Ganesha - The Remover of Obstacles

Ganesha is Lord of new beginnings in that he clears paths. Ganesha consciousness binds all fragmentations....he binds people & beings together to form an integrated whole community. He is the force behind cooperation, collaboration and cohesion. Ganesha melts barriers by interweaving pure sweetness in our moment-to-moment experiences. He is also the strength & fierceness we call upon to cross new thresholds and gain new perspective. Ganesha is everywhere in Bali. There isn't a home without a statute of him. When you see what he represents it makes sense that you would want him in your home. May 2015 bring all the things that Ganesha represents into your life!

Gili islands paradise?

Well if you want to find island paradise you ought to try and get to the Gili islands.. says almost everyone. The Gili islands comprise of three small islands archipelago that falls under the Lombok region. With it also comes the Muslim faith, a sharp contrast to the Hindus of Bali.  I did actually meet some people that didn't like it before I left, and they said it was the culture they didn't like, I took note. I commenced the hour taxi ride, and and hour and half boat journey from Canggu with caution and an open mind.

I booked myself into a place called the Exile for a week, a 10 minute bike ride from the center of Gili Trawangan, or Gili T as I called it. It's the biggest and most populated island and also known as the party island. I figured staying at a place called The Exile I would be far enough away from any madness.

The exile #lombok #gilit

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:12pm PST

It took me the boat ride to Gili T before the unwanted harassment of the boat guy started and he even went as far as to caress my arm. I asked him how his wife and children are and he shut up. It didn't stop the whole time I was in Gili T. Constant cat calling, some may have been more innocent but the best sum up of this behavior I heard from an expat living on Gili T is muslim boys gone wild. Alot of them look like they want to be Bob Marley, it was quite impressive actually how many of them pulled it off. They are everywhere running amok, not sure if they are actually working or not but they seem to think this way of objectifying women is alright. I am sure that the party scene of young inebriated tourists really doesn't help maybe build of their egos and feel like anyone is fair game. So culture. This is strong reason why I travel. I did not get the genuine friendliness that Bali had, or any really for that matter except from a handful of younger men. People refused to give me directions when I got lost on the back roads trying to find a yoga studio, I even got dirty looks from some local women, that being said my shoulders or hair were not covered in the 35c+ heat. I met a women that got spat at by a local women. So it seems like a weird contrast of mother's who don't like tourists yet let their sons behave like rasta machismo hustlers, but maybe it's ok to treat a women like this if she isn't covered up? Anyways if you know me, you know of I am not a fan of being treated any differently for what I choose to wear or what you choose to wear. It ruins a culture for me. I didn't experiment with covering up, mainly because I was already dripping in sweat and couldn't bear wearing more clothes.

The never ending trash and over all dirtiness of Gili T is a sharp contrast to Bali's constant cleanliness

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 4:45am PST

I also couldn't believe how dirty Gili T was. There was rubbish everywhere, the local homes looked third world, and people just didn't care. Of course this is a sharp contrast to Bali where the people spend their whole days sweeping and grooming their homes, and adorn them with beautiful items and gifts for the gods. There was also less care around sustainability or future planning. I went on a snorkel trip which was great, and saw a couple of turtles, but not once did our crew say not to touch the correl. I saw a lot of destroyed correl so I don't think these reefs will last that long at this rate.

Gili snorkel paparazzi

A video posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:03pm PST

I did do a scuba dive refresher and a fun dive with some awesome folks from Australia and India.  It was great but the rainy season also meant the worst visibility they had ever seen during the dive.

The food was mediocre at best. Breakfasts were small compared to the feasts of Bali but that's ok. Everything is brought in by boat from Lombok. I had plans to explore this bigger island to the east but decided against it after my experience on Gili T. I have thick skin but I don't find it fun being treated this way while on holiday, so I cut my week long stay short and went back to Ubud. As you can tell I didn't love the Gilis but it actually wasn't that bad. The roving people only talking about "getting wasted" and asking for hallucinogenic mushrooms are fascinating but I have to remember what it's like to be young and carefree. There were lots of tourists watching sports on the television as well which is something I have not seen in awhile. Our 'culture' isn't really that much better or richer when I see who comes to a place like this just to party.

