personal thoughts
Rita Trieger, Fit Yoga Editor-in-Chief, shares her work/life balance secrets
Work to live or live to work?
The whole work-life balance idea is something that I personally struggle with, especially in this day and age.
And although moving from NYC to “paradise” has helped, it didn’t exactly eradicate my never-ending to-do list. (darn it!) It seems like there’s always an urgent email, a meeting, a skype call, a website update or some social marketing that could be done…not to mention tweets, blogs, videos and picture albums to post!
So this is my big inquiry right now: really striking that balance so I enjoy both sides of the coin. One thing that I’ve realized is that there isn’t a magic formula and it isn’t a fixed point, but rather a sliding scale – because of life and it’s full range of demands, some weeks are obviously more about work and “expansion” while others can be more about play and relaxation (whatever that means to us individually) and/or “contraction”, going inward to revitalize. And, in truth, it’s really the way we’re perceiving our life and our busy-ness, yes? …I feel strongly about helping myself and others explore this, and create a life that equally supports both work and play.
On this note, I had the wonderful pleasure to interview Rita Trieger, who I deeply admire, and who seems to have this optimal balanced living down pat, or at least the right attitude about it.
Rita is the editor-in-chief of both Fit Yoga Magazine and Fit Magazine, and the author of “Yoga Heals Your Back” as well as a meditation cd. Besides her career in publishing, she is a highly regarded yoga teacher who works with numerous students as well as cancer patients.
Side note: I’m also thrilled to have Rita, along with Bruce Bassock, teaching for inward bound in Jamaica this March and sharing more of her insights and wisdom on retreat, in person!
Q: Rita, how do you do it “all” and keep your center?
A: For me, having a sense of humor is the key to staying centered. I need to laugh more than once in a while. I don’t get people who are dour all the time.
All of us get caught up in our daily dramas and all of us think that our drama is the drama that REALLY matters. The reality is that none of it matters. We just get attached to the busy-ness — the job, the title, the house, the car etc — and rely on whatever to define who we are; then when we realize [sadly, some people never do] that our attachments are causing us suffering, we get angry, depressed, anxious, and sometimes sick.
I feel fortunate to have two “jobs” – editor and yoga teacher – and they balance each other quite well. Being an editor of a national magazine is stressful. I work for people who are not yogis but my readers demand the magazine hold the integrity of a yogi. It’s a slippery slope more often than not, and for me that is the hardest aspect. I get to practice what I preach on a daily basis.
The stories and the ideas happen very organically – each issue seems to build itself. Very often my assistant editor, Lorraine, and I will look at a newly printed issue in amazement. We know we worked hard on it but it’s always a nice surprise.
And of course I am always grateful to be able to shut down the computer and teach. Even if I am in the foulest mood I will always be smiling afterward. It becomes my yoga practice. I usually teach what I feel I need, and it is always incredible to hear people say, “How did you know what I needed?” I think I “know” because I empathize with the stresses they face.
I often make a point to bring humor into my teaching too. I think it’s important for people to smile, or maybe even get a good belly laugh. Yoga isn’t brain surgery. It’s supposed to make you feel good in every way. Sometimes I’ll tell a funny anecdote while they’re holding a difficult pose. They’ll have these serious looks, and some will be struggling while others will be all full of ego. Then I’ll get to the funny line and everyone snaps out of their heads. The strugglers let go of the tension of “can’t do” and the egotists let go of their “perfection.” Humor allows us to realize what we are attached to, and, that it’s also possible to release attachment to our samskaras.
Q: Can a retreat really help give us tools to deal with life’s little and big challenges?
I especially love teaching on a retreat because the people that partake are seekers. They are giving themselves the space to learn and grow, and are open to experience. That attitude blossoms into a very creative environment resulting in an equal opportunity for the teacher to grow and learn. Destinations like Round Hill add an extra special, even magical dimension that makes the retreat experience even more valuable. Practicing yoga in the beauty of nature reminds us of the origins of the practice as well as our connection to something uniquely profound.
