During my initial yoga teacher training in 2007, we played a game called “the beauty I see in you is...” Each student was paired up with an unfamiliar person in class and asked to sit crossed legged facing each other, knee to knee. One of the things I have always enjoyed is my personal space. I was convinced that this yoga program was determined to break this quality down in me and force me to become a close talker. Super uncomfortable about being in such tight quarters, to self - preserve, I said something along the lines of, “Sorry, had onions for lunch,” and maniacally laughed. What a perfect way to start; making my partner think that I’m one crazy bitch.

The purpose of the exercise was to repeat this phrase, “the beauty I see in you is…” over and over again with direct eye contact. The sentence needed to be finished differently each time. For some reason I can’t remember who my partner was or what was said, but I do recall tears streaming down everyone’s face as the words began to shift from the physical beauty of a person to more abstract images. For example: the beauty I see in you is, your radiating heart, as opposed to outwardly attributes of face and body. Sweet, simple affirmations to help the person seated across discover themselves and become closer to their truth. It broke a lot of us down.

However, some things don’t change. If I can feel your breath on my face as we talk, no offense, but I will back up.

Let’s be cliché shall we? As we all know; beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one person perceives as pretty or attractive is not necessarily how another will acknowledge it. We all have thoughts on what we deem as sexy, gorgeous, handsome and cute.

There is no right or wrong; it just is.

But what does seem to be true across countries, is the idea that if we connect to the positive energy of a person, animal or place, it generally creates a stronger sense of attractiveness. Most people will say in a relationship that once they got to know the heart of their partner, they became even more handsome; also, the reverse can be true.

Either way, physical beauty is only so deep. If you have a shit personality, no amount of hotness will save you.

Indonesia is fucking gorgeous. I don’t care who you are or where you’ve been. When you drop into these Islands you’re going to have a mental orgasm. She’s a stunner. She’s not perfect, but pretty damn close. If you stay here long enough and dive into the culture, you’ll see her flaws. A few blemishes will become obvious: burnt garbage, the division of rich and poor, the unsavory smells, the way some animals are treated, and the inability to walk on the streets without tripping over uneven cement. But I’m conscious that these issues take place around the world, so overall she’s got a lot to offer.

I choose to look beyond these things – not ignore, but I’m not here to change this country in an aggressive “look at the perfect foreigner” kind of way. I’m here to change myself and hopefully make connections that will ripple effect into my home, community and beyond.

I stare into her heaving bosom. She breathes so vibrantly, that I can’t help but breathe in rhythm with her. She’s so inspirational. So soothing as she fills me up moment by moment with the most amazing sights sounds and experiences.

As I write this, I am in the interior of Bali. This is an area that was recommended to me by a good friend. He said that this place would blow my mind. It has. My house is about $50.00 US and could probably handle a family of six comfortably. I am traveling alone; but it feels as if my extended family has come to visit: the birds, crickets, cows, moths, snakes (I’m sure) that surround my house in the hills make me feel right at home.

When I woke up this morning, I started to make my way across the open air patio to the precarious spiral staircase down to the toilet. Bleary eyed and pee pee dancing, I took a moment and looked out into the distance. Immediately, I felt this massive wave of energy blast my body. I stood still and observed the intense colors and beauty surrounding me.

Holy shit, I’m in paradise.

Through eye snot, I blinked a few times to clear my vision. Directly in front of me stands the largest volcano in Bali; reminding me, it could take me out at any time. I backed up and bowed.

My connection to this place just reached a new level.

I cried. In fact I bawled. I can’t even tell you why; except that the power of this place brought me to my knees.

I don’t miss the traffic, the busyness, the noise and the distractions. This place is a reflection of me. I look out in nature; the roaring ocean, the delicate sand and the greenery that’s laid itself out like an acrylic painting to support the distant mountains, and I see me.