I cut my week long stay short and went back to Ubud. As you can tell I didn't love the Gilis but it actually wasn't that bad, just different.  I returned to my hotel in Ubud and they are so sweet that they left a petal bed of flowers welcoming me back. That's what I am talking about. A sense of caring.. this is what I value in my travels.

I love Ubud #ubud

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 12:42am PST

First Impressions - Ubud Bali

1. Bali is one tripped out place! If it isn't the insane animalistic Hindu gods that you find at every corner it's crazy ass real bugs and lizards that make all sorts of new sounds. Plus the greenery smells so good, and the flowers are beautiful. Sometimes I think I see something out the corner of my eye but it's just a statute of some crazy half animal half human god or goddess.

#hanuman #bali #ubud #monkies

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 5:23pm PST

2. The people are kind. They are happy. They aren't poor or suffering. They love children and their families. The biggest question I get from the locals are "Are you travelling alone?" and when I answer "Yes", thats all I get. I dug a bit further on this a couple of times because its not common for a Balinese women to travel on her own, she would always go with someone, either her husband or friend. They are happy for the business so do not care if you are on your own. I have never felt unsafe, but have gotten cat calls from construction men. Maybe they just wanted to practice their English.

Royal cremation #ubud #bali #travel

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:34pm PST

3. The food. Amazing. Fresh, local, organic. I took a a local cooking class and I am so happy I did. It was vegetarian and we did a walk through of the market, went to the farm and picked fresh vegetables for the lunch, and made it.. with the help of 3 other women. I learned how to make coconut oil and milk, something I just take advantage from the cans and jars that get exported. Indonesian people eat a primarily vegetarian diet, and eat meat on special occasions and always thank the animals (different from say Indian Hindus who don't eat meat at all). The ingredients are all very simple and seem to be always complimented by coconut sugar. On the other side is the expat restaurateurs meeting the needs of the millions of tourists a year that come through Bali. A lot of them are Australian and if you know anything about the Aussies is that they are doing a pretty spectacular job at creating international dining options and design within this setting.  I don't have a favourite yet because they are all my favourites.

Pad Thai & fresh coconut water #bali #ubud #food #travel

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:44pm PST

4. Rituals / Religion.  The Balinese probably spend a third of their life shopping for and creating blessing for their Hindu/Buddhist ritualistic offerings, a big section of their local market is just for gifts to the gods. I think it must be working because if you can afford these offerings, life must be good! If you know anything about Hinduism you know that there are millions of gods. So everyday there is a blessing, today I made blessing for our lunch we picked from a fresh garden and made with some local women. There was blessing at the end of my driveway today, and I was told it was made in general to the staff and guests of the hotel. I'll take it! Even my bicycle had an offering with a burning incense, to protect me and everyone else. I find them to be good fly distractors but also a very beautiful part of their culture. A way of honoring, and taking great care in something that is really quite beautiful. I am able to understand a lot of the stories as well because of my Yogic studies over the decades.

I have now been in Ubud for a week which has included two massages, a pedicure, two banana rice flour pancakes, four yoga classes, one astrology reading, one tibetan bowl meditation, one river rafting experience, a local cooking class, a bike ride through rice fields and villages, a visit to the second biggest and active volcano in Indonesia. Off to the coast now..

Even your bicycle needs an offering and some incense. #bali #indonesia #travel

A photo posted by Vanessa G (@veggyblue) on Dec 12, 2014 at 1:02am PST

What is with all the make up ladies?

Berlin -Potsdamer platz at night -supermodels watching your children, originally uploaded by veggy.

Ok. I went to a yoga studios one year anniversary where they served booze, meat, and i saw more plastic surgery, peroxide, and make up then i would at a drag show. What would Patanjali say? 8 Limbs of Yoga out the door and in with what we have translated into our superficial money making machine. Who's lineage are we respecting now? Who is Patanjali anyways? Is he that new hair stylist?

