Surrender to the Experience.

by sgchangeagent

I’ve spent the last few days of my 10 day Egypt Travel Experience and Yoga Retreat reading, writing and reflecting as I sit at the healing Red Sea.

We traveled by car, by plane, by bus, by boat throughout the week to get to our destinations. Although our host, Christine Lewis Spoken Word Yoga provided us literature about Egypt throughout the year as we prepared for our trip, I didn’t realize the magnitude of what I would see, experience and learn during this travel adventure!

Cairo Room with a view. The River Nile.

After a 10 hour plane trip from JFK, we arrived in time to have dinner at a fabulous local restaurant. There were a total of 25 of us making our way to Egypt. Flights were delayed and missed. Bags were lost and eventually found. No one was going to let that stop us from experiencing the wonder of this historical place.

Cairo is seven hours ahead of US time. It felt odd to go forward In time! When it was 3 pm in Egypt, most people I know at home in the US were just starting their work day.

I managed to quickly acclimate to Egyptian time. We had pyramids, temples, sphinxes and camel rides to enjoy. Surrender.

Feeling grateful. Another trip of a lifetime!

The words reflect to grow became part of my mantra during our meditation and yoga time. I soon added the word heal to the mantra. More about that later.

When have you taken the time to completely dig into your purpose?

Giza Pyramids.

I’ve come to realize over the past 10 years that my purpose is grounded in the foundation of affecting change to make a difference in people’s lives and careers. It’s rooted in the inspiration, motivation, education and encouragement that I give to others in so many different facets of my life. It was born to grow as some sort of legacy to our future leaders.

So much history here. It’s magical!

Why do you truly think you are here on this earth or for me here today halfway across the world? I’m here today in this moment to reflect on the past decade. To work to find peace for today and everyday forward. To grow into the future. To heal my body and my soul.

Sphinx. Need I say more?

Yoga has now been a core part of my life for the past 10 years. I will never forget my first yoga retreat where I had limited knowledge or experience with yoga. Today, I appreciate the principles of yoga that I’ve learned along the way and how I’ve been able to apply them on and off the yoga mat.

The detail it took to build these pyramids is mind blowing!
Local lunch at Elba. Cuteness overload.
Bucket list. Riding a camel!
A view from the inside of the Temple of Isis.
“Sometimes love can be more devastating”
Human hands came to bless Isis over the years and her face was literally removed on this wall.
Relaxing before yoga on the River Nile Cruise.

Spending time learning about other cultures, history and being able to experience this is a blessing in itself. Yoga adds a whole other element to the equation. Especially when we are practicing on the deck of the river boat on the Nile River with the Sahara Desert in the background or standing tall facing the Red Sea. Just breathe my friends. Just breathe.

The temples in Esna. I’m ordering my history books to read as soon as I get back home!

My yoga journey has also helped fill another vital need: the variety of experiences and travel that my wanderlust soul craves. As I travel the world exploring and learning, I’m also stretching my own body and mind.

Luxor Temple.
Luxor. No other words.
Channeling a little of Cleopatra. Can I hitch a ride?
Avenue of the Sphinx.
Another bucket list adventure. Hot air balloon. Actually I found it relaxing.
Random desert views from the balloon.
Valley of the Kings.
One of my favorite walls inside Valley of the Kings!
Totally worth the hike below ground. These walls are amazing.
An Egyptian man saw me here and tied my scarf around my head.
The magnitude and magic inside.
Living my best life!
Karnak Temples. The details and colors are unbelievable to this day still.
Forever grateful. Always growing and changed by my experiences.

Three days into my trip, during a short plane trip to Aswan, I experienced a horrible tooth pain. Thankfully our guide contacted a doctor who arrived at our ship that evening to examine my mouth. I had a mild tooth infection of all things. Surrender.

Another room with a view. Red Sea in the background.

Dealing with this pain over the past week caused me to become more still when I had a chance to take downtime. I certainly didn’t miss out on anything however when we arrived at the Red Sea Resort in Huyghanda, I knew I had to take that space to rest and heal. Especially after traveling over 5 hours by bus through the middle of the Sahara desert. Who does that?

Room service. Pleasant surprise at Red Sea Beach Resort room.
Sunset at the Red Sea Beach Resort.
Strong women are found throughout the world.

Fish pedicures, yoga, massages and more yoga. Resting on the beach. Strolling on the edges of the Red Sea. I started finding myself to have an even higher appreciation for my new life in North Carolina. I was healing and my heart was opening even more.

Leaving the Red Sea to fly back to Cairo.

As we prepared for our final plane trip back to the US, I found myself running back to the Red Sea to capture this picture.

The Red Sea Forever. Where I spent the last few days reflecting, writing and simply healing my body, heart and soul.

I knew I couldn’t leave this healing space without it. My tooth was feeling better. I swear it was the combo fish pedicure and massage however it was really about how the people with me made me feel.

That’s what heals our soul, fuels our growth and ignites our future. For me, it’s about the compassion we offer others. The patience we give and receive. It’s about the people who come into our lives, at work and at play. The people we impact everyday with our words and our actions.

Thank you for taking your time to be part of my Egyptian Immersion.

#namastesurrendered

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