Yoga in the Beautiful Bahamas

For the past couple of years, Jason and I have been traveling to the beautiful Bahamas. There are said to be 365 islands in the Bahamas (one for each day of the year). Each visit we have been exploring a different island; this year we visited Long Island. We rented a small cottage right on the ocean.

Our days consisted of lots of beach walking, relaxing, swimming and snorkeling. In the mornings I practiced yoga outside on our back porch facing the sun and listening to the sound of the ocean. It was so beautiful and inspirational, I had the feeling of being completely free and totally connected to nature. During the day we walked on deserted beaches and often sat and watched the waves. In the evening we star-gazed, and were lucky enough to be there during the full moon.

When I'm in Montreal I often forget to look up (especially when there's icy sidewalks... I'm so focused on not falling, I'll forget to look up for days), but in the Bahamas it's impossible not to notice the stars and the moon. The sky is so big, and the stars are so close it feels like you could almost reach out and touch them. You look in one direction and see miles of aqua blue ocean, and then in other: beach, coral, and green vegetation. In the city we are surrounded by so many man-made things that it can be easy to get disconnected with nature, but in a place like the Bahamas nature is so in-your-face, and so beautiful, that you immediately have this feeling of being smaller... in a good way.

The earth, and all the animals, are often seen as 'ours' to use, as 'resources' for humans, but in fact we are just one of many species that are a part of this incredible earth. Being on a small, remote island puts you at the mercy of mother nature (power outages, rugged roads, tides, wind and waves) and island pace (the friendliest, kindest people... but a much slower way of life... takes some getting used to, but we love it).

On our flight home, as we were coming in for landing, I looked down and thought at first that it looked like a scene from a depressing futuristic movie, where everything was gray, cold and deserted, but after spending a couple days back in Montreal, and visiting our parents in Hudson, I am seeing the beauty in the winter wonderland; the sound of the snow crunching under boots, the sight of our breath, and the coziness of bundling up. The beauty of nature is all around us. Going away allows us to see it in a new light, and gives a renewed appreciation for our surroundings and our lives.

We reopen the studio today. I'm excited to see everyone and to bring some Bahamas energy to Montreal!