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It was difficult to find time to write after the last post, since we were traveling and staying in places that didn't have free wireless connections. So... here I am, back home, and writing about the last few days in NZ.

Simply put, it was an amazing trip, and we loved having a few days to experience Auckland. We didn't just stay in the city center, but went out to Ponsonby, Parnell, and Devonport, all areas surrounding Auckland. Each one has its own feel, its own character.

We kept practicing in the mornings before we headed out to drive or experience the area. The yoga seemed to set our mornings straight, and even when there wasn't much space in which to practice, practice worked. That is, once you begin sun salutations, you forget about lack of space, because you're creating it within yourself; you're experiencing it internally.
Yes, it's great to have lots of physical space surrounding you when you have the chance to have it, but one of the great things about yoga is that it fits in to whatever space you have, and it creates more than you think you have.
Does that even make sense?

Not everything about Auckland was wonderful. It definitely is the most metropolitan city we visited, and therefore, more polluted/populated than everywhere else we traveled... possibly giving us even more appreciation for having spent so much time in the pastural region of Nelson/Upper Moutere.

Also, in Auckland, we met the only person who gave us a bad taste in our mouths... not literally (that is, the meal we had at his restaurant was spectacular, food-wise), but figuratively. Turns out, the person is not a native New Zealander, but rather, a former Bucks County, PA, resident. Let's just say that satya (truthfulness) and asteya (non-stealing) did not seem to be daily practices for this gentleman, and Tim and I had some svadhyaya (self-study) and ahimsa (non-violence) to practice when dealing with him. We did our best.

A visit to the Skytower was tremendous (though more difficult for me than I ever imagined - never had trouble with heights like that before), including seeing two people jump off the tower on bungy-like cords. Wow. Tim said he would have done it if hadn't cost $195. Not me; at least, not in this life time.

We also enjoyed touring some art galleries, looking for the work of an artist some clients of mine had seen when they visited NZ. The artist's name is Kate Wells, and we did have a chance to see photos of her tapestry work at one gallery.

Getting to our departing flight required a lot of patience and yet hurrying up when we could, even though we got to the airport 3 hours early. The lines were just too long and there weren't enough NZ Air employees to handle the customers. However, getting through customs was easy, thankfully, both in NZ and in the USA. Our bags all came through fine, too.

Tim's working on our NZ pictures on his computer, so hopefully, I'll have some to post soon.

I'll probably continue to post on here occasionally. As I said in my first post, I love beginnings, and as much as coming home feels like an ending, I feel it's another beginning... a time to apply all of the things I/Tim learned from John and Lucy and to experience them in practice and in regular everyday life.

For anyone reading, if you want a life-changing getaway, or just the experience if clean air and good people, go study with John and Lucy Scott. Even if you've never studied Ashtanga yoga before, you will enjoy the challenge and inspiration of studying with them, and you'll definitely grow in ways you didn't expect... and certainly ways you'll appreciate.