I hope your animals are fattening up nicely - Mongolia 2011

12 days in Mongolia

Moon rise in the Gobi Desert

Horse back riding break on the steppe

Camel riding in the Gobi Desert

Ger roof repair at the Three Camel Lodge in the Gobi 

Future house for Richard Gere in an upcoming
movie about Buddism, Gobi desert

Mongolian super highway - pick a lane!

Russian vans in the Gobi Desert

Ulaanbaater - still very much an industrial city

Three Camels ger in the Gobi Desert

bike goat herder in the gobi desert

 modern sheep herders on the steppe

wild horses on the steppe

The beginning of September I set off for Mongolia, nothing too rugged, I was on a tour to see the best of the country.  The twelve days I spent touring around Mongolia barely scratched the surface, this is a country in transition.  In Ulaanbaatar, the capitol, there are building cranes everywhere one looks.  High end housing is displacing the traditional gers (mongolian for yurt) in the outlining hills.  Expensive stores like Louis Vuitton are opening up to cater to the wealthy mining executives and international bankers that are quickly moving in.  I got the impression that Mongolia was a much different place just two years ago and will be entirely different in two more years.


I had signed up for the REI multi sport tour that was actually lead by Nomadic Expeditions.  Our guides were excellent - funny, knowledgeable and very very proud of their country.  Our days were filled with activities ranging from 10 mile hikes, horse back riding and camel riding. The food was surprisingly good, given everything I had heard about it.  There was lots of high speed driving across open lands, the drivers would race each other while we bumped along inside trying to take photos of the beautiful landscape that was flying by.  I feel that I barely scratched the surface of Mongolia and am already planning my next adventure to western Mongolia.


"Perhaps my children will live in stone houses and walled towns - Not I"  Chinggis Khaan




http://www.nomadicexpeditions.com/
http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/asia/mon.html


Foot note: "I hope your animals are fattening up nicely" is a popular phase to open conversations up with families in the country.

Yoga Pearl Vinyasa Teacher Training with Tiffany Cruikshank

Tiffany and Lulu instructing

Sometimes everything happens at once, I am not complaining, but it is hard to savor the moment when I have to be ready for the next thing in a short time frame.  This is how I started the week long yoga teacher training on Whidbey Island with Tiffany Cruikshank.  I signed up for this teacher training after contemplating it for the past three years and thinking that it would be a healthy focus for me this winter.  Tiffany is an all inspiring woman on many levels and I could use some inspiration.  Plus one of my new years resolutions for 2011 was to do unsupported hand stand - I am still working on that one, but I have a few more months to perfect it.

I was the last of 20 students to arrive at the beautiful and serene Willow Lodge.  My day prior to arrival was packed with activity starting at 6:00 am; pack, drive to Alpenrose Cyclocross race, race, drive to Seattle and drop my dog off (hit major traffic), catch ferry to Whidbey and find lodge.   I walked in about 2 hours later than I expected and was immediately calmed by the lodge and the people around me.  

Surprise - Tiffany has a toy dog.  It was most unexpected and a surprise to have this mini creature running around, jumping on you during practice.  Lulu, the dog was named after Lulu yoga wear, added a level of playfulness, lightness and fun that is often found there in a yoga class.  She helped us not take ourselves too seriously. 

The living quarters were pretty tight, most rooms were 4 to a room with a few exceptions.  Our schedule was intense and very focused. 

• detox drink, tea
• 7-9 am vinyasa yoga focusing on a different area of the body 
• 10-12 anatomy
• 1-3 pm alignment
• 4-5 pm adjusting
• 5-6 pm pranayama & meditation
• 7-9 pm talks ranging from Chinese medicine to an evening in silence

sun and break time

yoga instruction

The first vinyasa class Tiffany broke the tension by going right into handstand practice and then each person instructing a sun salutation.  Yes, that would be 21 sun salutations in a row with a few variations.  After that exercise we were ready and excited for the week.  As with most of these classes people find themselves there because they are in some transition in their life; divorce, loss of a job, need more creativity and activity in their daily lives.  This experience was no exception there were intense discussions at meals and lots of self inquiry.  Every night I would climb into my top bunk before 9 pm and blissfully pass out.  Except the last night.  The last night was retox - we took our healthy bodies and clean livers and enjoyed some yummy red wine and chocolate.  Delish - but was very strong after the week of purifying ourselves.  I climbed into my bunk and was wired from the chocolate, all of us were.  We chatted and laughed until after midnight giddy as school girls.

RETOX night

BONUS:

Boom back to my life - pick dog up, drive to cross race, race, drive home and relax.  I am still standing and sitting a little taller from the week and missing Karen cooking lovely meals.

Karen, the owner of Prasad, cooked for us the whole week.  She was absolutely amazing.

Check out:

http://www.tiffanyyoga.com
http://prasadcuisine.squarespace.com/
http://www.yogapearl.com