The early morning haze hangs in the sky, much like the veil that gently covers our own beauty until we warm to the fact of how precious and perfect we truly are, from the inside out. As dawn turns into late morning, the clouds slowly disappear and the radiance of our souls begins to shine thorough. The sun just turned up the dial and we’re glowing. If nature has taught us anything, it’s to allow things to unfold in an organic ebb and flow. What we can be sure of, is as the night flows into day, our mist will clear and our beauty will be known. Do we resist? Sure. Are we scared? You bet. But for the first time we can look beyond our skin and truly feel the staggering beautiful person we are becoming.

You are nature unfolding day by day. And you can't hide nature.

If there was one adjective that could possibly sum up the complexity of who I am, I would definitely choose the word: colorful. I feel that it encompasses all areas of my character and the path I walk. However, there have been many other words used to describe me throughout my life; some to my face and others behind my back. Here’s a list of them in no particular order: bitch, strong willed, controlling, beautiful, angry, fun, committed, creative and fiery. Interestingly, and being completely honest, many of them have been fairly accurate— in certain circumstances, I actually have been a beautiful angry controlling bitch.

However, there is one word that I want to put in a little ball, chew on and
spit out. It’s a word that some people along my journey have expected me to be…and that is: perfect.

Perfect was the monkey on my back.

Here is the whole article published in ELEPHANT JOURNAL

For the past few mornings, I’ve been unrolling my yoga mat out on an old
wooden dock in the town of Placencia, Belize; where I’ve been staying for a
week. The edge of my mat is a few feet from the lagoon and as I practice my yoga, I am completely aware of the beauty surrounding me: the exotic birds, the calm water and the brilliant blue sky that reminds me of how vast this world truly is. After about 30 minutes, I am beading with sweat and begin to cool down with a short but powerful meditation. I sit with my eyes closed and simply allowed the whispers of the Universe be my source of focus. Today, I was able to allow my mind and body to drift into a place of well-deserved relaxation.

But more often than not, I can’t seem to settle down. Instead, whether I’m
trying to meditate or not, my mind chooses to remind me of past situations and future events that usually cause me some type of anxiety or fear. It natters from beneath my thick hair, scalp and skull; distracting me from the present moment, where I generally feel at peace. My mind and I have recently gotten into a love/hate relationship with the constant conversation that zooms around my head.

If you would like to read the full article - click here: MUUVE FITNESS

When I fly away to exotic locations, I feel the weight of the world slipping off my shoulders as we start zooming down the runway. No matter what I've been working through or the stresses I've had - it seems they start to dissipate; knowing I'll be far from it all, even for a few days.

Recently we journeyed to Placencia, Belize, for just over a week. What a wonderful place to sit in a hammock, drink rum and practice yoga. My husband and I needed the break, to regain perspective and to let go.

But letting go is not easy on a short trip. It seems that it takes a day or two to get used to being on holidays and then another few days at the end of the trip ramping up the energy to come home. So really, we had 3 days to truly find the essence of the "beach holiday." By that I mean if someone was to ask you what you were thinking... you'd literally tell them to "fuck off" or on a more polite note maybe say something like, "Umm... nothing" or "What to eat" or the classic, "What my next drink will be." You know how it is... the less mental energy the better.

So FYI, for those of you who like to chat a lot about deep meaningful "things" on a quick stress free holiday - we cannot travel together... I'd walk out into the ocean and drowned myself, just to get away from the serious conversation.

Traveling is good for the soul. It doesn't mean that you forget who you are and act like a stranger in your own body, but it does mean that you can chill out and release some pent up emotion by dancing, laughing and wearing totally inappropriate clothing. That's the purpose of being on vacation - to let yourself vacate from the norm.

So get on a plane, jump in your car or take a freaking bus... but get away once in a while. You don't have to go far, but a change in scenery is a great way to shift your thinking. You are everywhere you go, so choose to pack mentally lighter - you'll be amazed at how refreshed you will be when you come home. And it is always nice to come home.

