Internship Snippets

My internship takes up a large portion of my Cambodian afternoons. Researching, editing, and composing material for Chab Dai has been a lot of work. It has also been a great deal of fun working with the Cambodian staff. Learning more about the organization and it's programs has helped me understand a how Chab Dai is truly leading the way in combating human trafficking.

Here is a peak at a small portion of my internship work:
http://chabdai.blogspot.com/#!/2012/06/invest-in-childsafe-holiday.html

Seen it.

Grammar lessons for small children happen daily. It is the constant correction by adult figures that shapes childhood language acquisition. I saw it, not I seen it. I wrote, not I written. These statements seem to stand out to the adult ear. They are almost unpleasing phrases as our ears are not accustomed to their utterances. We immediately correct. The corrections continue until the foundations of language are cemented. From here this author could take you on a journey about teaching ESL in a foreign nation, but that is not the focus. The focus is on sight. Using that phrase, "I seen it," is like a rock in your shoe. One must address it. So as a child would say, "I seen Phnom Penh."

What exactly has this author seen? Well, life in Kendal, the province which surrounds PPenh, is drastically different from what lay within the city boundaries. Outside of the city one will see traditional farms with one story raised houses, to save possessions from the floods of rainy season. Water buffalo graze on the sparse yellow grass and workers dot the rice paddies laboring in the hot sun. Yet when one steps inside of the Phnom Penh bubble, you will find luxurious air-conditioned cafes boast $5 dollar meals (when most day laborers earn one a day), Range Rovers meander through a swarm of motos, and the highest concentration of luxurious homes Cambodia. [Take note that this author is not including Shinoukville or Siem Reap as they generate most of their wealth from tourism.] Two worlds exist. Clearly funding is held up somewhere. It seems an unspoken statement, because all words have been used up. Nothing changes even when the brave few cry out for justice.

Take some time to please read this article on the dispersal of wealth. With a better understanding under your belt now of life in this place, take some time to give thanks for the comfort and consistency of your homeland. Please join with me in praying for this city. Let us offer up prayers for a new leader to be installed. Maybe then this country can slip out of the word "potential" to try on "achieved". Now you have "seen it" too, so please pass along the request of prayer.

Cheeky, Sneaky Cat

Normally I'm a big fan of animals, but since I moved into my house I've been avoiding the resident little calico like the plague. There's just something about pets, no matter how clean, in developing worlds that is questionable to me. However, over the past week Cocoa has been bound and determined to become my best friend. I have tolerated her to a certain extent. She started creeping closer and closer as I was doing work for my internship or when I would lesson plan. It was actually kind of nice to have a buddy during such dull hours. Today however, laying right next to me turned into getting as close as possible. She sure is a cheeky, sneaky little thing.

Kicking it with the King at Bonn Chroat Preah Nongkoal

Last Wednesday began as a perfectly crisp cool morning, the night air remained delightfully cold and pushed it's breeze through til morn. Actually it was cool enough that a blanket was necessary to sleep, a phenomenon indeed during this time of the year. I showered and dressed hastily to meet my friends for the Royal Ploughing Ceremony; held annually, this event creates such a stir that schools, governmental offices, and even shops close up. Maybe it is because this event is one where King Norodom Shinouk himself attends. The ceremony has historically been carried out by the royal family, where the king would direct the plough around the field as his wife would walk some feet behind sowing rice seeds.

The entire event was fascinating, though sitting in the tourist section adjacent to the King's was rather hot. Our seated section was not dotted with ceiling fans, but the free water and vintage hand fans did help a little. Prior to the ploughing, Buddhist monks open the ceremony by chanting. Then the royal oxen, bred specifically for this annual event, are lead by the king's royal hand around the field three times. However the royal family actually no longer leads this event, so a elected King Meakh and representative Queen Me Hour take their places.

Once the whole procession have lapped the track three times, Brahmins pray to the Gods of Heaven for blessing over the harvest season to come. Royal oxen are then lead to a row of silver trays. These trays contain individual portions of rice, corn, beans, fresh cut grass, water and wine. After the Brahmans see the items eaten they are able to make a prediction about the next season. For example, if fresh cut grass is eaten there will be pestilence amongst the livestock in the land. Or if the wine is sipped gangs will rule the city. No, I did not make the last one up, it was in the tourist info packet! From where we were sitting, it looked like the oxen ate corn, rice, and grass; but no one confirmed or denied it. What could come of next year's harvest, we will leave that knowledge to the Brahmans and the Khmer.

