I think it’s fair to say that the last couple weeks have been the busiest I’ve ever experienced. It feels sort of like part of me is a few days behind the part of me that has been whirling through the whirlwind that has been my life as of late, which isn’t hard to imagine, considering I have practically time traveled back and forth from hemisphere to hemisphere within a matter of days. I’m presently mid-layover in Tokyo, awaiting boarding for yet another flight, finally taking me back home to Hong Kong.

It all started with an email from my friend Denise, who owns Your Neighborhood Studio, where I used to teach. She was passing along an email from Misty Tripoli, another friend who teaches at YNS and at other places I used to teach. Misty is a Nike Elite Instructor, and she had received word from Nike that they were seeking a female yoga teacher for a project in the works, and she immediately thought I was perfect for the job. As I read through the email of enquiry, I saw that I just so happened to fit every single quality they were looking for.

Literally on the day I arrived back to HK after spending 3 weeks in CA, I started communications with Nike. Thanks to Misty’s support and my website, which offers a glimpse of who I am, Nike was interested in sponsoring me as a yoga teacher, and perhaps hiring me for what sounded to be a very major project. In the span of roughly 24 hours, I had phone interviews with 3 Nike executives and was booked on a flight to Oregon to meet everyone in person at the Nike Campus.

On Monday morning, I landed in Portland and was taken to the Hotel Lucia, which I absolutely loved. A simple yet swanky boutique hotel right in downtown, the Lucia has a lot of personality and great service. I especially loved that the room had a recycle bin, and you could order pillows of your desired firmness, spiritual texts of your choice, and an iPod pre-programmed with playlists of various genres. After a quick 3-hour nap, I was off to several meetings, most notably with Sports Marketing (who would decide to offer me the Nike sponsorship) and Women’s Training (who would decide to hire me for the aforementioned project). Everyone was very happy and eager to welcome me on board. I partly couldn’t believe it but I partly felt like yeah, I can rock this!

On Tuesday, I signed a contract accepting the Nike sponsorship and agreeing to be the global face and spokesperson for the Nike yoga program, which will be launched this holiday. On Wednesday and Thursday, I filmed the media and online content that is the guts of this program. These might very well have been the 2 hardest days I’ve ever worked in my life, particularly considering the fact that I was jetlagged and exhausted. But all flowed without a hitch. I surprised everyone, including myself, with how comfortable I was in front of all the cameras and lights, being poked and prodded at by the stylist, and having 30+ people depending on me. People kept asking if I had experience as an actress, and I told them, “Nope! I’m just a yogi!”

That’s all I can really get into right now. If all continues to go as planned, all the content will be available online in a few months, and Nike will do a global launch of what they – WE – are offering in yoga. I will help headline the launch, and I hope to help it be very successful all over the world.

As this is a global position, I will continue to be based in Hong Kong, and will travel as needed. Whatever will unfold, I am feeling liberated and relieved to know that I am moving through and beyond the low glass ceiling that has been limiting me for almost 2 years now. I have been praying for an out, a nudge into my next step. I could never have imagined the magnitude and magnificence of the Universe’s plans for me! It is so true that whatever you might envision or wish for, the Universe / God has infinitely bigger plans for you. Be open and receive!

My flight is boarding now, and I am really excited to get back to HK. The more I am away from HK – even to CA – the more I fall in love with my life in HK.

Here’s to huge potentiality,

Leah

I am now officially a published writer! Okay, well, that’s an overstatement. I just wrote a little article for a free yoga magazine called Namaskar, which is published in Hong Kong and distributed through Asia. My article is about recycling and the like, and you can read it here.

Hello from a rainy evening in Hong Kong! Something about the rain makes one rather pensive, doesn’t it? I feel like I am always composing these notes to you on rainy days. Or perhaps it’s just because the rain keeps me indoors…

The past several weeks have flown by, and I have literally flown my way through the past several weeks. Much of my journey is depicted in my Flickr album, which for the first time ever includes VIDEO! The clips are of 2 of my favorite beings in the world – my brother MYK and my dog Nala. Unfortunately, I am a pretty rotten videographer so the clips of my brother performing nowhere near do justice to his talent and stage presence. It’ll just be a glimpse from my perspective of the single most proudest moment of my life – catching my baby brother at the House of Blues on Sunset on his Map the Soul tour with Epik High. Epik High is a hugely popular Korean hip hop-inspired but genre-less group. If you want to see more proper footage of MYK, check out his youtube channel (I particularly recommend the “Live from the MapLab” clips in HD), and become his Fan on Facebook (MYK).
Sending big, limitless love,
Leah

:: my private thoughts upon first receiving word from Nike ::

It is not even 7a yet but I am buzzing with such excitement that I can’t go back to sleep.

