The Musings of a Gypsy Yogini

I’ve got the whole world in my hands… and I’m quitting my job and leaving my current life to go see it.

On March 20, 2012 I plan to leave Austin, TX and make my way to JFK airport in New York where I will use my one way ticket to Prague, CZ to begin my journey wandering the globe.

I fly to Prague on the 30th of March, so this will give me 10 days to get there. I’m not sure which route I will take to get there, or what means of transportation I will use. At this point I don’t know what I will be doing with my car, so it’s all just a guess right now. Train? Ride share? Rental? Doesn’t really matter right this moment.

Prague is my first stop because I plan to be there for a month to take the CELTA certification course to become an English teacher. (This would make my mom super proud). I chose that particular course because it’s the most recognized and respected certification program offered anywhere. It’s also expensive. I was originally going to go to the one in Sofia, Bulgaria- but the one in Prague was only like $150 more and accommodations are included.

After I complete the course, I have no idea where I will go next. The map will be my menu. I will have saved enough money to not have to work for at least a year, but to have the ability to work as an English teacher is something I feel is a necessity. I will definitely want to work in some fashion or another. I’ve found some great resources online for plenty of opportunities. Examples are: farm work, sailing crews, art projects, recovery centers, yoga… you name it- it’s out there.

I’ve decided to make this journey all intuitive. Where I decide to go will be a completely organic unfolding. One thing is FOR SURE though… IF the Rolling Stones decide to have their 50th anniversary show in London, I WILL NOT MISS THAT!!! One of the things my mom and I loved to do together was going to see the Rolling Stones. Now that she’s gone, I feel like it’s a chance to feel her standing right next to me again- at that show. She wouldn’t miss it either- even though she’s dead now!

The biggest heartbreak I will face is leaving behind one of the loves of my life, Charlie Hodge:

I can’t even begin to describe how much it will hurt to leave him behind. He will be in GREAT care with a very close friend of mine, and if I come back, I get him back. He will be taken care of and loved as much as I love him myself. Here’s the thing: I have to do this journey. I’ve tried to talk myself out of it many many times, and I know deep in my soul, I must go. It’s now or never. I’ll be 41 when I set sail, so it’s not like I’m getting any younger.

Nobody at work knows about my plans, and it’s going to begin to weigh on me more and more as the time to go gets closer. I care deeply about my position and the people who depend on me. I love the school and the family that owns it. I will burn no bridges in hopes that one day if I want to return, they will welcome me back. I don’t plan on springing the news on them last minute. I’ll make sure I give enough notice that I will be able to train my replacement. There is already someone I have in mind to be promoted to my level, and they are very qualified. The school will be fine without me- especially if I’ve got someone ready to slide right in my place.

Am I excited? YES. Am I scared? Not yet. I know this is what life has had planned for me for a very long time. I’ve said for years that once my mom goes, I go.

So I’m going.

I had a phone interview with the Aveda Institute of Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, and by the end of the conversation, the man conducting the interview said, “Well as far as I’m concerned you can start tomorrow”! Great news- but I’m not planning on arriving in Atlanta until August 1st….

So I told him I’d fly down before then to have an in-person interview, and set the wheels in motion to make that happen. My luck has been so fantastic in regards to this whole move— I managed to score airfare for $350 when all surrounding fares were $700-$800.

July 1st was my date to meet everyone for the interview. Here’s how the day went:

Arrived at 7:30 to make the 7:45 scheduled meeting.

Met with the director, chatted a bit about the position, answered questions, asked questions- etc…

Attended staff meeting at 8:15 and met the whole staff. I introduced myself and spoke for about 10 minutes about me myself and I.

Did a haircut demonstration in front of the whole school at 9:15- I absolutely rocked that curly haircut if I don’t say so myself! The students loved it and had some great questions.

From 10:00- 5:00 I helped out on the cutting floor- consultations, grading, checking with students on what they were doing- basically acting like I already worked there. I stepped right up to bat and hit it out of the park!

The students as well as the staff all just loved me- and the feeling was mutual to be sure. This business can be quite catty and snotty and full of Giant egos– and I didn’t detect a shred of this at the school. What a relief!

At the end of the day, I met once again with the director for some final Q&A. We both agreed it’s a perfect fit on both sides. Then the money question came into play…

During my initial phone interview I was quoted a starting salary of a certain amount based on being a beginning educator. I was told that since I have some teaching experience, there was some wiggle room… Let’s just say the original quote was doable, but barely. At the end of the interview day, I was offered more than DOUBLE the original quote! Hell yes!!!

