Guatemala, an introduction

Guatemala is beautiful. It is physically stunning and what has been created here at The Yoga Forest is a beauitful meeting place for like-minded people to meet and share. Everyone is open-minded and grateful, conversations about Jesus and the Infinite are a common occurence. The yoga practice is meaningful and the days are created with intention and offerfings of love and grace. Life is simple here, we have exactly what we need and are in abundance. The meals are hearty and healthy, made by hand and picked from the garden. 

There aren't many worries here. We work from solar power energy so we have to watch our power usage, especially when we don't get much sun. Everything is outdoors, the toilet, the shower, EVERYTHING. And everything has a view: you should see my view from the toilet! We woke up early this morning for meditation and saw an amqzing sunrise over the volcano from our window overlooking the lago. 

Our first night here, there was some seismic activity and our whole room shook. Adventures at every turn, even when we're sleeping! The bugs are aplenty and I'm doing my best to  be non-reactive to all of them: it's a slow process. Dustin found a scorpion in our room the other night and kindly escorted it out. We check our beds before we sleep at night, it's a whole new world here. The Yoga Forest is just teeming with life. 

We practice yoga once to three times a day, with an early morning meditation. We celebrated the Autumnal Equinox with 108 sun salutations that, two days later, my hamstrings are still tender. After one of our wonderflu days of yoga practice, Dustin told me that he believes bugs are sent from God to test our focus, our resilience. During a yoga practice, when a bug, fly, or even the slightest brush of the skin that implies critter brushes your skin, do you move? Do you swat? Or do you remain still? I have to agree with him; after all, it takes a lot of mental focus to bring myself from scratching the (many) sensation of a sting or bite on my leg. That's Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses) if I've ever experienced it. So a week into our stay in The Yoga Forest in Guatemala, we've drawn upon a philosophical truth that bugs are God. Yes, this place is that good. 

If you'd like to join me, we don't have an address, but if you make it to the edge of the forest in San Marcos de Lago, there are flowers painted on rocks and arrows that mark the way. Just follow the flowers.

So many blessings...

"If you can't see God in all, you can't see God at all"   -Yogi Bhajan

...that's a far easier task these days...