Q: When you write your “Letter from the Editor” each month, how do you decide how much of your personal life to reveal to your readers? Would you speak a bit to your creative process?
When you become a writer the most important lesson is to write what you know. The second lesson is not to be overly earnest.
Generally, I try to think about the overall theme of the issue and tie it back to some personal experience or memory. For example, if we feature a master teacher who is practicing advanced asana, I might discuss my trepidation for handstand, subsequent performance anxiety, and ultimate insight. However, I will often take poetic license to protect my privacy or the privacy of someone I may be writing about, even though the feelings are very real. I think when you reveal your heart it resonates with people even if they don’t agree with what you’re saying. Also, my letters are usually self-deprecating and a little funny, which is always acceptable in polite society, and hardly ever earnest!
Thank you Rita! As someone who is really living and fully engaged in both worlds, you offer such insightful perspective on this topic.
Read more about Rita at Fit Yoga Magazine and for her retreat in Jamaica at Jamaica Me Om
In closing, a friend who advises me regularly, told me that for every hour, or length of time, that she’s fully engaged in working, she gives herself that equivalent time to recharge and regroup. While initially that may sound a bit indulgent, especially to our hard working psyches, I find that by just holding that notion in my awareness I somehow begin to find more, or maybe create more, time and space in my schedule to relax and breathe. My next step is to get out of my left brain and play PLAY more!
(Although I’m still hoping the 4-hour work week will kick in at some point – if I read the book again, learn tango and hire a virtual assistant…maybe, just maybe?)
please email me your thoughts, ideas and insights around this topic.
In gratitude for all,
joy
joy@inwardbound.com
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Nixa DeBellis featured in “Best of New York City”
Nixa DeBellis, one of our teachers at Round Hill in Jamaica this winter, had her class at Exhale reviewed in “Best Yoga of NYC”. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and can personally attest that Nixa teaches a thought-provoking class, blending in a flowing sequence of powerful poses with a deep understanding of how our practice and even how we approach individual poses, relate to different areas of our lives, and how we can use it as a tool to explore our holistic nature and way of being in the world.
Her knowledge of tantra and yoga philosophy is a gift to all who are able to practice with her – she is the real deal.
Join Nixa at Round Hill in Montego Bay, Jamaica this January 20-24, 2010 for a memorable weekend immersed in yoga and Caribbean luxury!
Optimal Practice, Optimal Life with Nixa DeBellis
Exhale Spa
980 Madison Ave, 2nd Floor
Thu 5:00 PM to 6:15 PM
Intermediate
www.exhalespa.com
As I sat facing the Buddha head in the Zen-like studio of Exhale’s Upper East Side location, Nixa DeBellis walked in, a true picture of summer with her blonde hair, flowing white yoga pants and purple tank top.
We began class in supported bridge using the yoga block. Nixa added the first of many twists on a traditional pose by having us bring one foot at a time back alongside our block, pressing the top of our foot into the floor in a Virasana-type leg variation. As Yoga Sleuth struggled to breath evenly into her slightly contorted toes, Nixa introduced us to the idea of “optimization.” She explained that we must constantly reevaluate what is most effective for us from pose to pose, practice to practice, and year to year.
We quickly built heat with a tricky transition of twisting high lunge to twisting crescent, followed by alternating straightening and bending our front leg as we synchronized our arm movements and our breath. During several rounds of this unique sequence, Nixa expanded on the idea of optimization to our lives off the mat, namely our relationships and our jobs.
Our final challenging standing sequence had us moving from standing split to Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana and then gracefully stepping back to the twisting crescent pose we had visited at the beginning of class. By this time, we were more than ready to find our way down to the mat for some less vigorous asana. We cooled down with Salabhasana, Vishnu’s pose and then, an inversion of our choice.
As we floated into a deliciously long Savasana, Nixa reminded us to reevaluate our optimum for that moment to find the deepest relaxation possible. Once Nixa slowly and gently brought us back to sitting, we closed with a single “Om.” It made Sleuth noticed how, at the end of class, the collective “Om” is always perfectly in tune and optimized for that particular group of yogis in that exact moment.
