I recently had some friends come visit from around the globe. One from Portland, one from Sweden, one from Arizona and one from Pennsylvania (or wherever he happens to be in a given month…in a few weeks it will be Europe). This is a very happy-go-lucky crew in the biggest sense of the term.

My friend from Sweden, for example, works only as much as she needs to…..that is, enough to support her adventures and travels around the globe. My friend from Pennsylvania calls nowhere home…….and is as content sleeping on a park bench as he is a nice bed.

The commonality here, is that they work to live to work. They do not live to work. There is no postponement of joy or happiness for some other day. It all happens now.

Since they are on a budget, that also means a lot of their enjoyment is “free fun”…..like parcouring, scavenging for free fruit on city trees (Ravenna in Seattle is full of it…have you ever tried a Papple? They are everywhere), hiking, relaxing in the sun, playing the guitar, taking funny pictures and spending hours laughing at them….you get the point.

Rolf Potts termed this type of lifestyle as Vagabonding.

Vagabonding - n. A deliberate way of living that makes the freedom of travel possible.

While I enjoy the comforts and certainty that a great job, stable circle of friends and nice place to live all provide….part of me is jealous at the absolute freedom my Vagabonding friends experience…..and the extreme joy they have found in the simple things that don’t cost a penny, and frankly don’t require anything but a little creativity and lots of awareness in the present moment.

I’ve been doing yoga for over 5 years fairly consistently. I began after injuring myself while training for a marathon back in 2002. In 2003, I injured myself again training for an Ironman Triathlon (fell while running and hurt my knee pretty badly). I reverted back to yoga again and saw that my fitness was not only maintained, but I was actually running faster after a month of daily yoga sessions than before my injury.

Since then I have explored different styles of yoga. Including Bikram, Vinyasa, Jivakumti and Ashtanga. My practice is a Vinyasa (”flow”) style and it never stops to challenge. Yoga should be part of any training or fitness plan. Here are a few reasons why:

1. It’s all about you. Once you’ve learned the basics, it’s just you and the ground. You don’t need any fancy equipment, clothing or other accoutrement’s. You don’t need to go to a studio (though it helps at first). You don’t need to have good weather. You don’t need a lot of space. There are no excuses. It’s the most convenient form of exercise available.
2. It integrates your mind & body. It forces the body and mind to be completely present. You can go trail running while thinking about what you are going to do over the weekend or what to make for dinner, but try doing Natarajasana aka “Dancer” (poorly illustrated by me in the pic…your hips should be flat, leg higher and body parallel to the ground) without complete awareness and you will be on the ground.
3. It’s about balance. It creates a supreme balance in the body. Since you are using your own body, you develop muscles in the proper manner with perfect symmetry and balance. Unlike weight lifting, you are less likely to develop muscle imbalances that will result in injury or poor posture. Yoga also exploits your weaknesses. If your lower back has been neglected, you will feel it. If your core is not strong, you will find out! Yoga is a total body workout, and helps you discover your problem areas before they start causing you problems!
4. It’s infinitely challenging and full of variety. There are poses and variations that will challenge even the most advanced practitioner. The variety is limitless. You can do a relaxing restorative practice, inversions, fast-paced Vinyasa routines, Pranayama, meditation or hold certain poses for long periods of time to get a deeper sense of awareness.
5. It makes you feel good. Out of all the sports I’ve done, yoga makes me feel the best after I am done. Totally relaxed yet alert.

Call it braggadocio. Call it attitude. Call it confidence.

We can all use a little more of it, applied properly, during important life situations.

Take a look at this interview of rapper 50-cent (watch the video), and tell me isn’t one of the most confident people you’ve ever watched. He talks deliberately, like he owns the conversation. His words never placate himself. He assumes he is on top, and that any indicator to the contrary is a false one.

While he called West a talented producer, he also said the Chicago MC is a “worker bee” while he’s a “boss.”

“Don’t get lost in the hype,” he continued. “I got the right records, so we’re gonna sit here and I’ll see you next time. Maybe next time they can send me off to the pastures. But right now, I’m gonna stick around and sell this record — and I will be #1 on September 11.”

He goes on to make an analogy that reference his albums in comparison to that of an all-time great, Michael Jackson. This statement makes people think of 50-cent on part with an all-time great, further downplays Kanye’s level of artistry and drops a few stats that further illustrate his past success (12 million albums? I had no clue his album sold that much).

“Look at how you’re talking to me, like Kanye West is my equal right now,” 50 said, launching into a rather imprecise comparison. “That’s like me putting myself against Michael Jackson’s [album-release] date and then acting like, ‘Woah, it’s a battle between 50 Cent and Michael Jackson!’, when Thriller sold 30 million records and 50 Cent’s biggest album sold 12 [million], you feel what I’m saying?

