VIEW LARGE
Saturday 30 July 2011
Bird of Paradise
I see this little flock every morning on the way to yoga. In the words of Jeanette: "eeeeeeh! look, its those posh flowers you see in expensive bouquets back in Newcastle, only they're coming out of the ground!" Yes, dear. Quite.
VIEW LARGE
VIEW LARGE
Friday 29 July 2011
Thursday 28 July 2011
Tuesday 26 July 2011
In The Shala
So, I have come all the way to practice yoga, learn from Nancy and Casie (not only the practice but also to develop my teaching... and I've learnt a LOT so far) and all u got is pics of this tropical paradise! So, here are some shala pics... I have had my ass so BADLY kicked by 3rd series that I'm currently very tired and drained and generally wiped out, but mainly very VERY humbled. "That's what 3rd Series is for!" - says Nancy, "to pop you down a peg or two." Crushed....
This is a sequence called Urdhva Kukkutasana (A, B & C). Naturally, Nancy being Nancy, she has to start you off NOT with Vasishthasana but with an extremely difficult pose to 'introduce' the series. It is like heralding the arrival of 3rd with a pretty brutal test. Vasishthasana is taught these days as first, but back in the 70s when Guruji was as Hardcore as nancy is in the 11's, it was taught this way. Going clockwise from top-left: Urdhva Kukkutasana A (going into it), Urdhva Kukkutasana B (lifting back up and into it), Urdhva Kukkutasana C (hopping up onto the arms from the floor with a little help from Casie; still eluding the carmera), and Urdhva Kukkutasana C (coming back up and springing out). Cheeky handstand at the end. Pics by Miss Vasey.
VIEW LARGE
This is a sequence called Urdhva Kukkutasana (A, B & C). Naturally, Nancy being Nancy, she has to start you off NOT with Vasishthasana but with an extremely difficult pose to 'introduce' the series. It is like heralding the arrival of 3rd with a pretty brutal test. Vasishthasana is taught these days as first, but back in the 70s when Guruji was as Hardcore as nancy is in the 11's, it was taught this way. Going clockwise from top-left: Urdhva Kukkutasana A (going into it), Urdhva Kukkutasana B (lifting back up and into it), Urdhva Kukkutasana C (hopping up onto the arms from the floor with a little help from Casie; still eluding the carmera), and Urdhva Kukkutasana C (coming back up and springing out). Cheeky handstand at the end. Pics by Miss Vasey.
VIEW LARGE
Monday 25 July 2011
Life Everlasting
Stephanie Gilgoff is chief gardener at the house and this little plant I got a nice semi bokeh pic of (best viewed large - click the link below the pic). Steph calls it 'life everlasting' although that ain't the real name for it (and there is another plant called that which looks nothing like this one... heh...)
Reason why she calls it that is coz if you take a leaf off it doesn't die. She has sent many leaves off to her friends in the post and they arrive safe and sound. Which gives me an idea.... (keep your eyes on your mailbox)
VIEW LARGE
Reason why she calls it that is coz if you take a leaf off it doesn't die. She has sent many leaves off to her friends in the post and they arrive safe and sound. Which gives me an idea.... (keep your eyes on your mailbox)
VIEW LARGE
Sunday 24 July 2011
Gilgoff Gardens Pt 1
Some people been asking what it is like at Nancy's place... well, here is the first part of a montage of flora & (not-so-much) fauna around Gilgoff Gardens.... especially an offering for my botanical brother - enjoy!
Fresh Chili Pepper plants are everywhere! Will be used very soon in a curry...
Buddha's Little Herb Garden
One of the many banana plants in the garden. No more shopping for crazy-priced bunches tied-up in plastic bags. Not quite ripe yet... fruitarianism is started to look much more appealing once again.
Amaryllis (big-ass)
Papaya plant right outside Stepanie's front door. The ripe one in the middle was on the chopping board tonight.
Palms in the back garden
Little House
Mystic - the 3rd of 3 cats (and cutest)
Long view down the side of the porch...
Travis' Crib - perfect
VIEW LARGE
Fresh Chili Pepper plants are everywhere! Will be used very soon in a curry...
Buddha's Little Herb Garden
One of the many banana plants in the garden. No more shopping for crazy-priced bunches tied-up in plastic bags. Not quite ripe yet... fruitarianism is started to look much more appealing once again.
Amaryllis (big-ass)
Papaya plant right outside Stepanie's front door. The ripe one in the middle was on the chopping board tonight.
Palms in the back garden
Little House
Mystic - the 3rd of 3 cats (and cutest)
Long view down the side of the porch...
