Magic happens in Tulum. Always. This time was no different in some ways. Yet oh so different in other ways. Thirteen of us gathered by the water's edge to live, breathe, and be yoga.
Look at this group, amazing? The most interesting, the most sincere, the most supportive, the most intelligent, the most talented, the most kind, the most beautiful people you can imagine. That was them. They are that, plus more.
Eleven days into the training and they were still bustin' a yoga move when I heard of a lil hurricane named Rina headed our way. "No problem", I thought...."This sorta stuff happens all the time here. It's just a category one."
The next day my friend Rina was a category three and it was high time to make some big decisions for me and my perfect group of yogis. In the beach jungle with pinktop in hand to research hotels and a hurricane how-to brochure Jacob (manager of La Luna) and I sat down to craft a plan. There was tequila involved. Hey, don't judge me. But I had no part of the Marlboros. Really, none.
The next day me, Sarah, my fellow yogis plus one brave hubby and babe set off on an adventure about two hours inland to Valladolid. Two big shuttles weighed down with the luggage of a small troop and equivalent of a yoga studio transported us to safer and dryer land. We made good use of the travel by studying Sanskrit for upcoming tests. Together we laughed, shared stories, and hopes for the future. It was sweet and I still can't believe how this group "rolled with the punches."
We arrived in Valladolid at a beautiful property right in the middle of town. There were many new sights, sounds, smells. New textures, new colors, new culture.
We were no longer in our yoga bubble known as "Tulum", we were now mingling with many new people. I liked it. It was a whole new world and put a totally new spin on everything.We had eight rooms booked together in our new yoga home. After scouring the place there wasn't any ideal place for yoga. I was able to get a hotel suite within our group of rooms. They moved all the furniture out of the living room space. It was just enough space for 12 yoga mats.
And enough space for dance parties of course.
When we weren't doing asana, but lecture/discussion instead we could open the doors in our hotel suite yoga studio and there was a beautiful view that overlooked the pool.
For our closing celebration Sarah and I had planned to use the rooftop terrace, but Mama Nature had other plans. It rained earlier in the day. So Sarah and I went out and bought flowers and candles and prettified our hotel suite yoga studio.
It worked out beautifully. I was reminded that it's more about the intention and energy than it is the space. And with everyone dressed in white, seated in a circle around flowers it was pretty perfect. Students received their certificates and got to sit and bask in their special-ness as their fellow students showered them with love.
It was a perfect ending to a trip, a training, and a time with these special people in which I can't imagine things happening differently. Everything was as it should have been. Nothing was wrong. Nothing was wasted.
They did more than learn to teach yoga. They learned what it's like to be yoga.
You can't even imagine how flexible, how strong, how courageous they were in every sense of the word.
My heart is forever grateful for the time I spent on the beach and in the city with these fine folk. I love each one of them.
Happiness.
**Bottom photo by © Constance Kilgore. Visit her here at Constance Kilgore
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1 comment:
Congratulations, yogis! Thanks for letting me enjoy your journey through pictures. The graduation ceremony picture is just lovely.
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