Kripalu R&R

Chick Yoga Weekend is an opportunity to chill out, as well as a chance to learn some new stuff.  I participated in several activities during the weekend beyond my morning and evening yoga classes.

The grounds at Kripalu are beautiful.  It's a wonderful place just to hang out and unwind (the KYTA teacher we went with happily confessed that she did absolutely nothing for the whole weekend).  There are shrines and devotional spots tucked away in nooks and crannies.  Walking around the estate can be a bit like a treasure hunt - I never know what I'll stumble across.  Sometimes I find rock sculptures, offerings or trinkets left behind, scraps of papers with petitions or words of thanks.  They're little glimpses of other people's lives and evidence of their passing through.  Even some of the plant life can be an unexpected find.  I discover something new every year.

Beauty and hidden treasures

I attended several activities.  I went to Healing Arts Sampler: Positional Therapy because everyone who went to last year's session raved about how it helped with various aches and pains.  Chanting really isn't my thing, but I took Enchantment of Chanting, simply because Bhavani was leading the class, and she is always entertaining and informative.

Finding Balance

Saturday evening was probably the most practical workshop I took all weekend:  Stress Solutions for Busy People.  It was just what I needed; I left with some tips on dealing with my stressors.  Now I have to see if I can put what I learned into practice.

The fun, fluffy classes were on Sunday and Monday.  First was a hands-on class about finding balance.  We made mobiles.  Total frivolity.  I loved it.  The people at my table made some neat mobiles.  Unfortunately, I was so focused working on my design that I missed seeing the rest of the class's projects.  I managed to get my creation home in one piece and it now sits on my desk at work. 

The other fun session was The Days of Being Wild.  The idea was to play like you did as a kid.  More fluff:  we drew pictures, danced and made up names for ourselves.  A room full of adults acting silly and laughing - like you can't imagine me doing that.

Henna Tattoo

The last neat thing I did wasn't a class:  I got a henna tattoo.  The woman who did it was amazing; her work was so smooth and organic.  This was all done free-hand, in a little over 15 minutes.  I was fascinated watching the pattern appear from nowhere and meander down my arm.  Her artwork seemed so effortless.

Yoga was a challenge that evening, since I didn't want the dried henna to flake off too early or ruin the pattern around my wrist.  And the paste itched when it dried!  I was so happy to rub off remained crumbs on Monday morning.  The designs on my hand darken all morning; I watched the color move down from the pinky finger to the wrist.  The markings on the arm turned browner (they're quite red in the photo), but they didn't darken any more.  By the end of the week the markings began to wear off my finger, but the rest of it is still in great condition.  I suspect it will fade quite a bit once I get back to swimming laps in a few days.  I'll enjoy it for as long as it lasts!