Last night, I spoke to a friend that relocated from the busy metropolis of Bangkok to the isolated countryside of England (Wales, to be exact).
She just got a huge tattoo, in Sankrit, on her forearm of her son's name.
"I just walked in to a tattoo place on a whim and a couple of hours later it was done," she said without much emotion.
"I needed a change, it was either get inked or take up smoking.
" We talked for another half an hour, during that time she revealed that she is bored with the routine life of motherhood in the English countryside and misses her friends in Bangkok.
"Just hanging out, going to the movies, having dinner are the things that I no longer do," she whimpered.
"What happened to my life?" As the soul matures, and it must, we tend to have this great yearning for more.
There are few of us who have never pondered the meaning of life or spent some time reflecting on what will truly make us happy.
Yet the more we attempt to solve these puzzles, the more elusive the answers become.
Yes, we have heard that happiness is here and now, but how many of us truly understand what that means? After more than a decade of practicing yoga, I was sure that I was on the way to somewhere very special.
Of course, there are moments when life becomes dull, stressful or even depressing at times, but I was convinced that these temporary lows are no match for a rigorous 90-minute practice on the mat where I attempt to sweat the stress out in increasingly challenging poses.
Watch the breathing and all will be OK, or to quote a very respected teacher, "Do your practice and all is coming.
" While I had, no doubt, great transformations with the practice, it still felt as if there was something unspeakable that was lacking.
An emptiness that buckets and buckets of sweat just will not fill up.
So, with the guidance from angels (in the form of my sister, friends and newfound acquaintances), I began to pay closer attention to the needs of my body, for it is a great reflection of the yearnings of the soul.
What I've discovered is that it is OK to ask for help and guidance, that I do not have to pretend that everything is fine and hide behind the mask of a yoga teacher.
Self-reliance was a virtue that I held dear, for it has such a powerful connotation.
That being said, truly listening to my body revealed that sometimes, I don't want to rely on myself.
Sometimes, it is such a great relief to be able to share, honestly, with those to care enough to listen.
Healers are all around us if we welcome the light.
We do not have to stand in darkness alone.
As I delve deeper into the energy therapy component of the yoga practice, I am witnessing a transformation in my being that is honest, joyous and miraculous.
The shift for me came with the letting go of an external shell and to let the light.
Seemingly simple actions in the forms of massages, deep conversations with friends, guiltless naps, and connecting with groups of energy healers have made me more grounded and confident that the world stands ready to support us as our soul matures.
And we do not have to do this alone.
May you take the time for your body and soul, for your worth is beyond measure.
Om Shanti Om.