All in all it was a very educating day. We even got to see the king himself! You know a country is small if you get to see a king walk within 10 feet of you (see photo below).  So, if you would like to see video of the event start at 4:20: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laNEy9hGrI8

My home... let me speak of my home. It is a spacious place, complete with gorgeous flowering plants, a meowing cat, and a full size fridge! Though owned by a young couple, it is clear that their three little kids run this nesting ground of insects. They jabber on at breakfast and lunch, spur impromptu soccer sessions post snacktime and beg for bedtime stories after dinner. Questions stream forth from their mouths like mist from a waterfall. "What are you doing?" "Where are you going?" "Will you read to me?" Are just a few of the daily interrogation sessions I receive. We play monsters, blocks, and toys together. Some days we even teach each other new yoga moves, but mostly we fetch water for one another and sit beneath the cool breeze of the ancient metal fans. Of course toys, books, and Dora videos lay strewn about the living room at intervals of the day but it's all good fun. They call that interactive play, apparently it's good for learning. Daytime is pleasant. 
Bedtime is not. Bedtime is when the night crawlers come out. When in the stillness one can hear both the serenading crickets and those pesky termites chomping the wooden closet to mush. Spiders crawl wherever they please, millipedes greet me for morning showers, and my room recently became the safety nest for a gecko mother to give birth to wee ones. Ants in Korea were few and far between, only a slight nuissance cleared by the simple removal of trash. Here the ants smell dinner cooking and at times attack even before preparation is complete. They are nasty little buggers and will even bite when threatened. Biting is ok, but if they pee on you (yes odd I know) it burns like acid and literally leaves a slight wound in the cutanious territory that was "marked". Somedays these things are funny, but more often then not they are uncomfortable. Yet it feels like it, that is to say life, should be more that way; that nature should weave its way in and out of our days rather then sterile homes void of natural excitement.
For better or for worse, this is my Cambodia home.

Ghost Town

Ghost towns are strange eery places. They are not where you want to be usually because something has happened or is about to. Impending disaster or frightful terrors lurk aroung the corner. So why did I choose to stay in the empty and still town of Phnom Penh during Khmer New Year? Well... I wanted to practice riding a moto! Ok, also to save money and cement my bearings of the city while everyone else hopped on motos, bus', planes and trains to return to their home provinces to celebrate. Sure it would have been fun to accept my new teaching assistant's offer to accompany her out to the countryside for dancing, eating and chatting but being the only barang (foreigner) was less appealing then a moto jaunt.

So amidst the deserted streets of the city, Adam instructed Abi and I on how to start, stop, and switch gears on our motorized ponies. Of course this all sounded familiar to my dad instructing me on how to do likewise on a quad, only that had four wheels... not two. Two wheels means one must be far more attentive to potholes, gravel, and corners. The worst of the two wheel balancing act were the round-a-bouts, but after a little practice Abi and I took reign of the surrounding ten blocks. Basics of moto-riding have been conquered, yet the next is to try when there is the usual PP mad dash traffic. Where tuk-tuks putt alongside of overburdened semi-trucks (a junior version of stateside ones) while cars battle to sway away the pesky moto-flies that cut off a normally free right hand turn, truly this is a challenge to be won. It is all just a daily reminder to be thankful for the moments in life you are given. Just make sure if you ever come to Phnom Penh make sure to wear a helmet when riding a bike or moto. Safety first!

