I'm starting the process of looking for my placement in India.
Description: Care
We have placements available in a number of care centers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Overall they cater to orphans, infants, and disabled children. In many cases, your day will begin early when the children need help getting ready for school. You might have the afternoon free or opt to help with other activities. For the younger children, there are often nurseries attached to the home where you can lend a hand. Or, you might even go with the children to school to help with their English lessons! When the older children come home at 4:30, you can help with their homework or organize games for them before dinner.
They arrange all your accomodations and transit while in India, and I am given two weeks off to vacation anywhere (hello Dubai). They don't pay for it but eh. Their program is about three months, which I think is what I need.
I am also looking at orphanage assistance in India (through World Endeavors):
Description: World Endeavors offers several enriching volunteer programs across India in both urban and rural areas. These projects provide a culturally-immersive experience while allowing volunteers to make a meaningful contribution to the Indian people. One of these projects allows volunteers to assist children in local orphanages.
Orphans are deprived of many opportunities necessary for their development. Through education and compassion, children are empowered to challenge a life of further poverty and exploitation. Volunteers provide basic daily care for the orphans and are also encouraged to actively participate in programs such as health education, games, drawing, and painting. With such a variety of ways to participate, the orphanage experience provides volunteers many meaningful ways to approach service.
http://www.volunteerabroad.com/listingsp3.cfm/listing/32494 <--- that sounds good too. Especially the whole community project development and management stuff, and I can even live with an Indian family and completely immerse myself in the culture. They say its two weeks in lenght but I can do long term too. Oh this one has me really fucking excited!
http://www.volunteerabroad.com/listingsp3.cfm/listing/35014
I'm looking at programs in South Africa and Peru as well.
Really, I just cant wait to travel and see the entire country once I'm in it.
***
Mom: What happened to Australia? Why do you keep researching countries where you can get yourself killed?!
Me: Because what's the fun in it otherwise?
You operate so fully along the Id that I am almost willing to recredit Freud's psychoanalytic theory.
Christ on a pogo stick good riddance to that.
When faced with life’s difficulties and something comes up, we build something around it to channel that. When we practice with these things, we come to live a fuller life. You can’t cultivate patience without practicing it. Feel the grief, and do not make it in to anything more. People act out because they don’t want to feel sadness. The noble path is to feel and know discomfort. Don’t repress it or vent it. Pepople who are the most pain avoidant (ie, my ex) also have the least joy in their lives. Yogis need to be open to feeling everything.
Right now, and in every now-moment, you are either closing or opening. You are either stressfully waiting for something--more money, security, affection--or you are living from your deep heart, opening as the entire moment, and giving what you most deeply desire to give, without waiting. If you are waiting for anything in order to live and love without holding back, then you suffer. Every moment is the most important moment of your life. No future time is better than now to let down your guard and love. Everything you do right now ripples outward and affects everyone. Your posture can shine your heart or transmit anxiety. Your breath can radiate love or muddy the room in depression. Your glance can awaken joy. Your words can inspire freedom. Your every act can open hearts and minds. Opening from heart to all, you live as a gift to all. In every moment, you are either opening or closing. Right now, you are choosing to open and give fully or you are waiting. How does your choice feel?
Graduation was today.
After much laughter, tears, hard work, and emotional and physical pain, I am officially a yoga teacher, a MOKSHA yoga teacher, with a 500 hour certification honoured by the Yoga Alliance.
Om Shanti
Om Namaste
Jai Jai Jai!
I have so much to write about and I don't know how to put any of it.
I can't believe I leave in five days. Only three days left of actual yoga stuff. Then Sunday is graduation. I changed my flight to leave early Monday morning from Hilo to Honolulu, where I am going with a few other ladies and we'll go shopping on Waikiki and see the beach and stuff before getting back to the airport for my 4h15 flight back to Chicago.
I emailed the Moksha Yoga Danforth studio with regards to teaching there. They emailed me back this morning saying they would put my name down on the list for new apprentice teachers and said I would probably start teaching in May or June. This, of course, is making my stomach churn, as I can't believe I am moving back to Toronto again, and frankly, I'm scared shitless, but what else am I going to do? I am getting every possible sign from the universe not to stay in Chicago.
More to write, but I'm too tired. I'll probably write the bulk of what I need to once I am back in Chicago, as I will be less interupted there. It seems I can't ever get more than ten minutes alone in this place - which, for me, an only child, is a bit tiresome after awhile.
I quit my voice lessons yesterday. That was a fun phone call :\
Five more days. Pray my body doesn't break down before then; I totally feel its about to.
I am so cranky today.
Meditation and practice was cancelled this morning, so Emma and I got our running shoes on at 5h30 am, and jogged/power walked down to the black sand beach about a mile and a half away from Kalani. We were up late with some of the other girls in our hale, but it was ok. To get to the beach from the road, you need to go down this steep hill, at a really steep incline.
So we get all the way to the bottom and I lose my footing, and fall right the fuck down on ah-ah.
There's two types of lava rock in Hawaii - ah-ah and pahoehoe. Pahoehoe is all nice and smooth. Ah-ah is rough and jagged. My ass is bruised, my left arm is all scratched and torn up... argh. And I've been stubbing my toe right left and centre.
The pacific ocean was so warm today.
Our afternoon classes were cancelled, with the exception of asana practice, so I've been at the poolside all day.
This shit has turned me black. teehee.
I'm so thankful tomorrow is a day off and I have a two hour hawaiian lomi lomi massage scheduled. I am so effing sore.
