Day 6, by Kristy Alpert
Other than a few morning runs where I’ve ventured into the surrounding neighborhood, today was my first official day off the resort. For the 16-day program, Yandara gives the teacher trainees a bit of free time (roughly four hours) in the afternoon on Sundays. After our morning yoga session (a fusion blend of rhythmic yoga … which was amazing and eye opening!) and a teacher training session on how to set up the timing and flow of a typical class, a few of the other trainees and I rented a car to quickly (very quickly) check out the Tanah Lot Temple nearby.
While the temple was breathtaking in itself, and the time offsite with the girls made for some hilarious stories and great memories, the amazing thing about the experience was that I already noticed I was taking my yoga practice with me while outside of the training grounds and in the “real world.” As I walked among the crowds of tourists slinging selfie sticks around and pushing to get to the front of the blessing line, I found myself walking in serenity and meditation. I didn’t even notice it at first, but it’s becoming more and more obvious that the studies and concepts are already getting ingrained into my being.
In fact, I found myself walking past the shopping district and I didn’t even stop at any of the stalls to bargain on souvenirs … and let’s just say it would be a gross understatement to say that I’m typically a shopper when I travel. But for some reason, I didn’t feel the need to collect things from the time I had there. I just enjoyed being surrounded by new friends and gorgeous scenery and an entire deluge of senses (smells of incense, sounds of laughter, salty breeze from the waters, etc.).
I somehow have a feeling that the best souvenir I will bring home from this trip will be the renewed outlook I’m gleaning from my training with Yandara.
Packing tip of the day: A fun book to read. There isn’t too much free time to read or lounge by the pool, but during the few hours you do have free during the training, it’s nice to have something inspirational that doesn’t necessarily focus on the technical aspects of yoga. Maybe a book on poetry or a motivational book of some sort.