He consistently demonstrates higher value throughout the interview in his words, subtle movements and voice-tone. He makes some blatant statements of confidence, but I find the more subtle expressions more interesting.

I think I have pretty high standards. Mark McGoldrick is off the charts….at least when it comes to money. Unfortunately, I am puzzled as to how someone who seems to have it all, can still not realize that wealth and happiness are not perfectly correlated.

Mark works in the world of high-finance, at one of the most prestigious firms in his field. He is by definition a trader, but unlike many traders who operate using sophisticated mathematical models, he focuses on buying severely distressed assets, and later selling them for substantial profit.

He is so good that Goldman Sachs paid him $70 Million in total compensation….for a single year. Yet, he feels robbed. So much so, that is leaving his current firm to start his own gig. The funny thing is, as outlandish as this salary might seem, top hedge fund or private equity financiers make this much or in many cases, much more.

What is truly odd, is that it appears <from the article at least, I do not know Mark or know anyone who does> as if he is a walking basket case. He is working 21 hours a day, worked through a hacking cough for 6 months due to bronchitis (no doubt brought on by stress and lack of sleep), gained weight and probably is suffering in many areas of his life outside of his bank account.

“Around the same time, Mr. McGoldrick got sick. Frequently on the phone or on an airplane, he developed severe bronchitis, with a hacking cough. He couldn’t get through a phone call without throat lozenges for 100 consecutive days, a person familiar with the matter says. He visited his doctor in London, who ordered him to change his grueling lifestyle.“

I admire Mark’s ability to achieve results and capitalize on opportunities; but would never ever want a life that was pushed this close to the edge. I  hope that his new gig gives him the freedom <and courage?> to adopt  new standards for working…that help him not only successfully ply his trades, but provide a platform for him to bring his health and work-life balance back into order….and keep it that way.

Sitting at the Ontario California airport bound for Seattle. The road trip was a lot of fun, and quite an adventure. We saw much more than i was expecting to see, was pleasantly surprised with the grandeur of the National Parks and the drivng itself was not only tolerable….but actually very enjoyable for the most part.

I have hundreds of pics from this adventure….and will be posting the best ones for your viewing pleasure in a few weeks.

Yesterday we drove from Idaho Falls to Zion National Park, where we hiked and explored the canyons until dark. We spent the night in St. George Utah.

Today we head to Riverside, California whre my brother will be taking up a post doctral research position. The journey is almost over…..I fly back to Seattle tomorrow.

We were soo impressed with Yellowstone that we decided to make another trip up there yesterday after seeing Grand Teton National Park.

In Yellowstone we had the change to see a Bison walkin along the road….so close to our car we couldve petted it! Shortly thereafter a herd of bison came charging down a steep slope next to the road and ran right across the street…..right in front of our car! Two if the large male bison stopped in the road….causing a buildup of cars on either side.

All of the sudden, they started fightng right in the street (about 10 feet in front of our car). I was actually starting to get a bit nervous…..these animals could easily bust through out windows if they wanted….after about 30 seconds….they calmed down and strolled away….walking right next to our car (practically brushing up against it).

We also saw another Moose (in the Tetons) and the biggest bull Elk I’ve ever seen (in magazines…on tv….anywhere). The antlers were wide than your armspan.

This afternon we should arrive in Zion….in Southern Utah.

Day 5. ~300 miles and 8 hours driving (lots of stops) from Cody, Wyoming to Jackson Hole (via Yellowstone). 2700 miles total so for. We spent about 10 hours roaming about Yellowstone. On the way, we also drove through the Shoshone National Forest with some incredible vistas.

Bison, Moose, Elk, Deer, Geysers…it was awesome! The animals were impossible to miss. Within 10 minutes of entering the park, we say about 20 Bison within 50 feet of the road….drinking by a stream. A mile down the road, we saw a herd of about 1000 more…just hanging out in a large valley.

Yellowstone also features the highest concentration of geyers anywhere in the world. We had fun walking around the steam vents, hot pools and also got to see the famous Old Faithful geyeser erupt before leaving the park.

We drove after dark through the Grand Teton Park (during one of the biggest lightening storms I’ve ever seem) and just arrived in Jackson Hole. We’ll go back through the Tetons tomorrow, before heading down to Salt Lake City for the night.

Day 4 featured less mileage, about 500 miles for the day. Putting our grand total at 2400 or so. If we chose to drive a striaght route to LA, we would almost be there by now! We are having much more fun doing it this way. :)

Even though our mileage for the day was only 500, it took us quite a long time, since much of this was along canyon roads with a lower speeed limit.

We got a late start from Wall, South Dakota, and hit up the self-proclaimed World Famous Wall Drug store. It was pretty crazy. Part theme town, part store.

