Catch up and Off Day

 I know, I know, I haven’t posted since day one! Well…its a little busy. So here is the basic class schedule every day:

7/7:30AM-4/4:30PM (With a few little breaks in there)

So these are some LONG days and we are constantly using our bodies, like man it is tiring! BUT it is so beyond rewarding. I am learning so much that I never imagined I could learn. I am doing things I never thought I would do. So here are a few highlights!

Kids Yoga Games! So when talking about basic body awareness we played a few awesome games that I am super excited to bring back and do with all the kiddos this fall! If you have a kid, I promise they will not want to miss my kids yoga classes when I get back, I am getting so many brilliant ideas that are so much fun, even though for me they are “learning games”…they are games! They will teach my kiddos about basic body awareness and get them laughing and having such an amazing time using and exploring movement in themselves and others! 

Iyengar Yoga…Ya’ll this is some hard stuff and we are really going through some poses, getting the break down and learning some amazing ways to go deeper into the poses. Wide forward fold will never be taught the same way in my classes again and you will be amazed, maybe your head will even reach the floor/block (without difficulty!). Simple cues/alignment that bring SO much to the practice. We did about 2-2 1/2 hours on forward folds and it was hard! Okay this is FORWARD FOLDS! Not usually the most difficult thing in the world but man when you start adding all of this stuff….AMAZING! You never know I may go a little crazy and dedicate myself to this practice guys, its that good. 

Mantras/Chanting, okay don’t freak out but I really may be adding a bit of this to my classes. I am falling in love with it! Falling in love with the language of Sanskrit, the meaning of these mantras, the amazing way that you can feel after either chanting them or just hearing the teacher open a class with one! It is so powerful in opening up things that you never though was possible and it is so simple. Think about when you sing your favorite song in the car, a powerful uplifting melody, how wonderful it feels to sing it at the top of your lungs, that is these mantras, once you understand the meaning of this ancient language. And you don’t have to chant them, you can always simply listen to them. They are beautiful and there are a TON if you look up mantra music on Spotify. But after you do, LOOK UP THE MEANING. Otherwise it is just a bunch of jibberish, you need to know the background of these beautiful things. 

Hiking! The most amazing day! On Thursday we had a silent morning. We did not talk from the time we woke up /went to bed (for me about 9pm/5am) until about 11am. 9 people got ready in a house without saying a word to each other, yet communicating. Hearing and seeing things that went unnoticed prior because we were too busy talking and interacting to see or hear. Then a 20 minute car ride, again in silence a hike/swimming/a new place/beautiful place in silence….well maybe a little laughter but no words! Journaling time where I actually wrote a short guided meditation…my first one that is truly mine! Not sure how good it is, but I did it, it came from my brain and from this experience. I am truly so grateful for this journey and I can not wait to see where all these people and myself end up at the end of this chapter of life! 

On the hike after talking/phones were back out and able to be used. 

Class work. 

The group after the hike. 

Philosophy on the beach. 

The swimming hole from the hike. (Taken on the way back when phones were allowed)

After class beachin’

Friday night ankle bracelet making. (Thank you Heather)

Sweet ocean time. 

Aloha 300 YTT!

 Aloha from Maui! Obviously this is not my normal blogging topic. I am not on a mission trip, but I am on an amazing journey that I want to document and have out there for myself and others at home. So welcome to a glimpse of my journey.

Day one of training, wow! I already feel like there is so much knowledge that I have gained from just this first session. Our day was broken down into Orientation, Anatomy, Mantras, Iyengar, and Methodology. We have people from ALL over! California, London, South Africa, Mongolia, Hawaii, Canada, West Virginia, Charlotte, New York. 

Most of our group at orientation. 

Anatomy, I know your probably thinking: No thank you, snoozefest….Not true at all. We had games, dancing, along with our learning. Bringing everything together to connect the dots in a fun and creative way. Who knew the Electric Slide could teach you so much about the planes of movement! 

Mantras, okay this may have been one of my favorite parts! The vibrations created when this group is chanting takes your breath away! We learned one simple mantra today and for real it brought so much confidence and many uplifting spirits to the entire group, AMAZING! Speaking/singing this ancient language is so powerful. 

Iyengar……yes. Powerful, challenging, feelings, difficult, wow….these are the words that come to mind. Such a special practice. Such a powerful practice, even when doing a pose as “simple” as tadasana (mountain). All ya’ll at home be prepared for some little adjustments that will rock your world and change our practice!

Methodology, I honestly don’t have a lot to say on this one at this point. It is probably one of the hardest areas for my personal practice. I look forward to this journey in learning and finding the ability to tap more into this. The pitta in me just doesn’t like to slow down enough to grasp this concept, but that is part of being here, learning and growing for self and for others. 

Day one and this truly is a life changing experience already. Day one and I am already tired. Day one and I know amazing things are coming. Day one. I cannot wait to see what is in store in the coming weeks and I hope that you will tune into and take this journey with me!

Studying with the help of notecards and Kona, one of the sweet pups here at the house. 

Who may I add had taken a liking to my bed. (Or well I got assigned to the bed she usually sleep in at least.) 

Now I am going to do the Kona and pass out.

 ✌🏼❤️🧘‍♀️

Randi

Birthdays, Pictures, and No Worries!

We are having an amazing day here in Honduras and I actually got some pictures to upload! So I have some from the other day that wouldn't post as well as pictures from the last couple days!

My friend JuanPier from the hospital Wednesday! 

If you have never heard J-lo read you a bible story in Spanish and English while riding down the mountain....well you havnt really lived.