I have so much to offer those students, and the school. I’m so lucky to have been able to do what I love and make money doing it. I’m ready to give it back. It’s going to be a great new chapter in my life.

…and I’m worth every penny.

I’m moving 1000 miles away in a few weeks. Big Big decision… and it’s happening.

I knew this August was going to be a turning point- but I didn’t know which way the turn was going to go until about 6 weeks ago.

I’ve been all itchy and squirmy for about a year or so- I’ve needed something brand new. At first I thought it was college. I’m in love with holistic nutrition and wellness. I found a great program at Maharishi University that seemed to fit me exactly, AND it is only about 2 hours away from where I currently live. Lets see… 4 years of college- going into amazing amounts of debt with a degree that qualifies me to intern for free. At a gut level it wasn’t “just right“. But almost…

I’ve got a verrrryyyy long and beautiful story concerning the “how” I picked my current destination…but it’s novel length, and I’d love to share it sometime, but for now I’ll just reveal the destination: Atlanta, GA.

I had a specific list of “musts” for my next city:

(Not in any particular order)

No more winters

A state I’ve never lived in

A city with room for more yoga teachers

I must know at least ONE person

A city where I can continue my yoga education and study Thai Massage

Good farmers markets/ Whole Foods- Trader Joe’s

Good music/ Art scene

There are a few others, but Atlanta, GA absolutely hit the mark on every count.

I’ve been to ATL several times in the last few years, so I know my way around enough to feel pretty comfortable being there.

The dominoes have all fallen into place regarding my decision: got my downtown condo leased. The 6 month lease on my current apartment is up just in time to move into the sweet little cottage in Atlanta I fell in love with 3 years ago. It’s always timing, right?

I wanted to move to Atlanta 20 years ago because I was madly in love with a man that lived there- (he still does- and we are good friends). At the time I was 18 years old and such a punk kid with no idea what I was doing. (Love does that to a girl!)… Now I have my head on perfectly straight and I’m finally going to make it to Georgia.

I don’t have a job, but I have no doubt I’ll make that happen quickly… I did it in New York City, why not Atlanta? I plan to get a job teaching at the Aveda Institute and have a private practice for yoga students. (PERK: the cottage I’ll be living in was once used as a yoga studio– perfect!) I’ve got some big ideas for my future in Atlanta, but I’ll hold onto them and report back later on my progress…

August 1,2009 I will be living in Atlanta!

I’m incredibly excited/thrilled/scared/positive/confident/and sad all at the same time. I’m going to miss my mom so much. I’ve lived close to her for the last 6 years, and we’ve become even closer than ever. I just know it’s time for me to go…

I’ve known for quite awhile I have no intention to make Des Moines my long term home. Knowing that means I can’t “dig-in”- I avoid relationships & I put a cap on my business success… all because I’ve been living in a state of “waiting to leave”. I can’t live like that anymore. I need to be in a city where I plan to stick around long term- I’m ready to “dig in”. I will always want to travel and continue my gypsy ways, but I want a home base where I can build a successful business and form relationships….

Plus it has a sweet airport!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!

…and I’m doing great… day 6 on the Master Cleanse.

I have learned a lot while on this adventure— yes, adventure.

It’s a total commitment. The juice tastes suprizingly good. I cannot watch TV. I’ve had to learn on a deeper level the difference between body hunger and mind hunger. It’s almost always my mind.In all honesty, I haven’t been truly hungry even once. As soon as I feel a little hunger pang, I do as directed and have a glass of the lemonade. It totally wipes it out.

I feel cleaner, alert, light, and centered. I just can’t go to the gourmet grocery store again to get more maple syrup. That’s too much right now. I was there earlier, and there were free samples of everything everywhere. Had to get the syrup and run!

So, I have just 4 more days to go and I will have completed the minimum of 10 days for total cleanse benefits. I’ve threatened to carry it out longer— and I may… but right now I’m thinking I won’t. It takes 4 more days post-cleanse to get back on a full day of solid foods. The first day I’m off I get to eat navel oranges!!! Anyone that knows me knows this thrills me. I love them. I meditate as I slowly peel them and savor them slowly…. mmmmm…. just thinking of them…..