Kampuchea Questions

The following are just a few questions one might ask themselves or traveling companions when in Phnom Pehn. Most are quite apt for all of southeast Asian travel, some are specifically Cambodia.
"Did you see that?!"
"Loot at how many people they fit in that trailer."
"Do they always pile garbage on the street like that?"
"Why is that old man exposing his belly?"
"What is that cloth on that woman's head?"
"Did you know Angry Birds was such a fashionable trend?"
"Is it always going to be this hot?"
"Is this country Muslim, what is that noise over the loudspeaker, a call to prayer?"
"How is that woman sitting sideways on that motorcycle?"
"Was that really a Range Rover next to the railroad tracks?"
"Do people really live in those tin shacks?"
"Why is that fish sitting in a basket in the sun? Won't it turn rancid?"
"I see the washing machine, but where is the dryer?"
"Where are we?"
"How did they fit two adults and four kids on that vespa?"
"What are those squiggly swirls? Are those letters?"
"I'm covered in sweat, how can it be so muggy?"
"Where can we get water?"
"What is that smell?"
"Is it always time for a smoke break?"
"Where is the waiter?"
"Do you have air-con (air conditioning)?"
"How much for tuk-tuk ride to Wat Phnom?"
"What are people wearing long sleeve shirts?"
"Why is that river brown, moreover why are people fishing in it?"
"What is that prickly fruit? It smells bad."
"Is that meat in the glass case really safe to eat?"
"How much for this?"
"Did you know coffee could be this strong and sweet?"
"What are we eating?"
"Where is the Russian Market?"
"Is this what dehydration feels like?"

How to Choose an Anti-trafficking Organization

As many anti-trafficking organizations are popping up all over the world, it's quite easy to lump them all together; however, not all should be equally weighted. Particular organizations focus on raising awareness on a local and national scale, others work on research and legislation, some focus on rescue of victims, others work on criminal justice for the victims, and some focus on rehabilitation of rescued victims. Most of these organizations are filled with passionate and well educated individuals working tirelessly for the cause that has been written upon their hearts; so if they all do great things, which should you support? First, be aware of the focus of the organization, does it match what you are most passionate about? Second, know where the organization allocates its funds; what percentage goes to staff, overhead costs, projects, networking, etc... Check out the financial transparancy of the organization, which is usually linked to the NGO's website. Third, do you want to invest locally or globally? Fourth, talk to someone from the organization. Ask questions, be informed! Your investment should be well researched, just like your stock options.
For years, I have been following the growing networks of anti-trafficking organizations. After participating in Seattle based events and collaborations on raising awareness for trafficking, I felt the need to exprience a more hands on experience by working in Southeast Asia. While working at The Garden of Hope in Northern Thailand, I began to tangibly recognize Southeast Asia was a hotspot for trafficking, largely because of the societial view that women are second class citizens and children are valued less then women. There is even an old Khmai (Cambodian) proverb that states, "Men are gold, women are cloth." With all of this in mind, I have now chosen to invest my next year volunteering at Chab Dai, a Cambodia based NGO.
In 2005, Chab Dai, which means “joining hands” in Khmer, began work in Cambodia. "Chab Dai aims to bring an end to trafficking and sexual exploitation through coalition building, community prevention, advocacy and research. In addition to our office in Cambodia, the vision of Chab Dai has been expanded into the USA and Canada," reads their vision statement. Chab Dai is well respected nationally and internationally, for their dedication to coalition building (uniting organizations by acknowledging set standards), researching issues and resourcing organizations with up to date information, advocating and initiating prevention measures for at risk populations, and establishing effective aftercare methods.
Over the next year, I would appreciate your support and prayers. While volunteering in Southeast Asia is exciting, it can also be emotionally draining at times. I am excited to see what this year will hold and am forever grateful for your partnership with me during this time.

If you would like to support my partnership with Chab Dai click here: http://www.chabdai.org/sanstad.html

Body Awareness: Helpful Hint for a Yoga Beginner

Have you gone to a yoga class or two at your local gym, or tried a free online class, or a yoga video at home but still didn't get it? Don't worry! You have already done the hard part by mustering the courage to try.
As much as your mind may say "I need to look like the instructor in this pose," it is not always true. Each one of our bones are shaped differently thanks to genetics and diet. Muscles just like our bones are the same, one side may be larger or smaller then the other due to diet, exercise, injury or repetative motion (such as a baseball pitcher with an overworked right arm). If you don't already know what are the areas in which you hold pain or tension in your body? These generally will be the areas that are overworked and need to be addressed to further your yoga practice. Do you sit in an office all day hunched over a computer? Chances are your downward facing dog pose will be challenging, yet it will also help bring release to that tension.
Write a mental list of these areas and check how they feel when you take your next yoga class. Also, when you see the super flexible instructor or yogi neighbor attempting Mermaid pose don't give into the feeling of competition, remember your body is structured differently. Listen to what it says!