Yesterday I we had 4 teams. 2 teams went out and built in the La Tigea rainforest, another team went to the dump and did food distribution, and the last team went to the hospital and did a Gatorade blitz!

I was in Trickys house build. We had a beautiful sight and surprisingly for the area we did not have a long walk to it!

Getting it square.

Putting in the posts...my hole was all clay! Always fun!

Cesar cutting some posts.

Hannah nailing the roof in!

Ramone and Norma, the house owners and Mark and Mary who worked with us. This was a very special house built in honor of Diane Adam's father who had done work in Honduras for years. He worked here up until he was 89 years old and sadly passed away st the age of 98. Thanks to all who made this house possible!

Finished!

Sometimes you get finished early (2pm) and then they give you another job! So we moved all this wood and another stack like it to the build sights for Fridays builds. 

Thursday night we had a big celebration because we have 3 birthdays on our trip! Ellie turned 17 Thursday. Jenny turned the big 50 Thursday! And Konnor turned 6 on Friday! Thursday evening we had a little celebration with cake and ice cream!

If you know Konnor you know he loves his animals!

That is some good cake!

Friday we all stayed up on the top of the mountain. We had 2 house builds, broke down food for distribution, sorted meds, and had a VBS out in El Pirequel. I was on the VBS crew. We did the Zacchaeus puppet show from Costa Rica and a little skit! We had about 50 kids total. 

After VBS we hung out and played until it was time to make our way back to Villa Gracia. 

Vbs Crew!

Sweet group I played with and got to know at VBS. 

Carla, Nanci, Balaria, Estephanie, Enrique, Sophia, Jenni, Angela, Gabby, Marstella, Anna, Joslyn, Darlene, Jazmine

This is older but ine night we went out to eat and I couldn't remember I'd I posted it so here Trick and I are!

My and a little girl named Marlene from the hospital Wednesday.

1, 2, 3 GO!

Honduras is officially in full swing! Sorry I havnt posted, it has been a busy couple of days! The advanced team got here Monday. Our plane landed around 10:00 Honduras time. From there we had lunch at pizza hut and then headed up to Villa Gracia to get things ready for the team.

Monday afternoon we got all the barnabas note envelopes, bank envelopes, room assignments, etc ready for the groups.

Tuesday morning we were up early to get to the airport before the crowd of Hondurans could take over the arrival area. The groups began arriving around 11am. We got them to the best and then too groups across the street for lunch. At about 1pm we had a small group who left with the luggage to go and get tools and food bags from the warehouse. I was with that group. We first went up to villa gracia, unloaded, then went back down to get the tools.

When we all made it back up we had a short meeting to get everyone their room keys before dinner. Yesterday was our first real work day. We had 4 teams.

2 teams went out to the hole by the dump to build houses. One house the funds were raised by Miss Patty and the other was raised by Lydia. Another group had raised money and did a daughters of the king for the little girls down in the hole. And the last groups (my group) went to the hospital, out to the warehouse to get clothing, and then back up to sort all the clothing.

The hospital was a good trip. I havnt been to the hospital in a hot minute, but I dont run and stand in line at sign ups so I normally get whatever is left after the crowd of people stampede it. I got to go up and see the babies, LOTS of baby girls were born on Tuesday! Which worked out perfectly because Jenny only had pink blankets this year! There was only 1 baby boy on the entire floor of babies that we were on!

Then we went to another floor and I got to play with a 9 year old boy named JuanPier. He had been bitten by a mosquito and had a disease... but I can't remember the name of it. I also got to play with a little girl named Marina. She was 4 years old and had her mother here with her.

Sorry about the lack of pictures...I tries to upload them dor like 30 minutes and then gave up.  

Spiders, Snakes, Cloud Forests, Hot Springs, and A Hidden Volcano

We have had such a wonderful weekend in Costa Rica! It was filled with hard work, relaxation, and a ton of good fellowship. 

On Friday we woke up ready to be put to work around the camp. Carlos had plenty in mind for us to do, I honestly dont know how he normally does it all himself! Together we moved brnches from trees that he had cut down, mowed a lot of grass, raked up the grass, took the grass down the street, feed his neighbors goats, and cleared out a large area of all the dead leaves, bamboo, etc. 

So much mowing. Also be glad if your blower works, every 10 seconds or so I had to clear this one with a bamboo stick, haha!

Cassidy is so very happy.

Goat selfie!

Hannah found a friend.

Then that evening we have the youth group from the congregation over goes pizza and a game night. We played empire, signs, a hand slap game, and more. Some people were up little later then other.

Saturday we woke up and left the camp around 6am to go out to the Baldi Hot Springs. It was about a 3 hour drive to the springs but the beauty of the drive alone made it worth the trip. We drove through the cloud forest on top of a mountain! 

The cloud forest.

Out of the many desserts I ate...this was my favorite!

When we got to Baldi I think many were blown away by the beauty that surrounded us. Although we didnt get to see the volcano we had a great time in all the hot springs, and I had a wonderful time hanging out in the spa for an hour, Haha. We got back to the camp around 730 or 8 and all basically went straight to bed. 

My place of rest.

After our long day we had dish duty!

Sunday was a blast! The congregation came over to the camp for services around 10 and then we had a big fellowship picnic afterwards. The members each took an American with them to eat and talk with. Then many people sat around and talked or played soccer until about 3. 

Me and Kimberly!

At 3 we loaded up the bus and went into Sarchi to do a little shopping. Then got back to the camp and packed out bags for our flight to Honduras. Now it is 5am and we are sitting waiting for the boys to come up and head over to the airport for our flight at 9.