I haven’t had a chance to go through and check, resize, and upload pictures I like from the training, but I hope to do that soon. As of right now, I’m sitting in a hotel lobby in Thessaloniki, Greece. I’m here with my girlfriend, Rebekah and we’re leaving in a few minutes to catch a plane to Rome, Italy. Thereafter we’re going to be traveling through Europe for as long as we desire. One night soon I’ll go through my pictures and begin to upload them. Much love to you all!

I then boarded a plane early on the 12^th and headed to the island of Lesvos.  I love this island.  The people, the energy, and the beauty are phenomenal.  Below is a picture looking out over Lesvos from the balcony of the room I’m staying in.  Tough life, huh?

I must admit, however, that I haven’t seen all that much of the island because Jenny and Jason (the founders of Acro Yoga who are leading the training) are keeping us VERY busy.  The following is our daily schedule:

6:40 – 7:00 am – Meditation

7:00 – 7:10 am – Chanting

7:10 – 7:30 – Self Practice and Handstands

7:30 – 8:15 – Acro Yoga Asana Sequence

8:15 – 8:25 – Savasana

8:25 – 8:40 – Inversion Max Outs and Stretching

8:40 – 8:50 – Pranayama

8:50 – 9:00 – Chanting and Meditation

9:00 – 10:00 – Breakfast

10:00 – 1:00 – Acro Flying and Thai Massage

1:00 – 3:30 – Lunch and Siesta

3:30 – 6:00 – Partner Flow, Inversions, Acrobatics

6:00 – 7:30 – Dinner

7:30 – 9:30 – Evening Satsang

The Acro Yoga asana sequence is one of the more demanding asana sequences I’ve ever done.  They’re certainly preparing our bodies to be strong enough to perform high level acrobatics.  I’ll write a blog post detailing it sometime in the future.

While I am having an incredibly fun time, I must say, my body is quite exhausted by the end of the day.  I’ve been stealing ten to 30 minute naps here and there during our dining breaks to keep my body reasonably well rested.  Otherwise, I feel like the level of recuperation that it needs wouldn’t quite be there.  It’s nice to have finally learned to listen to and provide my body with what it needs.

All of the Acro Yoga students (and of course the teachers) are absolutely incredible people.  They’re loving, compassionate, playful folks who it is an honor to practice with.  I have no doubt that I am forming lifelong friendships during this training.  That’s one of the things I love most about Acro Yoga.  It builds community and personal bonds faster than anything I’ve ever been a part of.  And spending so many hours a day playing with the same people for two weeks allows one to really connect with others on a deep level.  I’m so grateful for this experience and look forward to bringing it to others in the future. The pictures below are a couple I snapped while other Acro Yogis were training.

I’ll probably  write one or two more blog posts while I’m here, but no promises.  Time is certainly at a premium and I have to listen to the needs of my body first.  Much love to all of you.

I’ve learned that there will be 25 students in this teacher training from seven different countries. The island we’ll be training on is named Lesvos and is seven miles from Turkey. And the location we’ll be staying at can be seen here. To say that I’m excited is an understatement.

I realize that some people may not know what Acro Yoga is. The official website of Acro Yoga is AcroYoga.org where they state:

AcroYoga blends the spiritual wisdom of yoga, the loving kindness of Thai massage, and the dynamic power of Acrobatics. These three ancient lineages form the foundation of a unique new practice that cultivates trust, connection and playfulness. Our highest aim is to bring individuals into a state of union with themselves, with each other, and with the divine. From this place of mutual support the true self can be realized, honored and shared for the benefit of all.

You can see some recent pictures of Acro Yoga in action in this post.

If you would like to see all the full size pictures from the evening, go here. Otherwise, the images below are a select few showcasing just how much fun Acro Yoga is.

Stacy, Brian, and Julie started things off with a little triple plank pose action. Each is showing some amazing strength and concentration.

Brian, Lori, and Stacy enjoy a bonding moment. This was the first time I’ve been a part of a group that was able to pull off this pose. I was quite excited.

Lori and I enjoy High Flying Whale.

Julie flies Brian with no trouble at all. Brian is a big, strong guy which goes to show just how strong Julie is and what wonderful technique she utilizes as a base.

Brian and Stacy work towards High Flying Whale with their fliers.

Stacy flying Lori with Brian doing an excellent job of spotting.

The following two pictures show Brian basing and Julie flying high.

Julie and I ready for her to dismount by rolling backwards off my hands. I love this pose

Me with Brian in Super Yogi. His back was a little tweaked so I utilized flying therapeutics to stretch him out.

Lori flying high on my hands.

Stacy pulling off a nice shoulder stand while I based.

Brian and Julie also performing shoulder stand. Isn’t Acro Yoga beautiful?

Julie in throne as Brian bases.

Lori in throne as I base. I love the technique of getting into straddle throne.

Lori, who doesn’t weigh much more than 100 pounds basing me. I weigh about 190 pounds. It just goes to show that proper bone stacking technique can allow you to perform amazing and super fun feats.

We had so much fun. Everyone did incredibly well and were a pleasure to play with. I hope everyone can get together soon so we can play more.

Or when you play the Game of Life, do you not really care who hits the finish line first? Are you happy when your friend lands on the doctor space because that’s what they really wanted? When you land on the attorney job space, do you pass because you want to be a mechanic because, damn, you really like working on cars. Sure, it pays less, but cars rock. When you spin a 1 or a 2, do you smile because it allows you to experience more of the potential spaces in life? And do you enjoy each space you’re on, even those that others might label as “bad” because you know its just part of the game. And this game is FUN!

We must each do what is necessary to be a part of the solution. Let go of those damaging belief systems and habits. Connect to the courage necessary to rebuke how society says you should conduct yourself. Do what is right for you to find that happiness that IS within you. Your time IS now.