Believe me, you'll have plenty of time in your life to feel stressed - so give yourself a break and get the fuck outta here...

The Flies
I’m sitting in a relatively relaxed position on an open air platform at an earthy yoga center located on the Island of Gili Air, Indonesia.

I’m trying to meditate. 

It’s not going very well.

From the first moment I landed on the shores of this beautifully picturesque Island, I found the breeze refreshing, the vibe chill but the flies outrageous. One my biggest concerns about traveling here, were the deadly animals that could possibly come out of the bushes and attack me. This fear has dissipated, however, because even though there are spiders and lizards, they generally keep to themselves and don’t affect everyday life.

The one thing I have put into practice, though, is ducking while walking under low hanging branches, so that spiders, the size of your hand, will not brush against the top of my head.

To read the rest of my BLOG click on:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/10/meditating-with-a-fly-in-my-eye-becca-pati/

I am so excited to have another inspirational blog article published on the most amazing website: ELEPHANT JOURNAL! Click here to see my full write up: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/10/im-breaking-up-with-myself-becca-pati/

I wouldn't consider myself a fearful person, but I would definitely say I have my moments. A few years back, while we were site seeing in Thailand, unbeknownst to me, there was an anaconda a few feet (ok, more like 50 feet) away from me. When I turned around to survey the beauty, I spotted "it" and immediately stopped in my tracks. I had a pure and utter inner freak out. I am positive it looked at me and was thinking about having Indian for lunch! Clearly, I have an issue with snakes. Needless to say, I took the long way around the park, trying to put one shaky leg in front of the other, mimicking some type of walking. 

That was a while ago, and yet more recently, an opportunity came my way to be part of a public speaking event in St. Albert. I was flattered, but instantly started to get sweaty palms, dry mouth and a light headed feeling, as I read the email. I actually really do enjoy public speaking, but I get nervous before I have to talk. So, I immediately went into self preservation mode and wanted to avoid pain and repeat pleasure - which would mean saying a big "NO" to the offer. But after a few moments of talking myself down, I thought better of it, took a few deep breaths and waited to respond.

When it comes to using our talents, skills, and taking on new opportunities, fear can hinder us and cause us to freeze. It's an emotion that is totally made up in our minds about a worse case scenario that is most likely not going to happen. For instance, I am sure, after I calmed down, that the snake was NOT singling me out for its' next meal! We come up with "what ifs" and reasons not to pursue our dreams for fear of failure, success, rejection, not fitting in or looking "stupid."

The next time opportunity knocks and you feel like your head is spinning and your adrenaline is pumping... take a few long deep yogic breaths. Either write or say out loud your worst fear of the situation and then describe the best possible scenario. Notice how both are probably a bit extreme and unreasonable. Chances are, you'll find the outcome somewhere in the middle. 

Once we can think with a level head and make decisions based on reality, not a terrible occurrence, we can start to feel a bit more at ease in our lives. Having fun and playing with new possibilities is what makes life so exciting. When new opportunities and doors open, we don't always have to have all the answers. What we can count on, is that, when we take a chance, we will inevitably grow and become stronger. But it's a journey. Take your time - conquer small fears and work your way to bigger experiences. Please just don't expect me, anytime soon, to walk through a door that leads to a snake, because I'm not quite ready for that yet...

Namaste,
Becs

A few years ago, Greg and I made a commitment to take a short holiday every few months. We made this relationship "rule" because a while back, when we couldn't get away, we went mad. Simply put, our relationship is better when we aren't cranky. This time around we headed off to one of our favorite places, Vancouver. A destination that we love to love because of the easy travel time and the amazing weather.

The first thing I need to say is, a BIG thank you, to my friend Dan, who let us stay in his beautiful VRBO in Yaletown. It was an absolute treat to stay in a Heritage house and be right in the heart of it all! The house was a perfect setting to hang out on the deck with a cup of coffee or vino, take naps, and relax after a night out on the town. It's good to have such fabulous friends!