Something has been brewing over the past few days, and I will be landing in Oregon on Monday morning to meet with Nike! They want to sponsor me as a Nike Yoga Athlete, and they want me to be the face of their new yoga program, to be launched later this year.

Because my company sets my schedule 2-3 weeks in advance, I had to let them know what was going on in order to be able to leave (again) on Monday. Both my yoga director and CEO are supportive of me on a personal level, and they support my trip to Oregon so that I can make a fully informed choice (on whether to accept the opportunity with Nike). They’ve even said that the door is open if I want to return in the future. While it may have been ideal to be able to hold onto my current teaching post in the short term, I’ve always known that leaving to expand my professional pursuits was in my long term vision. I almost think the Universe is nudging me out of my comfort zone, giving me exactly what I’ve been wanting: a movement in the next step that didn’t come from a reactionary place of any frustrations, but rather from a place of pure positivity + potentiality.

I’ll be routing through LA, so I’ll be back in town again! The timing couldn’t be more perfect because my brother will be performing on Sat nite @ the House of Blues with the band he’s been on tour with, Epik High. His present journey is even more amazing!!

For a better idea of the job, please check this link. If you move through the steps in building a training program, you’ll see the following areas of focus: balance/core/strength/cardio/flexibility. They already have their program from the fitness side, and they are hiring me to do it from the yoga side. If you keep clicking through, you’ll see videos of exercises. If all goes as planned, that’s going to be me! Along with other tasks that come with the job, that basically have to do with me being the global face + main teacher of this program.

*Pinch, pinch, pinch!

So, that’s the latest. I’ve barely just unpacked my suitcase, but I’ll be off again in a couple days!

WHEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Big, bright, blossoming love,
Leah

Bright blue sky, sunshine, crisp air, and generous greenery. Wow.

Now that I’m a city girl, I really appreciate the suburban simplicity that is Los Altos. I arrived last night, and after a delicious home-cooked meal (“dduk gook” – literally: rice cake soup – my favorite Korean dish), I passed out at the appropriate time of 11p and slept through til 9a. I’m manifesting perfect synchronization with CA time.

For breakfast I had a perfect bagel at my favorite bagel place (Posh St. Bagels, I think it’s called) in “downtown” Los Altos. I hadn’t had a bagel since my last trip here, because they simply don’t taste right in Asia. I sat at a table outside, and witnessed a scene that perfectly sums up my hometown: two 10-year-old girls were walking around, and suddenly said, “Hi Grandma!!” This is the kind of city I grew up in. You walk around, and oh, hello, there’s your grandma! I love it. A couple minutes later, two teenagers walked by in St. Francis High School gym clothes. That was my high school.

I spent the rest of the morning bounding through the aisles of Target and Whole Foods. I re-fell in love with Whole Foods today. I am high from the rainbow colors and flavors of freshness and probably from the Kombucha. I sampled everything I could. At the prepared foods counter, I was considering the Pumpkin Risotto Cakes but wasn’t quite sure, so the guy just gave me a few for free. Whattt! I sampled Ahimsa Cookies from the lady who actually made them, and she was totally impressed that I knew what Ahimsa means (non-violence). I was totally flattered that she was impressed, so I bought a bag…and later found out the bag cost $8 (for about 6 cookies, doh!). I bought treats for my Nala for when I reunite with her in LA. The treats claim to help the dog “maintain a peaceful lifestyle.” PWAHAHAHH! Only in California. I learned that organic milk doesn’t have to be refrigerated, what? I thought that was just soymilk? Bought some to take back with me to HK. And raw cacao + almonds + medjool dates + …

I told you. I’m feeling high right now.

