Tag Archives: San Francisco

Reflections from 2012

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20120525 Normandy - American cemeteryI haven’t ever taken the time to do a year-in-review mostly because in my previous life this was my craziest time of the year.  Given the changes in my life in the last four months, 2012 merits a short, public pause and reflect:

January: My application to the outdoor naturalist program at Algonquin College in Pembroke on January 2nd. First real step to make a career change.

February: Visit to my folks in Longboat Key, Florida! Plus new writing and photography classes at the University of Toronto and George Brown College. And *gasp* last day of the month, I find out I’ve been accepted into the Algonquin program.

March: Planning for a two week trip to France in late May – because my husband and I are not totally spontaneous travelers.

April: Much needed visit from my sister who lives in San Fran. Somehow she always ends up on the East Coast on our dad’s birthday weekend…

May: FRANCE!!! Fantastic trip. We met some incredible people along the way. I am particularly appreciative of the French couple in Amboise who kept us company while we all waited out a storm on the patio of a so-so restaurant. The spoke little English. My husband and I maintained our end of the conversation with high school and university French between the two of us respectively.

June: First trip out to Pembroke to secure a place to stay. What have I gotten myself into?! It’s such a small town.

July: Panic attack – I give notice at work and officially accept my placement in the program.

August: Loads of planning and shopping. My office work wardrobe won’t really cut it in Algonquin Park.

September – December: A whole new experience back at school as a mature student, outside 20+ hours a week, writing more and evaluating what it means to do meaningful work.

This is undoubtedly a superficial look at the last twelve months. Trust me there’s been much more reflection and soul searching.  I am incredibly fortunate to be able to take the plunge into a career change. I thank my U.S. and Canadian families for all of their support. 2013 will prove to be a most interesting year.

Peace and happiness to you all in the new year.

Hot yin yoga and 2012 travel

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Soft flute and clarinet music interspersed with birds chirping pipes into the warm moist room through speakers on the walls. A mix of six men and women dressed in form-fitting yoga tops and bottoms are already warming themselves on the black silica rock filling up about a quarter of the room.

Iyashi Bedrock Spa is the first Ganbanyoku (“rock bathing”) spa in North America and the only one in Canada according to the website. The room is kept at 42° to 44°C with humidity at about 60%. The black silica rock that forms the bedrock beds is said to heat the body from the inside out to help bathers detoxify through perspiration. Spa goers can simply rock bathe at Iyashi or attend one of eight yin yoga classes offered throughout the week. Unlike other hot yoga practices yin yoga consists mostly of sitting or lying poses where postures are held for several minutes in order to relax and loosen the connective tissues.

At Iyashi the yin yoga class is an hour long, preceded by 30 minutes of quiet meditation and warming of the body. It is during these 30 minutes that I struggle most to calm my mind and focus on the practice. At the New Year’s Eve class, I found myself preoccupied with what 2012 would bring. This will likely be the year that results in the most significant amount of change to my life in at least a decade. While I would love to be able to plan for it, I can’t plot out every step and I have to trust that I will make the best decisions possible as they present themselves.

In the meantime, what I can plan for is TRAVEL! The big trip this year will be France, yet to be determined what exactly that entails. I am also looking into Longboat Key, FL and San Francisco for extended long weekends, a couple of trips to the U.S. Northeast and one to the Canadian East Coast, likely Halifax. It should be a great year for travel writing and photography.

The yoga instructor brings me back to present, indicating that it is time to start class. I breathe deeply, let go of my travel plans temporarily, and sink into the first posture.