Monday 21 November 2011

Stillness

I'm waiting for my flight home and using these long travel hours from Nairobi Kenya to Whistler to process the many images, experiences and emotions imprinted on my heart. 17 days has been like a lifetime. I've wanted to bail, wail, wanted to stay, felt frustration, sadness and pure love.

After a year of fundraising for Africa Yoga Project I had a speech fairly down pat about the charity I had been passionate about. 17 days on the ground with them has left me speechless.

I have wanted to blog during my visit but I found myself getting into my head while witnessing a life I have only ever seen on a UN commercial, wondering how I would put it into words. This was taking me out. I love to write, I love to share, this is my way of processing. Yet every day I experience so much that my brain and heart couldn't connect in a sensible way. Oh and even saying sensible I felt stuck in "trying" to make sense of everything.

I'm a "doer" and have always been praised for this quality. But what I discovered on this trip is that doing and being are not the same. I was deeply challenged to access a quieter more present side of myself. This was tough to do as I picked up bare bottomed babies sitting in garbage and heard stories of rape and poverty. The arrogance that I could possibly make sense of this left me quiet.

The greatest gift I received was simply the presence and acceptance of a group of young Kenyans who are leading the change in the world. They have taught me what it's like to receive and what it's like to be seen.

I'm still left with brimming emotions and some confusion but I'm sticking with it and can only hope to become more still.

1 comments:

Yogi Fari said...

what a great article! i think my arrogance is what scares me the most, there is no way to completely know what they go through until you are actually physically there, smelling the smells, seeing the sights and hearing the sounds. it must have been very humbling. i hope to get to where you are someday.
wishing you luck!
namaste

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Yoga Jam Events
My name is Erin Anderson, I'm in love with yoga. I found out how to love deeper, live lighter and reach further through yoga. I'm passionate about sharing just that. In order to do that, I created The Yoga Jam Events as a means to elevate spirit, cultivate community and generate abundance. Coming together in play, breath and movement we can make real impact in the world, starting in Kenya with a possibility that knows no bounds. Each Yoga Jam Event donates proceeds to the Africa Yoga Project www.africayogaproject.org. This blog is dedicated to what I've learned along the way.
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