I’m back! With a dare for you!

So, its been 2 months since I’ve been back from my travels! I didn’t do a very good job keeping up my blog while away (I blame the sun, birds and cervesa’s). But I’ve been stumped because I  have felt like I need some sort of theme. Most blogs have themes right? Cooking blogs, fashion blogs, travel blogs… I’m not traveling anymore so once I finish copying and pasting my selected journal entries from my trip, what will I write about?! But I’m itching to write. I’m itching to put my thoughts and ideas out there and share with whoever is reading. Maybe even invoke ideas or simply make people smile and laugh.  So here I go… 

 

Last week my mom and I were talking about TED talks. She told me about one called “The power of vulnerability”. I didn’t watch it all week until about an hour ago. The amazing thing about the people who speak at TED talks is their ability to make you excited about everything and anything, including vulnerability. Who’d of thought! Brene, the speaker, says, “Vulnerability is the birth place of innovation, creativity and change”. I love this statement because it is something we already know but often put aside because being vulnerable is scary. I have been fortunate enough to surround myself with artists, actors, musicians and creative types all my life and these people I honour because they are vulnerable. When you are vulnerable; when you take the risk to be seen or heard and listen to your intuition, you are living. “Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage.” But it doesn’t have to be as dramatic as being an outgoing creative type. Being vulnerable can apply to all aspects of life. There is so much vulnerability in relationships with our loved ones. When we open our hearts and risk the unknown outcome of our love, that vulnerability turns into a deeper connection. For example, the North American phenomenon of who says “I love you” first, has wasted so much time in relationships. Take the risk and say it! Trust in your gut feeling and don’t discredit it. If you have the courage to love, it gives your loved ones the same courage as they see your vulnerability and risk theirs. 

 

Okay, so in saying all that, I haven’t quite figured out which direction my blog will go in, but maybe for today I will dare you to do something that may make you step deeper and closer to  living your life. 

 

Today I dare you to be vulnerable. So many times after I go traveling, I come back to Toronto itching to talk to strangers and by my second trip on the TTC I revert right back into a Torontonian that pretends I’m the only person on the streetcar. My dare isn’t for you all to start talking to strangers. But maybe when you feel your instinct pull you in a direction, before all your reasonings come in to stop you, run after it and say “I love you” first, ask “How are you?” to your neighbor, or go tell that cute girl at Fast Eddie’s that she’s cute. (That’s for you Cam) 

 

This post has nothing to do with my travels and everything to do with my travels and I feel pretty vulnerable in sharing what would normally be a journal entry for me.. So, I feel like my work for today is done. 

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

Ps. If you have 20 minutes to watch the TED talk, please do and I’d love to hear what you think! 

Serenity atop a volcano :)

Climbed the top 1800 metres of this 4000 metre high volcano! I was flying high above the clouds 😀

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana -King pigeon pose

Every morning at 530 we are woken up with the sound of a beautiful flute. Half awake we wander down to the dock wrapped in blankets and come into meditation. We then have a yoga practice in the shady shala surrounded by hammocks, plants, trees and the lake. Breakfast is always amazing and tea is abundant. 😀 All day we study the history of yoga, ayurveda, meditation, healing, chanting. We share thoughts on compassion, living in harmony, mindfulness, false securities and inner guidance. Mmmm yup, all that hippie yummy stuff I was looking for, I have found. My travels will continue, still not sure in what direction but this beautiful family we have created here may travel together for a while. You may hear from me next in Mexico! who knows! Living in the present baby, day by day. xoxoxxo

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana -extended hand-toe pose

so much yoga, so much beauty!

And what a small world it is

If you had asked me what will be the first thing I do when I arrive in Guatemala City, I probably would not have said go to a university class at 7am to discuss the impact music has on our emotions and state of mind. Alas, this is what I have done! My lovely new friend Mabe (Thanks for the introduction Brad!) welcomed me, not only into her home but also into her social science class at UFM. We listened to many different pieces of music and wrote down the emotions they invoked within us, the story lines they created and then we compared our thoughts with each other. Even in a place so far away from home, I found my reactions were so similar to those in the class. Mabe asked if I had any music to suggest and I immediately thought of Sigur Ros. The classes reactions were so fitting. Sense of journey, adventure, clarity, awareness.  I think this is all a good start to my travels.

Thank you Mabe!