-Alison Richard for Yoga Sleuth
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HeartRise Children’s Yoga Teacher Training
HeartRise Children’s Yoga Teacher Training
August 9, 2009 – August 22, 2009
at the Nosara Yoga Institute
Nosara, Costa Rica
HeartRise Children’s Yoga Teacher Training is a 100-hour yoga instructor training that offers certified yoga teachers from all styles of yoga an advanced training in yoga for children. This yoga training meets the standards of the National Yoga Alliance and provides graduates with a recognized credential for teaching yoga to children. The inherent flexibility in this training allows you to create an approach for many settings and to open more doorways as a professional yoga educator.
Honoring the ancient traditions of yoga, HeartRise Children’s Yoga Teacher Training draws from the foundations of what is common to many yoga styles being practiced today, but is not limited to the past for bringing yoga into the world of our children today. The skills and insight you gain in this training prepare you to reach children from your own unique understanding and embodiment of life experiences, interests and creativity, while adding to your professional teaching skillfulness.
Learning is greatly enhanced by sharing this journey with other dedicated teachers, 
all exploring the power of yoga for shaping a new future for our children. Each day is filled with direct experiential learning, blending powerful movement inquiries with playful flow sequences that deepen your personal yoga practice and develop understanding of the learning process. In an environment that fosters a rich immersion into deeper layers of your own childhood wisdom you are sure to discover new levels of wonder, joy and freedom. All teaching components of the training draw from your own practice and style of yoga as a source for integrating new methods and tools.
While much of the training focuses on school-age children, the curriculum also addresses adaptations of core principles for pre-school and adolescent populations. Program directors Tamika Schilbe and Carolyn Burke have a combined 25 years experience as child and family clinicians and offer creative solutions to working with behavior challenges and children with unique needs. Discover simple yet powerful ways to create inclusive learning environments that respect the individuality and dignity of each child.
Biographies:
Tamika Schilbe, M.S.W., R.S.W., E-RYT
Tamika is an award-winning counselor, consultant, author and motivational speaker. Certified as a Yoga Instructor, Nia™ Instructor and Social Worker, Tamika has studied and taught the art of personal renewal throughout North America and also in Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia. An experienced retreat facilitator, Tamika leads regular trips to Costa Rica where she is on Faculty at the Nosara Yoga Institute. Her classes and trainings offer a creative blend of movements and postures from different parts of the world, and have been described as joyful, fun, and inspirational.
Carolyn Burke, M.S.W., R.S.W, R.Y.T.
Founder of CBA Yoga Toronto, Carolyn is an experienced yoga instructor, retreat facilitator, family counselor, parent and trainer. Carolyn has designed and facilitated numerous wellness programs and therapeutic groups. Combining her clinical training with a holistic approach, Carolyn has created and successfully launched yoga programs for moms and babies, toddlers, school-age children and children with unique needs. It is a rare teacher that can fill a room with compassion and joy the way Carolyn can.
Don Stapleton, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Director of Curriculum Development for Nosara Yoga Institute, Dean of Kripalu Yoga Education. Don is a guest presenter and development coach.
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Yin Yoga Interview with Annette
In the anticipation of our upcoming Yin & Restorative Yoga Retreat, I sat down with the ever-inspiring, very articulate Annette Knopp a few days ago to discuss the “other yoga” and the retreat she will be co-teaching with Jane Fryer in Nosara, July 12-18, 2009. See below for my questions and her very thought-provoking responses about Yin Yoga and why it is such an important practice, especially right now.
Who could benefit from a Yin & Restorative Yoga retreat?
Anyone who wants to step out from a high-wired and ‘doing-focused’ lifestyle and allow for their bodies and mind to unwind, to nourish themselves, and relax back into stillness. Also any sort of practitioner, from beginner to advanced, who would like to immerse in this often overlooked aspect of Yoga.