I’ll stay in Los Altos for the next few days. I’ll be in San Francisco tomorrow night. My friend is also in town from HK  (we actually flew in on the same flight) and it’s his birthday this weekend. We’ll be celebrating somewhere in the city, probably the W. Anyone’s welcome to join!! Especially since this might be the only time I’ll be hanging out in SF.

I’ll drive down to LA on Monday and stay in town for 8 days (20th-28th). I’ll actually be in Irvine for the weekend, though, so hopefully we can catch each other during the week. I will be teaching a few classes and having a get-together:
Thurs the 23rd: Class @ 8p-930p @ The Hub
+ Get-together to follow likely at The Viceroy again since it’s outdoors and easy to get into

Sat the 25th: Class @ 9a-1030a @ Your Neighborhood Studio

Mon the 27th: Class @ 8p-930p @ The Hub
+ maybe Late Night Class @ 10:45p-Midnight @ SMPY (unless Jay Co gets back into town on time, in which case he will teach and I will attend)

I’ll also be taking a slew of classes (probably 1 a day), so if you want to try to coordinate taking a class together, let me know!

Best to reach me via email or BBM.

Hope to see you!

Love,
Leah xo

Hello, and happy HUMP day to most of you!

My hump day was spent waking up at 5 AM (after lying in bed restlessly for most of the night…hopelessly grasping for a decent amount of sleep) to teach 3 back-to-back classes starting at 7 AM. The first class I taught is called Hot 2— a 90-minute flow class in a room heated to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes. Kind of crazy.

But it was kind of amazing walking through Hong Kong at 6 AM on a Wednesday, when nothing is really open yet, the sun isn’t out, and there is a quality of quiet and calm that is so rarely found here in the city.

And it was kind of amazing being done with my work day before noon. Even though I spent the rest of the day absolutely delirious. (Oh, who am I kidding? Delirious is fun!)

January was a pretty big month. I spent a couple weeks in Vietnam assisting and training with the amazing Twee Merrigan and celebrated my 29th birthday and both the solar and lunar New Years. I’ve been surrounded by so much love and wisdom, perhaps most notably when I met and received a blessing from His Holiness the Karmapa. I’m presently in the flow of manifesting more travel and yoga studies; I’ll let you know what unfolds. There is so much to celebrate!

In the meantime, please enjoy photos (Vietnam / my birthday), and maybe drop me a note to let me know how you have been celebrating life!

With big, amazing love,
Leah

PS Stay in touch more regularly and easily via Facebook! Search me: leah.beyoga

:: A journey into new lands at the Lunar New Year ::

It is my last night in Vietnam. I write to you from a lesser known city called Da Lat, encased by surprisingly rich pine forests reminiscent of those found in California…dotted with glistening lakes…simply and breathtakingly beautiful.

I have been traveling with my friend Karen, combining a yoga training/retreat (led by one of my teachers, Twee Merrigan) and a journey into new lands. Our travels began a couple weeks ago in Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City), with a rude awakening reminder to not be naive little tourists. Though we’d been warned of swindlers, we had been in the country but 10 minutes before getting cheated by an opportunistic taxi driver. He came right up to us and asked if we needed a taxi into the city. We already knew that it should cost about 8 USD but when he told us that it cost 500,000 Vietnamese Dong, we became flustered as we struggled to figure out the conversion. We had just exchanged our Hong Kong Dollars and were still trying to wrap our minds around the exchange rate (2,120 HKD = 1,000 VND or 17,500 USD = 1,000 VND…whattttt???). Karen, much better with numbers than I am, quickly did the math in her head and said he was asking for 30 USD. He said, “Nooo! It is 9 USD!”, making her second guess herself. I stood by totally useless as he grabbed my suitcase and ushered us towards his cab, saying, “9 USD Okay? Okay?” He then literally took the Dong out of my hands, and we were well on our way before we pulled out our BlackBerrys to use the calculator function to confirm that yes, Karen had been correct in her mental calculation and yes, we had just gotten ripped off.

Doh!

We stayed at the Saigon Mini Hotel, a boutique hotel that seems typical to Vietnam. These hotels resemble townhouses, having about 4-5 stories; the first story is like the main floor of any home with a living room and a kitchen and the guest rooms are on the floors above. We stayed in their most expensive room at 50 USD/night. The Saigon Mini is technically a “business” hotel, but it was homey and clean, the staff helpful and friendly. It’s a bit off of any main road, which is nice in a loud and busy city like Saigon.

