We are here on International Water Day. I invite you: take a moment to think about the role that clean water plays in your life. Think about how drastically your life would change if you did not have reliable access to clean water.

As the people of West Virginia recently discovered, it is much more than an inconvenience. Now imagine that this was a permanent problem, and that you couldn’t just run down to the grocery store to pick up some bottled water. Sadly, this is the reality that many people around the world deal with on a daily basis.

Today we were invited to share some yoga with the children of a Cofàn village, one of the indigenous tribes of the Ecuadorean Amazon. I teach preschoolers at home, and was amazed to witness how much of the teaching can transcend the borders of language, culture, and nation. Handstands are the universal language of joy, it seems  Such a fun day!

Today we ventured from Quito out into what we came here for – the Amazon rainforest. As we left civilization and headed into the wilderness, we were suddenly surrounded by massive waterfalls, misty mountains, vibrant wild orchids…and the ever present oil pipeline, which flows the road all the way from the oil pits in the Amazon to the coast of Ecuador.

Today we traveled by bus from Quito to Lago Agrio.  The 9-hour trip took us across the Andes mountains and into the Amazon Basin.  Our guide, Amparo, shared lots of interesting information about Ecuador along the way.  One thing I hadn’t known is that Quito is famous for their beautiful roses, 75% of which are shipped to the United States.

Well, I’m here. The First Day. Those words seem so loaded, so full. Of promise and expectation. Of trepidation and fear. Of anxiety and excitement.The day has been full. Introductions, names, yoga, intention, grounding, presence, sharing, listening, exploring boundaries, learning, laughter, connection, information, heartbreak, overwhelm, hope, sleep.It’s easy for me to feel disembodied. Part of me is still at home with my husband and kids, part of me is here with this