I left Vis on 9 July feeling nostalgic, bittersweet, and excited. After a wonderful teaching and learning experience with 4 different groups of bright and shining yogis, I was happy for the experiences we all shared and ready to go exploring.

Not 15 minutes after my arrival in split, I sat down for a coffee and a bite when I hear my name. I turn and am surprised by Hannah, Vicky, Nadin, and Lauren. All from the retreat. What a perfect moment to culminate the feelings of next steps.

I sit with them for just a bit before I have to be on my way to catch a bus to Zadar, where I was meeting Andy for our Croatian road trip adventure.

On the bus, I went, and I got to Zadar around 7 pm and headed straight to meet Andy at the Sea Organ, an enchanting pier with sounds like an organ (hence the name!) as water passes underneath, all with a rich sunset as the backdrop. We sat with magical sounds beneath us as the sun set in front of us, soaking up every sparkling light off of the waters.

After the sunset, we grabbed a bite to eat before we headed out onto the road at, as we had a long drive to Rovinj ahead of us. We got on the road right around 10:30 pm.

We didn’t realize how long of a ride it would be.

The GPS put our arrival time at 2:50 am. Andy took the first shift driving while I took a nap in the back seat so that we both could be alert. I took over driving at 12:40. I could make it 2 hours, with the assistance of a late-night cappuccino and the AC blasting in my face.

Around 2:45 am and after some windy roads and lots of darkness, I approach what I thought was a toll booth. Nope, it was border control. I was confused, but I blamed it on the lack of sleep and unfamiliarity of how these countries intertwined. I knew that to go to Dubrovnik, you have to cross over the border to Bosnia, so maybe up north was the same case?

It’s not the case.

We were in Slovenia. With a GPS saying in French, “Vous etes arrivez!” and looking around a pitch-black road with nothing around, we were both like…um…how did this happen?

So we ditched the car’s GPS and recharged our phones, using Google Maps as a much more reliable source. We had come this far, and we were determined to make it to Rovinj, no matter the time. Sleeping in the car in this unfamiliar town in Slovenia didn’t really seem like the smartest option either, so on we drove and backtracked to Rovinj…

As we approached a toll booth, we caught the attendant taking a little cat nap. We giggled and tried to snap a photo. He didn’t like that so much. He yelled at us in maybe Croatian / maybe Slovenian, and we just shyly nodded, apologized, and went on.

We pulled up to our stay at 4:47 am. The sun was about to come up and we had both been awake for about 23 hours at this point. We crawl into bed just at 5 am, and real talk…I’ve never gone to bed at 5 am completely sober before in my life. It was strange but I was so happy to place my head on that pillow.

We re-emerged into the waking life around 11:30 am, and headed into the town of Rovinj.

Rovinj is a cute seaside town with a largely Italian influence. The stone streets and colorful buildings along the infamous Croatian turquoise waters is the epitome of “Pamalo,” or taking it easy. We had some pizza and just cruised around by foot, soaking it all in. We popped in to a couple of local shops where some of the shop owners only spoke Croatian and Italian. We stopped at a little cafe for something to drink and to chill out for a bit, where we encountered the cutest family. A mother and her sister, two little boys. The little boys were about 5 and 2, with so much personality. We were just hysterically laughing at these two as they encountered a cat, where they screamed “Gattttoooooo!” with joy that only a child can bring.

The people are so friendly, and the sunset…the sunset is unlike any other I’ve seen (and I’ve seen many places.) Shades of purple and bright blue, orange, and pink, all while seagulls were dancing and gliding above the crystal blue waters. I sat and just let myself soak it up as I reveled in the magical beauty of it all.

The next morning, we headed to Bale, a cute little village about 20 minutes outside of Rovinj. It’s so tiny, but ever so charming. Hills and fields all around a very tiny little town. I saw about 5 people in the whole village, including the tourists. Afterwards, I looked up its population — around 1100 people total. We had some breakfast, went to an olive oil tasting, basked again in charm…

And off we went to Plitvice Lakes. Once again, another journey! 5 hours this time, as we headed inland. Fortunately, we had light this time, unlike our journey up to Rovinj. We cruised through picturesque villages along the way, but before heading inland we drove along the coast for a bit. In the States, we have the Pacific Coast Highway or the PCH. It’s a destiny for many to cruise the coast via the PCH because of its stunning nature. Truth be told…the PCH has absolutely nothing in comparison the coastal views of Croatia. Nothing. I can’t even describe, but it’s borderline Stendhal Syndrome inducing. (Stendhal Syndrome can be summarized as the extreme fascination with art or beautiful surroundings, to the point of feeling a bit crazy.)