Let me paint a picture of our holiday - walks, vino, coffee, food, sitting in the sun, and yoga. I didn't say it was complicated... but exactly what the doctor ordered. There is so much to see in Vancouver's downtown, with its' brightly lit bars, eclectic cafes and healthy (or not) restaurants. Not to mention the fabulous Yoga Studio that was right around the corner from our place. The theme of this trip was RELAX... so with my new attitude of chilling and not "doing," I found myself slowing down the pace of my walk, smiling more, and that nasty crevice between my eyebrows softened (or at least I'd like to think so).

It's hard to find time not to be "on" when I'm at home. As most of you can relate, we are a busy couple, with a full time business. So when we can afford (time and money) to get away, we jump at the opportunity. I would like to be able one day to do a staycation,  but I think that part of what allows me to feel the weight of the world release from my tightly wound shoulders, is that I am NOT at home and therefore cannot sit at the computer, check texts (I left my phone at home), and become bored being in my own environment.  I am sure that if I chose to stay at home for more than a day or two without a plan of attack for how I was going to spend my time, I would start a house project or possibly another blog!

So here's to Vancouver! A city that's easy to get to, fun to be in and has amazing people to visit. Thank you West Coast City for making my stress levels a little less, my mind a bit clearer, and my relationship even better!

Top 10 Things to Bring on your Indian Getaway:
1) More underwear than clothes. You can get away with the same clothes for while, but changing your underwear every day, is a good rule to live by... even on holidays..
2) An open mind. Be ok to wear the same thing 3 days in a row, go without showering, and having a "natural" scent. Just let go of the ego and let the smell release...
3) Bring rubber pee pee poo poo shoes, as you never know what you're stepping in and they can be rinsed off easily. Sandals with cotton straps, sops up too much nasty sh*t.
4) Toilet paper. For obvious reasons, unless you are comfortable using your left hand (see previous blog) and then I say go for it, enjoy!
5) Hand sanitizer. Just do it.
6) If you are packing pants, make sure you hem them all above your ankle. Do not worry that you may look like you're waiting for a flood. You will thank us later... as mentioned before, pee and poo are everywhere.
7) If you take sugar in your chai tea, make sure you bring your own natural no calorie sweetener, like Stevia. Otherwise with a teaspoon of raw sugar here and there, you will come back diabetic.
8) Strong legs. The squat position can leave one rather tired, so before you go, make sure you've had some good solid leg training.
9) A plethora of your favorite natural herbs and over the counter drugs. India has pharmaceuticals everywhere, but if you have a preference of what will help you "go," or stop your bowels from exploding, or clean a cut, or soothe heat rash, or help you sleep, or wake you up, or calm the itch... bring it...
10) A smile. Don't be a smart ass, an asshole, or arrogant. It won't work here (or anywhere).

Top 10 Indian Experiences:
1) Eating the most amazing yummy mind blowing food ever. The cuisine is healthy, tasty, and hearty. mmm...
2) Observing the color palate. As India's flavors of foods are so vast and mouth watering, so are the colors of their saris, scarves, landscapes, and flowers. Our Western world is dark by comparison. Black is not a color.
3) Drinking the local beer, Kingfisher, (and liking it) and other fruity drinks. Made us feel 18 again (well, it made me feel 18 again, so that would make Greg feel 30 again! HA!).
4) Bartering for clothes and jewellery and having the vendors tell me that my Indian blood has given me the ability to be a great negotiator. What can I say, I can't buy anything that's not an amazing deal... even in Canada.
5) Frolicking in the sea. The ocean on the East and the West coast lines of India have felt our bodies swimming through them, even if I was reluctant at first (the water is cool for a few seconds and then it feels like bath water).
6) Laying our yoga mats out on balconies, roof tops, decks, beaches, and in our hotel rooms. Wherever there was a space... we filled it with movement, breathing and meditation.
7) Finding Portuguese wine, for a great price, in our last week here and having a "religious" experience.
8) Seeing the most spectacular temples. We observed the most private and intriguing rituals, ceremonies and prayer.
9) Sitting on the beach, with nothing to do but tan our bodies, walk along the water, and wait for our yoga class to start as the sun goes down.
10) Being the only foreigners on the eastern side of India. Having our picture taken on several occasions and then turning the tables on the locals and taking their picture. Lots of fun watching Greg interact with kids and older Indians, with a huge smile on his face, because he had no clue what they were saying. Unbeknownst to him, they were speaking English!

