08/21/2024
I haven't taken a vacation in over twenty years. I don't mention this to invite admiration or criticism—it's simply a fact and one I have few regrets about. My travels to Nicaragua, Sudan, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia, and India weren't exactly leisurely getaways. Instead, I was bringing students from Harlem to experience different cultures, starting schools, or working as a nonprofit executive director.
Over the years, I've accumulated many mind/body certifications: Reiki, breathwork, hypnosis, Transcendental Meditation, and Neurolinguistic Programming. These were all tools to improve personal agency for the people I serve and, admittedly, for my own healing journey as well.
In the early 2000s, I earned my Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training certification from David Swenson, a true Western pioneer in the field. One of my students from that period took her practice much further, becoming a talented yogini in her own right.
Recently, we've been discussing the possibility of leading a breathwork and yoga retreat in Sri Lanka with my coaching client, Savera, a Sri Lankan environmental and workshop leader.
We aim to make this retreat a reality in the winter or spring of 2025. It'll be a workshop for 10 women. If you know any women who might be interested in joining us for some deep introspection (and perhaps a few moments of lightheartedness), please have them reach out to me. Who knows? This might be the start of my belated career in the vacation industry.