This week’s newsletter is coming to you from 35,000 feet. Yes, I’m in an airplane!
I’ve actually been in this airplane for a little over 10 hours and I’ve got about 4 hours to go until I land in Dubai. Then a 3 hour layover and a 4 hour flight to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
I’ll get to Chennai in a minute. But isn’t it amazing that a person can be on wifi in an airplane? That kind of blows my mind. According to the app, there are 40 people online in the plane, so the speed is a little slow, but still! Wifi on an airplane!
I might be a little bit delirious from having been inside this big metal tube for so long. I had a sinus headache (thank you, central Texas allergens) for the first several hours of the flight and I finally got the good sense to ask a flight attendant for ibuprofen. She gave me panadol instead and it worked like a charm. I’m feeling so much better now that I thought I’d write you my weekly note.
And so here we are.
I’m not going to lie. I had a pretty hard time leaving my kids. My flight left Wednesday at mid-day, and on and off throughout the day Tuesday I spontaneously burst into tears at the thought of going away for a month.
Part of my anxiety was about leaving my kids - how would they get their homework done without me? Would they do a good job of brushing their teeth? What if they forgot their lunch? And on. And on.
But also - flying to the other side of the world all by myself, to a country where I don’t speak their primary language, where I can’t drive, where women dress differently, where there’s a different currency to manage. And on. And on.
So many worries, so much stress. And yet, I knew I needed to do it. New things are always scary, but I knew this would be so worthwhile.
Starting Monday, I’ll be attending the first of three months of Yoga Teacher Training at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. I’ll be in Chennai for all of January, then I’ll come (go?) back in October, and again the following July. It’s a 500 hour training focused on the Krishnamacharya philosophy of customizing the practice to suit the student.
I’m looking forward to learning, of course. I can’t even begin to imagine everything I’ll learn.
But I’m also looking forward to having some time to myself to think and decompress and plan. And I’m looking forward to my husband and kids fending for themselves for a little while - they’ll learn lessons and grow closer in by absence. And I’ll gain confidence in my ability to fend for my own self on this adventure. I’m sure there will be many unexpected lessons.
My main priority is safety. I’ll be laying low, trying to blend in as much as possible, and splitting my time between KYM and the apartment I’m renting. I do need to figure out how I’m going to eat for the month (where is the grocery store? what kitchen facilities do I have access to? what can I cook with the available ingredients?), but I think for the most part it will be some nice downtime to rest and study.
While I’m in India, we of course have some cool things going on at The Yoga Room, and this week I want to make sure you know that all classes are FREE on New Year’s Day.
Please come join us for a class and kick off the New Year on a healthy note. Make 2017 the year you really figure out how to develop a consistent practice, so you can feel great consistently. Feel welcome to invite a friend!
And if you’re interested in (virtually) coming along on my trip to India, please make sure to follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram. I’ll be sharing photos and stories, and maybe even some live videos. Let me know if you have any questions! Then I’ll really feel like you’re traveling with me. :)
Signing off from somewhere over Turkey,
Zelinda
P.S. Don't forget! Through the end of the month, get a $10 Gift Certificate with the purchase of a 10 Class Pass. Click here to purchase your 10 Class Pass today and your $10 Gift Certificate will be ready next time you visit the studio!
