Well- I’m now officially on Vacations and officially back in Mexico for them, as I just went down to immigration today and now need to wait about a month for everything to get in order before my next visit…
SO, as I was not planning on coming to Mexico right now… what shall I plan? haha Because my life is- my life, there is no problem, in finding out you need to come back to another country for at least a month… you just you know, quit your job a bit earlier, call up a friend and ask you if you can stay with them- buy some tickets… and make arrangements for the key to their house and- begin the next days.
I stopped in- at my friend Susie’s house in Victoria on my way here- it was super AWESOME and chill. Loved her space, her place, she gave me her room with a great bed, soft sheets and blankets, black out towels on the window… she had a cool roof space and balcony and lives on top of a sweet coffee shop! Her and her partner fed me delicious home-made food or we went to the super market to pick up stuff… it was super chill… then I arrived in Mexico – same thing, I have my own room and bathroom, room with lots of light and backyard- again, black out blinds- closet space and drawers to put my things… just like… perfect.  Now both of my friends in Victoria and her had cats (i’m allergic to cats) but well… I was/am completely fine! Yeah, since Yoga and Reiki- I no longer have asthma to harvest season or cats… pretty cool eh? Now, I am still allergic to cats, I know this because the day before I came to Victoria I had petted my friend Jess’s cat and rubbed my eye and it became really red and itchy and the next day for several hours it was completely swollen… so I got myself some glasses now, and I am just not touching the cats! Problem solved.

So in preparation of coming to Mexico I decided that a day of flying, then around the city, not having plans, little bit of fear about Mexico City and such… I should take some time for myself. So instead of going super crazy with trying to jam pack a lot of touristy things in, when I was in Victoria- or driving another several hours and going to visit other friends or hiking or traveling back to Vancouver- I will just enjoy being around my friends very nice neighborhood, go to the free music events in front of the ocean, practice yoga, drink coconut water, eat earthy and salty foods and yes- even give myself an Abhyanga before heading to the airport.
I don’t know if any of you ever get constipation from/while/during traveling- but well I use to, I use to get it- just going to Regina for the weekend for a romantic get-away… but well, I’ll be happy to admit… I pooped at the airport in Mexico after 16 hours in planes and airports. NOT to say, my VATA wasn’t disturbed still- as I did forget my Whiskey I bought as a present for someone…. twice… and finally, forgot it in that very stall- that I happily dropped my friends off at the pool.  I hope the cleaning lady likes Whiskey.
(Perhaps, I was never suppose to give it as a present.)

Well- I have been talking and listening to quite a bit of Spanish already in the past two days, which is good and it’s SO HARD too. Because I only know what I know… but I am going to just have fun with this and hopefully I will get better. For sure I am better this year than last year. I had Fernando the taxi driver from the airport, Rafael from where i’m staying to Polanco and I didn’t feel like talking to my last driver in the night- also the traffic was crazy and it began raining- so I didn’t want to interrupt him.

Today I went to a stroll around my old neighborhood of Polancito… wow.  It is beautiful and fun, but yeah the traffic is crazy. I never missed it to be perfectly honest, it’s not my scene… but I felt very comfortable walking around and met some nice people. I visited my AgoraLucis as well where I use to practice Yoga… and it has changed a lot, now there is a restaurant there…  it’s SUPER expensive and over priced though… like all the things in the store. I bought some over priced Triphala herb… but it’s because I actually want to do begin adding eye wash to my weekly routine and I don’t see that around very much… but there was this Ayurvedic medicine and food there that was super overpriced. A jar with probably 4 cups of rice and beans in it was 467 pesos or something.  400 something for sure… THAT’S like $34 DOLLARS! I KNOW that Kitchari is great, I myself choose to eat it on a regulare basis and have been trying to get others onto it- actually, I was selling it and giving it away to friends and clients for the past year. I new I was undercharging myself for selling it for $5 or $10 dollars… but, $34.00 for one jar… maybe 4 cups of rice, beans and spices?
I just finally decided to find out if I was previously right to think this way and checked an Ayurvedic Website BanyanBotanicals.com, and yeah it is over priced at the Yoga studio haha, for a 7 days kit of Kitchari mix they are charging $37.70 USD which is $48.93 CND… which isn’t cheap, but it’s real food, healthy food. They are giving you a weeks worth of rice, beans, spices and purified butter.(Organic Yellow Mung Dal (1.65 lbs), Organic Basmati Rice (3.15 lbs), Kitchari Spice Mix (3.5 oz) and Organic Ghee (7.5 oz)
I am really going to need to pay attention to prices of all the spices, beans, rice and all when I get back to Canada. And next time I make up a batch and sell it- I am going to be fair to the consumer as well as myself. But really happy to see some Ayurveda options at the Yoga studio to be honest! It means that people are beginning to understand that part of Yoga as well-  this is also encouraging as I am studying this- and will be investing time and money into my education and wasn’t sure if many people will even be interested in incorporating Ayurveda into their western lifestyles- but apparently… there are some people… and I will maybe be able to find them at Yoga studios.

