Highlights from the month of November in Mysore, aside from the daily yoga schedule:

• YOGA CAFÉS. Hanging out in a café all day might just be one of my favorite things to do, especially while traveling! Thus, one of the highlights of my month was all the yoga cafés in Mysore: the Chakra House, Sayoga, Santosha Café to name a few. I always had this idea in my head of opening a yoga studio / café. A yoga studio that has an outdoor option for classes, weather permitting, as outdoor yoga is the absolute best way to connect with nature. And attached, a comfy café with chic-boho vibes where people can come chill, hang out, read a book, listen to music, sip on coffee, eat healthy, locally sourced food. A perfect combo of some of my favorite things in life. Little did I know, these exact places exist ALL OVER Mysore, and in other parts of India too (Rishakesh, Bangalore, etc.). And they are actually called “yoga cafés.” This was my heaven.
• DIWALI. (Pronounced Divali). India’s Christmas. The festival of Lights. So many lights! I was lucky enough to be here on Diwali, one of the country’s most popular festivals. On the night of Diwali, that staff at Indea Yoga threw a huge celebration. People performed dances, lit candles and then we all set off fireworks and firecrackers in the front lawn. It was really nice to be surrounded by the “Christmas spirit” here in India, especially since it was Thanksgiving back in the States. Even if the holiday is being celebrated half way across the globe in a different country with a different name, it is the good company, good cheer, good food and laughter that makes the spirit of the holidays, and I am so blessed to have found that here.
• INSPIRATION. Constantly being inspired by the practice of yoga. As many of you know, I have completed so many hours of teacher training programs. And I keep going back for more. It has nothing to do with the certificates, in fact, I don’t think anyone has ever even asked me for my certificates. But I realized over this last month that these teacher trainings are what keep me inspired by the practice of yoga. By always being a “beginner,” I am always learning  more. When I know everything, I have nothing to learn. When I know nothing, I have everything to learn. Thus, I always decide to have an empty cup, one that I can continue to fill up over and over and over and over again, until it overflows. You see, yoga is a (mild) obsession of mine, and the only people who understand the obsession with yoga… are other people who are obsessed with yoga! So, to be living with and surrounded by other people who share your passion – practicing together, learning together, inspiring each other every day, is truly a gift that I cherish. I vow to never stop learning, and more importantly, to never stop teaching and spreading this gift of yoga<3
• COOKING CLASS. On the day of graduation, I took a cooking class with an Indian woman who was a 30 year old Ayruvedic cook and ashtanga yogi practitioner. She teaches personal cooking classes, whatever you want to learn to make (from her given menu) using Sattvic food and Ayruvedic principles. Together, we made paneer butter masala, green curry, dosas, coconut chutney, and black sesame balls for desert. Aside from being an amazing cook, she was the coolest woman and we connected on so many levels and ended up talking the whole time about so much life stuff. She too was engaged and is getting married in December. The whole class was supposed to be 3 hours, but ours lasted 4 hours because we talked so much. After we cooked everything, we got to do the best part… eat it! The paneer butter masala was probably the best I have had in India so far. And I can’t wait to make it again when I get home 🙂 I also can’t wait to hopefully work with Sahana (the cook) again one day – she is getting into cooking for the retreat space, so hopefully, when I start leading yoga retreats some day, she can come be our healthy sattvic Ayruvedic chef 🙂