling home from a visit to the states, and a … Continue reading
We walked on. I noticed, as I had around Cange, that many people we passed wore clothes from America, brand-name running shoes that had seen much better days and baseball caps and T-shirts bearing the logos of professional sports teams and country clubs. “Kennedys” was the generic name for stuff like that. Back in the … Continue reading
In the past week, the city of Les Cayes has had power exactly twice. Once for about two hours during the final game of the World Cup and again last night, for 7 hours straight (an attempt from the company to assuage a population in the dark). That’s about 10 total hours of power for … Continue reading
Here at Espwa, the kids have been watching the World Cup games everyday. They huddle around a tiny tan television on a stool by the dozens to catch glimpses of the matches. All throughout the day you can hear cheers across the property–especially when Brazil scores. It’s an exciting time of year and unifying for the hundreds … Continue reading
A few days ago, one of our good friends and a long term volunteer had her final morning at Espwa. The two of us walked over to the girl’s village together to hang out with some of the girls and give her a chance to say goodbye until next time. When we arrived the village was … Continue reading
We made it! After a 3 hour flight from Boston, I met Kelsey in the Miami airport and we boarded together for the flight to Haiti. We couldn’t have been in the air for more than 30 minutes, it felt like, before we touched ground in Port-au-Prince. Luckily, we’d met up with another group traveling to … Continue reading
It’s the three day countdown until I ship out for my year in Haiti. For the past two-weeks I’ve been tossing things that I might want next year into my “Haiti box.” Now that it’s only a few short days until the flight departs, the serious packing has begun. I’m attempting to travel as lightly as possible … Continue reading
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