-The Dhammapada

As a dear retreat guest shared with us in our closing circle, I’m often amazed at how what Vivekan and I touch often turns to gold. This last yoga retreat of ours was nothing short of gold. And tho I’m biased as the coordinator of it all, it was the best I’ve ever been on–including ones outside of Bodhisattva Yoga. It’s a bold statement but one that deserves it. Here’s why:

The People~

Photo via: Jess Root/BodhisattvaYoga.com

What do you get when you put a big group of people who hardly know eachother into a shared environment for a week’s time? Make fun of me all you want but MTV’s the Real World comes to mind. People tend to break off into bite sized cliques, start cat-fights, backbite and/or don’t put much effort into making others feel welcome.

I wasn’t so concerned about this happening on our retreat as I’m a pretty laid back person who doesn’t tend to worry too much but I did know that a handful of newcomers were coming along with us for the wild ride. None of whom we had met in person before or whom had studied with Vivekan. (I had given them phone screenings.) I was still curious how the group dynamic would formulate. From our first day to the last, I was in constant awe as I watched all of our retreat guests form bonds, friendships and friendly exchanges–during travel time (arduous for those who got delayed by the blizzard), beach time, bar time, meal time and of course, yoga time.

The lovely and fun yoginis, Katie and Marj. Image via: Katie Schottland

A special shout out goes to those of our retreat guests who despite getting delayed by snow, arrived in good spirits. Those are the types of yoga practicioners taking their work off of the mat and we were proud to host you!

Some of my favorite standout moments:

–Meredith, Allison, Alex and Suzi making a train trip from NYC to Cleveland to catch a flight to Mexico (after JetBlue’s snow storm cancellation.) That’s dedication and we love you for that

–Our group salsa dance (or various versions of) to Rosa’s live drumming session at Zamas

–Bill’s utterly and completely infectious laugh (often heard during deep relaxation!) and his seamless ability to bridge and form friendships

–Some of our retreat guest’s willingness to truly follow our “Judgment-free” retreat motto and take advantage of the clothing-optional beach

–Alex, Allison and Meredith demonstrating their mad Bananagram skillz– these guys are serious

The Yoga~

Photo via: Katie Schottland

In short, Vivekan’s attentive, safe and playful teaching method is off the chain. I wish I had tape-recorded my practice three years ago so you can see where it is now. He took a large group of varying levels of experience and created beautiful, challenging sequences that led us into deep heart openers by week’s end. I felt proud seeing some of our strong Basics level students bridge over to Intermediate and make tremendous strides over the course of a week. (Go Melissa!)

The Food~

Photo via: Jess Root/BodhisattvaYoga.com

As a connoisseur of Caribbean/Mexican food I confidently proclaim the supreme deliciousness of our meals. Guacamole, pico de gallo, fresh fish, tortilla and lime soup, flan, nutella crepes… so good that Bill and Rosa were spotted licking their plates clean. No joke!

Photo via: Jess Root/BodhisattvaYoga.com

Without rambling on forever I’ll make quick mentions to everything from the incredibly charming beachfront accomodations that we never wanted to leave, the friendly staff at Cabanas Copal, the dope spa services that left me feeling like heaven and general awesomeness that all of these parts and pieces collectively created.

“…Form is emptiness, Emptiness is form…” to quote the Heart Sutra.

Which bring me to, you; our dear retreat guests turned our retreat into gold. Yes, Vivekan and I add our own special touch–but it’s really all due to the amazing people, places and things we attract. A massive thanks to each and every one of you who came on the retreat, making it as fabulous as it was. We hope to see you on the next one–if not before!

xo Jess

PS — Click over to friend Bodhisattva Yoga’s Facebook page. We’ve got more retreat photos to check out over there!

Why does an apple a day keep the doctor away? New research supports famous health adage. A ScienceDaily article summarizes recent findings suggesting that pectin, a naturally occurring form of fiber in apples, lends to a pH in the gut which assists the development and functioning of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract.

Also, Jessica, Bodhisattva Yoga’s manager, mentioned in today’s newsletter that we are placing a box, here at Bodhisattva Yoga, in which supplies can be collected and sent within the week to Haiti.

Perhaps, while doing what you can for our fellows in Haiti, you may want to make the firm resolve espoused by the great bodhisattva, Shantideva: “As long as space remains, as long as sentient beings remain, may I too remain, and dispel the miseries of the world.”

Remember, we are but a global village on this planet. Helping a stranger, is helping family.

Delicious salad. Note, not to be confused with the Vivekan Salad.

As we welcome in a new year, I know many are trying to incorporate improved dietary choices into their lifestyle. Though there are many differing opinions on what is a “good diet”, most agree that a fresh salad is not only highly nutritious, but wholesome and minimally processed.

Being largely a lacto-ovo vegetarian, over the years I have experimented with my own salad, and I have arrived at a creation ready to be shared. It is a salad tasty enough for the kids, and hearty enough for the man’s man.

This is, the Vivekan Salad (and, it is a lot healthier, and lower calorie than Caesar’s or Cobb’s formulations):

Mixed greens, fresh-cut corn, fresh red, orange or yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, fresh diced mango (small), avocado, grated carrot, feta cheese, raisins, and a hard-boiled egg (ideally all would be organic &/or as locally produced as possible). Toss this with extra-virgin olive oil and a little sea salt and pepper to taste.

This salad offers healthy fats, proteins, and only naturally occurring sugars; it is chock full of vitamins and minerals, and a whole lot of good taste.

Give it a try and post your thoughts here.

- Vivekan :)

Ps. If you use this salad, kindly give credit where due.

Cynical that sitting in sweat-free stillness could actually prove healthy for the heart?

Check out my post over on TreeHugger about meditation and its cardio-positive qualities!

xo

Jess

H.H., the Dalai Lama