We got to the lakes around 330, took a bit of a hike, and ended up surrounded by a dozen waterfalls. For 2 hours, we strolled through the lakes, and the waterfalls were magnificent and loud, and I found myself slowly drifting into a walking meditation. The loudness allowed me to go on an internal journey, to just let the thoughts come as they were. To let myself breathe and be, as I continued my constant release towards the willing. The richness of the colors around, the sounds of the water crashing, all in pools of clear waters. There is no fishing or swimming in these lakes to help maintain its pristine quality. I sat in awe of what I had taken in over the last 48 hours…the sea organ, Rovinj, the adorable town, and now I’m in these waterfalls…

But the day didn’t stop there. We still had to get to Dubrovnik. So after a little boat mishap (Andy and I have those, it seems), where we boarded to the wrong direction, we got right and headed down south.

We were lucky enough to have more time along the coastal drive, and we stopped for a plate of mussels in yet another impossibly cute place called Skradin (just outside of Sibenik). We couldn’t stay long though, as we had to get going…

And we arrived in Dubrovnik at about 2 am. I had sacrificed so much sleep at this point, but it was okay. I was being filled with beauty, energy, and being with Andy was so good. She’s very lighthearted and fun, which made the time in the car not only bearable but enjoyable. We jammed out to Taylor Swift (yep, even me), and just cruised this magnificent country.

And if all that wasn’t enough, I walked up to Dubrovnik’s old town the next morning for what was possibly the most breathtaking view. I didn’t even notice the tons of crowds…they didn’t matter. I felt like I had time-warped to the 15th century, and I was awestruck by the view of the walls and the sea and the orange-colored roofs. The energy in Dubrovnik is so freeing…even through the heat and the crowds. We sat at a church, on the steps, listening to a jazz band and I felt whisked away to another world completely. Eventually, the heat got to us so we went for a swim down at the cliffs, and just…sat.

As the sun set that evening, we couldn’t see it dip behind the skyline, but just could just see the buildings all changing colors. The vast experiences I had over those days were coming to an end, and with that final sunset, I knew…

My feelings had changed and grown. What was merely a crush had blossomed. I was now in love with Croatia.

The post Getting Lost and Getting Found in Croatia appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

By Vanessa Fleming, Summersalt Yoga teacher

Ahhhh, the land of motorbikes, bules (westerners), offerings, and smiles. the land that I found peace, presence, and serenity 3 years ago. The place that pushed me into the current iteration of my life, from which I will never look back in regret.

Bali.

I’m on holiday for just a few more days, and many of the things here are exactly as they were 3 years ago. the beauty, the waves, the crappy traffic and risks of motorbike rides, I’m reminded to take it all in for exactly what it is…and that’s right now. There isn’t a moment ahead, and you just drove past the moment before. it’s right now and only now.

3 years ago, in a life-changing time for me, a time of transition and uncertainties, I laughed. I laughed harder than I had in a long time, and I screamed. I screamed for the awesome moment of nothing, the moment was just…this. I had been fighting the Bali traffic on my motorbike, pushing and going and waiting and weaving. I finally broke free and was on a deserted road in a matter of 2 minutes. how quickly it all changed, and it was that moment I’m July 2013 that it clicked. The present…that was it. nothing else mattered and I had never felt so grounded in my life.

Fast forward to now, on my last 3 days on this island again, and I simply just am. I make plans, but sometimes something else comes up. it’s hot and I keep going, but I take it for what it is. this morning, I was supposed to go to Mysore for my Ashtanga practice. but I didn’t go. because of an accident my neighbors had, I didn’t get to bed till 4 am. so I missed the 730 am class. So when I finally emerged from my room at 11 after a 45-minute practice, I sat with Nari and had coffee and some tofu in peanut sauce. Nari runs my homestay. she’s a lovely woman, maybe 45 years old, but aged beyond her years. “Husband and I broken.” Her husband left her 16 years ago while she was still pregnant with her second child. so she sacrifices a lot. She leaves at 4 am to go work at the market till 8, then comes back here to take care of the homestay.

