The Magic in Medellín, Colombia.

October 4, 2019,

In less than an hour I flew from Panama to Medellín and you could feel the adventure in the air, the love of the people and my joy of being there. A city full of colors, a perfect climate and plants everywhere were the things that made it clear to me that this trip was going to be more than I thought.

"What is your reason for travel, miss?" the immigration officer asked me.

"I am going to get certified in Thai massage" I replied, she smiled at me and welcomed me to her country.

I got to the hostel, left all of my things there and went out for food; I was so excited to see all these colors and shapes in all the fruits that were in this supermarket. I felt that I had not seen this amount and variety of fruits in years and the best thing is that the rest of the trip I realized that in every corner I could find all these colors and flavors. But I confess that every day I had pan de bono for breakfast because I could not miss the opportunity to eat that typical delicacy made in Colombia, sorry not sorry.

I spent the rest of the day walking, meeting and enjoying. I couldn't hold it and went with my friend Grecia to the yoga studio that would be our home for the next 4 days. I had never seen a yoga studio so large, harmonious and full of students like this. It was one of the most beautiful things for me to see and feel as a yoga teacher.

The next day our certification with Modern Thai School began, we would eat, pray, and breathe Thai massage. We all met in a room introducing each other by country, names and what we were doing related to yoga; I loved seeing and being with people from different parts of the world, yoga specializations, accents, colors, ages, experience ... all united in one place as students and learners.

The art of Thai massage goes beyond a simple massage, it is a direct connection with the energy and mood of the person receiving it. It is like dancing while you are healing through your hands and feeling the energy in your body temperature with every movement you make. You move like a cat, delicate and subtle movements.

As the days passed I could feel that this was what my being was looking for, community, harmony, connection, diversity, learning and every time my mind remembered that I had to return to Islas Secas (read previous blog to know about Islas Secas) something was wrong. Why did I feel so empty having to go back there? The answer revealed itself as the days passed.

I was looking for community, and I couldn't have it on a lonely island with ephemeral students, it was time to think seriously about a solution and the available alternatives to this. The option that most hovered in my head was “online yoga studio”, why online? Because it is the best way to unite people from all over the world, from different cultures and customs in one place in an easy and sustainable way over time.

But I was very scared, "Online ?!" It was another question that my mind also asked and it literally shouted it at me. "But you don't even have a computer to do it!" It was then that I sat in this corner of the room and took this photo where everyone was in their bubble, in their most intimate connection with the other and I realized that I wanted to remember that forever, and that was what I wanted to create with my online community, encounters like this one where we give everything as students and teachers, strangers and friends, yogis ... humans.

Graduation day arrived, it was 6 continuous hours of giving and receiving healing through Thai massage. We gathered in a circle at the end, all in a super-high vibe of appreciation. And then something began that continues to vibrate in my heart ... an infinite OM, where each one ended his Om and the other began, and the other, and the other wrapping the circle in this sound and vibration that brought tears of happiness to my eyes. As if by magic we ALL finished OM at the same time, we started together and we finished together. Without a doubt, this moment will always be with me to remind me that everything is better together, in community, supporting us from love.

Has this ever happened to you? That you arrive at a place with zero expectations and your experience there enriches your life in an incredible and unforgettable way?

Has it happened to you? That when you stop struggling with your mind you find the answers you've been desperately seeking for so long.

Has it happened to you? That at the end of the day you realize that that fear you had is not as big or as bad as your mind made you believe.

And that is how I returned to Panama, to Islas Secas. I said goodbye to the island with the most surprising and powerful sunset that I have been able to see in my life with my great teacher: the ocean. I knew that day, that I would not return to the place where I could look, listen and touch the sea every day. I knew that that day was the last sunset on that mountain. I knew that day, it was the right thing to do for me.

1 year and two months later I am at my home in Panama City, living with the love of my life, Cullen Heater and our two beautiful cats Luna & Millie. I started my online yoga studio and I faced all those fears that held me back and said I was going to fail; Of course, many times I wondered what would have happened if I was still on the island, but I do not look back to regret it but to see how much I have advanced and feel proud to be where I am, happy and growing a community that I have long dreamed of.

Do you want to join this journey?

You are welcome.

With love,

Vicmar

3:31 pm