Take some time to try an at home practice to test your body awareness. Doing a slow, breath filled practice at home will allow your body to relax in a comfortable setting without the pressure of following a class pace. Take a few sun salutations to get started http://www.yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm) and then move into Warrior I or Warrior II. (You may choose other poses that are challenging to your practice, if you don't remember which ones or would like to see other variations check out: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/browse_categories). With your new body awareness in mind, try to relax. Don't force your body into a position it is not ready for. Listen when your muscles feel they are being stretched beyond a comfortable position, stop and come out of or lessen the pose. Breathe here and allow those tense muscles to renew its oxygen supply. Then go back into the pose slowly. Taking these steps will help you dig deeper into the tough poses.

When you have completed your home class take time to see what feels different in your body before rushing to your next project. Ask yourself what feels different and what did you learn? Slowly answer these questions and rest in your rejuvanated body. The best part of yoga is the mental and physical clarity after finishing your practice! Relish in it!

Transitions

Now that my yoga course is completed, I will be heading to Cambodia. Prior to my time on Koh Pha Ngan, I visited Cambodia to interview for an internship with Chab Dai, an anti-trafficking organization based in Phnom Penh. The interview in January went splendidly and over the past few months we have been working out the details of my involvment. As it stands now, I will be working with the communications team, helping to streamline the materials they publish and editing stories written by nationals. It is exciting to finally have the chance to work with such a well respected anti-trafficking organization.

During my time in Cambodia, I will also be networking with other organizations to offer yoga therapy for victims of trafficking and for caregivers. Why does it help victims? Yoga has been used in many cases to help victims of trauma regain self-confidence and physical strength. Yoga can also help victims to regain their voice by allowing past trauma to move through them, rather then continuing to hold it in bodily form. So, why help caregivers? Caring for others requires a great deal of time and attention, most people who do this give selflessly and can easily burn out. Yoga is a means of softening and listening to your body, allowing the caregivers a safe space where they too can work through physical and emotional stress.

I have to say a big thank you to all of the yogis from my Virajati teacher training course that donated their yoga mats and blocks to get this project underway. You all are yoga superstars in my book!

Officially a Yogi

After two months of hard work, I am officially a Alliance Certified yoga instructor. These three hundred hours of training have filled my brain with proper allignment cues, meditation practices, massage and muscle manipulation techniques. Planning classes seems to flow naturally from within; as I've learned to focus on building the weaknesses and expanding the strengths of the class participants. So if you want to see how yoga can expand your mind, ease bodily pain, and rejuvenate your energy take some time to practice with me!

Practicum: Last Test

Just as in college, each yoga student had to prepare a final class. Each lesson was dissected by our three head teachers to ensure we had learned proper alignment, safe lesson structuring (ensuring the body is properly warmed so no injuries occur during difficult poses), and were confident in our hands on adjustments (when you manually help someone dig deeper into a posture). Needless to say this scrutiny was intimidating.

Each student had an hour to instruct their lesson and could theme it in various ways. Some individuals chose to do a prenatal class, some focused on meditation, and others focused on quick paced hatha or vinyasa yoga. I chose to do a high intensity vinyasa class. Sounds like fun right? Well when I stood up to teach, on a muggy hot Friday afternoon, the last thing it seemed everyone wanted was an energetic class. However, I was feeling confident and stuck to my plan.

After a little game of poparazzi, where you and your yoga buddy pretend to be a celebrities, everyones mood lifted. The theme of my class was lighthearteness and I traced it through the yoga class with upbeat music and tender words. The lesson went like this: Centering (focusing on breath) - Sun Salutations- Core work (crunches)- Vinyasa- Stretching- Shavasana (final resting pose). By the end everyone felt as though they conquered the afternoon. While my instructors gave me a few points of constructive criticism followed with encouraging, I was smiling from ear to ear and celebrating with a mental track of "Celebrate Good Times" for the test was finally over!

Inhale Exhale Inhale

It sounds funny to suggest that someone breathe. Our lives are full of breath; quickness of breath when we are nervous, shallow breath after running uphill, deep breath to take in the ocean air. We need breath twenty-four hours a day, yet so often we are unconscious of our breath. It comes easily so why stop to think about it? Well breath has the incredible ability to calm you. In our ever quickening, stress filled lives it is important to take time for practices that will refresh your tired body and mind.