Top 10 things to be aware of in India:
1) Sh*t is everywhere. As there are herds of animals all over the place, even in large cities, where you step is VERY important. I recently made fun of Greg for stepping in a couple of sacred cow patties over the past 4 weeks. Karma is a bitch sometimes. Then on a road to a small town, I accidentally stepped in the biggest piece of sh*t EVER! I am shocked I didn't see it. However, you know you've been in India too long, when you look at the crap on your foot, hope it wasn't human, douse it with bottled water and keep walking.
2) A woman really shouldn't travel alone to India, unless you are staying with a family or heading off to an ashram. One of the saddest parts of our trip, was learning that rape is on the rise. It is one of the number one crimes that goes unpunished and therefore the momentum is building. Even if you have a man by your side it doesn't guarantee that you are safe. So stay in nice accommodations and walk where there are groups of people, in well lit areas at night. 
3) India WILL assault your senses. You will not need to go far out of the airport, before you smell burning garbage, incense, gasoline, spices, kaka, and pee. So if you can't stand your nose being out of joint for a while, then India might not be the place for you.
4) Getting upset at things does not help the situation. Traveling with a calm head and an open mind is key. There are a lot of injustices in this country and so if you are on the attack to change the system, good luck. Be observant and start to change your own attitude and that will effect change around you. 
5) If you do not barter, you will over pay for everything. Restaurant food is the only commodity that is not negotiable, but all the trinkets and clothing you might buy for family and friends is. Bartering is a way of life for Indians, so have fun with it and always try half the value first and go up from there. When talking numbers, have a calculator handy to show them what price you are ready to buy at. Keep a smile on your face to let them know you are enjoying the process. It's a game, and in the end usually both parties walk away feeling like they've got a good deal. I generally try to shake their hand before the deal is done, to let them know that I have reached my "best price." Works almost all the time!
6) Hindi is not commonly spoken in all areas of India. This wouldn't be so crazy, except the areas are fairly close together, so you might think that people could understand each other even if they weren't from the same region... not so, they are not speaking different dialects, but completely different official languages. 
7) The yoga community is small, unless you're at teacher training. We have been to a few beach platforms and usually a full class has 4-6 people practising, which we found refreshing. Hatha is more commonly practised than flow, but if you find a good foreign teacher or an Indian instructor that speaks good english, they may be more creative in their sequencing and you'll have an easier time understanding them. We have been disappointed more than once going to class, but this is India, not America, where our teachers are very progressive in their approach.
8) Curry is everywhere, but in more touristy places you can get all the luxuries of home: coffee, toast, pasta and even pizza (it may still have curry on it though... tough to say). However, if you love peanut butter... bring it with you. They just don't eat it or sell it here!
9) Watching the sun rise or set is a big deal out here, so if you aren't a morning person, make sure you head to the West side, where in January the sun sets at 6:15pm that way with wine in hand you can enjoy with no worries...
10) If you can handle it, be vegetarian when you travel here. You will not get sick, you will be very satisfied with your food choices and you will have more options for fabulous dishes. There is no need to eat beef, as their cow is sacred. Stay away from it and you'll be respected more. If you have to, eat chicken... but do your best to avoid all meats and your mind and body will appreciate the effort!

Coming to India, I had read books, seen a movie or two, and heard some things on the subject. I thought all of it to be good information, but nothing prepared me for stepping off the plane, after a 32 hour journey, to observe all the people, customs and way of life. 

