Anusara Immersion II in Taipei

I just returned from my second Anusara yoga immersion with Desiree Rumbaugh, at Space Yoga studio in Taipei. This was my first trip to Taiwan and it unlocked a piece of my heart. I cannot wait to return!

Space Yoga studio is very friendly and inviting. They have comfortable seating areas to encourage people to linger after class and complimentary herbal tea. Being English, I like nothing more than a nice cup of tea and a sit down!

Joining me on this immersion were a wonderful group of yoginis that I met on the first Anusara yoga immersion in Bali this summer. I realise with hindsight that I did not fully open my heart to the kula in Bali for many reasons, mostly fear. I am so happy that I had the chance to meet some of them again and get to know them better. It feels wonderful to be sharing this path with such inspiring people and I have so much gratitude for their support.

The Bali group

In addition to the friends from Bali, I met many more wonderful people in Taipei. There were some that had also made the journey from Hong Kong and I am looking forward to getting to know them better now we have returned. Last, but certainly not least, was the amazing Taiwanese tribe! Everyone I met in Taipei was so friendly and gave us a warm welcome. The atmosphere is so different from here in Hong Kong. People stop to talk to each other and share big smiles! There is a real sense of community.

Dinner at Yoga Living

We enjoyed exploring the cafes and restaurants of Taipei in the evenings. There are more vegetarian restaurants in Taiwan than any other country in the world! My top recommendation is a place called ‘Yoga Living’ created by an inspirational yogi called John Ang. John was also taking the immersion course and we visited his studio one evening. He explained that he called it ‘Yoga Living’ to embrace all aspects of the yoga lifestyle. As well as the studio, there is a health food shop and an open kitchen serving delicious food. The place felt very homely and we had a wonderful evening there.

Notice board for Karma Yoga projects

John is also involved in a number of Karma Yoga projects with women who have survived trafficking in Asia and he is training them to become yoga teachers. The notice board in the studio shows photos of his work which is truly humbling.

The second Anusara immersion with Desiree was an amazing experience. She is so dedicated to sharing her knowledge. She is very genuine, spending time to get to know her students. I was so touched that she remembered us all from Bali and am astounded by her memory when I think how many students she meets every week. I really feel that she teaches from the heart.

Before I left for the immersion I was spending a lot of time thinking about my desire for a mentor. I now realise that it was my fear that made me crave a mentor. The immersion has given me the tools I need to get stronger and I am no longer afraid. I return to my mat here in Hong Kong with a new zest for my practice and a deep sense of gratitude for my teachers, both inside and out.

Melt your heart!

Inner Teacher

As the year draws to a close, I find myself in a state of reflection. It will soon be 5 months since I finished my yoga teacher training course and the question I have come to dread most is “How’s the yoga teaching going?” In my naïve optimism I thought that I would complete my teacher training course and start teaching at a yoga studio. Simple. Unfortunately it has not been that simple! Ahhh! Patience has never been my strong point and everything is taking longer than I thought. I am trying hard not to be frustrated. I feel that I have so much to offer and so many wonderful teachings to share.

No-one prepares new yoga teachers for the work that lies ahead. I thought the training course was tough but now I know that the course was just the beginning. In a market that is saturated with yoga teachers it is difficult to find a studio that will hire someone with no experience. It is that age-old “chicken and egg” scenario. How do you get experience when no-one will hire you without experience? Argh!

In Hong Kong, it can be challenging to find a studio to use. This is a city of expensive members-only clubs and I find myself longing for a community hall to hire! Luckily, yoga only requires a mat so we can use the living room or get creative with space. However, here’s the part that no-one prepared me for…I actually have to do some marketing. Yes, it’s true. There is a business side to yoga. But wait, I thought I was escaping the rat race of corporate life?

I have come from a structured world of deadlines, targets and appraisals. Even though I am now away from a large organisation I find that I have to apply those business skills to my new life. There is just one notable item missing: a mentor.

In the office I always had a mentor or a superior to guide me through the hierarchy and it certainly helped me to navigate my path. Now I find that I am figuring everything out on my own. In some ways it is liberating but other times it is intimidating. In yoga, there is the tradition of a guru-disciple relationship. I have my yoga teachers but individual mentorship rarely seems to exist in the modern yoga world. Class sizes are getting bigger and the gap between teacher and student gets wider. It seems ironic to me that one of the oldest yogic traditions is more prevalent in the corporate environment than in the yoga studio. Instead, I am learning to trust my inner guru and I am starting to see things with a renewed sense of clarity.

As I step into the new year, the new decade, I find that for once in my life there are no deadlines, no targets, no appraisals, no mentor. Just me! My true essence.

Unfolding

Twelve months ago I was working out my notice period in a job that I hadn’t found fulfilling since the day I started it. I had been doing that job for 7 years and none of my friends and family could understand why I even took it in the first place. 7 years of my life! Why did I do it for so long? I was caught in a spiral of negativity and I thought that I did not have a choice. 

I tried to make a career change once before but it failed. This time around I was better prepared. 2009 was intended to be, and has indeed been, a transitional period for me and a time for self-reflection. This is no longer a “career change” but an opportunity to love and serve others on this path. 

I began the year with a women’s yoga and meditation retreat. One of the main messages I received during this time was my yearning for creativity and to bring colour back into my life. When I look back to the woman I was before my journey into corporate London, I was a very colourful person. My hair was bright red and I always wore colourful clothes and accessories. Over the past 7 years of working in the modern corporate environment the colour literally drained out of me and I lived in a black and white world. This was reflected in my physical appearance. My hair lost its colour, my skin was pale and drawn, and my clothes were always black. The day I finished my job I made a promise to myself to never wear a black trouser suit again! Over the last few months I have been rediscovering my femininity and it feels wonderful. My heart is starting to sing again. 

This summer I took a yoga teacher training course. I have secretly wanted to be a yoga teacher ever since my first class. All my friends know that I love yoga but whenever someone used to ask me if I was planning to teach my response was always “maybe” or “one day” or “I am not good enough”. Why is it so hard to say what we really want?

Self-expression is an issue that continually arises for me and I sense that I am not alone. Please, join me on this journey as I make these offerings on this blog and manifest my heart’s desires. 

“Dance like no-one is watching. Sing like no-one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on Earth” Mark Twain

Dancing under the full moon in India