Outside of Rapid City, we came across another oddity (there are many in this part of the country), The Reptile Garden. It’s the largest collection of reptiles in the world (again, self-proclaimed). I was impressed. Tons and tons of rare and venomous snakes. An 18 foot crocodile and some other creepy, crawly things.

We continued on, making a stop in Keystone, South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore. It is much more incredible to see in person than in photos. The National Park Service did a very nice job creating a few trails to get closer to the mountain, museum and vistors center.

After a couple hours at Mt. Rushmore, we pushed on to Cody, Wyoming, making our way through Big Horn National Park. I wasn’t expecting anything special in this park, but was in for a surprise. There is a massive Canyon in this park (probably a mile wide, mile deep and 10 miles long) with it’s wall formed from sheer faces of granite (I think it’s granite). The rocks in this part of the park are over 3 billion years old (pre-cambrian).

The park is huge, and we drove about 65 miles through the narrow part of it. Along the way, the scenery was amazing and we passed a dozen deer grazing right alongside the road, include a massive 10 point buck! I took a pic on my camera phone and it will post it soon (my camera battery died!).

After exiting Big Horn Park, we hit flat lands again….really flat lands. The flatest soo far. We way about 1 car every 20 miles….and could see the cars approaching from about 10 miles away! Every 20 miles or so, we’d pass through small town, the smalled of which had a population of 10 people! Most were in the <1000 person range.

We ended up in Cody, Wyoming which is one of the main tourist depots for those making the trek into Yellowstone. The east entrance to Yellowstone is about 45 miles away. We venture into the park tomorrow.

Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota

Reptile Garden, outside Rapid City, South Dakota

The big guy trying to bust outta the zoo!

Here’s what 14 years, truckloads of dynamite and lots of manual labor will get you…

My brother and I

Flatlands of Eastern Wyoming

Day 3. 580 miles driving from West Des Moines, Iowa to The Badlands, South Dakota (technically Wall, South Dakota). 1900 miles in total so far.

Driving from Des Moines, the scenery went from rolling and lush green - to flat and lush green - to really flat and parched.

Right after we crossed into South Dakota, we headed into Sioux Falls for lunch. We were able to find a place with tons of vegetarian options, and they made me a great vegan sandwich as well. We also checked out the falls which bear the city’s name. It was a nice spot….but the falls were not nearly big as they were in previous years; with the river having been dammed up to make way for city development.

We crossed the Missouri River halfway across South Dakota….and it was quite a spectical. After hour after hour of flatness (we could have put the car in cruise and taken a nap if we wanted to), the road took a big dive down a very large hill, and the river wass right ahead.

Our first real “destination” for the day was Badlands National Park, about 4 hours drive due west from Sioux Falls. Along the way, there were a half-dozen little attractions along the highway. We stopped at the Corn Palace in Mitchell (where the ice cream place actually had soy ice cream!) but passed by the Reptile Museum, the 1800’s touirist town, Car Museum (with the Dukes of Hazrd’s General Lee on display) and several other little sights. Time was short and we wanted to see the Badlands before it got dark.

Badlands National Park was totally different from what I expected (in a good way). We arrived in the evening, and were able to see the park at sunset. We droke through the park, taking the 30 mile scenic route off of I90. The rock formations are insane. If you have ever been to Red Rocks (near Vegas)…image that times 100. The place is huge and there is a lot of wildlife in the park. During out drive, we saw about 12 deer within 20 feet of our car, over three different sightings (several Bucks as well).

As we were cruising around the park, the sun began to set (and we saw a really cool lighting storm on the horizon). Instead of driving the 140 miles to Rapid City, we decided to just get a room in Wall, South Dakota; which is where we are now.

Tomorrow, we will head to Mt. Rushmore, and then to Cody, WY; about an hour east of Yellowstone.

—some pics—

The Sioux Falls, in Sioux Falls!

A vegan meal in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Crossing the Missouri River, in South Dakota. The river really suprises you, after hours of complete flatness.

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Stretching out

Sunset in The Badlands

Day 2 featured a trip from South Bend, Indiana to Des Moines, Iowa…via Fairfield, Iowa and Vedic City, Iowa (yes, a real place). Just 600 miles or so today. About 1300 total miles so far.

In other news….we cross the Mississippi today!

We sped right through Illinois, and I was pleasantly surprised with Iowa. It was really bright green, with lots of lush trees and rolling hills. I was expecting parched barren land, outside of the irrigated cornfields, but this was not at all the case. South Central Iowa was particularly pristine and lush, like a much less populated version of Pennsylvania, with smaller hills.

