Yogataveller, Koh Ngai, Thailand - 15th November 2008 - By: Aubrey Lampkin

With Brett Penfil, Louise Dockery, Shelley Atkin, Mark Kennedy, Patrick Kaiser, Curt Wichert, Julie Hardie and Linda Widman.

 

By: Aubrey Lampkin

 


I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record with all the gushing about how much I love my job. So, just know I love my job - a lot - and I’ll save you the rest of the banter. What could be more amazing than arriving on a little paradise slice of island in the south of Thailand (straight from a mini-break in Melbourne, to boot) doing the thing you love most for a week? Being with eight fascinating people to share it with.

 

 

My United Nations of a yoga group was comprised of eight men and women from the England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand and the US. I was so proud and humbled to have such a broad global representation sitting before me everyday. Just goes to prove no matter where you’re from, we’re all the same at the core. Makes the world seem much smaller and accessible. Oh, and did I mention we even had a member of the press amongst us? Yes, we're going to be written up in one of the top Swedish newspapers soon ... I'm not giving anything away until we get to send you the link. (I'm excited.)

 



 

We were warmly welcomed back to Thanya Resort on Koh Ngai by perfect weather, a doting hotel staff and - a massive new infinity-edged pool. Not that we need a pool when we have the translucent bath-warm ocean water right on our doorstep, but we certainly weren’t complaining about the luxurious new addition! That said, you won’t be surprised to learn we spent the first few days of our week between yoga classes alternating between ocean to pool, pool to ocean. (Oh, the torture of it all.)

 

 

Most of our nights we spent taking full advantage of the recent rebirth of high-season by scoping out the island’s best new beach restaurants (we collectively decided Koh Ngai Seafood BBQ won for best food and service and Koh Ngai Villas won for best bar and underage fire-show).

 

 

Yoga, yoga, yoga. I eat, sleep and breath it - especially on Koh Ngai. As usual, everyone did such an amazing job while holding our downward dogs, plank poses, arm balances, twists, inversions and backbends. It's so rewarding as a teacher to see one of your students get up in an arm balance, a headstand, etc. for the first time, and when they come down there's a new ray of light shining in their eyes as if to say, 'I get it! I get it!'. Love that.

 

 

Come Thursday we were itching for a little action but, alas!, our perfect weather had turned a bit grey. Light showers when it's mostly sunny and balmy isn't the worst thing in the world... but it isn't great for boat rides, which is what we wanted. So we did it anyway! Through light showers and warm ocean breeze we longtailed it over to Koh Mook to have lunch at a different resort, which was good fun. Not to mention our handsome boat captain. Eh, hum. So you could say the sun was always shining!

 

 

On our second to last night we had a little celebration for Brett and Mark's birthdays at our favorite seafood shack. Then, I had the brilliant idea to try to light blessing candles for them (which, when launched correctly, float up into the night sky like a shooting star) on a night when the wind was at its most powerful. Needless to say that didn't go over too well - but it was a fun spectacle almost setting myself (and the neighboring restaurant) in flames. We eventually let off some innocuous fireworks in lieu of the candles. Lesson being: when the natural stuff doesn't work - default to the surefire strong stuff. Only kidding, we like it the natural way.

 

 

As the end of the week approached, I did my best to fully soak in as much of the island as I could... not knowing when I'd return again (I'm leaving my post in Thailand in a few weeks to teach at a different Yogatraveller spot - location to be announced!). But, as we all know, the tighter you hold onto something the faster it slips through your fingers. So abandoning my idea of soaking everything in to form an indelible mental imprint, I decided instead to peacefully rest in the moment - whether or not I would see it again. Hey, yoga teachers have to practice what they preach. Or at least try.

 

 

Tropical locations, fancy resorts, activities and yoga classes aside, the bottom line is what makes these trips are the people. And I've never consistently met cooler people - who I want to teach AND hang out with - anywhere else. Individuals from every corner of the earth with open hearts and open minds converging outside their comfort zone to flourish even more. Folks who know how to choose one hell of a holiday. (There I go again.)

 

So, floods of humble thanks to my Koh Ngai 'Kula'... I would be a lucky lady to run into any of you again, which I certainly hope I do.