Is Yoga lost in the west? Been twisted and churned out into heated rooms, glass mirrors, and good smelling soaps? I hope not, but it took me almost a decade to pull myself out of the vortex of western yoga (which i am still in i guess, and don't claim to know it all).
I don't want to judge, because i have been there so i can understand when we don't see things as they are.
For example, I used to dye my hair, until my body rejected it when my glands in my neck swelled up to the size of golf balls and didn't reduce in size for weeks and my scalp was so itchy that sores developed. That is because ultimately peroxide is bad for you. It is a toxin, and we let it sink into our skull and run through our blood stream, so it can stain our hair, and change the colour, so we can look like someone different, someone that isn't truly ourselves. I was scared to accept myself if i am not different in some way. I know this. I spent my teens exploring this concept with piercings as well. It took me a long time to have contentment with my natural image, but i realized my body was telling me that this was bad and that it was a blessing that i couldn't die my hair jet black (red, blue, blond) anymore, and my tongue piercing swelled up one day and i let it go. Funnily people ask me to this day if i my hair is its natural colour, and i have to laugh, and say yes, and thank god for that lesson. Would i have learned it if my body hadn't showed me? I am not sure, but i hope so. Lessons come to us all the time, and we have to listen when our body says something.

We try so hard to look like what media wants us to look like and it made me sad at this party. So many possibly gorgeous women all hiding behind masks of costume like make up and afraid to make eye contact or smile back. We have become a product of a immense successful multi billion dollar marketing machine, and have failed in the areas of basic love and acceptance, and grace of who we really are?
I have faith that we will pull ourselves back into what is real, and where are roots and reality lie and know that we are beautiful just the way we are. We are all so unique, why would we ever want to mess with that?

The fundamentals of yoga and eight limbs tell us to practice yoga we need to accept these basic rules before we can proceed, yet in the west we through them out the window, or most of us don't even know they exist.
Can we practice non violence on ourselves in society (ahimsa)? Contentment of our real selves (Santosha)? Truth and honesty of who we are trying to be (Satya)? and still have studios and call ourselves yogis? Non stealing? Non possessiveness?

It is a challenge. I personally would love to see you without your Cover Girl, Lancome, Mac etc mask on though, because i think there is something beautiful underneath it.

Meditation, Yoga and discussions from Nepal

Tibetan settlement - Hijan - mala beads, originally uploaded by veggy.

i got to participate in a 3 day weekend retreat at the Ganden Yiga Chopen meditation centre in Pokhara. It is a sister monastery to the well known Kopan monastery in Kathmandu. Our schedule consisted of wake up, meditation, yoga, breakfast, teachings with the monk, lunch, break, questions for the monk or discussion, yoga, dinner, and meditation, followed by silence. This is a cake walk compared to Vipassana meditation retreats. In my group i was the only one who had completed a Vipassana sitting, and it was looked upon seriously by the monk Yeshe. Yeshe is an american who has been teaching Buddhist theory for over 30 years. He has been in Pokhara teaching for over 4 years. He was a great teacher asking us questions like: "What did you live for when you where 6, 17, and now? and what has changed?" Also, "Who are you?" which he warned would stress some of us out, and i was glad that i have had this question before in yoga because it is a tough one. How does one define themselves? A lot of us define ourselves by our careers, this is usually the last thing i bring up in a conversation. I find it uncreative. Who i am, it is not what i do to pay the bills. Some people think i have been humble in the past, amazed that i am not bragging about one career path i chose, but it truly wasn't who i am.
I am a being, on the path, seeking, learning, absorbing, and giving back as much as possible. I am constantly changing. You don't see it day to day because we are not aware of the changing, but skin cells are dying and regrowing, brain cells are doing the same thing. I can't quantify what i am either and because science changes constantly, so what i know could be totally false, but i am ok with that.
A fellow student on the course who has come to Nepal to learn how to take care of himself better asked me on the last day "Do you consider yourself a buddhist?"
It was a tough question because i have never liked to conform to titles that would define me. The more i learn about Buddhism, the more i would like to say yes to this question. Buddhism is not a religion but very basic principles which i have unknowingly gravitated to without that much thought.
Buddhism believes in the idea of Karma, something that was discussed heavily in the course, mainly because we misuse this term quite a bit. If someone steals my computer it doesn't mean it is a direct result of my karma in this life (even though at the time i thought it did). The fact that i even have a computer in the first place means i have been born with good karma, unlike most of the people in this world. If something really bad happens to me it can be because of something that has happened in a past life. Buddhism believes we are reborn many, many times, and thus believes in not harming any being intentionally. Of course we may kill bugs by accident, or someones pet, or even a human, that your soul is pure during this action is what matters. If you have the intention of harming someone, this is the where the karma comes into play. There was a bit of debate on the buying of meat for our consumption and how easy it is to get it, and technically you are asking for this animal to be slaughtered but because of mass consumption you don't need to ask anymore, the animal is already slaughtered and in the grocery stores waiting for you. In this sense Tibetan Buddhist have rationalized or maybe not that this is ok and you karma is pure in this because you don't have to ask for it to be slaughtered. I question this theory, mainly because it doesn't make sense to me.
This course is a great beginner course. The yoga teaching was very questionable, and not in a good way. I am not to sure where Nepalis get their training or if it is even considered training, but we did multiple poses i have never seen or heard of before, and many things that could result in both short or long term injury, or turn a beginner off of yoga for a long time.
I was warned about doing yoga in Nepal, but i didn't really understand why. Now i do. A lot of it feels made up and still costs around $7usd (which is expensive for Nepal), which is fine if you are stretching safely, but usually you are not. I have only had two different yoga experiences so far so don't get me wrong, their could be some good teachers out there. The course i am attending with Yogi Nomad is an organization that is part of the Yoga Alliance which from my experience seems to follow a very systematic and strong practice, and outputs amazing teachers.
I have read a few articles over the years where the Indian teachers give western teachers a hard time because they are not following the practice as it has been passed down, and from what i have read (mainly from Iyengar), what i have seen is that the western teachers are more in line with origins of yoga then that of the whishy washy east where anyone can be a teacher.
My experience is limited so i can only speak from that, but if you want to come to Asia and do yoga, make sure it is a reputable organization. If you want to come here to practice yoga, just ask around, but sadly you won't like what you hear. I am missing doing a good practice with my community, but in less than a week i start my 6 week intensive training. I am very excited for this new chapter in my learning, and meeting everyone.