Travis' Crib - perfect
VIEW LARGE
Thursday 21 July 2011
Wednesday 20 July 2011
Aloe(ha)
There are about 20-30 (maybe even more) aloe vera plants scattered around the garden.... they look great but even better -> they provide a fresh and pure after-sun gel. Gooey green goodness, fresh outta the stem.
VIEW LARGE
Monday 18 July 2011
Cowgirl
Yeeehaw! Check the boots, belonging to out current guru - Cowgirl Casie. She's almost as hard to tie down as the steers that she rounds up on her ranch, which explains the pic below of her dashing out of the shala. She's 'the one that got away'.
Fresh off the back of winning a prize at the Maui Rodeo, you know that she's arrived by the grunt of her monster pickup truck - built for the valley island (Maui). And once the boots are off the show begins. Sat atop a yoga pillow at the head of the room, she beings a whole new meaning to 'modern guru', dressed up in a cowgirl outfit: well-fitting levi jeans, blonde pigtails and long-sleeved ranch shirt. This gal is cool.
Strong but gentle, firm but fair, she will push you and bring a new light into your practice, but also be open enough to work around any issues coming up with the body. She seems to know just what is needed at any given time within anyone's practice and applies just the right energy and momentum into each and every adjustment. One particular adjustment was Vrschikasana, where she was pulling my feet over my head, and pushing backwards also, and then down to the floor at the same time.... i had NO idea what was happening! Which was nice. However you wouldn't want to cross her with any bull as she'd have you hog-tied with her rope before you can say "ohm"!
VIEW LARGE PICS
Fresh off the back of winning a prize at the Maui Rodeo, you know that she's arrived by the grunt of her monster pickup truck - built for the valley island (Maui). And once the boots are off the show begins. Sat atop a yoga pillow at the head of the room, she beings a whole new meaning to 'modern guru', dressed up in a cowgirl outfit: well-fitting levi jeans, blonde pigtails and long-sleeved ranch shirt. This gal is cool.
Strong but gentle, firm but fair, she will push you and bring a new light into your practice, but also be open enough to work around any issues coming up with the body. She seems to know just what is needed at any given time within anyone's practice and applies just the right energy and momentum into each and every adjustment. One particular adjustment was Vrschikasana, where she was pulling my feet over my head, and pushing backwards also, and then down to the floor at the same time.... i had NO idea what was happening! Which was nice. However you wouldn't want to cross her with any bull as she'd have you hog-tied with her rope before you can say "ohm"!
VIEW LARGE PICS
Sunday 17 July 2011
Snails the size of tennis balls
The vegetation grows at an alarming rate in maui due to the midnight rains, and I think the same happens to the snails.
View bigger size by clicking here
View bigger size by clicking here
Saturday 16 July 2011
Touchdown Maui July 2011
Back in the tropics at last.... sat on the porch, letting the body wind down after a long haul, and then the inevitable overriding sense of completeness creeps up...
We end up going to the yoga shala for a sneaky moon-day practice: the idea of a 3 day wait for the first yoga class after such a body-crunching 23 hours of travel makes us a bit nauseous. As it turns out Yoga class is on and Casie commands the room. Feels good, like coming back home. The yoga room is unreal. As we got there early Jeanette actually had the chance to plonk down her mat anywhere she wanted in the room... and, eerily, she placed it down on the floor right next to the space where I practiced every day 3 and half years ago. Perfect. I think she's psychic.
Nancy's house is littered with amazing plants and flowers, but none so amazing as the Surinam Cherry Tree which has flourished in her garden over the last 3 years. Not only that but luckily the trees that grow here yield the more darker red variety of cherry which means they are sweet rather than sour. All the flavour of citrus with the smooth texture of a ripe/creamy peach. Here's a pic of one fresh from Nancy's garden:
We end up going to the yoga shala for a sneaky moon-day practice: the idea of a 3 day wait for the first yoga class after such a body-crunching 23 hours of travel makes us a bit nauseous. As it turns out Yoga class is on and Casie commands the room. Feels good, like coming back home. The yoga room is unreal. As we got there early Jeanette actually had the chance to plonk down her mat anywhere she wanted in the room... and, eerily, she placed it down on the floor right next to the space where I practiced every day 3 and half years ago. Perfect. I think she's psychic.
Nancy's house is littered with amazing plants and flowers, but none so amazing as the Surinam Cherry Tree which has flourished in her garden over the last 3 years. Not only that but luckily the trees that grow here yield the more darker red variety of cherry which means they are sweet rather than sour. All the flavour of citrus with the smooth texture of a ripe/creamy peach. Here's a pic of one fresh from Nancy's garden:
Thursday 7 July 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
