When it Rains, It Pours-Literally!

After 4 days of flooding rains in Fiji keeping me in the house, no sunshine and not really into a good book yet, I lost it... the crocodile tears began to stream down my face, that overwhelming feeling that I am a failure creeped its way into my head and I had a moment. A moment of breakdown, a moment of what am I doing with my life, everything I had planned has completely gone awry and I just want to go home and snuggle in my bed for a few days. This storm through Fiji was a once in 100 years type thing, I couldn't help but think... is the universe trying to tell me that I am not on the right path? Then a wise voice asked me, what if the universe is simply watching to see what you will do.
Shit.
You're right.
Scratch my head-Shit.
Alright, so as I gathered my thoughts and am preparing to spend all day online figuring things out-ohh power outage-for like 6 hours
This gave me some time that I was not expecting to settle, to think, to once again tell myself that all is well in the world and you can make things work.
Regardless of numbers, I'm going to Bethams in April to teach this retreat like I intended when I came here in the first place, I owe it to myself and to those who have opened their homes to me in order to make this happen. Stop being a pansy and make it happen, thats what you do Kristen, you manifest your destiny, so do it.

As of now,  have the retreat re-planned a new flyer made and ready to distribute, a weekend yoga class scheduled accompanied by a cleanup of the seawall and followed by a tasty lunch, and three intensives planned for three weeks. I'm feeling back on track and ready to go, again manifesting my world into what I want it to be while helping spread the yoga love to others.

When I say it rains, it pours I literally mean that it really did rain here, like a lot....

And when it rains, it pours and amazing things begin to happen, you know that thing called a rainbow at the end of a great flood-Sunshine after the rain yadi yadi yadi-yea, all of that stuff is happening now!
Here Comes the Sun :)

Shark Fin Soup, a Moral Dilemma

It's been raining for days now in Fiji, I made my way down the hill to town to go out to dinner and go to the cinema... night one we had japanese cook at your table food and watched wrath of the titans... totally awesome evening. We thought we would repeat on Sunday (since it was still rainy and gloomy) this time, luck was not on my side, I'll take the story backwards-we watched Mirror Mirror... yes with Julia Roberts, and it happened to involve things that I have a fear of, such as dwarfs (which I should have known would be in it) and wooden puppets... Prior to all of this we went to get some dinner, Chinese right... all was well until
there it was.
on the menu.
right beside what i wanted to get.

shark fin soup.

oh shit, what do I do? I dont want to give my money to a place that sells shark fin soup, but I've already ordered, oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh.... then the tears begin to flood my eye lids. I sit in a state of moral limbo. The lady comes back and they don't have what I wanted, so I cancel my order all together and sit as my friends eat (I had a small bowl of rice that they forfitted)

I was not expecting to be hit with such a flood of emotions, I know its wrong what they do to the sharks, it's sick in fact. I also realize that sharks are not the only animals that this happens to, but for some reason it hits so heavy on my heart for an animal of the sea to be pulled from its home, and plopped on a plate, much less.. pulled from its home, have its fin cut off and then be left for whatever the universe has in store for it. I have seen a picture of a shark without its dorsal fin, it lived-yay! But isnt the dorsal fin the distinguishing mark of a shark...
What if someone cut off your distinguishing mark? People always tell me, oh your eyes they are so big and beautiful, what if all of a sudden in a hungar games style arena my eyes were taken from me... Think about it for just a minute... the waste, the waste of materials and the waste of energies for a bowl of soup... ugh, makes me sick.

Take a stand, don't give your money to places that do things you are not in favor of... Stop Shark Finning...


http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/


  

MapMaker, MapMaker...

I'm stealing this from that song from childhood, Matchmaker matchmaker make me a match... and instead its... Map maker, map maker make me a map.... and I will go to New Zealand and Australia next week yay!!! In fact I am the map maker and I am in fact also the maker of my own destiny. Some days there are things like weather that put a kink in your plan, today for instance when I am supposed to be in Nananu-i-ra preparing to welcome my yogis to my yoga retreat... But when it rains about 7 meters in a day, plans change.

As I battled most of the afternoon with what to do, reschedule the retreat? Get a bus to take everyone up first thing in the morning? Cancel it all together and go home with my tail between my legs? What the hell... no Kristen, you suck it up and trust you made the right decision. Sure some people may not be able to come on the rescheduled day but its better to keep everyone safe then risk it all for a 'plan' or some kind of 'schedule'

Didnt I quit my job and decide to travel the world and teach yoga because I wanted to get away from a 'plan' I wanted to experience what life is like when things are not set into some kind of 'schedule' so whats my problem...!

Get over it Kristen, the universe works in funny ways and this is one of its mysteries, so get our your parchment and quill and make a new map, maybe this one will be flat, maybe it will be in the shape of a raindrop, maybe it will be round, but get creative and let the ink fly... trust in the process and trust in your instincts. The prana, that life energy, the breath, has had much more experience in map making over the last thousands of years than my 29 measly years so let go, have some faith.

You can make the world whatever you want it to be, and I can guarantee there are things for me to learn about in Oz and NZ before I teach the retreat and I'm open to those lessons, from people, from places, and from that feeling of Awe.

Embrace each moment, for it has a story, a map in and of itself, that can show you things so long as you have the eyes to see it. Travel on friend....

But for real, thats a lot of f'ing water and thats just from this morning... send some love and blue skies if you would!

And just for fun... a little tune for you... hehe

Whats in your pack?