Armed with the Luxe guide, we walked around town, doing our tourist duty by visiting the Cathedral (closed around noon, so we didn’t get to go inside), the old Post Office (straight from the ‘50s), and the Reunification Palace (could have skipped this one). Ton That Thiep was our favorite little area, with a sweet little spa called Jasmine where we had a massage, a hair wash, and a mani/pedi all for about 45 USD. Such a treat! The best part of our stay in Saigon was the food. We had delicious, fresh, healthy, and super inexpensive meals at Quan An Ngon, Bun Ta, and Cha Ca Hanoi: all DEFINITELY recommended! Other than that, it’s just about walking around and people-watching on major streets such as Le Loi and Dong Khoi, and at Tao Dan Park. Oh, and learning not to get run over by the gazillion motorbikes going in every direction with very little discretion! Strangely, though, I noticed there is an order to the disorder of it all, and you could even say there is an art to weaving in and out of the thick traffic, a dance, if you will. My Budokon teacher Kancho Cameron Shayne once explained the art of practicing martial arts as not being about competition or violence, but rather a skillful dance between two beings, totally present and aware of each others’ intentions and movements. You could say crossing the streets of Saigon was sort of like that. Plus plenty of loud, unnecessary horn honking.

From Saigon we went to Hoi An, a beautiful beach town outside of Da Nang (which itself looked rather uninteresting). Our retreat was held at the Palm Garden Resort, which was just lovely…right on the beach (a vast shoreline of super soft white sand), huge pool, beautiful grounds. Food at the hotel wasn’t exceptional, though, and communication (in general here) was pretty tough. The weather was a comfortably warm 25-ish degrees Celsius most of the time, except for the very first night, which was a freezing 17 degrees – the coldest Hoi An had been since 1975!

The training/retreat was so perfect. Thank you to wonderful Nicky of Breathing Room Yoga for putting it together! Every morning began with a Prana Flow Master Class (sometimes practice would be over 4 hours long!), and the Teacher Training on Energetic Alignment was on the first 3 days. Twee is a senior teacher of Shiva Rea and the Prana Flow tribe. She has been on her Soul Connections Tour over the past couple years, traveling all across the globe to share her love and knowledge of yoga. She is a highly inspiring and inspired teacher, truly embodying the flow of yoga in all of life. I encourage all yogis to seek her out if she’s ever in your town. Please follow the hyperlinks for more information.

Hoi An’s city center is known as Ancient Town, because much of the city’s original architecture has been maintained and turned into shops and cafes for tourists. It is – as all the guidebooks say – completely charming, and the vibe is chilled out and laid back…perfect for this native Californian! Meals in town were simply amazing, particularly the Hoi An specialties of Cao Lau, White Rose (delicately made dumplings), and Fried Wonton. Loads of fresh veggies adorned all plates, and practically everything could be made vegetarian. Our favorite spots were: Mango Room, Ly’s Café 22, Hai Café, Red Bridge Restaurant, and Cargo Club (aka our drug dealer, as their Vietnamese White Coffee was so addictive that we went back day after day for more). Most of these restaurants overlook Hoi An River, which runs along one side of town. There was also this BBQ spot on the beach near the resort where we had some of the freshest seafood ever, especially the squid, which we ordered seconds of before we finished off the first order.

The one thing I could have done without was the evening cooking class at Hai Café. The food at the restaurant is delicious, but the class left much to be desired. It was not at all “hands-on”, as everything was already prepared before our arrival, and we basically watched the chef do it all. Apparently, the full day sessions are much more involving and interesting. The one thing I wish I did do was a bike ride through the rice paddies. A couple of the other girls went, and their photos were just amazing.

I celebrated my birthday in Hoi An, complete with a “sacred chant Twee learned from a Hungarian woman” (ie “Happy Birthday”), balloons, a sunset boat ride down the river, gluttonous chocolate mousse cake, and everything courtesy of my tribe – the whole entire day! It’s Twee’s birthday rule, and I was happy – and so grateful – to oblige. I’m still so high and happy from all the love…not to mention the nearly 200 emails/texts/Facebook messages I have received. Wow! Seriously, I feel so loved, and so humbled by everyone’s thoughtfulness. Thank you for thinking of me!