Yin Yoga is often called “the quiet practice” and similar to the restorative style naturally evokes a state of contemplation – more than yang-style practices or power yoga disciplines. In our predominantly “goal-focused” culture we have become so habituated to look ahead, to improve, and to demand more from ourselves and our bodies. In Yin and Restorative Yoga we have the opportunity to let go into what is already here, to be nourished by being-ness. Instead of pushing, we yield and come home into natural Presence. Instead of being concerned with achieving and doing it ‘right’, we are invited to rest and to re-discover what is here beyond the concepts of right or wrong. We often hear the phrase “go with the flow” – Yin can teach us how to put that phrase into practice. Flow, actually, is about moving from stillness, knowing when to PAUSE instead of always rushing into action. In order to be in balance, it is essential for us to recognize the pause, and to let our doing to be informed by this, by this still openness that we really are.
And, Restorative and Yin Yoga are also great for people who have injuries but want to do something therapeutic, both mentally and physically, for restoration and healing.
Tell me more about the physical aspects of Yin Yoga…
Yin Yoga is suitable for all bodies, ages, shapes and sizes. It offers a perfect complement to a dynamic physical workout or other more yang-style yoga practices. Yin Yoga is a non-threatening yoga and there is never a feeling of having to “keep up” in class. While most forms of exercise train the muscles and the cardiovascular system through repetition and quicker movements, Yin Yoga focuses on the ’slower tissues’ of the body. It targets what is usually left out: our ligaments, joints, bones, and fascia – the connective tissues and parts of our body which deteriorate through over-use or degenerate through sedentary live-styles and aging. As we hold poses with the muscles relaxed for long periods of time, we effect passive stretches and therapeutic ‘stresses’ on precisely those body-tissues. This stimulates and harmonizes the flow of Chi (or Prana) in our body, but more important, we can reverse and slow the usual aging symptoms. We don’t age in our muscles, but in our connective tissues, like our joints get dry, our ligaments shrink, and we feel more brittle and tight. When for example stiffness occurs in our hips or back, it is NOT a muscular problem, but because of our ligaments shrinking and contracting. So in a Yin practice we cultivate elasticity and re-create space through a gentle pull and wait. This spurs deep releases in the connective tissues, but also stimulates the production of Hyaluronic Acid, which binds water and keeps for example our joints lubricated and young.
What is the difference between Yin Yoga and Restorative Yoga?
Restorative Yoga uses props to support and hold the body in positions in which it can completely relax and unwind for a longer period of time. In Yin Yoga, we still ‘exercise’. Like in Restorative, we also hold poses with the muscles relaxed, but we effectuate long, passive stretches on our joints and ligaments. We target those ’slower tissues’ of the body with a gentle ‘therapeutic stress’.
When the muscles do not engage as in dynamic workouts, they don’t “steal the stretch away,” it is the connective tissue that gets to “exercise.”
Let’s take the example of a Seated Forward Bend, or Pachimottanasana. In more Yang Yoga styles, you activate your leg muscles, you engage bhandas and the muscles along the spine to lengthen your torso, and then tilt forward from your hip. In the same pose in Restorative Yoga we would place big bolsters and pillows under the torso, so we would lean forward, but resting and supported by the bolsters. In Yin Yoga we also lean over our extended legs, but with the spine round and the muscles of spine, neck and head relaxed. We don’t stretch and engage muscles or energetic locks to get deeper into the pose, nor would we support our torso up like in Restorative Yoga. In Yin we simply hold this pose with the spine bent over the legs for 3 to 5 minutes, and allow gravity and time to do the work. As we are seated and ‘hang’ in there, the ligaments along the spine get slowly pulled and start to extend. You often can literally feel the many releases along your spine with that. I certainly can say that my body has opened up so much more in the last 3 years with Yin Yoga. It feels much more subtle, flexible, and energized in a very calm way.
Why should people practice Yin & Restorative Yoga?
