Wow…since arriving in Rio, I have really dropped into the Carioca vibe. Carioca’s are the people of Rio and they ALL have something very special and unique to offer the world. They are beautiful and very lively and LOVE their city. And I agree with them!! Rio has all flavors of people and is the kind of city that requires total presence when out in public. Just walking down the street is an adventure with sights of very beautiful and sexy people in one eye and the poorest of the poor who would rob you to get what they need on the other…And everything / one else in between. They are an active and outdoor community and between the excitement of daily life, the Rio championship football happening and a change in season’s…this place is very alive!

Rio is a huge city planted in the middle of the jungle with massive rock formations all over the place. This wildness lends itself perfectly to the wild nature of the residents and the energy of life here. It feels much more 3rd world then other parts of Brazil, but is still full of great culture and music and food and I feel safe and easy being here and around.

My first night in town, I went to a Forro (Brazilian country dancing) party with the www.couchsurfing.com community of Rio. I’ve been involved with CS for a while now, but this is the first city I’ve been to organized gatherings and events and I have arranged to hike a mountain with a group of CS’ers Sunday and will offer them a free yoga class on Thursday night as well! Then on Tuesday I had my first class and it was sold out! The new place I am teaching in Rio, Blyss, is very will organized and run, but it is small. I have been teaching at Nirvana when I come to Rio, but due to some administrative difficulties, I am choosing to teach at Blyss where I feel very welcomed and well taken care of. However, it is a small room in a shopping center instead of the expansive glass enclosed paradise rooms of Nirvana. It’s all good though as Coraracy, the owner of Blyss, is truly a delight to work for and is a wild Carioca himself. He was translating my ‘palestra’ (lecture) on Sequencing classes on Tuesday and was getting very into it…I actually had to request that he just translate what I was saying instead of adding his own commentary b/c I could understand everything he was saying! It was all correct, but I chose my words very carefully and speak in a very deliberate way when teaching and I felt it lost a bit of that with this added comments…I told him the next day and he was very glad I told him and had a 100% improvement the next day I really realized what kind of control issues I have when it comes to teaching!! Entrega!!!

Tussday night I got to go to a GREAT live show. Roge, a Carioca MPB singer / songwriter and his band….and guest singer Seu Jorge for a song as well! They were recording the concert for a CD and it was a great show. Then on Thursday night I went to another show of Baniio de Budha which was another yoga teacher’s band and they put on a GREAT show! 3 women / 3 men….all excellent musicians singing all kinds of songs from Brazilian to Pink Floyd to America. Very entertaining.

Over the weekend I went to another concert of Paulo Moura who is an incredible Jazz clarint player. I only found out about it in the afternoon after my workshops (which were great…new students, old students and many opened hearts and bodies) and tried to contact a few people I knew in the city. As it turns out, I didn’t get a hold of anyone and ended up at the show by myself. I have noticed that very few people in Brazil do things by themselves here. I went though the normal ‘whoa…what are you doing by yourself’ scenario and have learned to fairly easily flip that script and be content in enjoying a show by myself. The music was great…I talked to the strangers next to me at the bar (an older woman of about 55 who has just come back from a daily heath and wellness seminar where she tried Yoga!) and then come home to bed for a good nights sleep before an early wake up call.

On Sunday, I was up at 6:40 so I could go to hike Pedra da Gavea…a huge slab of granite mountain just out of the city center of Rio. I met up with some couchsurfers (this site has been a gift to me here in Rio!) who got me on the right bus at 7:30 in the morning to meet them at the base of the trail. On my way out the door, I passed Carlos, who’s house I am staying at and who is an incredible Carioca character, as he was on his way home from celebrating his football team’s victory all night! Yeah Fluminense!!! He’s a super yogi as well and we’re meeting tomorrow for a 7:00 AM mysore practice…But, back to the hike. The bus at 7:30 AM was completely packed. With my tan and attitude these days, I pass for Brazilian so I felt fine and cool on the bus. Until I had to ask about my stop! I asked a guy in front of me if we went by ‘Passareila da Barra’ yet. He said no, then turned away….OK, well I guess I’ll figure out some other way to know when it is…Then, within a few minutes, the bus was coming to a station and a nice woman looked me in the eye (one of the only ones on the bus) and told me this was my stop. Fortunately, she was telling the truth I got off and found the couchsurfers Iris and her husband Du and 2 of their friends, Gabriel and Claoucia.

The 5 of us set up the mountain at a pretty strong pace. Soon, Du and I broke away and worked a HUGE sweat and climb. Eventually the others cought up at the base of the peak where we had to do a bit of rock climbing to get to the peaks. Once we did, there were actually lots of people already there b/c ‘trilhas do rio de janeiro’ hiking club had their weekly hike at this place this week! But it was good fun on the top anyway. Lots of photos and incredible views in all directions of the city and sea and mountains.

3 hours to the top, about 2 hours on the top, and 2 hours descent. Made for a great all day adventure.

I’m a bit sleepy now so off to get rest.  I will wake up early to go to Mathew Volmer’s Ashtanga class at 7:00 AM.  It’s a strong practice and he is a strong adjuster so I’m getting ready for that.   Then I have my last official classes at Blyss tomorrow….

lots of other happenings to give some snippets:

I am officially enrolled in Acro-Yoga teacher training Aug 1 - 17 in California!  I am super excited to make this training and share this new aspect of Yoga, Acrobatics and Massage with you!!

Coaracy from Blyss and I filmed 2 sequences to put on YouTube today.  He will do a little production work on them and they should be good in about month.  I will send my newsletter with the release!

I am teaching at City of God Favella on Wed. morning.  I will go with love in my heart and both eyes open and aware!

My retreat here this coming weekend has only 3 spots left!  I am attracting the other 3 students now!

Someday, I’m going to write a book!

Many more photos from the hike in the gallery, go to:  ABOUT > PHOTOS