The common pattern is for us to breath with only a fraction of our lung capacity. With a shallow breath cycle as this we leave old oxygen to fall to the bottom of our lung lobes. The old air, which was oxygen rich upon arrival into the lungs, has now become stale. It can no longer expel fresh oxygen to the tissues of the body. Yep, you are right it is time, dear reader to inhale some new Co2 to revitalize your weary tissues.

Steps to a little less stress and a little more Co2:
1. Find a quiet place to sit and relax. (Sitting crosslegged on a cushion in a warmly lit area works best. My favorite spot here is a little jungle hideout with an ocean view: see pic.)
2. Sit up straight and close your eyes.
3. Begin to focus on your breath. Recognize how shallow or deep it is, but do not change it yet.
4. Now begin to inhale past what is normally comfortable.
5. Retain your breath at the top of your inhale.
6. Stay here for 5 seconds, before the exhale. (Or start at one and work up to five.)
7. Exhale completely, past what you would normally do.
8. Stop for 5 seconds at the end of the exhale before inhaling again. Repeat steps 4-8 five times.

If you enjoyed this exercise you can find more information about pranayama (breath focus) by reading: http://http://www.yogajournal.com//practice/2574

Neuroplasticity and Brain Games

Neuroplasticity sounds like a horrendous word, but stay with me here. It is the specific neuroscience study of how the brain and nervous system change in response to its enviornment. What does all that talk mean when at a yoga training? Well, it is commonly accepted that once you hit a certain age your capacity to learn is shot. Though it is true neurons in your brain can die, the synaptic connections (the pathways that send information signals to the cerebral cortex-where the brain signals the body to action) can continually be re-organized through challenging active experiences. But if you aren't challenging your mind, these connections shut down so your brain can refocus its energy elsewhere. So, when you challenge yourself to learn a language, take up a new sport, or play sudoku, you challenge your brain to re-organize itself. With these newly formed neuro connections your brain can react faster to enviornmental changes. The best connections are generally formed when we work those areas we shy away from. Such as those who avoid math at all cost, take some time to do a few multiplication or division problems (no you may not use a calculator)!

Specific activities that can help you to form these connections are:
-Completing puzzles
-Learning a new language
-Yoga!
-Lifting weights
-Sudoku
-Scrabble
-Reading
-Crossword puzzles
-Brain games on http://www.lumosity.com/

Your two challenges for today are to find a new activity that will challenge your brain and to answer this riddle: What happens once in a month, twice in a millenium, and never in a billion years?

Back in Action

Cambodia was a wonderful chance to break from two a day yoga classes but I missed two days of one of the most brutal weeks during the training, Warrior week. Even though I did follow the teachers recommendation and worked out while away, I still felt as though I missed feeling the heat with the rest of the group. Luckily I made it back on Wednesday to take part in the alignment lectures and to rest up just enough to jump in full power on Thursday. We ran the 113 stairs from the beach to the sand pit at the top five times. After that frog hops, jumps, lunges and crab strides were repeated across the pit. Once that was completed it was time to do push-ups, kip-ups, squats and jump ropping. This was done every morning, save for Friday. Friday morning was a glorious one of 108 sun salutations. For those of you who have done yoga before you know there are usually two or three sun salutations done as a warm up in class. Two or three is no big deal, but when we are talking about 108 you begin a mental war. Yet once you make it half way,

it becomes about staying in the zone, a mental space most professional athletes find quite easily.

Warrior week inspired more confidence within everyone. The knowledge that you can push your body to new limits and then to reap the benefits is a rush, but it didn't stop there. Some people have pushed deeper into poses, some walk a bit taller, some sing with more confidence and others speak with more gusto. These photos show just these things: chanting class where we sang the Sandscrit musical scales equivalent of do, re, me, fa... where everyone sang sweeter and then Harry finding new depth during our alignment class.

It was a wonderful way to end the fifth week!