We made a detour in Iowa, to visit Fairfiel, Iowa, home of Mararishi Mahesh Yogi’s “Maharishi School of Management.” I was intrigues with the fact of such a school (there are high school and elementary schools run by the same organize) that teaches yoga and meditation as an important part of the curriculum.

The campus was pretty empty, since school wasn’t yet in session. There were two massive gold domes on the campus, where 2,000 students gather twice a day for meditation. Unforunately, they do not let people who are not practitioners of Maharishi’s “TM” technique (Transcendental Meditation) into the domes.

We headed north to the Vedic City, which is supposed to be an ideal model city and home to many TM practioners and a large Ayurvedic clinic.

Due to the Univeristy and the nearby Vedic City, Fairfield is home to several vegetarian and healthy food stores and restaurants. It was a pleasant surprise to see such vegan choices available in a small midwestern town!

After having our fill of Fairfield, we drove a very scenic rode for a few hours to Des Moines. Tomorrow, we head to Rapid City and Badlands National Park. Depending on time, we will either see Mt. Rushmore tomorrow or Wednesday on our way to Cody, Wyoming.

—-Some Pics —–

Indiana Soybeans (I think).

Crossing the Mississippi.

World’s largest truckstop. Off I-80 in Iowa.

One of the dozen or so vegetarian friendly restaurants in Fairfield, Iowa.

The main square in Fairfield.

Who says you can’t find good vegan food in the midwest?

One of the golden domes, where thousands of Siddhas come to meditate every day.

Some houses in the Vedic City.

The Observatory at Vedic City. This is one of the dozen different instruments.

Capital of the Global Country of World Peace (aka Vedic City).

this is the home of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s School of Management, and adjacent to his organization’s Vedic City. This place is supposedly entirely vegetarian, the whole town stops to meditate twice daily and practice yogic flying (really) and the streets are laid out according to Vastu (ancient Indian principles….akin to fueng shui in Oriental traditions).

We are making good time driving….and will probably stay in Fairfield for the night…depending on how interesting this place is.

Finished day 1. 780 miles to South Bend, Indiana via Saylorsburg (PA), Cleveland (OH) and Toledo (OH). No sightseeing….just driving.

I fogot how green the rolling hills of PA are in the summer. A start contrast to utter flatness of Ohio and Indiana.

Tommorow we’ll head to Fairfield, Iowa.

At Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Saylorsburg, PA.

Technicolor green from I80 in Western PA.

Utter flatness of Indiana at 80mph.

Vegan meal in Toledo, Ohio…..Thai to the rescue!

Makes the long and boring trek across ohio that much more tolerable. 516 miles in…..3100 to go.

Drove to Saylorsburg (2.5 hrs) to receive blessings from Swamiji and say bye to our parents before starting the drive west. Now we are driving on I80 Through central PA on our way to Toledo, OH. no plans to see maor sights today.

So it begins! 8 days, 3600 miles, 2 people, 1 car, 12 <or so> national parks!

I fly home tomorrow and the adventure will begin from Sayre, PA. My brother is going to grad school in Riverside, CA and this will be a round-about way of getting his stuff there.

If all goes as planned, we’ll arrive in LA by next Sunday. I’m really looking forward to Yellowstone National Park, but we’ll be hitting up several other great ones along the way (Big Horn, Zion, Grand Canyon, Rushmore, etc.).

I’ll be updating this blog from the road.  If you know something incredibly cool to see along our route….let me know! Outside of the general route, nothing else has been planned. I’m expecting to make a bunch of detours as we go.

I wasn’t in the mood to workout this evening, but seeing  my UPS package had arrived with my new kettlebell provided me all the kick I needed.

I went down to Myrtle Edwards park and did  40 minutes worth of “throws, cleans, jerks and pulls.” As well as some standard push-ups….and of course the hardest part of the workout….lugging this 16Kg hunk of iron the 1/3 mile to the park. My forearms are dying. I think I’ll stop typing now.

I’ve had an on-again off-again relationship with Yoga.  You don’t have to do convince me about how valuable it is for getting super-fit inside and out, but it seems that after about 3 months of steady practice, some other form of exercise catches my eye.

Last weekend, after a helping to lead great yoga workout on the Oregon Coast, I got motivation to get my practice rolling again.

This time, I’m committed to not just doing my own practice, but also getting on track to actually lead my own classes. I’ve found that I actually enjoy teaching, and figure it would be a good way to deepen my own practice as well.

First step will be a one-day intensive class later in September. After regular practice on my own, and a few other “teacher training” workshops, I should be ready to start assisting with classes <location TBD> and eventually progress to leading my own classes.

If you are a yoga teacher and have any tips on how to best make the leap from student to teacher, drop me a line.

I ordered a 36lb kettlebell and instructional DVD from Dragondoor. Should be here in a week. Can’t wait!