We have met some amazing people along the way, all of whom have taught us a little something about humanity. 

The Good:
The most amazing part of this journey has been realizing how small the world really is. In a city called Puducherry, we met a chef and his 12 year old daughter working in their restaurant. The daughter was easy to notice, because she was doing a really good sales job in perfect English at the table next to us. She was telling them about some apartments that were for rent that her father looked after. We turned our heads to observe this little voice that had such good "salesman" technique. After her pitch, she turned her attention on us. She started the conversation by asking us where we were from. Looking at each other, Greg and I were not sure if she would even know our city, so we said the nearest international city that most Indians know, Vancouver. She smiled and told us that her family had lived in Canada for two years after 10 years in Germany. I could hardly believe it. We had not met any Indians who had traveled to Canada, let alone lived there. She continued to chat with us and said that the city she had lived in was Edmonton. We laughed and told her that's where we were actually from, but thought she wouldn't know of it. So we started conversing with this pretty pre-teen about places in Edmonton she knew, where she went to school, and the restaurant that her dad was the head chef at. We asked her the name of it and once again a grin appeared on our faces. How comical that we had to go this far, to meet the chef of "Lit" on 104st and Jasper. We hadn't been there to eat, but we sure had a few glasses of vino there and had also frequented the wine bar across the road, Tzin. As we continued speaking, she introduced us to her father, who was so excited to meet someone from a city that they had just left 3 months ago. The girl told us she was having a hard time adjusting to indian schools, but we thought that her drive and friendliness permeated any negativity and we just knew she'd end up running her dad's restaurant over time. Pictures were taken and promises of emailing them were made before we left on our way.
I don't know why I am always surprised when we meet people half way around the world who have been to our city. By now I should be used to the Universe having a good laugh at the events unfolding. One thing I am learning along the way, is no matter if the journey is down the road to the grocery store... it is important to keep our eyes and ears open to make connections when the time is right. It's in those unplanned moments that life is good.

The Bad:
To be honest, I don't even want to write this part... I only want to relay to you the beautiful, positive and the wondrous. However, this is a story of India that needs to be told. Not because I'm tattling on her, but because it is the whole truth and nothing less.
The country is filled with contradictions and extremes. There is nothing moderate here. The horns blare, the people yell, the power turns off on a whim, and the pollution is beyond my comprehension. In the midst of the madness, there is religious ceremony and the desire to be more connected to India's spirituality. I would like to believe because of the history of the land that people take pride in the earth that supports them and the ground that feeds them. But for the most part, I would be wrong. Unfortunately, there is an air of arrogance, indecisiveness, and ignorance. As we walk down one of the several super busy roads, we are always taken aback, when out of a car pops a plastic bag or a cigarette butt. Do you remember thinking or saying at some point in your life, "if everyone threw trash outside, what would the environment look like?" Well, now we know. It looks like hell. We have been told as a coping mechanism the Indians have learned for centuries to ignore it and it goes away. This method seems to work for some of them, as they cannot see that the environment and the infrastructure of the city is losing the battle. 

The Ugly:
This is going to be the shortest part of my blog, as I know that I am not really qualified to give an expert opinion on the subject... just my own thoughts and observations. But then again, when has it stopped me from my intelligent ramblings before? Lol.
One of the things that Greg and I noticed while we've been here, is the real difference in color of the faces that we have come across. All Indian but not the same. One would think that brown is brown... but nope not here. There are varying degrees of how brown a person is. In the South, people are very dark, as it is closer to the equator. Makes sense to me... more sun, the darker the persons skin could potentially get. Who cares and why make a deal about it? However, we came across a little boy on the beach in Chennai, who was quite dark skinned and very adorable. He told me he thought I was pretty. I said thank you and told him he was handsome. He looked at me curiously and repeated himself and said, "you are white, so you are beautiful, I am dark and so I am ugly."