Anyway! I’m also headed to Atlanta in about 2 weeks- and there’s no way I’ll be skipping the lovely food possibilities while I’m there!

I’m shocked at my ability to do this at all. I don’t think it would have been possible had I not spent about 2 weeks mentally preparing myself.

And that’s all for now.

Time to reboot my system so to speak.

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading about someone doing a “Master Cleanse” and it intrigued me. I began to think about how it would feel to cleanse the inside of my anatomy. Sounded good to me, so I began to do some research on what it was all about.

Turns out, it just might be exactly what I need.

I’m very proud of the fact I have become a person that takes really good care of myself. I don’t smoke or drink alcohol. I eat a diet of almost (not quite all) non-processed foods. I am around 90% vegetarian (I eat fish and chicken on occasion). I don’t eat white sugar, ZERO high-fructose corn syrup- (oh dear god don’t get me started on that!)… I am big on the superfoods (goji, blueberries, walnuts, raw chocolate, etc…), whole wheat and grains… lot’s of fruit… a fistful of vitamins… yadda yadda yadda…. You get the point…. which is, I spend a ton of dough on groceries.

OK, that’s not the point. The point is—I have a nutritious way of eating 98% of the time. (I splurge on occasion- I AM human and I love pizza and cupcakes!)….

But this lifestyle has evolved only over the last 3 years.

Before that- I lead more of an anything goes/ whatever way of life. Smoking, drinking, processed foods, unconscious eating behavior… all the stuff of a… you know, “fun” life!

My system loved the new food choices I was making. I began to hear what my body wanted. I ate mindfully without distraction. Whole foods were healing me on every level. You are what you eat. All was good…. and then I quit smoking.

Body lost it’s mind. Didn’t know what to do. Doesn’t digest. Needed it’s drug to function. Has never been the same. FOOEY!

I quit smoking last July, so it’s been like almost 9 months, and I’m convinced I need to shut my system down completely and reboot. I love the computer analogy I’ve been using for explaining this to everyone. I’ve downloaded ALL new software and it needs to restart in order to begin to function correctly.

The Master Cleanse, when executed correctly, shuts down the entire digestive process in order to clean house. The lemonade concoction is brilliant. Lemon juice, (full of enzymes and trace nutrients) to clean every cell in your body, maple syrup for glucose to keep the brain going, and cayenne pepper to detoxify. People are known to do the cleanse for up to a year in extreme cases. 10 days is the minimum amount of time required to finish the entire cleansing process. Many go for the 40 days. I’m going for the 10 day minimum. That’s 10 days with no food! Just the lemonade and herbal tea.

If you do some research on this, you might be horrified to find out exactly what has been inside of your body for years. There is a gross amount of EWW! and YUCK! that your body can never get rid of without shutting down for repairs. That’s what I’m doing. That’s why I’m doing it.

I’m planning on blogging, (no promises though)- and updating my Twitter status through this process (no, nothing gross… ugh!)— I’m sure it will be harder emotionally than physically…

I begin with full commitment on Monday, March 9th!

I’ve been in Massachusetts completing my 200 hour yoga certification at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.

What an amazing experience I had at Kripalu. It was more than just “doing yoga”- it was an entire journey. It was a true teacher training. They not only prepared us to be teachers, we were also elevated on a lot of spiritual levels along the way. Many of the students had real transformational experiences that can only be paralleled by having a nervous breakdown. (I’m not even close to joking)! I graduated feeling ready to teach much more than asana, (postures). I feel like a spiritual teacher that leads through the body- because that’s the only way in.

I’ve been telling people I got married! Kinda sorta… I did. I will never get married in the traditional sense, so this is the closest  I will ever come to it. The graduation ceremony was a lot like a wedding. We all walked down the aisle, some dressed in white- we walked on flowers, got blessings of rice and water and bells. At the end of the aisle were our 2 teachers, Devarshi and Priti. It was the one and only time I cried throughout the whole training. I wanted to blow up- do the ugly cry- bawl like a baby— I was overcome with joy. (Oh god, that sounds cheesy, but whatever…). When I reached the end of the aisle and Devarshi blessed me, he had tears in his eyes- and I will never ever forget his face at that moment. I feel like I married him AND yoga. Well, it’s yoga I committed to, but his beautiful face is my visual memory.

So anyway- I AM a Kripalu Yoga teacher!!!

I’m really just a rookie with love as my intention.

