Muchos Gracias

As we walked along the beach under the light of the full moon, we were stopped in our tracks by one of the most majestic things you can be witness too. A female sea turtle making her way back to the ocean after laying her eggs. It was breathtaking. There, in the moon light, this beautiful creature slowly and methodically made her way through the sand.  Standing in the metre wide tracks she left behind, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly blessed to be part of such an amazing moment. It really rounded off a pretty perfect week for me on the beaches of Tulum in Mexico.

Sunrise - Tulum

 I had some time ago arranged to meet a yoga buddy for a retreat in Mexico. It was a teacher from LA (Bryan Kest) that I have done some classes with before and I was looking forward to getting back into a strong physical practice (home practice is never the same) and also catching up with a friend from home. Oh, and of course spending some time on a beach in Mexico is not too shabby. The week certainly did not disappoint – 4.5 hours of yoga a day, an hour morning walk and some amazing vegetarian food.  Bryan’s style is Power but he also likes to say his yoga is for Grandma’s, anyone can do it. I love his simple yet challenging approach and I know after the 3hour morning class each day, I was certainly starting to feel back in my body. It was fantastic.  Bryan also has a beautiful way of weaving into the asana classes, elements of yoga that are often lost in yoga in the west. Observing your thoughts, noticing distractions, waking up and living yoga not only on the mat but in your life have left me feeling inspired by him as a teacher. Each evening we would also practice, with more focus on slowing down and including meditation. One thing we did daily was a meditation on gratitude. Being thankful for the things we have in our lives. It reminded me of being 6 years old and saying my evening prayers in a way, focusing on all of the wonderful people and events in our lives really is a simple way of turning our attention to the good in our lives rather than the not so good. It is so easy to get caught up in what we don’t have, what we are missing, that we forget about the many amazing things we already do have.

I have to admit, for me at this point in my life, I am overwhelmed with amazing things. The obvious one is to be on this adventure as that in itself is a pretty big one. But I found once I started with the meditation, like a join the dots puzzle, I was making connections to people and events that we were really only dusty faded memories in the back of my mind somewhere.  A fifth grade teacher who always made learning fun and interesting, my beautician in Sydney for encouraging me to try out her yoga studio (kinda turned out to be life changing that one, thanks Anna!), growing up in the country and catching tad poles and bugs, holidays with our crazy cousins and stealing ice creams, discovering the beauty in a piece of music a friend shares with me,  being one of the first people to be told my friend is expecting her first child, meeting that first child (and the 2^nd and the 3^rd), hugs from those beautiful children....the list was endless. What started out as a slow process, turned into a torrent of memories of amazing and wonderful things in my life.

Sydney Yogi's in Mexico

So I am incredibly grateful for so many things and to so many people. I know without some of them I would not be here, and doing what I am doing. I guess the obvious is my family, the endless love and support is incredible. The amazing friends, both old and new that come into my life, whether it be for 5 minutes, 5 years or a lifetime.  Whilst the places I go and the experiences I have are also pretty amazing, it is the people that I found featured the most in my meditation. So to all of you,  to the people reading this now, to the ones I have met on this journey and to the ones I have known all of my life  - muchos gracias – much thanks, I am incredibly and eternally grateful.