Besides the numerous physical benefits we’ve discussed, Restorative & Yin Yoga styles are about including the other part of the equation – the softer more feminine side – of life. Yin and Restorative practices are not better than the more active styles of yoga, but instead can be viewed as a necessary component in our overly active yang culture and fast paced lifestyles. The feminine side is always about nourishment and restoration. It is about experiencing and celebrating life. The masculine in us is about ‘the mission’, about getting things done, pursuing goals. But besides this necessary balance of Yang and Yin, of action and yielding, the ultimate aim of Yoga is to know our true identity and to reconnect to the sweetness and the openness that we are. Yoga is about the invitation to realize who we really are, it is about the timeless essence, the sacred. I find that more contemplative practices like Yin or Restorative lend themselves wonderfully to that self-inquiry. We are not too distracted by alignments or the form of the poses, but have ample space for insight, for stillness, and natural meditation to be revealed.
What is Energy Psychology?
Energy Psychology is a rather new field, but has already become well known, as it has proven to be an amazingly effective therapeutic approach. While in a more conventional therapeutic setting, one’s psychological problems are cognitively analyzed, Energy Psychology targets the underlying energetic component, the energetic field around the thoughts. So, in Energy Psychology the practitioner brings the attention shortly to the psychological issue, but then also notices simultaneously the habitual distress that occurs in the body with that. Through stimulating the energy points one then counteracts and releases the old habitual stress response in the nervous system and brain. We can actually change our brain “wires” or more correctly put, neural pathways, and regain balance and emotional well-being. While with more severe trauma, personality disorders, or drug abuse, one should always consult and work with a mental health professional, there are nevertheless some simple and very effective tools that everyone can learn to be more relaxed and responsive instead of being driven by outdated anxious reactions.
What can someone expect to gain/receive in the retreat experience? Anything unexpected?
No goal other than creating space for deep nourishment, and letting go, and whatever else shows up that needs to be met and embraced.
Lastly, my signature interview question…what did you have for breakfast this morning?
The Harmony Special – eggs on a corn tortilla with avocado & black beans. Pura vida!
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Notes from the Cleanse
This blog entry was written by a friend during her Raw Juice Cleanse and Fast Retreat experience – I was so inspired by her words that I asked her if I could share it on the site…enjoy!
First of all I can’t believe it took me so long to visit Hacienda del Sol.
What an amazing place to be!
So I signed up for this 7-day Cleanse and didn’t really know what to expect.
I am pleasantly surprised!
I love my cabina. It’s important to have a comfortable place to retreat, if need be, when doing a cleanse. I have a loft, which I have yet to explore – and lots of space including my own hammock and porch! Note to self (sit in it tomorrow).
Everyone on the Cleanse this week is a woman. Super! Girl Power! What I came to Costa Rica for! It feels like a special week.
There are people on the cleanse who have flown to Costa Rica, specifically for the Cleanse, from long distances – way to get the word out there, Joy! Caroline came all the way from Belgium!
So now that I have been here for 2 days, I am getting to know the routine. I’ll fill you in on how it goes here.
Most of us wake up early, when it’s still a bit dark, before 6am. And, usually I’m up for the morning and can’t get back to sleep. (I am trying to balance that out tonight by staying up later than 8:30pm!)
Yoga with Joy is at 7am. It is so lovely. What a treat. Really! Then we have our morning check-in with our “green drink” not my favorite but, “it’s good for you Tierney!” This is what I keep telling myself. Everyone else seems to love them…?
Next, we do 1 of 2 daily colemas…which I won’t go into details. :) They’re intense – it involves 1.89L of water, an addition (coffee, lemon, garlic, apple cider vinegar or chlorophyll) and my colon and large intestines.
Today a few of us had a mud bath and laid on the deck in the sun until we were nice and crispy. End result: detoxified, beautiful, smooth skin.
Now its time for a another juice and off to the beach. Menlha calls it Venus beach. It is so beautiful and tranquil. I love this beach. It recharges the soul.
Back to Hacienda del Sol for another colema and then meditation at 5ish, along with some journaling and our “dinner” of potassium broth…and wonderful fellowship.
We get to do whatever we like, whenever we like. This IS good. It’s the kind of life I like.
My energy was really good today. The actual cleansing involved a lot of releasing and letting go which will eventually lead to more clarity.
So, my intention for this cleanse is to unplug, relax, clean out the colon, get clear and be present in the process.