And so we have found our way to Da Lat, a mountainous area about 300 miles (45 min flight) from Saigon. Like California, much of Da Lat is covered in farmland. Apparently many western fruits and vegetables that don’t normally grow in Southeast Asia, like strawberries, are grown here because of its dryer, milder climate. Fruit here is exceptionally sweet, and we’ve been treated to heaps of pineapple, mango, watermelon, dragon fruit, passion fruit, bananas, and pomelo for breakfast. BREAD is so delicious all over Vietnam, and I’ve definitely taken advantage of that, as it’s very hard to get proper bread in Hong Kong.

We’re staying at Dreams, another boutique hotel that is rated #1 on several travel sites, even before the uber posh Sofitel. We decided that 25 USD/night was too good to pass up. It’s fine…clean enough, with hot water and a recently renovated bathroom, but the bathtub leaks and I dropped a piece of cracker (ok, maybe it was a few pieces…) and in no time we were visited by ants. The included breakfast I mentioned above is fantastic though, and the service is very good. Still, I think next time I will pay twice as much and stay at the Novotel. We had a great Sunday brunch there, as well as high tea at the Sofitel, which were each only 15 USD! Everything in Vietnam is so cheap, but in 13 days, I still managed to spend over 6 MILLION Dong! (Can you figure out the conversion?)

Other than food, Da Lat is about relaxing and strolling around. Whether you take a simple walk around the artificial (but still lovely) Xuan Houng Lake right in the center of town, or take a more intense trek up Pinhatt Mountain like we did (even though we requested a relaxing, easy walk) to take in an incredible view, there are many ways to enjoy the natural beauty of the countryside. It’s been a perfect way to decompress our yoga’d out selves, in preparation for our return to Hong Kong on Lunar New Year’s Day. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with my friends and my students, and to more birthday and New Year celebrations!

Gratitude to the beautiful country and people of Vietnam…
Cheers to the Year of the Ox…
Big love to you!

PS 200+ photos here! I suggest viewing in the Detail option as you’ll see about 20 photos per page and can pretty quickly scan through the album.

From one side of the planet to the other and back, crossing multiple time zones and logging countless miles of travel (unfortunately leaving quite the carbon footprint along the way)…I’m back in Hong Kong, feeling more supported, more grounded, and more ME. By taking flight, I’ve reconnected to my roots…by digging deeper into my foundation, I’ve awakened more pranic energy to rebound up and out. Push down into your soles to radiate out through your soul! I am refreshed, I am inspired, I am infinitely grateful.

I’ve been back for a couple weeks and I’m still calculating the time difference to wonder what my loved ones in Cali and NYC might be up to. The weather here was beautiful at first, but it seems China has reopened the factories they shut down for the Olympics because each day seems to bring more and more pollution, and we’re currently under a Typhoon 8 warning which means the city shuts down and everyone’s advised to stay indoors.

I miss the crisp, clean air of the Bay Area. I miss my Nala. I miss all my loved ones and how normal and easy it was to regularly see and talk to everyone. Every now and then I feel the raw emptiness of separation and distance, and it hurts, but through deep breathing it transforms into gratitude that I have such love in my life to miss.

What was confirmed for me on this first trip back to the States since my decision to move is that Hong Kong really is my home now. I love California but I’ve spent practically my whole life there. I had a deliciously good time (delicious and healthy!) being back in town, but I really missed Hong Kong. It’s definitely time to explore and flourish within a different place, culture, and lifestyle.

So here I am – enjoying taking the subway again (the cleanliness of which I appreciate so much more after taking the NYC subway, ew!)…enjoying walking around the ever-changing cityscape and bumping into friends around every corner…enjoying lazy afternoons on the boat, swaying with the water…enjoying these changing, cleansing winds that typhoons bring.

There’s just something intoxicating about this place. Come visit and see for yourselves!

Before I close, a couple offerings for you: photos from my journey and a class for your downloading pleasure on YogiChocolate.com (called Flying High & Twisting It Up). I taught and recorded it at Santa Monica Power Yoga on donation basis and you can download it on donation basis as well! Thanks for your support, enjoy, and pass it on!!