So, I was all stoked before I left for Fiji about planning what and how I was going to pack my pack, you always see things online, tips of the trade etc. on how to keep organized. One thing suggested putting clothes in plastic bags to make like a chest of drawers in your pack... ok I tried it, I didnt have anything better to do one day, it was awkward. For the OCD organized person maybe that will work but for anyone who knows me, I am the queen of organized chaos. I like things to be a little disheveled... I know where they are, and its if you dont! After chucking this chest of drawers idea, I gently rolled my clothes and packed them away. My biggest and most bulky item being my yoga mat, but when youre traveling to teach a yoga retreat, you take a yoga mat. There is something calming about carrying your own sacred space around with you on your back, its very... turtlesk :) yes I will make that word up...

Anyways, I've already ditched some items, like the little campy pillow and blanket I was excited to use on the plane until they actually have tiny pillows and blankets on the plane, not to mention its hot as shit in Fiji so who needs a blanket. If it wassnt for mosquitos and 20 person dorms I would sleep naked every night. So I conveniently left those items at the hostel, perhaps the next person coming thru will be traveling to Antarctica, bless them...

I have a love hate relationship with my second bag, its just a smaller backpack, nothing fancy but it holds my computer well and the notebooks I couldnt stand to leave at home full of yoga facts and fun for my retreat. I find that I just drop things in random pockets, again the organized chaos... but at the end of the day that is what its all about, trying to roll clothes to keep lots of space only makes a backpack with a heavy ass, and only keeps things from wrinkling half the time. Its part of what we do, stuff clothes in random pockets, wear things that are wrinkly, forget to shave because... I really just dont know where my razor is! If I wanted to be all prim and proper and wear super cute and fancy clothes all the time I would have stayed home, but no... I chose to travel, I chose to live out of a bag for 3 months, I chose to take my awkward yoga notebooks and sacred yoga space with me because thats who I am, and I am okay with that!

So what does that all mean? Be yourself.

If you like to pack boxes and travel with cutsy dresses across the world, do it.

If you like to make cabinets in your bags, do it.

If you like to take something on a vacation even though everyone else thinks your crazy, do it.

Just be you, be happy with your decisions, and know that you can always ditch the tiny pillow and blanket :) Have fun, be awkward, laugh at how much shit you dont need and rock on!!

Happy travels ya'll

Chase The Sun

Wake up, get on a plane and chase the sun across the sky...

I had changed my seat on the plane and was for some reason sat beside a girl who was on her way to lax for rehab, coming off of opium... interesting sight, she popped about 5 pills, drank a vodka drink and coffee and orange juice within about 4 hours, she was in rough shape, but I found some compassion for her, she was on her way to a new life.

In LA I freaked out, what the hell am I doing... I contemplated not getting on the plane at all and just going back to charlotte, especially when I thought I was going to puke at the gate... but I had a pep talk from a couple different people and got on the plane. A bajillion hours later and about 12 interrupted naps here I am! Elian who was supposed to pick me up from the airport is a trip, his car broke down so I took a cab, he took me back later to exchange money and we picked up 2 other travelers, kinda fun to act like I knew what I was doing holding signs for people to come on over!

Sat on the beach, watched a cloud turn from a wolf to a fish before completely dissapearing into the blue blue sky. Ready to move, this place is great and so are the people but I'm ready for Suva. Two nights here, and then down thru the coral coast for a night or two and then to Suva. Find my yoga ladies and settle in.

Weighing heavy on my heart.... Carolyn, my dear momma hen passed away the night before my flight left the states. Im sad I missed the funeral arrangements, but selfishly I am happy I talked to her before she couldnt remember anyone and that she passed before I left the states. With tears in my eyes I know shes in an awesome place and I know shes proud of me. I have nothing to prove, just out to do what I want to do and that is explore this vast world and take some yoga with me!

xoxo

k10

Seeds of Peace

Odinstone Labyrinth Seeds of Peace

Copper’s

unique properties of transferring energy is a valuable and intrinsic natural
resource. From the Dawn of civilization, these unique properties were used for coin, currency, art and
architecture. Handcrafted by hammer, anvil and heat, copper’s intrinsic value is now transformed to manifest the
invisible forces of Intuitive Reasoning and Quantum Intention. Once formed into an Archimedean crystal
shape, each copper “Seed” is fully charged in a 9-circuit labyrinth. A Labyrinth uniquely built of stone and
torqued by water as a tool for developing individual Intuitive Reasoning and Quantum Intention. This long-lost sixth
sense is a necessary skill for understanding today’s World. Each “Seed” is then set adrift via charitable donation to homes around the planet. Location of the individually numbered “Seeds” are displayed graphically on a maps page to visualize the growth of Peace and Goodwill. Please join the force as it embraces planet Earth, raising vibration and conscious awareness.

OdinStone Labyrinth is planting peace in the minds or man.

Gratitude

Soooo I want to take a time out in life and express a little bit of gratitude! I have the most amazing people in my life, who challenge me and push me and inspire me and love me and laugh with me and think I'm a little bit crazy and I love them alllll!!

I depart the area I have called home for the past 6 years this Friday and as it is still a bit surreal I'm totally excited yet flooded with a variety of emotions... like for instance... holy shit what am I doing with my life?!!??!! But the answer is simple, I am living life fully. So many people get in their own ways and wont move in this same direction, and that is fine because that is what works for them. In fact that is what worked for me the past few years, but that leash has been broken and I'm putting myself out there... hello world, here I am, lets play!

I was going to make a montage of pictures that remind me of this place that I'm on the genesis of the exodus from but I have decided that it will just stir up emotions that I'm in a good place with right now. From the depths of my heart I love all the wise people who have let me sit on their couches and laugh and cry and drink beer and eat cheez-its, who have spent entire days not really doing anything, watching sunsets, playing around with yoga poses, eating healthy food followed by twisted dipped ice cream cones.

I have laughed, I have cried, I have loved, I have lost and now its time for me to shine!

With great gratitude, I love you all

WE ALL SHINE ON, WITH THE MOON AND THE STARS AND THE SUN...