+33 hours Southern Thai Islands to Mainland Cambodia

The following is a log of my overland journey from Koh Pha Ngan, South Thailand to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. One must note that upon arrival to Thailand foreigners receive a 30 day visa, if one wishes to stay longer they must cross the border to obtain a new visa. With this fact in mind, I will commence. (It is quite a lengthy post yet the delight is in the details of the trip only Asia can provide.)

Wednesday, January 1
9:00am- Post yoga class mental exclamation, "Oh no! I have to do my visa run this weekend."

9:07am- Head Instructor Ashton explains, "Nikki, you can cross by land but you will only get 15 days, same same at the Samui consulate. So why not fly back in from Malaysia or Cambodia and then you can get the full 30 days rather then doing two border runs?"

9:09am- "Ok, I'll look into it."

3:30pm- After two hours of thorough internet research checking on a consulate trip to Samui, overland routes that include multiple vans and boats to Malaysia and Cambodia my head is dizzy. "Maybe I should just ask the travel agent," I finally conceed.

4:45pm- I purchase the only necessary flight from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Bangkok, Thailand. This allows for a new 30 day visa yet it is only a small leg of the trip. So I purchase a travel package from Pha Ngan to Phnom Pehn.

Thursday, January 2
9:30am- After morning yoga class, I tell teachers I will depart today.

11:05am- Leave anatomy class on alignment.

11:45am- Arrive by taxi to Tong Sala Pier and wait for the boat in a monsooning rain. Picture 130 plus sweating tourists with heavy hiking packs crammed beneath a six foot by three foot awning.

3:13pm-Realize this boat was only the first of two I must take to get to the mainland.

3:15pm- Step outside the VIP room (aka a sauna of a room that has actual seats to sit down upon) to catch some Thailand rays, yet I promptly return when throngs of more tourists board the vessel.

3:27pm- Fake Ray-Bans bite the dust, yet this sorrowful moment is quicky wisked away after seeing a cute old tourist and his wife reading their large map with a magnifying glass. This is only half of my internal laughter because in the same moment this is happening a Thai tourguide is harrassing two Chinese girls about taking a dive trip. Quite a normal scene yet I couldn't help but laugh when they finally admitted they had no interest since they cannot swim.

5:38pm- "I spy land."

6:50pm- Spill the last third of my pad thai all over my shirt and jeans. Perfect.

7:37pm- First bus to Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. Maybe we will arrive at 5am?

Friday, January 3

3:30am- Wake up from a heavy slumber to the bus driver shouting, "Bangkok, Bangkok, Bangkok."

3:39am- After haggling with a tuk tuk driver I climb in and we speed off to Khao San Road where the last of the sleezy bar dwellers are offering up their insides to the city sewers.

3:49am- Convince two hotel front desk ladies to let me use a vacant room to shower in.

4:45am-I have to mentally justify the terrible thing I will now do. "May I have a hot coffee and a large fry please," I cowardly ask the McDonald's staff. (Listen, it is the ONLY place open 24 hours, save for the convience store and they didn't have chairs! And I did use that time to write my first yoga class outline.)

7:17am-After two failed attempts at finding my bus stop, a quick pop into the internet cafe and a lovely chat with a German yogi, I find my next ride.

8:07am- Having curls pays off, or maybe not, cause I get to sit next to the driver. Yes, he is picking his nose and eating it, but at least this seat has air conditioning and arm room.

8:40am- Smile and laugh as my driver turns a two land road into a three land road to pass an accident. Nothing new to see here.

9:12am-Stop for petrol and coffee. See orange clad monks chain smoking cigarettes and chatting hurridly away on their cell phones.

9:17am-Remember to buckle up as the driver accelerates to breakneck speeds. "I'm the first to go," I think.

9:30am- Recognize the picture on thai signs flying by as betta fish (aka Siamese fighting fish which are indigenous to Thai rice paddies).

12:12pm- Arrive at the Thailand/Cambodia border, well nearly there. I must hop on a moto then cross by foot, only after buying a sketchy visa from two Thai guys that speak to me in a mix of French and English.

12:45pm Wait to immigrate to Kampuchea.

1:42pm-Last to arrive on the bus bound (fingers crossed) to Phnom Pehn. Thankfully they wait for the white people.

2:50pm-See a pony pulling a cart.

8:00pm- Dillusion is beginning to set in from cramping legs, arms, wrists, butt, etc... Each lighted roadside stand is one more dashed hope that the city is impending.

