Change Myself, Change the World

Today is the first day of Tibetan Heart Yoga Series ("THYS") 8 retreat in San Pancho, Mexico. We are about an hour outside of Puerto Vallarta, and the village of San Pancho is far removed from tourism. The resort is beautiful however, and the staff are grateful for our presence. This is especially so since September is the start of monsoon season and they are usually empty! Here is the daily schedule: Breakfast from 8 - 9AMl meditation from 9 - 9:45; Asana class from 10 - 11:30 (reviewing the principles of THYS 1-7); lunch; service work from 12:30 - 3PM; study groups from 3 - 3:30; THYS 8 training from 3:30 - 5:30; Dinner from 6:30 - 7:30; Kirtan from 8 - 8:30; Philosophy from 8:30 - 10PM. This morning we had an orientation about the two types of service work - one is helping to build a compost latrine for a local school, and the other is helping to finish building a community center for a wonderful organization called Entre Amigos that is trying to help give the community the skills to survive in a technological world. Both the school and Entre Amigos were founded by people who left their jobs and lives in other parts of the world to come to San Pancho. They are very passionate and inspired, and it is exciting to that we can help them.

So that schedule is intense! I don't know if my body is up for all the Asana practice but I will pace myself and treat my joints gently. The participants - about 75 - are a mix of Yoga Studies Institute practitioners who have been studying with Geshe Michael and Lama Christie for a long time, and some, like me, who are relatively new to karma and emptiness. There is much joyful reverence for the holy lamas, and the holy teachings. I am optimistic that by eradicating the kleshas of ignorant desire, pride, jealousy and grasping, from my own life, I will change the world.