White Lotus Memories

I've got White Lotus on the mind. I cheerfully reminisce with people who've done their training there, I have a student ask me about my time there, I run across photos of the beautiful landscape and I'm drawn again to my yoga teacher training.... and I want to go back. I want to go to deepening your practice, the therapeutic yoga training program, thai massage training, and I want to go back for weekend retreats. Here are some photos from my time there:

my friend Cara in scorpion

gurus <3

lovely sitting area overlooking a cliff

cool water to swim in

kirtan night

ganesha rock

our yurt! yurt #7

my friend Mike in the cuzzi overlooking the moutainside

photo challenge: day 9

day 9: a photo of something from far away

(posted on day 10)

CBD

these homes need some love

When you move here everyone will tell you that New Orleans changes dramatically with each street you go down. That seems weird and almost impossible for someone to understand who hasn't spent time here. But, it's true. Yes, some neighborhoods are pretty similar across the blocks. But, oftentimes, you can walk one street with million(s) dollar mansions and then the next street will have houses boarded up, with broken windows, and lots of times those houses are the ones with people gathered all around them spending time outside. It's really quite interesting and something you have to experience for yourself. When someone moving here says that they want to live in a safe neighborhood I tell them that the best way to do that is to be a good person, know your neighbors, and choose a place where you feel good walking around because New Orleans is not a place to live where you want to stay inside. And, don't worry so much about walking down a "scary" street- people are naturally friendly and talkative here and not always looking to snatch your purse (just be smart).

The top photo is the central business district, taken from the highway. Except I don't think people call it the highway here- maybe the thruway or freeway or something. The second one is a few blocks down from my place where there are always little children playing outside but the houses look abandoned- maybe the owners didn't have enough money to rebuild after the big K.

Anyway, hope you enjoy. Off to day 10!

photo challenge: day 8

day 8: a photo of something close up

This morning, while taking a walk around Audubon Park I got a little camera crazy and took photos of everything with my iPhone.
So, here's my input for today- 3 photos of somethings close-up. No one said they had to be clear....mine are blurry. I like them anyway.

photo challenge: day 7

Day 7: a photo of a silhouette

So, I didn't do so well today. I was busy until this afternoon, watched a movie about eating (Food Matters!!) and putzed around my house for a while instead of taking a photo of a silhouette. Tomorrow is another nice long day but i'm taking a photo of something close-up and posting it that day, gosh darn it.

Here's my "silhouette"

You can't really see it. But, when I opened my corn from the farmer's market there was a little surprise for me. A little green creepy crawly. Incase you are wondering, I didn't eat him. And I still love the farmer's market, even though I got a little buggy surprise.

photo challenge: day 6

day 6: a photo from a low angle

This is one of my most favorite things in my house. I bought it at Target in Boston for only a few dollars. It holds a tea candle. It's beautiful.

photo challenge: day 5

Day 5: A photo of what ever you please

This is a photo of a portion of a page from my favorite book, Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres. The entire thing, line after line, is beautiful.

I wonder if i'd like his other novels? Has anyone out there read Birds Without Wings, Red Dog, The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts, or Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord?

photo challenge: day 4

Day 4: a photo from a high angle

This is my pet tortoise. His name is Monster. And i'm taking day 4's photo from my eyeballs height, which is a high angle, for him. I've had him, hmm six years now? I got him in the mail. He was shipped across the country from California, as a present, and he was only the size of a quarter. He's so funny.

And I had to throw this photo in because I snapped it (with my iPhone) right after the first one and I love how you can see the details of his shell and the scales on his legs. 

30 day..Photo Challenge

Ah, once again i've neglected my blog a bit.

But, i've been working hard on getting some yoga stuff done. I'm teaching 7 classes a week at Life Yoga. Yoga in the Park is going well even in 100F heat. Annd...the bidabooyoga facebook fan page is set up. The biggest news is that just as of today my bidaboo yoga email is all set and the first amazingly beautiful email newsletter has gone out. Didn't receive it? You can check it out here and sign yourself up: BIDABOO YOGA NEWSLETTER

Okay, so I finally got around to reading some old blogs today and came upon my cousin Lauryn's blog over at www.laureality.com. Her latest post is about a 30day photography challenge. Hers should be really good to follow, since she's a photographer and all. But I just decided to do it too.

Here's what it's all about:

Let's see if i can get the first few done since i'm starting late...

1) a photo of yourself: 

2) a photo of what i wore today: lululemon yoga top (amazingly comfy and stays in place!) and lucy shorty short shorts to deal with this heat. 

3) a photo of your favorite place to be: anywhere and everywhere with Ben <3

Stay tuned for the rest of the 30 day photography challenge!

Caroling in New Orleans

Living in New Orleans has its perks...

First of all, although the weather is steamy and hot hot hot in the summer, the other seasons are beautiful. Today, for instance, it was in the 70s and sunny. Lovely.
Also, as I have mentioned before, New Orleans has so many fun things to do no matter who you are and what you like.

On December 19th I got to attend a Nola tradition- Caroling at Jackson Square. For 58 years the people of Louisiana (and some as far away as Europe!) have been coming together during the holiday season to gather outside of the St. Louis Cathedral in the famous Jackson Square and sing together. The event is backed by a company who buys 8,500 candles as well as that many booklets of Christmas carols to hand out for free to carolers.

Ben and I were lucky enough to get to go this year and it was such a nice event. It was just chilly enough to get the holiday feeling, the trees in the park smell great, everyone was holding a glowing candle, and people young and old were singing. Many wearing Santa hats. Now, I happen to be a Christmas carol connoisseur and know the words to even the second versus, but not everyone wants to hear me sign out loud. That's what's great about caroling at Jackson Square- you are with thousands of other people so you won't be heard all by your lonesome. The songs were led by a choir of people and a piano on a stage. Even the mayor came out to lead us in a rendition of his favorite carol.

If you're lucky enough to live in New Orleans, be sure to catch this event next December. If not, here's some photos that I snapped between tunes. (very few as i didn't get any great ones of the crowd)

Okay, and one more photo of a New Orleans style Christmas tree I saw in a window on the way to Jackson Square.

a visit in photos

It has been almost a month since my last update. Woops. Guess that's what happens when I have a 8-5 job. In the near future there will be a link to a guest blog as well as some holiday cheer. But for now, photos!

These are some digital photos that I took around Nawlins when my Grams visited the week before Thanksgiving. They were taken in my neighborhood, at Audubon Park, and on Canal Street. All were taken with my point and shoot Cannon and not edited in any way (except for the 2nd to last which I straightened). Hope you enjoy!