8:13pm- Teach the 28-year old Cambodian father of two next to me wrist stretches. Then we discuss yoga and meditation and the benefits of both.

8:45pm-View the family photos of my new friend.

9:37pm-Arrive in the city!

10:03pm- Bus finally stops and I must push back the tuk-tuk drivers with verbal shouts of "moment moment".

10:07pm-My tuk-tuk driver gets lost. I can't help but laugh, this would happen.

10:18pm- Yell to the unassuming balcony I pray to God my friends live in.

10:19pm- Heads appear a few stories up. "Finally!" I exclaim.

10:37pm-Crash into a deep sleep.

The Lows to Which an Addict Will Stoop

[If you don't know by now many of my posts are lighthearted some tounge in cheek and at times educational. This one is meant to be funny, so please proceed with that in mind. ]

Let's face it, Seattlites love coffee. Every morning I can't help but earnestly seek out some java. Iced or hot, sweet or bitter, strong or really strong. Admittedly, sometimes it is my motivation to crawl into bed at an early hour, so the morning comes a little sooner. There are times where I plan out my whole day on what coffee shop I hope to sip a piping hot latte from.

You can take a coffee-addicted Pacific Northwesterner out of the Pacific but you can't shake the addict out. The addict will adapt, like the eyes of a night owl to the darkness, to find the grounds for that cuppa' jo. Even when traveling, he or she will sense just how to aquire the rich liquid within mere hours of being relocated.

Yet when coffee isn't so cost effective at the new place of residence, what's one to do? Give it up right? Yes! ...if you have the self-control to do so this would be a very logical choice. Or you could go with option numero dos and opt for some Nescafe. That's right, I said it, Nescafe. Please find it in your heart fellow coffee snobs to forgive me this ill. It's either a cup of these sharp instant grounds or weeks of zombie mornings, hellish headaches, and a blurry mind.

The following is my love letter to Nescafe. Yup, that's right.

To my dearest Nescafe:
Nescafe you are the low to which this addict will stoop. Your darkened goodness and bitter taste are welcomed allies of my morning battle. Hot or cold, only Katy Perry distains, but for you my heart will remain. Please see me through.
So much love, Nikki

Week Three: Alignment

In week three we focused quite a bit on learning the anatomy and alignment of varying yoga postures. Proper alignment is key in making sure students do not hurt themselves in postures. Misalignment can cause strains and sprains.
Three keys to proper form are:
-Grounding of the feet in standing poses
-Engagement of the core (abdominal muscles)
-Rooting of the hands during floor poses
And the most important of all, remembering and reminding students to breath during every pose. This may be a funny thing to remind someone of but often individuals forget to breath during exercise. Here are a few pictures of our class alignment corrections.

Chili Sin Carne (Chili without meat)

Bless her heart Thailand has some pretty creative interpretations when it comes to food. I've heard of people getting a piece of cheese when ordering cheesecake. Ice chunks in milk when ordering ice cream. And experienced here at Serenity friends ordering a veggie burger made of only veggies (no actual burger). That I can laugh at but when I order chili con carne I expected the literal con (with) carne (meat). Yep, even yogis eat meat... well this one eats chicken at least. Well here's what comes when one orders chili con carne: chili peppers and soupy kidney beans. :) At least beans have some protein!

Yoga inspiration

How do I get through two, sometimes three asana (posture) classes a day? One name can answer this question: Luca. Aged to perfection at 4 years, this half French half Thai little tyke always brings a smile to my face whenever he darts into the room. His giggle is infectious and we have lots of fun together. His energy is what helps me get through yoga in the hot Thai afternoon.

How to wash laundry in SEA (Southeast Asia) after the rain.

So Thailand, still part of Asia, can experience terrential downpours at times. When this happens the nice laundry that you so cutely washed in the bathroom sink begins to reek of stale sweat, muggy earth, and whatever was cooked in the kitchen that afternoon. If that didn't create enough of a pungant smell in your nostrils just try going to smell that old sneaker you left in the laundry room but have still yet to wash.

