206 Bones and 7 People

As promised I will reveal my top 7 to you in this entry... These top 7 people have made this list because they are the ones who I turn to when something goes awry, celebrations and are always there when I need them the most and even there when I don't. These seven are the seven who are my constant, my inner wheel, my personal Kula and family, they have been supportive through this journey into a refined, me!

BUT FIRST, I'd like to share the massive revelation that I had today in practice.
I woke up Day 2 Week 2 for my teacher training and I was irritated as I had accumulated a dozen mosquito bites at lunch yesterday, I bruised two of my toes from kicking the bed out of clumsiness, I was tired from sleeping late. I was not in my usual way until I saw my teacher Lawrence and remembered that last night I went to my first Kirtin session. Kirtin is a type of yoga where we chant mantras with music and when we leave, the vibrations of the sounds stay within us. Seeing Lawerence woke me up completely, I remembered how I felt when I walked out of the studio last night. My whole body was pulsing and that is something that resided within me all the time. All I had to do was draw into it and open up to grace from there. As soon as I hit the mat, I was alive, I was free and I had one of THE BEST practices ever!

This week we are learning about the anatomy of the body. We are lucky to have Dr. Damien Mouellic (Osteopath) with us. I have to say, it is NOT easy, but it IS very interesting to learn about our bones, our muscles, our ligaments and how the function of our body can relate to the way we breathe and feel during, before and after practice. As a patient today, Dr. Mouellic re aligned my left wrist at the lunate bone, as I had popped it the wrong way in the 4 minute headstand yesterday. I felt so much better after and I did five handstands today! In our practicum, I felt how my core muscles really engaged, with my tailbone tucked and lumbar spine down to the floor made it harder to breathe (hahaha!). I also felt that by lifting the rib cage made my diaphgram expand more, causing more flow of breath with ease! Did you know that if you are female and you can feel your ovulation, your hips could be too tight?!

I also broke my veggie diet yesterday as I had a few chats with different yogis and their eating habits. I was feeling fatigued from my moon cycle, studies and practice, so I went and shared fish curry and chicken curry with kasmiri nann, with Ciaran. I didn't over eat as I still wanted to maintain this vegg diet as closely as possible til the end of the training. (That said, I just baked for my class as the last batch didn't turn out well. Eggs. Butter. A must still at this point) I learned that in the tantric method of yoga, we can enjoy life, but we should always remember to give thanks first, for the nutrients mother nature is giving us. for the opportunity to live.

My day got better... I spoke to my mother on the phone during our morning break and I explained to her what I was learning in my course, anatomy, opening to grace, being grateful, being at peace. Her response was, "I am so proud of my kids. I am so proud of you, I love you and I hope you have a great day...don't cry!" Her acceptance and love for my journey carried me through the rest of the day into an emotional study session. It was one of the most empowering feelings to hear from your mother, I love you and go get 'em as an adult. I am so blessed to have my mother with me on this journey now! So with that, I give you the top seven.


knowing yourself is your greatest tool in any situation, to have clarity of mind and body, to do what is right for the greater good.

1. My Mother. She is the greatest woman in my life. This woman is incredibley strong despite her sweet exterior and child like laugh. She has taught me how to be an independent-domestic-giving-open person. I send her my love in practice everyday.

2. My Brother. This man raised me. So much of my child hood and adult life has been a result of his leadership and music. He is logical, creative, honest, loving, musical, athletic, stubborn, funny.

3. Donna Kwan. This woman has been my best friend, my beautiful sister, since the age of diaperville. She is intelligent, strong-willed, driven, published, detail-oriented, domestic.

4. My Father. This man has a big heart, though sometimes he forgets about his inner wheel, it's because he's so confident that they will undeniable always be there... and we are! He is charitable, bookworm, honest, passively emotional, stubborn, loves his family.

5. Ciaran Hussey. This man has been my biggest cheerleader and the one I have been sharing my life with. He is open minded, honest, forgiving, generous, loving, athletic, handsome! Ta se mo cri agus is ebhem liom thu galore!

6. Annabelle Hsu. This young woman is my cousin, she has been with me my whole life despite the miles between us. She is incredibley intelligent, creative, funny, clumsy, spirited, kind. She has taught me to never lose that lighter side to life when it gets stressful.

7... You. You are the one who is supporting me. You are the one who is taking the time to share with me this journey. You are the one who is most likely; dependable, creative, open minded, honest, loving and love me back no matter what. Thank you!


In closing, I hope that we will all live into our fullest potential starting within ourselves, to see ourselves as worthy for the best this one body has to offer us. We should optimize it to its full potential by leading healthy lives, eating right, aligning right and patiently watching the seeds of our work blossom. From there, we can share with more people we love to live to their optimal blueprints.