Wednesday, June 30, 2010

My Bucket List ????

Inspired by a good friend who turned 50 a few months ago, I am creating my bucket list. At first I thought it was a morbid suggestion, my friend had a stroke a last year and so has the deep seated fear of another one.

I am not going to call it my bucket list, I am going to figure out a more positive name for it but there are a few things I have always wanted to do but never had the money/time or really wanted to be away from my kids for too long.

Now I have the time, and can probably afford some interesting things if I budget well for them.

1) Road trip to Kripalu with some Yogini's - unlike the road trips with girlfriends while in my 20's I hope to remember the entire trip.

2) Cost Rica for a yoga retreat

3) Pay off the studio mortgage - so I can travel more

4) Study at Agama in their Teacher Training program (3 months)

5) Take Teacher Training with David G at Downward Dog....master Bakasana...(
Teacher Training is just a great reason to do more yoga...)

6) Turn the Durham Yoga Festival into a weekend event....and raise a ton of money for local youth charities.

7) Travel to India...is this getting boring ? It's all about yoga and traveling

8) Visit New York City and take some classes with Dharma Mittra - okay more yoga...shop as well....

9) Run a marathon....sigh...I keep putting this one off

10) Cycle the Cabot Trail with Frank - Frank is from Cape Breton Island and this is one we both share.

11) Buy a big old house on a lake and open a retreat centre.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Sheree's Trip to Thailand

So here is part of my trip in pictures...after a 15 hour flight I arrive at the Hong Kong Airport...a world class airport in a city I would love to tour but will have to pass on this trip.


A 3 hour stopover give me just enough time to change planes...


From Hong Kong to Bangkok is just under 3 hours.








From Bangkok to Koh Samui Airport about 59 minutes. The airport in Koh Samui is billed as the most beautiful airport in the world.




If only the travel ended in this gorgeous place but from here I catch a ferry to Koh Phangan....an island in the South China Sea. To my final destination the Ananada Resort right beside the Agama school that I will be attending.





There I will stay in a bungalow over looking the pool and the water.




Upon arrival the very next day I start my studies....with Swami Vivekananda, I am studying yoga a more traditional form.












Each Day I attend 2 x 1 and 1/2 hour yoga classes/lectures and in the evening there are morelectures and films.

They take place in the Yoga Hall.



I have plans to also have some fun, maybe some diving or surfing lessons as times permits. Maybe a detox at the resort and some Thai Yoga Massage. I plan to book time with Swami V...to discuss my path, and to clear out some head stuff.

I plan on being absorbed by my studies and just enjoying this amazing opportunity to live and study yoga with no distractions.

I honour the light that is within you, it is the same light that is within me, therefore we are one (when we are both in that place LOL).

Namaste

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Tick Tock...

So it is shameful to admit but I have only had one day off since my last post...being busy stifles my creatively and when I try to blog I can only think about how busy I am...that gets a little boring, several times I sat down to blog and thought...boring...or even worse sometimes I thought "God this is so self righteous"...so I deleted them.

I am now officially winding down...I am not teaching any weekend courses until September and quickly took a Friday class off my schedule that I thought I wanted to teach. I have decided that Fridays are sacred, they are my day and a well earned day off as I teach 13 classes plus run club from Monday to Thursday...

I love my Fridays off, I get up and drink coffee, I putter around as only a woman can putter and then I head to the Beaches for a yoga class with David G.

David G. is a renowned teacher in Toronto, one of the very few certified Ashtanga teachers, I am loving his class, his energy and the day to myself in T.O.

Sometimes I grab lunch and other days I just try to beat the weekend traffic but no matter what I decide, the yoga class centers me. I am learning tons and deepening my practice.

Yoga is about quieting the mind stuff and I have mind stuff...the difference inside my head before and after the class is remarkable, I am more relaxed, centered, happy and my inside voices are too.

Wow this yoga stuff really works, practicing what you preach is always a good idea.

So why the tick tock ?....it is my countdown to my trip to Thailand, I leave July 17 and return August 20th. It is a trip I deserve, I work hard and for many other reasons that are too personal to blog about In fact my trip to Thailand is more of a calling for me...I feel drawn to Thailand. I have met Swami Vivenkanda and his teachings make sense to me, my mind can buy what he is saying, that is important.

I am heading out for a 30k cycle and hope to be blogging about my trip this week.