It is necessary to rid the clothes of this smell because... well when traveling SEA you really only have about five sets that you rotate on a regular basis. And doing yoga in close proximity to others twice daily adds to the necessity of this washing effort. So why not just use the local laundry ladies? 30-40THB (roughly $1USD) per kilo of laundry seems like it's not that much but add it all up to an already tight budget it saves to do your own.
In preparation, run to the 7-11 to procure laundry detergent (this should cost roughly 33THB). Now we may commence!
To begin:
1. Catch and remove cockroach from washing area.
2. Gather laundry the wind has scattered about the patio during the monsoon.
3. Wet laundry in cold clean tap water.
4. Boil pot of water on stove. (This is to kill the mold that has begun to grow due to the damp air and perpetual rain.)

5. Add a scoop of unknown scented laundry detergent to the cool water.

6. Drain cool water from sink and pour in boiling water. Stir with appropriate kitchen tools. (To avoid burning your hands.)

7. Once the water has cooled, empty sink, ring laundry and hang in the sun to dry. 8. By evening your laundry should be done.

Now you know how to avoid the musky monsoon smell in your laundry! ;)

An Intentional Weekend

Last week finished strong, despite the fact that we all endured two asana (posture) classes a day for five days. (Some are 90 minute classes people!) These classes are already having a profound impact on my posture and gait. Regular exercise, which promotes blood flow, does wonders for the body and as well for the mind. Too often sitting still at a computer can bring back, neck and shoulder pain by tightening the front of the body. Yet when we regularly work on strengthening our back it can lead to a more open chest and ease stress regularly placed on the shoulders and neck. So... go walk, do yoga or get the blood flowing through other exercises.

Over the weekend there were many extra activities that one could choose from; such as a study of organic foods, a children's workshop, or a trip to town. The weekend was a nice change to sleep into 7am, rather then the usual 6am wakeup. Though this is not a habit I regularly keep at home (waking up early), I think it's one I might change. Waking up so early leaves so much time in the day to accomplish things, like an ocean swim, cleaning out the room, doing laundry. Saturday was spent visiting the main town on the island and shopping for fresh fruit and produce. The first time Thailand-visitors also went wild for the tshirts, yoga pants, and other fun island beach wear. After getting my first real latte in a week, we all crammed all 10 of us back into the sung theow (an old Toyota with two bench seats in the bed of the truck) out to Serenity.

Since I have an invested interest in working with women and children in a yoga therapy context, I chose a children's yoga workshop on Sunday afternoon. This workshop was held at an alternate yoga school on the island. So despite the torrential downpour three others and I made our way to Agama Yoga School. Our instructor Ra Dasi allowed us to sit in on an actual child's yoga class. Thoroughly energetic the kids bounced and babbled their way through the poses. They particularly loved the animal-inspired ones like cat/cow. It was a wonderful experience to see just how free she allowed the children to be yet Ra kept a fluid structure about the whole class. The kids were thoroughly engaged in the poses and even lead part of the classes. Truly it was an eye-opening experience of how to lead a kids class. I learned so much and can't wait to lead my own kiddo class.

Lovin my new home!

Welcome back the the adventures of Nikki in Thailand. I arrived about a week ago in Koh Pha Ngan, Southern Thailand for my yoga teacher training. After a short visit in Cambodia I hopped on a plane to Bangkok. Much to my shagrin I couldn't sleep suring my 8 hour layover there. Don't judge but the only quiet place (save for the flushing toilets) is often the bathroom. I was almost asleep when the cleaning ladies decided this should not be my place to slumber. ::Knock, Knock:: "Madam madam, you sleep here no!" Was my 1:45 am wakeup call.

After surviving this sleepless night, I popped onto a short flight to Koh Samui, the main island before my final destination. Once the flight landed I made my way to the ferry dock and held my stomach as the boat lurched to and fro on the way to the island. 8:30am I landed on Koh Pha Ngan and was shuttled by one of the yoga teachers (Ashton) to my new abode at Serenity.

This place is beautiful! I can't say enough about it, nor have I ever seen somthing like it in Thailand. To be quite fair it looks more like Tuscany on the outside. The little cottages are made of cement painted a cheerful yellow with red clay roof tiles and vines meandering their way up the side. Serenity is set on a hillside that slopes steeply to the ocean. (This is not a gentle slope by any means, and my thighs feel the burn everytime I hike to my room.) 131 stairs from the ocean to the top of the hill.