Why Africa? Why Yoga?

I always wanted to study abroad but never did and thought my chance for that was over. I'll come back to that part of the story.
I started taking yoga classes here and there about a decade ago. I liked the stretch, I liked how my body felt after, and I was curious about why something always felt like it shifted emotionally by the end of a yoga class. This curiosity kept growing and growing until I decided to take teacher training with the one and only Lori Burgwyn. What I noticed immediately in Lori's class is that she is always asking you to think big, to move outside of whatever limitations you or others have placed on you, and to dream, dream, dream. She is an amazing visionary and is always thinking of what to do next to keep the studio alive and vibrant as well as the practice fresh and transformative. A couple of years ago the studio was doing a fundraiser for the Africa Yoga Project (AYP). Now I hadn't heard much about the project before that and I saw a video about the project posted on FSYC's facebook page. Soon after that I had lunch with the wonderful Angela Bardeen and talked about my desire to go to Kenya and volunteer for AYP and then it all came together. I decided to become an ambassador for the Africa Yoga Project. Now this is a big stretch for me. I've been out of the country once to Ireland, Paris, and the occasional trip to Canada. Not to Kenya, which I know will be a very different experience from my soiree in Europe in 2001. My partner, Jeff Herrick, and I are going to Kenya to volunteer in January of 2012. I'll be working with young women teaching yoga, meditation, relaxation, and talking about PTSD. Jeff will more than likely be working a building project, doing soccer with the kids, and making music.
Here is my chance to serve, and study abroad and who knows where it will lead me.
I have to pinch myself at least once a day because I cannot believe this is happening. You never know what can happen when you dream big, when you aspire to be transformed and you see that the world can change and is dynamic. You never know what can happen when you pause, breathe, and decide what you really want and how you want to move in the world. You never know what will happen when you let go of your plan and follow the path the universe is sending you signals about.
Please join us this Saturday for the Yoga Mala which is a joint venture between two studios I love and adore Carrboro Yoga Company , (CYCO) and Franklin Street Yoga Center (FSYC). It is from 3:00-5:00pm and you'll see Jeff and I, be led in 108 sun salutes by Lori, Sage, Jennie, and I, and you'll learn a little more about the Africa Yoga Project. The mala is donation based and more information can be found at CYCO and FSYC websites. All the donations will go to the fundraising campaign of $10,000 that Jeff and I are raising to donate to AYP before we go to Kenya.
If you cannot attend the mala you want to donate you can do so at FSYC this week or go visit my fundraising campaign page here.
You can also watch this video to learn more about what I will be doing while there. Watch here.

All the peace in the world to you.