I am inspired to eat more raw food and prepare more raw meals.
I am inspired to follow my heart and not waste time on frivolous things.
I am inspired to read more books that speak to my heart.
I am inspired to continue with my daily practice of yoga, prayer, meditation, and contemplation through journaling.
I am inspired to share joy, happiness and love with those around me. That’s you guys! woo hoo!!
I am inspired to follow my heart and bring my dreams into reality.
I am inspired to continue to be a channel and to be of service whenever possible in my daily life.
I am inspired to continue to be a true, happy, pure version of me.
Thank you for your love and support to help me become the best person I can be.
I love and miss you all so so much. You have a very special place in my heart.
Let’s hang out when I get back to the ‘hood!
I am here to love and support you on your journey in this life.
Life is precious, live it wisely.
And eat healthy. Because your body says so – it works hard for you so do it a favor!
Much love, peace, harmony, light and laughter to you,
Tierney
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Inquiry-based Living
During January/February, I assisted/co-taught a month-long Interdisciplinary Teacher Training, led by my teachers, Amba and Don Stapleton, PhD at the Nosara Yoga Institute. I love these trainings for many reasons, but mainly it is the principle of inquiry-based education, and what it inspires, that brings me back time and time again.
In these trainings and from my own life experience, I am reminded how important it is to bring this process of inquiry, or contemplation, not only to our yoga mats or spiritual practice but also into the totality of our own lives.
For me, when I choose to not make assumptions and to live in this inquiry-based way, I relax into a beginner’s mindset and all of my previously held beliefs can take a back-seat to what I am experiencing *here*now* in the present moment. Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki sums up this concept quite well with his quote, In the mind of the beginner there are many possibilities, in the mind of the expert, there are few. When we can tap into this relaxed mindset, a child-like curiosity or a joie de vivre comes in, and the pressure of having “to know what we know” is removed, allowing us to keep an open mind as we learn or simply experience our day-to-day lives. And, in our exploration, we may find some new wisdom or a new way of being that helps us to grow and better understand ourselves – and the life are meant to live.
Several years ago, in the middle of downtown Manhattan, I had an ah-ha moment when I realized that there are MANY ways to live and be in this world. “Societal norms” is only one and we don’t have to be a slave to expectations – our own or others. Each day presents the opportunity to let go of “our stories” and the past, and to open or listen even more deeply to our own intuitive voice.
This spring, we are exploring the principles of Anusara Yoga and Surfing the waves of Playa Guiones, Cleansing with Raw Foods & Acupuncture, feeling the vibes of luxurious Jamaica and traveling to magical Marrakech, Morocco. By stepping into a new location or situation, it is our intention for these retreats to bring incredible experiences and to open up new ways of living and being in each of us.
In the adventure of living,
~joy
joy@inwardbound.com
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Rethinking Resolutions
As I look down at my planner, I can’t believe it says 2009! Each year seems to pass a bit more quickly, doesn’t it? Why is that? Is it the busyness of adulthood, career demands, children, endless choices and options, being too “connected” (in the technical sense) – where is our time going? And, are we really paying attention to our lives? With each passing day, I am becoming ever more sensitive to the deep value in practicing present moment awareness…for numerous reasons. One of my highlights from 2008 was finally, after much acclaim, reading Eckhart Tolle’s, “A New Earth”. For me, this book did a brilliant job of not only explaining the importance becoming present, but how to live it. To BE it.
Moving into this new year, I have been reflecting on what I’d like to manifest over the next 12 months. One of my intentions is actually to relinquish my need to “do” so much and more into a higher vibrational space of “being”. In a moment of “productivity anxiety” a few months ago, Sura Kim, one my my dear teachers reminded me of the Zen saying, “a true leader does nothing.” Wow. Can my hard-working, achieving, western mind really buy into this idea? Can we really just allow things to come to us via intentionality and alignment with divine energy? Yes! …because it, everything around you – money included, is ALL energy .
“Let things come to you”, says my Yogi Tea fortune the next day.
