Rainbow spotted on my way to the grocery store :-)   Ahhh

Aloha
....I hope this blog finds you all happy & filled with peace.  It's been a while since I checked in with all of you.... thanks for the nudge Cynthia!   

The month of August in Athens, Georgia flew by so fast.  In the midst of it I had the sweet opportunity to go to my of my favorite places for a week....Kripalu Yoga Center in Lenox, Massachusetts for a 5  day retreat with Richard Miller, the founder of IRest....(yoga nidra or deep yogic relaxation) and a weekend with Joan Borysenko and Karen Drucker.   It was deeply satisfying in so many ways.....

...the entrance to Kripalu

Fall had already begun in the Berkshires.

We are all doing the best we can in this moment.

There are sweet signs like this in the stairwells at Kripalu.

Walking the grounds is a meditation.

Ganesha, the remover of obstacles

 The weekend with Joan Borysenko & Karen Drucker was a "Women's Spiritual Retreat" that was laced with humor, spirituality, inspiring stories, Joan's most recent research on women's health and the beautiful music of Karen Drucker.  If you've never heard of Karen, I encourage you to google her and listen to some of her music....it's beautiful.

Karen Drucker and Joan Borysenko

The week with Richard Miller was spent mostly in meditation, gazing, breathing....just being.



After a week at Kripalu, I felt like I floated back to Athens (I think there was a plane involved....I felt so light of heart, mind and body.  Just 4 days later we left for Kauai (9/4).....and landed in this beautiful spot on the island.  We are in a home near Hanalei Bay on the North Shore.    

Hanalei Bay, just down the street from our house.

Kauai is a special place.    Stepping off the plane you automatically feel a sense of release....of letting go... surrender.  There's no hurry, no place to go, nothing important to do....... everyone you meet is relaxed and seemingly attuned to the rhythm of the nature that surrounds them.         

I love the connections I've made here with the yoga community, a meditation group and a pilates studio. Wonderful energy, sweet spirits....all on their own journeys...........

   I feel like I've landed right smack dab in the middle of paradise and I think I'm gonna rest here a while....snorkeling, hiking & sitting on the beach to read good books.

 This week we hiked the Kalalau Trail up the Na Pali Coast.  The tropical foliage was beautiful and the bamboo forests were huge.  This photo was taken in one of them.  I have never seen such huge bamboo.   Hiked up to a water fall that cascaded at least 1000 feet and swam in the turquoise pool at the bottom.

At the end of the trail, thanking God that we made it....a grueling 8 mile hike.....we were both exhausted.

What are you grateful for?  I'd love to hear from you.

Malu (Peace in Hawaiian)
Rhonda