This blog will be journaling the move and transformation from suburban/ city life in California to a more simple island life in Kauai....come join me on my adventure!
I had been working two months at that point...still a new employee and relatively new to Kauai. I am now approaching my one year anniversary here on the island...have not written a blog for over 7 months...I think perhaps I should start afresh and continue...
So here we go...
Approaching my 12 month marker here on the island...thoughts on reality are quite different now. Island life is exactly just that...life on an island...islands are bodies of land that are isolated and removed from others...something in an isolated or surrounded position...I am, most certainly, on an island.
I have settled into my life here...but it is most definitely an island and an isolated life.
However, let me clarify this...I have not written a blog entry for all these months because I have been absolutely submerged and engulfed in my island life. I have a job that fulfills me and friends that surround me...and I have, quite honestly, been too busy and engulfed in my isolated island life to write a new blog entry all these months. Life dispersed and life scattered...now life contained and life isolated...but it is life nonetheless with all the same life responsibilities, challenges and consequences... life is life, on a tropical paradise island, or anywhere else....
I am not sure how many of you have experienced this...not sure how many of you have been told this...BUT, I have been told I have 'open chakras.' Well, 'why thank you,' is my natural response...however, I have to be honest...though I was raised in an Indian home, in a Hindu household....I don't know what the hell a 'chakra' is.
But I have google...so I googled it. And, WOW, I have open chakras...aren't I neat?!
So here you go...my synopsis of chakras in a nutshell...there are 7 chakras...
Chakras are centers of energy, located on the midline of the body. There are seven of them, and they govern our psychological properties. The chakras located on the lower part of our body are our instinctual side, the highest ones our mental side.
The chakras can have various levels of activity. When they're "open," they're considered operative in a normal fashion.
Ideally, all chakras would contribute to our being. Our instincts would work together with our feelings and thinking. However, this is usually not the case. Some chakras are not open enough (being under-active), and to compensate, other chakras are over-active. The ideal state is where the chakras are balanced. To find out what the state of your chakras is, do the chakra test.
There exist lots of techniques to balance the chakras. Mostly techniques to open chakras are used. It makes no sense to try to make over-active chakras less active, as they are compensating for other chakras. To restore the compensation they'd be over-active again in no time. To stop them from compensating, the chakras they are compensating for must be opened. See the techniques to open
Okay, so that was a copy and paste situation..only because I do not want to misrepresent information.
But I am fascinated with this...had my first encounter with acupuncture, which is a form of energy points in the body. And am in general interested and intrigued and in belief of energy and connection...
I have open chakras, so I have been told...I don't necessarily feel them, but I do sense them. I do believe in the energy, I believe in the concept, and well, I guess I believe in chakras.
Time. It is a dimension, like space. A thing that is complex and never ending that we as humans place and stamp with a clock and calendar so as to measure and define and objectify our importance and significance against it. We are truly insignificant against time, because, in the end, it still goes on indefinitely, beyond our comprehension, beyond our understanding, beyond our reach.
But we still measure time, because it is real, and the reality of time difference is very real. I am in HST, Hawaiian Standard Time, which as of Sunday became a 3-hour time difference with my PST (Pacific standard time) friends and family, not to mention 5 and 6 hours with my Central and Eastern friends...and because of the ease of communication via phone, text, e-mail and Facebook, one would think that communication would be easy these days (compared to the days when my parents had to call their parents in India at all times of the day and night and talk at the top of their lungs just to be heard)...but it is not easy. Communication from here on the islands is difficult, it is a challenge, and it is frustrating at times.
It is now 7:30 pm here in Kauai. And it is a time where I have a natural inclination to pick up the phone and call my friends, call my family...but it is 10:30 in California and it is too late to call...forget about calling my friends/family in Chicago or Texas or New York...that window ended hours ago...
I had read about the isolation that people feel with not being able to communicate with their loved ones, but the onset of the reality of this is quite harsh. Communication with the West Coast basically breaks down at 6pm. It makes for a long evening into the night, and it makes one realize the dependence we truly have on the people we reach out to on a regular basis. The ability to pick up the phone and make a call is a concept that I once remembered...now, I pick up the phone, look at the time, and most often realize that I cannot make a call or text I wanted to make...it is most often too late. Luckily I am a morning person, and the ability to draw energy and connection in the morning is most often a reality, but sometimes it is not, and there are times when it takes days for me to connect with particular individuals because of scheduling issues.
Time. Just those few hours make such a big difference in the ability to communicate. I am feeling those hours, I am feeling those minutes, I am feeling lonely...because of time.
'Aloha.' This is my greeting to people I speak with on the phone, this is my greeting as I meet new guests arriving at the resort, this is the greeting that I use, not as a novelty, but as a true form of communication of welcome and warmth. Aloha means hello, goodbye, love, I love you...whatever warm wish and spirit you wish to convey.
And I find everyone has a different reaction and response to my greeting. Some come right back with an authentic aloha...some giggle at the foreign word, some make a funny face and are unsure how to respond, but for the most part, it is a happy word, it is a word meant to create unity and harmony, so people react accordingly.