To those of you whom I didn’t get to spend time with – especially near the end of my trip when I was overwhelmed with things I needed to take care of – I’m so sorry to have missed you, but hopefully we will see each other next time around.

Wishing you well on all of your adventures!!

Big love,
Leah

A few weeks ago, I participated in my first ever yoga fundraiser, organized by Yoga Aid. Yoga Aid hosts The Yoga Aid Challenge in venues across the globe (in the US in September), in an effort to spread the love of yoga and to raise money for various charities. This year marked the first Yoga Aid Challenge held in Hong Kong, at the Asia Yoga Conference. Starting bright and early at 6:30 AM, a couple hundred yogis gathered together for 108 Sun Salutations led by teachers from around the world, including one of my main teachers, Bryan Kest from Santa Monica.

In short, I felt truly honored to be a part of this beautiful event.

Each of the 12 teachers led us through a set of 9 Sun Salutations with their own personal touches. Generally speaking, each Sun Salutation was a traditional Surya Namaskar sequence, which goes something like this: Tadasana :: reach for the sun :: Uttanasana :: Crescent with knee down :: Plank :: Chattarunga :: Cobra :: Down Dog :: Crescent with knee down (opposite leg) :: Uttansana :: reach for the sun. A few teachers broke this mold, most notably my beloved teacher Bryan, who was the only teacher to bring us onto our knees (met by a unanimous sigh of relief) and the only teacher to not teach one traditional Sun Salute. It made me smile, and I think everyone’s wrists appreciated the reprieve. Two other teachers stood out to me personally: Duncan Wong, who led us through his Yogic Arts – Warrior Flow, which was the only time we turned around on our mats to face the back of the room or made a sound other than “Om”, and Jules Febre, who counted the transition from Tadasana to reaching the arms up as one Sun Salute, making me laugh out loud in glee and gratitude.

108 Sun Salutations is a LOT of yoga. I made it with the help of Child’s Pose and by dedicating my breaths to the children supported by my charity of choice – the India Heritage Research Foundation – and to those of you at home for your love and support. Below I’ve listed personal thank you’s to everyone who donated, representing both coasts of the US, Europe, and Asia! There are also a few yoga-related companies represented; please check out their sites if you’re looking for yoga clothes, accessories, or downloadable classes. Thank you so much, brothers and sisters. Because of your sponsorship, I was one of the Top 10 Fundraisers. I got to stand up and take a bow and everything!

This month has been a powerful and abundant one for me. In addition to the yoga fundraiser and having Bryan in town (which in and of itself was such an amazing gift, representing yet another nudge of support from the Universe), I moved into my new home, visited family in Seoul (happy 80^th birthday, grandma!), and booked my flight to the States for my first visit back in over a year. That’s right, this month marks my 1 year anniversary of moving to Hong Kong!

Giggling with glee and gratitude,

Leah

Big thanks and big love to…

Allison :: Annie :: Becky :: Bernadette :: Christina :: Dcho :: Em :: Frank (naturalhighlifestyle.com) :: Gilly :: Irene :: Jay :: Jimmy :: Karen :: Kyle :: Mark :: Michelle C. :: Michelle H. :: My Soy :: Nan :: Rich :: Rob :: Ruben :: Sara (yogichocolate.com) :: Silas :: Steph :: Steve :: Susan (yogitoes.com) :: Thomas :: Yen

in California :: Denmark :: Hong Kong :: NYC

…for your overwhelming, heartwarming, and inspiring generosity! How incredible to have a global network of support!

PS It’s not too late to donate! My page will be live and collecting donations through the end of July. Or better yet, sign up to participate at one of the next Yoga Aid Challenges!

The Maldives. Wow. One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to in my entire life. My boyfriend agrees. And we’ve done a notable amount of globetrotting. Between the two of us, we’ve lived in the States (California and a brief stint on Oahu), in London, on a boat in Thailand, and of course in Hong Kong…and apart from the places we’ve called home, we’ve traveled to the Caribbean, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Amsterdam, Germany, Holland, Austria, Italy, Spain, Russia, Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, Nepal, the Philippines… But as we sat on an untouched Maldivian beach under the stars, we shared the sentiment that this is one of the most amazing places we’ve ever been, and hands down the best holiday either of us has ever had.

