Yogini Rules

Now I have my computer here with me!!!! YAY!!!!It was put to my attention that I should update my blog. I have been here on Koh Pha Ngan for over a month now and time moves both slow and fast. The last month, as I mentioned before, has continued along the same theme, an inner journey. Lately I have been skyping, and so happy to do so!
Yoga courses continue to be interesting, inspiring and at times challenging. Quieting the mental monkey can be very rough for someone as airy and flighty as myself, constantly wanting to move around, change positions and in general restless. It has been a good test of will power and mental concentration to stay in different asanas, or positions, for up to 10 minutes at a time, thinking about a certain effect, energy and chakra the whole while.
The second month of Agama was lovely, taught by a sweet couple of yogis with a lot of heart and energy. We had music meditations, chanting, and plenty of new techniques ranging from simple to extremely overwhelming, not because they are difficult, but because they generate surges of energy like being plugged into the cosmos.
On a personal level in that business, I maintain my practice at home, trying more and more to see the 'pillar' in my stomach, a hard technique and purification in which one sucks in the stomach while holding the void (no air) and then sticks out only the center muscles and then waves them through the abdomen like an ocean wave... I may arrive soon:) Years of sit ups has hardened my muscles but kept them stuck together too!
We learned to chant with vowells for different energetic aspects and everyone loved the practice.
Socially, there are more and more people on the island and I am making friends in the yoga class and school in general. There was a Christmas Bhajan (devotional singing) and more than a few vegetarian and alcohol free yogi pot lucks and shakti gatherings (aka women's night). The beaches of the island fill up to celebrate the black moon, half moons, full moon and recently Shiva moon as well, so there are plenty of foreigners from all over the world, here, drinking, dancing and partying together. They wander about and also, more dangerously, drive their motorbikes, so there were a lot of bandages being waved around in the last few weeks.
I have been learning how to make jewelry by hand and finally get to swim again now that my own motorbike injury has healed! hehe... although I was funny enough at a stop in sand and the bike just fell over and I hurt myself lifting it!
Life is good, trying every day to remind myself more and more and more to stay in the present moment, to love myself, send love to all beings and keep my connection to the universe wide open.
More soon:)