Stef: Corfu - 2nd day OR when your world is turned upside down

Second day in Corfu - focus is fully on Acrobatics. My back is feeling so much better after a full day of loving Thai massages, but still not 100% fit for basing yet - and given that we have so much to go, I am choosing to pace myself.. Mh... not really one of my strengths, but one continuously learns, right?

We start the day with the Acrobatic Asana practice - strong, fiery, full of explosion! The room is hyped when we finish with tightness drills, and it is beautiful to see this different energy today.. The first group practice after breakfast is filled with basic flying in same size trios, and in the second practice we get divided into acrobatic working groups that will stay the same over the remainder of the course. For the first time in my AcroYoga life, I am a flyer... WOW.

I have asked for transformation, I have asked for change, and I have asked for more experience as a flyer. I did. Now it's here - and I'm so scared it takes my breath away for a split second. After two years of basing, I find myself in a position of doing something that I am not only unfamiliar with - but quite blandly speaking: simply afraid of.
It takes me a bit to get used to that thought, and with a longing I can hardly explain I look at the bases around me and wish I could be in their position. The second thought is very simple and clear - I am not well, and I cannot base at the moment without putting my health at risk. And I've asked for it - and should know by now that if you ask for something it will come along - maybe not as you had planned it, but it will. So I go up into my first star, hold the breath, relax and realise it's not so bad. And coming down, I decide something:

I can do this. I can totally do this. I am an awesome base, and I will learn all I need about basing at the right moment and the right time. And for the next two weeks, I will learn to be a good flyer. No, an AWESOME flyer. This is not uncomfortable - this is VERY uncomfortable. And exactly what I need right now. Right here, surrounded by an amazing group of people - who will support me and teach me just what I need to learn right now.

And NOW I feel great. This is it - transformation, change, shaking up the known and dive into the unknown, here I come. Jason mentions today that being nervous about something means you care a lot about doing it right. Well, let's do it right then!
I finish my day with a smile, and sitting here ready for dinner, I have mainly one question on my mind: Now that I am a flyer, should I start cutting back on Tzatziki and second helpings? ;-)

Landed in Corfu - AcroYoga Teacher Training!

Corfu, Greece.  In one word, breathtaking- or is that two? J After a very early journey from Athens, Kara, Stefanie and I arrive in paradise. We are whisked away by a sweet man waiting to take us to our home for the night, holding up a sign that read “Claudine Lamford”. I smile at the misspelling and don’t bother correcting him.  Thirty minutes later, we arrive at the south of the island, in Messongi. Our host, a sweet Greek man who lives there year round with his wife, greets us warmly and shows us around our simple but beautiful lodgings. “  I hope you will enjoy. We are here if you need anything.” It is still very early and we are hungry so as we stroll down the beach and discover that nothing has yet opened, we decide to sit on the dock and meditate on the water’s edge and admire the beauty of where we are. Clear blue water as far as the eye can see misty clouds that seem to float just above the sea and playfully conceal the lush, green beauty of the neighbouring islands and in the near distance, Albania.

After a leisurely and scrumptious breakfast, spanning over two hours we enjoy a divine day of beach play and relaxation to the max. In and out of the clear blue water, sunbathing and drinking fresh juices. What better way to unwind before the teacher training? In the afternoon, our friend Cathy, from Mexico arrived. She strolled down the beach and joined our easy-going day. It took her mere moments to spread out her sarong on the sand and settle into the blissful day of rest and relaxation.  Before we knew it, the sun was setting on the other side of the sea and we were enjoying another indulgent meal, as the candles were being lit along the shore to create the romantic evening ambience in the small village of southern Corfu.

Our next day was filled with a cruisy boat trip around the south and to the tip of the island. We had arranged with another charming Greek fellow to take us to a few secluded lagoons for a swim, lunch, mini adventure out in the sea and also the possible promise of seeing some dolphins.  We were joined on the boat by a beautiful Romanian family with a three year old daughter who had the brightest blue-green eyes, I’ve ever seen.  She was shy but very curious about these four women on the boat so as we sat on the floor of the boat, as yogis often do, she quickly came over to us and began to play. As it often happens with young children, when the words are not present, they find many other ways to interact and connect.  We taught her clapping games and songs we had all learned as children. I’m discovering more and more how precious it is to stay connected to the sweetness and innocence of youth. We had such a playful day with our new little friend, the boat captain Demetrius whom took us to such lovely spots and fed us well  that once again, time flew by and before we knew it, we were headed back to the sleepy town of Messongi for our waiting taxi to take us to the northern tip of the island, to Alexis Zorbas for the teacher training.  

An hour and a half later we arrive on a hillside with a beautiful breeze blowing around us. We finally are able to check in to our rooms and I unpack my bags for the first time in nearly two weeks. I am starting to feel settled now. This is my temporary home and it feels great to unwind and integrate before the work ahead. The property is spread out among several kilometeres which at first seemed less than ideal but after our first dinner and orientation in the evening, in a room known as the Octagon, everything feels quite close and I’m enjoying the opportunity to walk along the windy roads of Corfu and enjoy the sea breeze as I anticipate the walk from yoga class, to breakfast and back again for a workshop.  We had our orientation tonight and met our fellow students and became familiar with our new home for the next three weeks.  I have been reconnected with four fellow teachers from the Berlin acrobatics immersion and they already feel like old friends; reunited with beautiful and energetic Leticia from Brazil, Suzanne and Almud from Germany and the sweet and singsong personality of Melanie de Paris.

We began with a chant to Ganesha, the overcomer of obastacles. Before we even introduced ourselves, we chanted to release anything we were holding on to; anything that would prevent us from being fully present in this experience we are all about to share. Powerful stuff. I could already feel the tears welling up for me as we sang. I feel like I’ve done a tremendous amount of work already, emotionally, spiritually and physically. I know that I am meant to be here and where I am right now is really really good. But because I am in such a resolved place within myself, I feel so sensitive to my surroundings. It is beautiful to feel so much of the energies around you but at the same time, it is overwhelming.

Tomorrow, the real training begins but today was the day where we met our new international community of AcroYogis to be. We are training group lucky number seven and we come from Greece, Columbia, United Kingdom, Mexico, Tunisia, Brazil, Spain, France, America, and Stef and I are representing Australia, which I still find very amusing. We are both in such a unique and special situation and I have nothing but abundant optimism for the opportunities that this will present for us when we return to the land that we both call home.  We have already manifested so much and in fact have seven events lined up upon our return. We have only begun to scratch the surface.