Let me try to verbalize the setting I find myself in as I write to you. I am in our “beach bungalow” which is as far from a beach bungalow as you could imagine, because it is a Four Seasons beach bungalow on the Four Seasons-owned island of Landaa Giraavaru. Absolutely enormous: vaulted ceilings, sliding doors that open out to the beach, which is only separated from the bungalow by our private plunge pool (ozonated and therefore chlorine-free) and a covered deck. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that this is a two-person occupancy, as outside alone, there are two poolside lounge chairs, two beach lounge chairs, a couch, a table, a swinging platform, and a platform IN the ocean. The oversized classic Four Seasons bed has a mosquito net around it for when we want to sleep with the doors open (but I somehow still managed to get bitten on the eyelid again, can you believe it?!). The bathroom alone is quite possibly bigger than our flat in Hong Kong, with the longest bathtub I’ve ever seen, both an indoor and outdoor rainshower, and complete with, mais bien sur, a bidet. And although the bungalow is completely open to the beach and the outside gate is more for appearance than function as you can walk around it on both sides, it’s completely private.

It’s rainy season here so the weather’s been a bit unpredictable, but the intermittent showers simply make the moments of sunshine that much brighter.

The water is clean and clear and warm. I daresay I have never been in nicer oceans. My boyfriend the dive master has gone on 2-3 dives a day, and has seen octopus, reef sharks, rays, turtles, and whale sharks. I merely snorkel the surface, but I’ve seen some stunning coral reefs with vibrant and sometimes funny-looking fishies…including my boyfriend who I swear must have been a fish in a past life. When we were staying on the yacht, we saw spinner dolphins playing, spinning up and out of the water. They’re tiny, and so cute!

The yacht we stayed on was the Four Seasons Explorer. WOW. We were so lucky, with only one other couple on board and 26 crew members!! From marine biologists to avid divers to fishermen who could catch fish with their bare hands, we had true ocean lovers on board. The chef’s meals were so varied and delicious that with each subsequent meal, I proclaimed “THIS is my favorite meal!” And there’s nothing like having fish immediately after you caught it yourself…like the grouper (lightly steamed to perfection) our fellow guests caught or the 8-lb trevally (bbq’d to perfection) my boyfriend caught. The wait staff immediately caught onto our tastes and always anticipated our needs: iced coffee mid-morning, fresh lime soda with mint in the late afternoon, peppermint tea before bed. Everyone was so helpful, friendly, and somehow there when we needed them without overwhelming us or taking away from our privacy. It was 5-star service but so personal and comfortable we felt like we were at home. We all knew each others’ names and my boyfriend and I were honestly sad to leave them. In fact, I still miss everyone and hope I will get to see them again in the future.

The Republic of Maldives is comprised of 200+ inhabited islands and 1000+ other islands with vegetation, mostly within atolls of varying sizes. I think we’re having the best possible full experience of the Maldives, having spent the first night in the capital city of Male, four nights on the yacht, and another four nights on land. From in the ocean, on the ocean, on various islands, and even from seaplanes in sky… I’ve never seen anything like it. Breathtakingly beautiful.

I’ve practiced and meditated on sand with the ocean water lapping at my feet, on the rocking boat (talk about a challenge to maintaining balance!), on the outside deck hut with the fall of cleansing rain, and on the platform in the ocean under sunshine (which really is coaxed out with Surya Namaskar!)…always with the sound of the ocean joining my Ujjayi.

Love, practice, and travel. This is my life’s happiness.

My man has just returned from his morning dive. We’re off to do some sailing (by which I mean he will sail as I hold on for dear life) followed by an afternoon at the Ayurvedic spa. We had an enlightening consultation with the Ayurvedic doctor yesterday. From a quick read of our pulses, he determined our doshas and gave an impressively accurate account of our personalities. With this information, they are mixing oils individually suited for our needs, using fresh herbs from their garden.

Like I said… WOW!

I’m posting this back in Hong Kong. It’s been quite a shock to return to gloomy weather (black rain? come on!), the busyness of the city, the never-ending sounds of construction… We’re suffering from PMD, post-Maldives depression! Good thing we have our photos, the highlights of which I’ve uploaded here. There are a lot, so I recommend viewing the Detail option, where you can view multiple photos per page but still see descriptions. Enjoy!