Her father and two children help and live here too. At first, I thought her father was her younger brother. No. she’s just aged that much. but today, she showed me her wedding album from 20 years ago, and how different she looked! She was beautiful, youthful, happy. we talked about that time, and how things were. before her husband left. Before her mother died. When Tresi, her daughter, was a tiny baby and her son hadn’t even been a twinkle on her eye yet.

But through all this, she still always has the biggest and brightest smile. She’s beautiful even behind the years of hard work and being a single mom. She has taken a likening to me, and me to her. she makes me eat whatever she’s eating just for me to try. She makes sure I have enough gas in my motorbike, and she always asks where I’m going. She just wants to know.

I haven’t taken many pictures here. I’ve been practicing yoga, I’ve been surfing, I’ve been hanging out with friends. I went to Balangan, 25km south, where I spent my first trip here.

I took a drive down to the Bukit, where I spent my time 3 years ago. The drive from Canggu was reminiscent as I got closer, and for a moment I was lost in amazement that it felt like just yesterday that I was driving these streets. But it was 3 years ago, and so many things have changed and happened in life since then. 3 years doesn’t feel like that long when you look ahead to 3 years from now, but looking back at 3 years ago, and how much has changed…the familiarity of this place flooded my soul and made me smile from ear to ear.

I walked up to Balangan beach, and the familiarity was solidified. There were a couple of new buildings but mostly the same. I walked up to my old warung where I used to spend my days (a warung is like a hut with food or sleeping quarters, sometimes both).

The same owner was there. I smiled at him but didn’t think he would remember me. He immediately said, “Hello my friend! Been a long time! What, 3 years?”

I’ve chosen a life of exploration, which oftentimes makes me long for a home and to feel grounded. Moments like that, just his simple remembrance and greeting, made feel…

home.

I went back again to Bukit for a longer stay, this time with my friend Debby and our friends Marije and Marieke. Debby and I met 3 years ago in Thailand and made an instant connection. we stayed in touch and have met up in various locations around the world since. She’s a friend I tell my darkest secrets to, I confide in, and just enjoy her. She’s a soulmate, and family.

And it solidifies my feeling of home here in Bali. With them, with her, with all of it.

So I’ll spend the next few days exploring, surfing, yoga’ing, and just being…here. now. Nowhere else, not before and not after.

The post Bali diaries: feeling home and living in the moment appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

By Vanessa Fleming, Summersalt Yoga teacher

As I’m taking a walk through the fields, I hear this pre-historic, dinosaur-like sound, echoing off of the vast rock formations surrounding me. Upon closer inspection, it was not, in fact, a T-Rex making this noise. It was simply a cow, amongst many cows, out in the pasture. The cow had a very deep “moo,” and every time the moo sound bounced off the rock walls, she thought another cow was responding. It wasn’t. The other cows were paying her no mind. She was simply having a conversation with herself, in this quiet and wide expanse of nature.

That pretty much sums up my experience here in Vang Vieng, Laos. Simplicity.

I spend hours a day just staring at the beautiful horizon, stunned and in awe of these magnificent rock formations just right out in front of me.

But it’s not quiet. I stare at this beauty while the beats of Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, and other early 2000s rap artists are being blasted from the bar just across the river from me.

Vang Vieng is notoriously a party town. For the last decade, this place has been infested with Westerners coming here, getting completely pissed while floating down the river in tubes, and creating a lively and outgoing party scene. As of recent times, the Lao government has strictly cracked down on this, as too many incidences have occurred.

So the party scene has somewhat subsided, and part of the reason why I am able to be here is because of hospitality development. I came to an eco-sustainable hotel called Silver Naga, situated right on the river. The hotel came to fruition because Rachel, and Aussie living in Laos for the last 25 years, and her husband, Soomphan, a Lao hotelier, created this resort-like hotel as a place to have a 5-star experience without the loud and crazy party. A few months ago, Rachel recruited 2 yogis, Michelle and John, to start up their yoga program. Fast forward to now, where I am teaching at Silver Naga, the only place that offers yoga in all of Vang Vieng.

So the climb out of the party reputation is slow, but steady. And it’s pretty damn cool to be on the front line of new development, even if I am only here for the month.