last sunset in Pokhara

Holding on

Holding on, originally uploaded by algo.

I keep thinking about meditation. I guess because it's such a simple thing, yet sometimes the hardest thing to do. City life leaves little space for the calm, centred time where you can reflect and connect with you inner most spirit. Getting to a yoga class is usually the hardest part of my day.. but now meditation. I have lost count of the amount of people that have come up to me and have said " you look so great" , "you look so calm" , "you sound so calm". Some of these people don't know i have been away meditating or am continuing to meditate. But these comments alone are proof that something is happening. I know i feel it, but the reassurance (dam you ego!) makes it feel even better. Who doesn't want to be a better person? A calmer person? A less stressed person? I think meditation could be the magic something that everyone is searching for and can't seem to find. I was shocked to find out the ages of the people i was working with at the meditation retreat. Everyone looked way younger then i thought. Naturally, less stress equals less aging. This of course is a pretty vain reason to meditate, it's just one of the after effects of all sorts of wonderful of things. I attended a meditation at my local yoga studio yesterday and what i loved most of all, was that people were asking questions, and having tea and conversations after. Already one mediation and we are talking about freeing and enjoying ourselves rather then running out the door to our next appointment. May you all be happy.

Satya

Venice, originally uploaded by veggy.

"Sat" is sanksrit means "reality" or "what is." Satya is the moral guidepost of truth, honesty, and the power of the word.
I have found i am being challenged constantly by the power of people's words. The truth which equals loves, and the compassion i am trying to have for people who don't speak the truth.
I cannot help but forgive people that feel the need to create this misery in their lives and attempt to do the same in mine. But what is the truth?
I am guided by the law of nature. Every untruthful action will have an equal reaction. And in that sense i feel compassion for my friends who are wrongly guided because they are already paying the ultimate price. I have paid those prices as well so i cannot judge anyone. We all learn, and we are all on our own path.
May you all experience your own path of Satya.

Why I do yoga?

Cecilia, originally uploaded by veggy.

