Shakti by Shuli

Its a gray morning here at the house of dreams - rain clouds have been hugging the volcano for the past couple days and it seems that they have no intention of letting go anytime soon.  Last night was especially wet and it felt so wonderful to be tucked into our cozy beds in our little mountain cabin, listening to the water pour down our roof while we there lay warm and dry.  Now that we are all settled in to our new home, we have plenty of time to write about all the stuff that's happened since we left the Pacuare reserve - like Shuli's visit!

We could blog for hours about all the fun and laughs we had with our amazing friend, but this particular post is dedicated to her yoga practice.  Shuli has been practicing yoga for many years and decided to become a certified yoga instructor this spring (right after earning her master's in psychology from Colombia!!), and we were lucky enough to squeeze in a few yoga sessions during her time here. 

Our first was right at the base of the volcano! 

We hiked to the observatory, which offered us picture-perfect views of the volcano and a smooth, flat surface that we soon realized would be perfect for yoga practice.  Shuli definitely has natural talent as a yoga instructor, and as she lead us through our session she did a great job of creating a sense of peace and calm while at the same time helping us to channel the energy of the mountain.  Our surroundings made it very easy to feel the connection between our bodies and the environment.  We could hear so many sounds of life around us as we focused on the sounds of our own breath, and our spot became even more magical as butterflies swirled in and out of our view.  We ended our practice with a meditation and left feeling invigorated and centered.  We felt very appreciative of the beauty surrounding us as well as the beauty that comes from simply being alive and present in your own body and mind.

 Our next yoga session was much longer and more intense, and we enjoyed it even more.  Shuli once again did a great job of guiding our thoughts and bodies with positive and throughtful intention.   It was a very surreal experience - our own private yoga class with such a talented instructor in such a breathtaking environment.  We stayed at a beautiful resort right on the ocean with amazing landscaping and a huge lawn and we had it all to ourselves. We were driving by and randomly decided to check in and see if they would allow us to camp on the lawn.  For just a few dollars we camped on the lawn (by far our most comfortable camping spot) and got to use the pool, restaurant kitchen, huge dining area, and electricity (!), as well as walk the beach that was covered with more shells than sand.  Waking up in the morning to a dip in the pool, breakfast with an ocean view, and our own private yoga class made Kirby and I ask what Shuli wondered almost every day of her trip here, "is this real life!?"

Shuli is just setting out on what promises to be a long and beautiful journey as a yogi master, and I feel so lucky to have been a student of hers, if just for a couple short sessions.

If you are lucky enough to live in the New York area then you are in the prime location to experience your own private yoga class with the lovely Shuli, but don't waste any time because this little globe trotter is not guaranteed to stay anywhere for long!