Yeah, I do…

But we’re friends now, right?

I went through a period of time I called “dismissing my monkeys”. It started when I became very dedicated in my yoga practice. Little by little things in my life that no longer served me began to naturally fall away. I became much more aware of my body, my feelings, and what I needed to be happy and content.

None of these monkeys left by force. I simply shined a light on them and said “good-bye”. They seemed to just smile and wave when they left. Away with the jealousy! Away with the greed! Away with the toxic foods! Away with the alcohol! Away with the cigarettes! Away with low self- esteem! Away with negativity! ….. you get the point.

Amazing… the little bastards never put up a fight! ~~~OK, wait a minute- the little smoker monkey was a little (a lot) pissed- and he’s the one pictured in the above photo. I’d still smoke if it didn’t kill me, make me look older, and stink, and was still cool like in the old movies. I loved smoking… it was just so rock and roll cool.

How I finally got rid of the little smoker monkey was becoming a yoga teacher. A teacher… I could never truly consider myself a teacher of yoga and still sneak cancer sticks. It made NO sense to me. I had fallen in love with all that is yoga, and that’s why I did it. Yoga is bigger than myself, so it was sort of like handing it over to a higher power. That’s the only reason I think I was able to do it. I smoked for 22 years- a pack a day of Marlboro REDS! (Oh, did I mention Keith Richards is one of my heros?).

So, now with the little crazy monkeys all gone, (for the most part)- I find myself very happy and content in my own skin… (geographically is for another post)…. and honestly?

Pretty empty headed.

I’ve been in deep yogic/ Buddhist studies for a solid amount of time now, and find myself  wondering if I’m headed for true enlightenment or true laziness.

All this meditation… stilling the mind…

Well- it works for me. I find that I can come to a place of empty pretty easily. I’m lucky- I know… but here’s my edge-

I’m single, and I have no kids. That’s a HUGE advantage when it comes to stilling the mind and not worrying/ stressing/ list-making/crazy monkey- mind!

…that’s all for now…

Yesterday I went to the nearby women’s prison for an orientation class so that I may begin teaching yoga to the inmates.

The transformational power of yoga is undeniable, and proven. I speak from experience… It’s absolutely true- that with a regular practice, your whole life improves on every level… I think this can be just as possible- if not more so- for women locked up.

Not to make light of a horrific situation such as imprisonment, but it’s actually sort of an ideal place to be when beginning a true spiritual practice… which is what yoga is.

This experience will make for some interesting writing, no doubt. I can’t wait to meet the women that will sign up for the class.

I won’t be able to begin teaching until next month. I’ll be leaving for Massachusetts in 2 weeks to finish up my formal teacher training class at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, but I’ll be getting the dates and times arranged soon.

Here’s to sweet freedom…

This is brilliant. I’m not even sure why I’ve been so successfully sucked into the magical addictive world of Twitter, but I love it.

I’m still relatively new to it, so I’m not entirely hip to all of it’s uses, but I’ll give a brief explanation of what Twitter is… ready???

Answer the question “What are you doing?”, and do it in 140 characters or less. That’s all…. Then, you can pick and choose who you want to “follow”- these will be people you actually know- to complete strangers all over the world. When you check in with Twitter, you will see the updates of people you decided to follow/stalk… (I kid).

The first time I investigated what the hell the big deal was, I thought to myself, “Really?? That’s really stupid…”  and joined immediately. I sort of pride myself on not being a “joiner”, but decided to give this a few days to play around with. That was October- I think.

Since then, I’ve picked some pretty cool people to follow. In my case, fellow yoga lovers mostly. I also follow Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos because I think he rocks. He has 30,199 followers as of today- so the chances of him reading one of my posts is slim to none. BUT- he did! We have the same birthday and he sent me a direct message making me feel like a rockstar- I’m that easy to thrill.

Of the 44 people I follow, I actually only know one. The others are folks I feel like I’m getting to know- at least a little bit. It’s a fascinating little toy, and marketing tool. I would have never known about a couple of really sweet little yoga-related companies if not for Twitter.

SO… I love the networking tool that it is. I’ve become quite skilled in filling the quota of 140 characters to perfection. I hope to grow my network of people I follow into many more over the year…

All is good.

I added an “Intention” page to the blog because I believe it’s an important part of everything in life. What I wrote there is kind of simple, but I’ll be expanding and explaining more as I go.

Hey- I’m brand new to this!