Part of my job is to engage in conversation and create a bond with my resort guests so I can best service them. In doing so, I most often find out where my guests are from, what their family situation is, and how and where they like to vacation. But in the short time I have been in this position, I have also come across the guest that is equally interested in my situation...and I have been asked, "where are you from?"
Well, well...what they do not realize is what an entirely loaded question that is for me. I have been asked this question my entire life.
People initially ask the question because they think I am a local Hawaiian, born and raised...but when I open my mouth and speak, most realize that I am probably not a native Hawaiian...so then their thoughts wander as to where I might be from...is she Pacific Islander? Brazilian? From Fiji? South American? Only a few people guess I am of Indian heritage, only because I feel that most people have only had experience with people from India who have an accent that gives their heritage away.
So given that people are unsure of the response I will give them, my natural and first response, especially now as I am starting to feel a longing for my home, is 'Danville.' 'the Bay Area.' 'I grew up in Walnut Creek, went to Cal Berkeley, what else do you need to know?'
I find that people are not necessarily concerned that I am from Danville, but when they find that this is my response, their questioning seems to stop. They are satisfied that I am 'from' somewhere else....they are satisfied that I am from the mainland, because this makes them feel less out of place and more at home, for if I can utter the word 'aloha' and be from Danville, well then so can they.
Aloha. I feel it has been a while since I have last written a post and communicated about my life and transformation of life here on the island...and I think it is because I have actually been out living a new life and creating a new schedule and a new identity and trying to establish myself and my presence here on the island.
Bikram Yoga at the Yoga House in Kapa'a has become my new second home....I am practicing bikram yoga now at least 5 days a week, and although I am still very much of a beginner, I am becoming reliant on my instructors and their voice and mantras as a part of my near daily ritual of self-renewal and meditation. The physical demand of the practice is intense, but the mental and emotional commitment is overwhelming and entirely gratifying.
And I have started working again...as a Concierge at the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on the north shore of the island. It is about a 45 minute drive from my home on a two-lane highway, arguably one of the most beautiful commutes in the entire world. I see the ocean, sunrises, waterfalls, and rainbows all on my drive to work that passes from ocean to lush tropical foliage, to golf courses and taro fields. My desk overlooks the grounds of a 5-star resort that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, where at this time of year is a playground for humpback whales. Yes, I see whales spouting from my desk at work...
As I contemplate my life now and think about the months I spent imagining and dreaming and hoping what my life would be, I feel entirely blessed. I feel like I write now about a life and a present reality that I had written about several months ago as a dream and a vision. For those of you who have been reading my blogs, I work at the same resort as the 'Manager of Fun,' and his name is Kapule. Yes, I work at a resort where there is a core value that produces a job title 'Manager of Fun.' I am still amazed.
My job requires me to talk to people on their vacation about their vacations. My job requires me to talk to people about what they want to do for fun...what kind of food they like, what kind of memories they want to create...what makes them happy. And so if I have to live in Kauai, in paradise, and I have to earn a living...what better way to do so then to talk to people on vacation about their vacations...and the memories they want to create...and what makes them happy. That makes me happy.
We decided to do some exploring of the island, and though we had been to the West Coast of Kauai and seen the Napali Coast on a catamaran on a prior visit, we had not yet made the drive to the west side. The object of the day was to visit Waimea Canyon and familiarize ourselves a bit with the other side of our small island home.
We drove west to the town of Waimea and then up a narrow windy mountain road to a viewing point for the canyon. It is the largest canyon in the Pacific and measures 10 miles long, 1 mile wide, and over 3500 feet deep. Though smaller than the Grand Canyon, Waimea Canyon certainly rivals its beauty and majesty. It was formed by rivers and floods that flowed from the summit of Mount Waialeale, as well as different volcanic eruptions and lava flows over the centuries. A miraculous sight to behold.
On our way up the mountain to the canyon lookout, we were able to get a nice view of the only land that is visible from the island of Kauai. The island of Ni'ihau is the seventh inhabited island in the chain of Hawaiian Islands. It is located 17.5 miles to the southwest of Kauai and is privately owned currently by descendants of Elizabeth Sinclair, the original owner, who purchased the island from King Kamehameha in 1864 for $10,000.
The 200 residents of the island are all employees and family of the island cattle ranch and live in small homes, devoid of plumbing and electricity, provided by the ranch. Until recently, the entire island was off-limits to anyone but native-Hawaiian family members and invited guests of the owners. Though you can now visit the island via helicopter for a few hours, tourism is still very restricted. There are no hotels, no paved roads, cars, electricity, telephones, and the primary language spoken here is still Hawaiian. Fascinating. It is truly a 'land forgotten by time.' I hope to someday have the privilege of making a visit to this mysterious island, the only visible piece of land that I can see from my small island home.
I came to Kauai with certain hopes and expectations, one of which centered around developing a life and lifestyle that is centered, authentic, passionate and connected to my environment. But though I am certain this is what I want, I was uncertain how I would go about achieving such a life. Does that just happen, where you one day realize that you are living the authentic life that you were searching for? Or are there steps involved, where you have to move in that direction consciously and knowingly? I tend to think it is the latter...