SO I guess- If you are in Mexico City and don’t want to order food all the way from the states, you can buy the mix from the AgoraLucis for the price they are offering… I suppose that’s how it is. Supply and demand- and perhaps things are more expensive here- however, I have already had success buying all the spices and such (minus asafoetida- which I currently have in my back pack for this reason) in Mexico.
The Triphala herb I bought in a jaw today I paid 260 pesos for 90 grams… and they are selling it on the website for $7.50 dollars which would be 135.21 pesos… so, I did over pay for my Triphala as well- but at the end of the day… it’s only money.
On the bright side- I had also stopped by my old waxing place… it’s right across from the Yoga Studio. So I was going to go have a bikini wax and armpit wax- Unfortunately, they never had any appointments open around the time I wanted so I decided to just stop in at the first place I saw once I got back to the neighborhood of my friend…
NOW I know, that the wax is different and Wax Revolution is really pretty, with wallpaper that is graphics and such- But I paid $170 pesos (Well I left a $40 peso tip on top of it) for what I needed to get done, apposed to 1,500 pesos! WOW! That’s some serious savings.  And the lady that did my wax, set up the bed just for me, laid out towels just for me and used the tweezers for the stubborn hairs- just like they do at Wax Revolution… yeah, at the place I went to, they never offered a Brazilian but they charge 1600 pesos and for the crack (I’m not saying or not saying I get this done- just saying) is 650 pesos! I realize that it’s a fine wax they use, but “I’ve heard” that, that’s a pretty easy wax. Haha
Yeah- today I bought a plate size, vegetarian burrito jammed packed with nopal, corn, mushrooms, onion,peppers, cheese and beans- served with options of free guacamole, pica de gallo and salsa… and a corona (with a bowl full of limes) for 100 pesos. Yeah I gave $20 pesos tip because the service was great, the owner was nice, and they packaged up my other half of burrito for me to take home and asked if i wanted lemon or salsas to go too. Today it cost me $130 pesos (and $10 more pesos for tip) to drive an hour from my friends place to my appointment in Polanco, and $150 pesos to return…

Wow-  I was just looking at a facebook friends photos and saw some beautiful ones from a ceremony that he was at this past week. The indigenous lifestyle, their rituals and their way of life is just amazing. So simple- so connected… and so… well, I have no idea even, because I’m not part of that world… but I am so curious. I feel like when I am with my land, and away from all technology and distractions I feel different… better and I see the world different. I may have an opportunity this Saturday, to leave the city and be part of a beautiful ritual and be able to understand more about the aboriginal culture of Mexico- as well as myself. Sounds like a pretty great way to start a new chapter and summer holidays… especially since I already decided that I want to be healthy and holistic this month.  Sometimes for me- things happen pretty quickly when I am ready for them… and this person responded to me like a minute after I asked them a question saying that on Saturday I could go… so well…lets see.

It’s strange that I leave Canada for an aboriginal experience- but things are different here than at home… and I am just learning about my own country and Indigenous people as well, and I hope in the future I can learn from them as well. Being out in Victoria, I was very inspired by their art and culture… and already decided that I wasn’t going to be celebrating 150 years of Canada… since it’s kind of a celebration of 150 years of Colonialism… which was great for all the people coming to Canada- and absolutely terrible for all the culture rich Indigenous people already living there.

Well tonight I went to my first Yoga class since… well February. DAM.
Well, since I was the only Yoga teacher in town for 4 of those months… I guess I know why. And then the last two weeks- well to be perfectly honest, I just was not prioritizing Yoga class… I did have some good bike rides, good margaritas, good talks even a skate board class and a canoe outing… but Yoga, it just never happened. What did happen, was a belly grew and my Kapha rose. Yeah, the less I did- the harder it was to get motivated to do something about it. So after my last day of work, I took a few table spoons of Castor Oil- for a gentle cleanse- and it was amazing. It never hurt at all (no cramping, no explosion, no running to the bathroom) just… a lot of release and after a day of clean eating, I noticed something in my stools that I never have… MUCOUS… yeah, straight up- Kapha Imbalance. I was so intrigued and happy to see this- because to me, it explained a lot and also helps me to understand what a Kapha imbalance feels like…
I know this sounds crazy, but – since I started studying Ayurveda- I have had a Pitta imbalance and Vata imbalance- but never had a Kapha Imbalance… and perhaps, why I had a Kapha imbalance, because I had so much Vata- it pushed Kapha- I had heard about this. But not to sure- but well, I am beginning to now feel a lot better already, today at the Yoga class I felt good, I’ve been able to get up without any problems and now having a regular bowel movement in the morning, without significant signs of Vata, Pitta or Kapha. (This will the the blog day that I just never gave a crap… and talked about my stools a lot.)

My Yoga class was great, it was lead by my friend Rebecca Acosta, and it was a Vinyassa- but really gave us therapeutic time at the beginning and end – as well as during the asanas. Yeah, we even got to give ourselves like a little ball massage on our butts (felt great) and at the end of class she played her singing bowl.
I now need to go to bed – as I will have a restorative class with her tomorrow.

But I just want to finally write on this blog about Ayurveda,Yoga and life and so I am going to.  I think today was a pretty good success- my immigration stuff went well, I moved around the City well, had Yoga class- and two delicious meals and now going to bed now two hours after taking food and ready to sleep well!