Life in Bali continues
It's hard for me to imagine that I haven't written another full update since June 23rd. I guess it is the simple case that so much has happened and so quickly that I haven't gotten around to writing anything but my brief little updates to Facebook and Twitter. So as seems the case here on livejjournal, long post to come.
And where to begin? Let's begin with today.
Today I woke up nice and early. It's hard to sleep late here. Between the curtains which only block about half of the light and the crazed orgy of roosters fiendishly cackling like god's alarm clock on meth (Satan would never torment you for trying to sleep in) I've been getting up before 8am almost every day regardless of when I go to sleep. There is, however, a huge difference in my day based on a small amount of time. If I wake up before about 7:15am I can go practice Ashtanga. Today I woke up at about 6:40am, lolled around in bed for about 10 minutes, was delighted to get a little message from Capra (Roo) and got to my pranayama and kryas, a lovely set of breathing and muscle control exercises I've done fairly religiously every day since I started taking a private room about half way through the Dreamtime Peruvian tour. About a half hour later when I was done I even had enough time to walk to yoga, enjoying a nearly half hour long stroll rather than zipping over on my motorbike.
Ashtanga was lovely as it always is. My body exploring itself and working with increasing strength and flexibility through the residue of old injuries and the crispy edges of new ones all of which at this point most gratefully minor. My ankle, injured on the shamans dodgy stairs back in the Amazon is nearly all better thanks very much in part to working into it with my yoga practice rather than just avoiding it as I had been doing. My right should is cranky once again but that is hardly news. My right hamstring, the whipping boy of my comedic contortion routines often enacted after too little warming up is slowing making its way back to the easy slippery flexible comfort of the left which is enjoying an uncommon moment of supremacy.
I lingered long after today's practice, spending much more time than I usually do chatting with the other students. As it happened I struck up a conversation with a nice couple from Paris and with Rachel (once I started with Rachel's they now seem to follow me everywhere) who is an Ashtanga teacher and Ayurveda practitioner based in Taipei. There are a lot of French in Ubud. Unlike Kuta which caters to drunken Aussie surfer dudes, Ubud is solidly devoted to culture and the arts, and it seems for this reason that the French love it here. In my interactions with them time and time again I've gained an increased appreciation for the French or at least the ones who travel all the way out to Ubud. I made my way home to find that there was no hot water, so I skipped the shower for the moment and had breakfast.
Lingering for the hot water to return I got on the internet and signed on to Facebook chat. Best idea ever. After some previously hideous experiences using chat programs I'm sold again. Beautiful connections are far more powerful than the innate flavor of their technological conduit. Internet in Bali seems to be trucked in on the back of snails and as such I've failed to even successfully download Skype yet (hopefully this time will be the charm!) so, if you see me on Facebook chat and want to say hi, for goodness sake, please do!
Tonight I'm having dinner with five other fine folks at the delicious Nomad restaurant, which should no doubt cure me of the bit of social malaise I've been feeling. Being abroad and living with one of your best friends in all existence, a person you know you can also live with brilliantly, is great, but for me it doesn't replace the rest of my desire for social interaction with friends. I put that out into the universe and the universe obliged me by sending me the opportunities which I did my part to seize. Oh gratitude! In a couple hours great food, drinks, and company. This man cannot live on yoga alone.
This is just the account of one day. Each day possesses about this much richness. It's just fucking amazing. Time to do some work and then get off the internet.
~* LOVE *~
And where to begin? Let's begin with today.
Today I woke up nice and early. It's hard to sleep late here. Between the curtains which only block about half of the light and the crazed orgy of roosters fiendishly cackling like god's alarm clock on meth (Satan would never torment you for trying to sleep in) I've been getting up before 8am almost every day regardless of when I go to sleep. There is, however, a huge difference in my day based on a small amount of time. If I wake up before about 7:15am I can go practice Ashtanga. Today I woke up at about 6:40am, lolled around in bed for about 10 minutes, was delighted to get a little message from Capra (Roo) and got to my pranayama and kryas, a lovely set of breathing and muscle control exercises I've done fairly religiously every day since I started taking a private room about half way through the Dreamtime Peruvian tour. About a half hour later when I was done I even had enough time to walk to yoga, enjoying a nearly half hour long stroll rather than zipping over on my motorbike.
Ashtanga was lovely as it always is. My body exploring itself and working with increasing strength and flexibility through the residue of old injuries and the crispy edges of new ones all of which at this point most gratefully minor. My ankle, injured on the shamans dodgy stairs back in the Amazon is nearly all better thanks very much in part to working into it with my yoga practice rather than just avoiding it as I had been doing. My right should is cranky once again but that is hardly news. My right hamstring, the whipping boy of my comedic contortion routines often enacted after too little warming up is slowing making its way back to the easy slippery flexible comfort of the left which is enjoying an uncommon moment of supremacy.
I lingered long after today's practice, spending much more time than I usually do chatting with the other students. As it happened I struck up a conversation with a nice couple from Paris and with Rachel (once I started with Rachel's they now seem to follow me everywhere) who is an Ashtanga teacher and Ayurveda practitioner based in Taipei. There are a lot of French in Ubud. Unlike Kuta which caters to drunken Aussie surfer dudes, Ubud is solidly devoted to culture and the arts, and it seems for this reason that the French love it here. In my interactions with them time and time again I've gained an increased appreciation for the French or at least the ones who travel all the way out to Ubud. I made my way home to find that there was no hot water, so I skipped the shower for the moment and had breakfast.
Lingering for the hot water to return I got on the internet and signed on to Facebook chat. Best idea ever. After some previously hideous experiences using chat programs I'm sold again. Beautiful connections are far more powerful than the innate flavor of their technological conduit. Internet in Bali seems to be trucked in on the back of snails and as such I've failed to even successfully download Skype yet (hopefully this time will be the charm!) so, if you see me on Facebook chat and want to say hi, for goodness sake, please do!
Tonight I'm having dinner with five other fine folks at the delicious Nomad restaurant, which should no doubt cure me of the bit of social malaise I've been feeling. Being abroad and living with one of your best friends in all existence, a person you know you can also live with brilliantly, is great, but for me it doesn't replace the rest of my desire for social interaction with friends. I put that out into the universe and the universe obliged me by sending me the opportunities which I did my part to seize. Oh gratitude! In a couple hours great food, drinks, and company. This man cannot live on yoga alone.
This is just the account of one day. Each day possesses about this much richness. It's just fucking amazing. Time to do some work and then get off the internet.
~* LOVE *~