As I talk to friends and family, most everyone seems to be tired of running around and maintaining possessions or a certain lifestyle. And, fortunately and unfortunately, it is usually times of crisis (or exhaustion) that force us to reassess our lives and rethink what it is that we really, really want. This month, I’d like to encourage everyone to go beyond their typical list of New Year’s Resolutions and ask, “how do I really want to live my life?” The answer might surprise you. When I did this a few years ago, and was really honest with myself, it took me down a path that was very uncertain and a little scary – and the best decision I have ever made.
Maybe you’ll find that incorporating more mindfulness and a consistent meditation practice is coming up for you, or perhaps it’s the desire to surf warm water waves and try a new style of yoga, or maybe its just finding more ease and balance in your life. If so, over the next few months, inward bound is hosting some fabulous retreats to help get you get started. Our menu includes yoga and surfing vacations, heavenly Jamaica, an amazing raw food cleanse & meditation instruction and an Anusara Yoga retreat with a fabulous certified Anusara teacher, BJ Galvan. We’re also adding some more yoga/surfs for July and a delicious restorative and yin yoga retreat July 12-18. For anyone interested in the Outer Banks and Mountains of North Carolina, we will have dates and a detailed course description within the next few weeks.
Please email me thoughts, feedback & suggestions!
Wishing you infinite blessings in 2009, joy
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Welcome to the new inward bound site!
I am THRILLED to launch our new site which includes this blog that I will be updating weekly and our highly anticipated store that will feature the Leila Yoga collection and other lovely items from Bazaar de Nosara, Gonca Gul’s store. You can browse and find out why all the girls in Nosara look soo lovely. (I am particularly fond of the Zoe Yoga pants right now!)
Of course, our wonderful retreats will hold center stage. The menu we have for this spring/upcoming high season is exceptional – starting off with a yogaSurf at our beloved Harmony Hotel, a cleanse at Hacienda del Sol – a beautiful place that I consider to be an oasis of healing & renewal, followed by an amazing Anusara Yoga Retreat with a fabulous teacher who is currently on yoga tour in South America. We’ll finish out the season with 2 yogaSurf weeks at the Jungle Beach House, one of my favorite properties in Nosara, which is just steps away from the beach and the epitome of glorious tropical living.
For the US summer, I’m currently working on 2 family weeks at the Greystone Inn on Lake Toxaway, a spot that I like to describe as “the Lake Como of the south.” A beautiful, thoughtfully designed destination that is perfect for families and offers a little something for everyone: golf, tennis, swimming, boating & beautiful hiking …and we’ll bring in the yoga!
A trip to India is in the works for 2010. A friend and co-worker of mine from my days at the Chopra Center, a very special woman named Corrine, just married a wonderful man from India where they now spend 6 months a year. They are running tours around Southern India and I just can’t wait to co-create and/or participate in any way that I can in their company and travel itinerary. They believe in treating their clients as guests, a philosophy that I strongly identify with, and love introducing people to beautiful places. And, did I mention that Corrine has the voice of an angel and offers nightly kirtan?! We are also planning to add a week of yoga study post-tour…
Back to the new site – I worked with Minima Designs, a company out of Richmond and I will forever sing the praises of Michelle Martinello, the owner and head designer. She is so talented and just a pleasure to work with. We wanted the site to reflect the essence of the inward bound experience, which in my mind is to create a sense of spaciousness and ease, helping guests reconnect to their inner selves via the ocean, surfing, yoga, meditation or experiencing a new place. The site conveys what I feel when I walk out onto the beach in Nosara, or a beautiful beach anywhere – ease, openness and a reverence for nature and all it has to teach us. The word, or concept, I’m actually meditating on these days is “spaciousness” and the idea of creating space around everything, especially challenging situations or relationships.
Let’s commit to doing the work in this lifetime – enjoying the journey, both inward and outward, and growing and learning in the process.
I hope you enjoy the site as much as I have enjoyed creating it with Michelle.
Please email with any thoughts, feedback, comments or suggestions for the site, or future retreat locations or ideas, or whatever is on your mind – I will love it!
joy@inwardbound.com
See you on the beach,
joy
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