So cool to see so many people making time to watch the sunset tonight at Swamis.
Tag Archives: Encinitas
Travel is …
… and coming home is nice too.
Yogi, musician, inspiration* … Introducing Tracey.
I almost fell over three times in yoga class yesterday. It’s not because I am new to yoga, (I am actually a few weeks away from completing my Yoga Teacher Training) no, it’s because I have been going to yoga every day for the past 20 or so days and to be honest, I think my body was pissed off at me.
It’s funny when that happens (some days, it’s just not happening) … in fact I did laugh at myself, and finally just laid down after I almost knocked over the girl next to me (sorry, by the way, if happened to be standing next to me yesterday) … Today’s another day, right!
Besides the pending certification (& because I love it), another reason why I have been going to yoga so much is because my roommate Tracey, just happens to be one of the owners of the studio I practice at/getting certified through (Yoga Tropics, which she owns along with her lovely family).
Tracey would never give me grief about not practicing (in fact, she is one of the mellowest, coolest & supportive people I know), but simply being around her just inspires you to be better … to practice. (not only in yoga, but generally in life).
In Encinitas, California, where I live, in our little four mile radius, we are known for … surfing, Self Realization, gluten-free living, and yoga.
With that being said, if you live here, chances are you do yoga (actually, I don’t think you are allowed to live here if you don’t) … and if you do, chances are you know Tracey, the yogi.
Introducing Tracey, the musician.
About Tracey: Tracey is a student, a yoga teacher, friend to mostly everyone in Encinitas, a volunteer, a musician … and so many other things. Tracey began her love of movement skiing in the Swiss Alps. An active and competitive athlete, she took her first yoga class at the age of 14 and never turned back. Finding a natural grace and ease on her mat and loving the sense of fluid power, Tracey has maintained a regular practice ever since. She has trained with John Friend in Anusara, Prana Flow and Radiant Heart/Wisdom of the Heart Brain with Shiva Rea, Hot Hatha Yoga with Bikram Choudhury, Ashtanga with Tim Miller, David Swenson, Vinnie Marino, Dharma Yoga with Kristyan Stjerne and many other notable instructors. Recently Tracey completed the Ashtanga Primary Series Teacher Training with Tim Miller in Encinitas. She continues to cultivate her practice in several styles and shares her passion for yoga with her students every day. As a practitioner Tracey is an inspiration – as a teacher, she is intuitive and compassionate, calming and encouraging and shares her enthusiasm in every class. When Tracey is not on her mat, you can find her singing in one of the local venues around San Diego.
*Tracey also happens to be the “unofficial editor” of this blog.
How to Be Comfortable Being Comfortable
It’s officially been three months since I have been back living in the U.S. and just like the magical first three months of living abroad is often called the “honeymoon period” for expats (followed by a severe case of Culture Shock for the next few months which starts on the day you realize you can’t find your return trip ticket home) … I can also say that my honeymoon period back in the U.S. seems to be coming to an end … but this time, ironically, it started on the day (which happened to be Monday) that I realized I DON’T have a ticket back to some foreign land.
Obviously, I had my eyes (abruptly) opened to many new things over the past (almost) two years … met amazing people … learned about things I never knew existed … learned about things I never knew existed in myself … most days have been an adventure, and all I had to do was wake up in the morning and step outside the door of wherever I was. Yes, it took some time to feel comfortable perpetually living outside of my comfort zone, but now I realize, that may have become my favorite place to live.
When I first got home to California, I was seriously overwhelmed by the beauty, was ultra aware of my surroundings and impressed by the organization of it all. I mean, it’s simply a breathtaking place to experience everyday, and in contrast to where I was living, it was difficult to wrap my head around the fact that Delhi & Encinitas were on the same planet. Ecstatic to be here, yes! … but definitely not comfortable.
So Monday morning something happened. I felt a feeling that I haven’t in a long time … comfort … not in an ungrateful way, but in an “o.k. I haven’t felt THIS in a long time” kind of way, which was followed by “what’s next!?”.
After much thought on this subject, I have decided to resist my urge to jump on a plane (at least not today), embrace the fact that I do have the ability to create my own adventures that cause a little welcomed discomfort every now and then (since I can’t count on Mother India to help me out in that area here) and continue to re-learn & appreciate how to be comfortable being comfortable … this may be one of my biggest challenges yet!
Intuition
The objective of my recent trip to India was to decide if I was basically going to leave paradise in Encinitas, California, my amazing friends, the beautiful ocean (which I have never in my life lived away from), & cool job to go to a place where my eyes didn’t stop burning the entire time I was there (I think it was because of the pollution in the air).
So, the day before I left India, my potential new boss asks me, “so, which way are you leaning?” I tell him (honestly) that I am going to give myself the plane ride back (almost a full day) and then I will inform him of my decision on Monday. I wanted to see how I felt (because my 2009 New Year’s resolution was to trust my intuition… that thing that I ignored for most of 2006-2008… whoops!) when I actually got back into my comfortable house, with my comfortable friends, with all of the things that I know … to what we affectionately & appropriately call the “bubble” that is Encinitas (and a beautiful bubble it is!).
So, I get off the plane in LA and start driving back to San Diego, all this time, waiting for this feeling to hit me to stay or go. I almost wanted to feel,”am I crazy, this place is heaven on earth, there is no way I am moving to India, whose idea was this anyway?” … that feeling would make things so less stressful. I could just stay here, go to the beach, do yoga, surf, and work… this is the life that people work their entire life to have. I wouldn’t have to sell my car and all of my things and move literally to the other side of the world … But, that feeling didn’t come. Instead I was hit with the surprising and overwhelming feeling of … “I can’t wait to go back!”
“I feel there are two people inside me – me and my intuition. If I go against her, she’ll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely.” - Kim Basinger