At first, I was having a real struggle with this place. Between the constant music and how incredibly laid back (read: lazy) the Lao people are, I was getting a bit stir crazy. There isn’t much to do other than sit by the pool, occasionally go on a hike, go rock climbing, and visit some caves. This is the first and only place I have ever been in the entire world where I walk into a shop or a restaurant, and the workers are sleeping! I’m not talking a cat nap whilst sitting in a chair. I’m talking mats and pillows sprawled out on the floor and the workers full-on taking naps right in the middle of the working day, for everyone to see. And, if the workers aren’t napping, the are disappearing. My friend and fellow teacher, Vanina, and I were having coffee one day at this adorable little cafe. We were just hanging out, chatting, lounging. When we went to pay and leave, we discovered that the barista just…left. Gone. Goodbye! Didn’t feel like working anymore, so he went home. We were left in the cafe alone, still having to pay our bill, and no one in sight. We called out for someone, we walked around the whole building a couple of times. So we decided to come back later to pay our bill, since no one was there. As we started to walk away, here comes the barista, in his swim trunks and t-shirt. He had been down the street hanging out with his friends! It’s just so funny to me.

Speaking of Vanina – I have made a friend for life. Vanina and I share the teaching duties here at Silver Naga, and we also share a room. Not only that, but we share most of our time together, and we share a lot about ourselves with each other. It’s not everyday that you create a strong bond with someone, but with her, I feel so connected. From moment one, we hit it off and we are so close, so fast.

Vanina and I are also very close with the other volunteers here too. There’s a community of travelers that come in and help out around the hotel. Whether it’s tending to the Pony farm that Rachel and her friend Sarah have set up as an activity for the kids visiting Silver Naga, or painting fences or walls, or covering for someone at the cafe whilst he is on vacation, or brushing and feeding the ponies, or even working in the kitchen with the staff and helping the cleaning staff get a handle on keeping track of sheets and towels in the 90 room hotel, we have this familial group. We eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. We go on excursions together. We all crash out at 9:30 pm together. The party scene…not for us. But sitting around playing cards or Catan while maybe having a beer? Sold. This is our lives, every day.

And because of my Silver Naga family, I started to frequent the fields and caves on my outings more and more, the loudness created from the music and the town development subsides when we get just 5 minutes away. It’s in the fields and pastures that I can sit and listen to cicadas singing, cows mooing, water running, and soundless but playful and calm energy surround me.

Another big part of my experience here are…the dogs. I absolutely love the dogs here at the hotel. Now, this is not something I experience back in the Western world. Sure, dogs hang out at little Mom n’ Pop BnBs, but full-on a 5-star resort with food? No way. But, there are 4 dogs here…Nike (the grandma), Lily (the daughter/mom), and Boo Boo (Lily’s son), and ZoZo (the unrelated Pomeranian that I swear is an animated toy and not really a dog). Nike was my very first friend here. When I arrived and no one was around, there she was, greeting me with her wise eyes and gentle demeanour. And the dogs are so…great. ZoZo is the only one leashed, as he’s the pet dog. But the other 3 are free to roam as they please. They wander the streets but also guard the hotel. They hang out with us when we are having all of our relaxations, but they also let strangers know that they are the bosses of the hotel, and you can not enter without their permission.

And they have all become my best friends because of course, they have.

So back to the cows. Every day at 3 pm, the cows leave the pastures and walk down the path back to wherever it is they came from. From the mamas to the babies, and a couple of males, they moo and walk and stop to drink. All in all, I’d say there are about 40 cows that make the daily trek. Maybe next week I’ll go follow them to see where they live, after all.

And of course, there’s the yoga and Thai Massage. I’m so grateful for this experience because I get to keep up my massage practice, but I also get to implement and try out some of my new approaches to teaching. Since this is a travellers’ town, I only get maybe one opportunity to connect with people in yoga. It’s become vitally important for me to bring my laid back experiences from here to the classroom. I haven’t been teaching strong vinyasa flow. I haven’t been doing hard classes. I have been doing a lot of step-by-step and slow expansion of the muscles. I have been doing a lot of supine Yin classes, where we don’t even come off of the back until 45 minutes in. I have been encouraging people to go deeper into what they visualize in their practice by letting it settle in, rather than going straight into poses and “muscling through.” I was nervous about this approach, as I know a lot of people want that power, push, and strength tester. But I’ve stayed true to what I am conveying, and that is to go with ease, care and efficiency. And the experience has been nothing but positive.

So until I leave, I’ll just be here, expanding and growing, meditating and just…chilling. Taking it easy. Isn’t that the point, after all?

The post Life in Laos: growing, meditating and…chilling appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.