Not being sure, I am just trying to 'live.' Exercising, searching for a job, shopping, cooking, waiting for that 'something' that triggers me into forward motion, the type of forward motion that I need to enter into my new life. I am trying new things, determined to try as many different island activities that I can, waiting to find something to embrace.
So last week I tried two new things. Early in the week I paddled a kayak up the Wailua River and I absolutely loved it. It was the first time I had ever been in a kayak, paddled a kayak or done any sport in that small of a water craft. It was an activity that I had pictured myself doing even before I got here, and I have aspirations to join a paddling team at some point, not only for the amazing workout, but for the teamwork, camaraderie and the opportunity to spend time on the water. I have always been athletic and prefer competitive sports to a solitary workout, but due to several knee injuries I have had to give up my tennis. This could be the perfect island replacement:) More to follow...
And today I did my second Bikram Yoga class. For those of you unfamiliar with this practice, it is a series of 26 poses done in a 105 degree heated studio for 90 minutes. The series of poses are always the same, in the same sequence, so it allows you to truly master the poses for the full effect and benefit. The initial pose is a stretch where the instructor tells you to stretch your hips to the left, as far as you can, beyond the point of comfort, and that this is where the stretch begins...and though I heard the same instructions on Friday, today it struck me that this point of stretching beyond where you are comfortable is where this practice of yoga is asking you to start. Beyond your comfort zone.
Starting beyond where you feel comfortable is where you are to start this class...with the idea that when you are finished, that you will have moved far beyond that point of comfort, discomfort, into an area which you are capable of going, but so often are afraid to go. So often it is our mind which holds us back. And in practicing this form of yoga, the power, strength, energy and confidence that I have felt just after two classes has been joyous. So perhaps this is the 'something' I will embrace, at least for now, for it seems that it may assist and ground me enough to cross the threshold into a centered and authentic life lived with joy, passion and gratitude.
And for my friends and family who know me well, you all know that this very well may be an obsession that I have for a while, in the same vain as tennis, softball, racquetball and even my 'crafty' phase of life...but all of those activities where I have thrown myself in head first, have all served me well, and had a purpose in the moments that they served me. So for now, as I am beginning my new life, this may be the 'something' that I need to embrace to propel me, to make me reach beyond my comfort zone and begin to live.
2. To mark with an indication of official sanction.
3. To establish the soundness of; corroborate.
So we have moved into our new home, have started settling into our new environment, but have not entirely grasped that this is our new reality and life...everything still seems seems unreal and as if it is not our 'real' life, but rather a vacation, an extended vacation, or simply a dream...until this week. My daughter, Arya, is visiting us for the week from the Mainland...and though last week my cousin and family were here for a vacation, the presence of my daughter here establishes a grounding and reflection that we have not had until this point.
Although she is away at college and we are empty-nesters, nonetheless, she was not long ago a part of our day-to-day life in suburbia, or 'suburgatory' as I am liking to call it these days:) So she is the voice of my former life and the life which I left behind...it is a life that she did not leave behind, for she is here for only a week and is on a short vacation and her quest is to gain a tan before she goes back to college at UNR. Her observations are different than mine...her observations are that of an outsider, from my former life, observing the life that I have stepped into. And this is my new life, and it is such a different one than the one that I had such a short time ago...but I forget that, being submerged and wanting so desperately to have this become my reality and my truth. I forget that Danville is where she is from, where she considers 'home' and where she, as a 19 year old, has every right to embrace and continue to be drawn to as her 'home base.'
After the first night here, she requested earplugs, for she was not used to the 'island noises' at night, as the sound of nature kept her awake, awoke her, and was generally bothersome. My home is basically open to the outside at all times, and nature permeates inside the home. I am constantly aware of the various birds, roosters, chickens, crickets, mosquitos, geckos, butterflies and other creatures that exist just outside my door...in fact, I now can distinguish the crowing of the different roosters and know them by sight.
But certainly this is not how life in 'suburgatory' is, was, or ever will be...this is a more open life, open to nature, open to the world and more open to possibilities. I can feel it, I can smell it, I can taste it, touch it and hear it. It is a reality that seems to be closer to nature and to the senses, and because of that, perhaps a reality that is closer to the truth, or at least the truth that I am seeking.
So there is validation in my reality now...validation that acknowledges the place from which I came...to the place that I now live and am embracing as my reality and life. Noone here knows that I stood in the rain at the Bart station...that I ran in high heels to catch a train, that I got home some nights from work at midnight on the last day of the month only to have to return hours later, that there were months where I had to work 12 days straight, because that is how the month 'fell.'
I am through chasing and running through life. I am over running for anything in my high heels...for there is simply nothing I need so badly that I am in such a hurry. Arya has reminded me of the life that I left behind...and though I miss the people I have left behind, I do not miss the life. I am not in a hurry, I am not running to or from anything, I am content in keeping the pace that I keep, and I feel like I am in a place that will be content in my doing so.
The chakras can have various levels of activity. When they're "open," they're considered operative in a normal fashion.
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