I was watching "Enlightened Up" last night which is a documentary done on one man's beginner exploration into the practice of yoga. He went around asking the worlds guru's and leading teacher's about the history of yoga, and it's purpose.
And not shockingly everyone had a different story and a different purpose. What i liked is that no one wanted anyone to do anything they didn't want to do. Some people's 'guru' status turned me off completely as i do not feel anyone feet should be kissed.
It's a blessing to share and teach an experience. We should give from our heart with no expectation.
I started doing yoga 12 years ago for the pure physicality of it initially at a local gym. I did this for years not really realizing what i was doing but knowing i felt good. I combined it with cardio at the gym. I have done every kind of yoga, including 90 days straight of Bikrams before getting slightly bored of it.
Only in the last couple of years have i not joined a gym, and joined a yoga studio only. I challenged myself to a 30 day challenge of doing 30 days of yoga in a row. Only then did i realize the suttle change in my body, mind and spirit.
I finally was connecting my breath with my movement in my body. At this point i realized anything was possible, not only within my body but within life.
Yoga has made me look within and accept and be in peace with myself and those are often intentions i set at the beginning of class. It has also prepared me for meditation which i recently delved in to.
I continue to do yoga for this reason. I seek a balance and the suttle layers of yoga keep unveiling themselves. I will keep practicing yoga not to do headstands but to keep me connected to myself. Namaste.

the lotus within yourself.

the lotus within yourself., originally uploaded by chris spira.

Well it's Friday and i finally got to one of William Blundefields classes at Flow Yoga in Vancouver. How have i missed your classes! Will infuses so much positive, grounded energy mixed in with a little boogie dance time for your asana.
Even though it's a hot class and your sweating your brains out, his break are filled with sentiments that i have re quoted for some time now like:

Breathe in LET
Breathe out GO

Do your Best Forget the Rest!

Yes, some people don't get his spirited yoga psychological classes based on letting go, but that's ok, not everyone is ready for it. Letting go of what society thinks, and what is constantly marketed to us, letting go of what we think or what we think other people think of us, and basically learning to love ourselves.

He asks us to set an intention in the class, and one thing i am working toward is Acceptance, and that is a message he reiterates in the class constantly. I do think his classes have helped me accept myself, and have led me to accept others that i would usually put walls up against.

I love more deeply, i smile more, and if i need a reminder (which i definitely did today, because i am not perfect and i fall back into old patterns), i return to my mat, and look for Will.

One nice touch at the end is that he usually sings. Today for the first time (since i have been going) he asked others to join in and i almost always get goosebumps.. and today my whole body was filled with joy, and gratitude.

Today someone cried and i can understand it, i feel like crying because being in the moment fills my heart. Will gave the girl a long hug, which slowly turned into a huge group sweaty yoga hug! So nice!

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” Dr. Seuss

Thank you.

To the People

Free Yoga

Just in cast you thought there was nothing to do during the Olympics.. head to a yoga class! YYOGA is giving away free yoga for 2 weeks!

Stuart Slind - artist

A great video done on my step father Stuart Slind. He did not start painting until he met my mother 19 years ago, and she pushed and supported him while he explored, and focused on painting. As he says in the video, he worked hard at it, and that is something i think anyone has to do in order to be successful at anything. Passion and love make up for the rest of it. I am very proud of Stuart and his commercial success, but it doesn't go to his head. He practices yoga and can hold a head stand longer then most people, and has shifted from Zen Buddhism to Vippassanna meditation over the years. Making there home on Bowen Island, sets for an idillic space to create and is often transferred into his works. Check out his website here, or his work at the Bau-xi gallery, his next show is January 2010.

Wheel of Grace and Energy

Wheel of Grace and Energy, originally uploaded by yogi_johann.

I decided to take Mara's Power yoga class at Flow Yoga today. I had taken her class a couple years ago and loved it, even though the level 2 class at the time was a little beyond my level of experience.
I have been doing Bridge pose for over 6 months now and started venturing into wheel pose but could only get to the crown of my head. I thought i had to push through my arms to get into the wheel and thought i would never have the strength to push my body weight upwards but Mara today told us to push up through the legs and came and helped me. I realized it was almost all in my legs and i experienced one of the biggest heart openers i had probably ever experienced. It filled me with such joy.. i felt like crying.. and i didn't get a chance to thank Mara for it.
I realize now a good teacher is one that knows when you need a push or help in your practice.. and Mara is one of those teachers. Check out her classes or any of the others at YYOGA centres.

the yogathon

the yogathon, originally uploaded by Simone Hudson.

Camp Moomba Yogathon is upon us, and this year because i am actually in Vancouver i am going to to partake in this event. Please give what you can here.