So I'm almost 2 months into life in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Living at home, working full time and learning to appreciate the weekends more every day. I've found my priorities shift as my free time has become squeezed into a narrow 2-day gap and my recreational 'to do' list is still just as long ... and incomplete but I'm ticking off the boxes one by one. The lesson I'm learning is that it's ok to slow down because unlike the days of my degree, in this working world there is no end to the race. So while it's long overdue, this post is something I wrote over the christmas holiday and although I'm in a very different space now, it's nice to let the mind return to a time that was once a reality...
The clocks hand has finally cut the circle in two; it's 7.30am and my body is up and eager for the day. The 8am morning yoga in the buddha hall was sounding good but alas, nature decided otherwise. My mum and I are staying in a little wooden bungalow at the top of a mountain, in Koh Phangan, Thailand. Aside from its solid foundations it stands bare and defenseless against tropical rainstorms like this. The shutters closest to my head are swinging open and closed and gusts of earthy wind are circulating the room, it's a wild experience to be a part of. The tropical trees are shuddering and the giant leaves - so thin and strong have been weakened as they fall to the ground in all directions - soon to become part of the next layer of jungle floor when the storm has passed.
Yesterday, when I looked out the window at the vast expanse of sea, my eyes were entertained by the constant currents and rips that were surging and merging into one another. But now, looking out there is no distinction between the underwater rhythms. Despite the outer chaos the water is seemingly calm, awash with a million tiny pockets from where the droplets continue to fall. Through the ancient medicinal lens of Ayurvedic tradition that we follow in yoga this weather would be described as vata; a 'dosha' or constitution that connotes purifying, wet and strong weather on the outside and a desire for movement, creativity and contemplation on the inside. If one were to sit now and practise anything it would need to be the opposite - long, deep, heating breath and strong, grounding movements - working with the elements. A big thunderbolt just struck the sky and in its wake, silence has followed. Now we rest in the calm after the storm...
I love it here, this patch of earth that we've been coming to for over 10 years now; I'm with my mum, her boyfriend T and his kids C and T to celebrate New Years. To the side of our hut, enclosed by a little bay lies 'The Sanctuary' - a healing retreat scattered along the roots of the jungle. The restaurant is full of vegan and gluten free goodness and the shop full of Ayurvedic oils and pretty garms. The grounds are run by the glam hippies adorned in sparkly sequins and sarongs, floating between natural and psychedelic healing sessions. On the other side of us is Haad Tien where 'Eden' lies - a venue that holds great sentimental value, positioned between ancient rocks and home to the most magical raves. It's a sight to be held when the sunrise reveals the seamless stretch of bay, sea and jungle - previously hidden by the night. I remember being on an adventure here when I was 18 years old with J... we'd managed to escape the obnoxious beats of the half moon party on Haadrin and instead, chose to board a little boat to an unknown bay that offered an unimaginable alternative. We danced until the sun rose and then I remember recognizing an old school friend from Sri Lanka and then another from Cambodia! My worlds had collided and shrunk into a tropical raindrop. It is truly a place where magic happens... I found it comical yet not surprising that we had discovered the rave right around the corner from the healing retreat that I'd spent time in growing up. So this is where the adults had disappeared off to when I lay in bed at night listening to the cicadas sing. The dots all add up eventually...
For a change, this holiday I haven't been so drawn to the beats that echo across the island. My body has been recovering from the last few weeks of madness in London and I'm luckily in the perfect place to heal. The other day as the post-yoga gong was sounding through the hall, I heard it merge with the deep bass from Guy's Bar and I smiled... true.vibes. It's 3 days on from New year, the music is still going and the people still flowing passed our little hut with remnants of glitter on their faces..
So that tropical storm grew and grew until we could no longer stay
For fear of being blown away.
And after a few hiccups we were all homeward bound
and we made it back safe and sound.
Now I'm counting down the days,
until the next glorious getaway.
Song of the day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrbaZ7dpJyg
