My yoga journey...so far
When I was about 19 I moved to St. Thomas USVI, this had been a long time dream of mine, and I was so excited to begin my adult life! I met the most wonderful characters, embracing the Tom Robbinesque way my life was turning (which I might add continues to this day, but only when I am at peace and open to it, and it is so welcome and craved). I spent my days living a rasta life, connecting to nature, to God, and of course to food-which was, and is my love, my source of support in the form of jobs, nutrition,and one of my great pleasures-cooking and feeding people with love. My first job there was as a waitress at Mountain Top. A job I picked up when I walked into the tourist attraction, barefoot, looking for a cab driver who’s car I may have left something in, and was offered a job-well sure! How can you say no to a job that is offered to you when you are barefoot? I went on to work at Mountain Top in a few capacities, and met some really fun people, not the least of which were my bosses Ron and Star-who had come to the island from Boston, and who reminded me of people I knew back home, Ron was just like one of my uncles.
Mountain Top still is, from my internet research, running. It is on the highest peak in St. Thomas and overlooks Megan’s Bay, which at the time, and probably still is, one of National Geographic’s top 10 views in the world-and it truly is. St. Thomas is full of white sand beaches, duty free shopping and amazing people. A short ferry ride away is St. John, half of which is national park so you can imagine the beauty. When I lived there we would hike the roads to find beaches no one else had found, beauty and solitude, amazing….the views are never ending, the water is so clear and blue….I miss it, my heart aches for it, but I do get back.
The Caribbean has always called to me, and has always gone hand in hand with my yogic journey-it seems by moving there I was seeking the peace that I needed and found through yoga. I have since found a place that still brings these two loves together-Sivananda ashram in the Bahamas. But I digress….How did I get there? How did yoga become such an important part of my life? Let’s go back to my early 20s in St. Thomas….
One of these characters in my new life was a man that went by the name of “Jack” a bartender by trade, slinging the world famous Banana Daiquiris that Mountain Top was, and is still, known for. He was the first person to explain to me the power of positive thinking, I still remember his telling me there are no bad days, just me allowing them to consume me, that I had the power to change the way I saw them-he was right. I am not actually sure if Jack was his name? He left the island in a hurry one day, I have never run across him again, although I have always felt that I would. He left me books tho, one of which was a wonderful book that, explained yoga, had amazing photos in it that went over all the poses, and “prescribed” certain poses and dietary adjustments to heal most things. I have lost this book in my many moves over the years, and have never found a copy- at this point I don’t even remember the name!
One of the jobs I had at Mountain Top was to paint enamels to sell, this job led me to show off our wares at an art festival in which Rasta Yogi showed his yoga-I was hooked. (you will also notice that I often play reggae in my classes as a thank you to him), he was amazing, he also discussed diet, lifestyle, and did some amazing moves, he had such control over his body! I dove in, I read, I lived, I got healthy, in touch, happy and pregnant with my first child (who shares her mamas love of travel, love of adventure and lives on the other side of the earth). I practiced through my pregnancy from the books I had. I delivered naturally and was able to step outside and be the observer through my labor. I was so grateful for yoga. I practiced off and on, I had my second child, again grateful for my yoga for and its breath-work, and for the ability to be present with my little guys. When my marriage was dissolving I found a studio, that to this day, I swear was just a gift from heaven. I never saw another soul there for a class but me, I had signed up for a class, and I was the only student, I learned so much, my teacher was amazing, and it was what I needed. I started going to other studios when that one closed, and eventually made my way to teacher training at Brahma, in Sea Bright NJ, which closed after Superstorm Sandy. My goal was just to deepen my practice, but it opened up a new world to me. I started teaching and that led to teaching massage classes too, it led me to meet so many amazing people. One of which is my dear friend Pat, Pat and I ventured off to the Sivananda ashram in the Bahamas and I have been back since as she has-she has also gone on to India and further studies as well.
The Sivananda ashram as I have said is my idea of heaven, located next to Atlantis, on a pristine beach, it is amazing. 2 classes a day, amazing vegetarian food, people on the path, classes galore about whatever you need to know, or just sit on the beach and get to know your Self with a capital S-find yourself, slow down and re-connect. One man I met told me his wife insisted he went there for 2 weeks so he got happy again. I totally get it. I have seen Krisna das there, dancers, authors, and learned about chanting, the Gita, and so much more. I have walked to the Atlantis for my coffee fix too, which a lot of us do, you see there is no caffeine, no meat, no alcohol on the ashrams lands, no cars….just peace….
To get to this little piece of heaven you fly into Nassau and cab it to the mermaid dock and take a little boat over. The minute my feet hit that boat I can feel myself at home….at peace.
My yoga has come with me on my travels and I often find a studio wherever I am. I have gone on to take classes all over the world, in Hong Kong in a class in a huge studio in which the teacher sang to us in Sanskrit, and taught the class in Mandarin and English-wow! In Montreal in French and English, and around this beautiful country. And Australia, land where my daughter lives, meeting amazing teachers not the least of which was one in Portsmouth NH while traveling on my honeymoon who dedicated the class to love and our new marriage. You see this is what yoga has always been for me a portal to love….love of life…connection to others and to self and to God- union of it all. My yoga practice has changed over the years as all of ours do, but it’s always there for me, for all of us. If we just turn to it. And yes there have been times in my life where my practice took a back seat, where the drama of life took the forefront and I let my practice slip, but these times make me appreciate my practice even more when I come back to it, and yes, it would have helped with the drama around me, but part of our practice is to be able to notice our patterns, notice our reactions, and at times-just be. This life’s a journey of discovery, through our lessons, our travels, our experiences.
I am so grateful for all my students and teachers and all the wonderful people and experiences yoga has bought to my life. You can find me now teaching at Blue Moon Yoga in Shrewsbury NJ - this has been my yoga home for probably 15 years, my community, and owned by a dear friend, Eva, who keeps it real, and spiritual. I also teach weekly at Stockton farmers Market and sub classes in my area. I hope to launch a second site from graynomad.org when we get on the road with virtual classes from beautiful locations-stay tuned!
