island life on the mainland

in winter…

…The breath and restless mind, I saw, were like storms which lashed the ocean of light into waves of material forms – earth, sky, human beings, animals, birds trees. No perception of the Infinite as One Light could be had except by calming those storms. As often as I silenced the two natural tumults, I beheld the multitudinous waves of creation melt into one lucent sea, even as the waves of the ocean, their tempests subsiding, serenely dissolve into unity.

-Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi

Being drawn to the ocean is an innate human instinct. Saltwater can spark memories of the comforting time spent in the womb [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][true story], the natural surroundings naturally bring us closer to nature, and there’s just something about all that fresh air…

If you are like me, you will find any excuse to get somewhere tropical, which is why I decided to turn 30 on St. John last week. It is almost laughable to watch the impatience of city folk as we try to turn of our fast-walking, fast-talking, get-it-done quick way of life for the slow and steady island pace. Even the brain is encouraged to slow down – no need to rush the incoming stream of thoughts.

We also may notice a few common things that happen to us upon arriving in these vacation havens: how tired we feel, the amount of sleep we feel we need to “catch up” on, how difficult it might feel to shift our brain out of work-mode, how “brain-dead” we might feel after separating ourselves from “reality,” how we feel we need to “escape” our daily life in order to find that sense of ultimate relaxation or release.

I understand how living among and around hyper-active people like New Yorkers [whether they are actual natives or not] can keep the entire community in a cycle of over-working, moving at lightning speed in both our physical and mental practices, and make us feel like we constantly need to achieve more. This, however, does not mean that a hyper-active lifestyle is A) good for our health or B) something we can’t work on softening in any environment.

So although there is so much to be appreciated about the incredibly driven, passionate people I’ve encountered in NYC, there are many things we can learn and adopt from island life [similar to how travelers are inspired by the European siestas, leisurely meals and Mediterranean diet].

Here are a few tips on easy island living I took away from my recent adventure that I will try to incorporate into my Brooklyn life. I encourage you to pick ones that you feel will serve you:

• Listen. Recognize the noise of your thoughts and, even if only for a minute, open your ears to the surrounding sounds. Whether it’s crashing waves or honking cars, it is so important to give ourselves a break from the restless chatter of the mind.
• Rest. If you are falling asleep at the computer [as I often feel I might do] take a break, even if it’s only for a few minutes. It will make you that much more productive after your body has a moment to reboot.
• Honor your body, the physical and mental ones, every day. Whether it’s what you choose to eat [which is a mixture of extremely fresh and very processed on an island] or what you want to do [see above] or if you need time to recuperate from something, honor that. No excuses.
• Move calmly. There is a time and a place for needing to pick up the pace for whatever reason, but it doesn’t mean it needs to trigger the stress-response of being late or not feeling responsible. Do you ever notice how sometimes when you stress about being in a hurry, a bunch of obstacles show up? You attract what you believe, so believe you can move with ease wherever you are.
• Greet with a smile. Greet the day, greet each other, greet yourself with a smiling face. See above: believe it, perceive it, receive it.
• Eat as local as possible. Unfortunately there are many unhealthy options like canned and processed imported food on islands [which is another story in itself], but there is an abundance of gorgeous local, traditional food you can find if you look [and ask] for it. It is so exciting and important to support the local community, especially by treating your body well with fresh native foods. They grow there for a reason and they’ll support your body in that environment the same way they support that area’s ecosystem.
• Be in and around nature. Whatever you need to do to physically put your hands on a tree or your feet in the ground, do it. It will make you feel not only more connected to the earth, but more connected to yourself [since we are all creatures of the earth, after all. Namaste.]
• Get off of technology [she says as she pounds away on her laptop…]. Give your eyes a break from a backlit screen and look at your surroundings, whether it’s people, nature, buildings, animals, or a brick wall. Your eyeballs and brain will thank you for the brief relief.

Wherever you are, take some tips from island life and apply it to your daily routine. What’s your favorite way to channel the tropical vacation version of yourself?

Read the full newsletter for a super delicious breakfast [or dessert…] recipe, great tunes, and new yoga classes in my teaching schedule. See you on the mat soon![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]