WINTER 25
5 THINGS: FOR YOUR NOVEMBER
1. SOLO TRAVEL & THE YOGA SUTRAS: sense withdrawal & truth
2. EDM MUSIC: spotlighting French house DJ Philou
3. BAKASANA: aka Crow: video cues from me
4. SELF CARE: recos and grounding poses
5. INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND: where to stay, what to do
In this edition, I share why solo travel is important to me; and how this year's trip through some National Parks maybe lead me to leave Jersey & opt to start over in Colorado.
I also sprinkle in dharma throughout to spotlight how Prayahara & Satya have played an influence in my journey.
Thank you, for reading. with love, monica meas
PLAYLISTS: Jersey Sunset, Lost Dream, Love in Chaos, 75 Min: Harvest. Listen at monicameas.com/music
1. SOLO TRAVEL & THE YOGA SUTRAS
The point of diminishing returns. That is what I hit after 8 years living in the NYC area. So, I moved to Colorado.
My breath starts to get heavy as the elevation rises and the levels of oxygen thin with each step. I pause next to a big rock, whip off my gray hiking backpack and take off my sunglasses to look up at the trail ahead of me. I’m 5 miles in, 3 to go, on a solo hike in Yosemite National Park. Looking up, the trail is all rock scramble – jagged edges of rocks in shades of gray and brown sticking up every which way. Softly lined by trees, I can see the clouds through the leaves if I squint my eyes up a little. All I can hear is the rustling of the wind and the soft chirping noises from the forest animals. I haven’t seen a single soul on the hike yet and I’m stoked that I started in the early morning. Negotiating and navigating my way up the rock scramble requires getting on my hands and knees, jumping from rock to rock and feeling like an absolute forest fairy. This is where my peace is and this is where I think the best: completely alone and removed from the world.
PRATYAHARA - WITHDRAWAL OF THE SENSES, SUTRA 2.54
Being removed from our world’s distractions is one way of interpreting and practicing Pratyahara. Let’s bring back the 8-Limb Path. 1 of the Limbs is Niyamas aka guiding principles on how we deal with ourselves, our personal practices and disciplines. Double tap into the Niyamas and we see Sutra 2.54: Pratyahara, withdrawal of the senses. Our senses are what drive our desires and emotions: we see something we like, we want it. Honestly, just think about how much money you spend on things that make you feel good but you don’t really need. All those online purchases, the dinners, the ‘but I deserve it’ impulse buys just to give you a hit of dopamine. Our senses are meant to enrich our lives, but they are also the biggest distractions. Think of 11 from Stranger Things – when she is in the salt tank and removed from all distractions, only then is she able to truly tap the true extent of her woo woo mind powers.
I’ve traveled 26+ countries solo, always showing up somewhere with a 1-way flight and just a backpack. This year, I slept on a farm and in my tent. In years past, I’ve only exclusively stayed in hostels. Give me a bunk bed in a 8 bed dorm over a luxury hotel, any day. When I’m having breakfast at a hostel table or smoking in the common area, that’s where my life resume gets built. Surrounded by solo travelers cut from the same cloth, we hail from all corners of the world but we share one common thread: experience as much as we can. And because of that, our conversations are far more richer and more emotionally riveting than any of the other conversations we have back home.
After 2 weeks at Fira Backpackers Hostel in Santorini, Greece- I had made a solid group of friends: Adam/River from Melbourne, Blair from Cali, Matt from London, Shaun from Perth and 2 Dutch girls Klara & Silje. On our last night together, before we headed off to our next whatever city, we sat around the hostel table knocking back jagerbombs and playing cards. As we were sitting in the outside common area, a new traveler checked in. Matt introduced me to Rachel, a yoga teacher from Gaza. This was in September 2024.
She shared that her and her friends love the EDM sub-genre Trance. That year, whenever there was a disturbance in her town, the EDM community mobilized in Facebook groups after to bring a Trance rave to the desert. She shared that when the world is breaking and people are losing their homes, people turn to music for strength and solace. Music is constant and grounding. It takes you away from your senses: Pratyahara. Trance allows people to get lost in the sounds. In the Facebook groups, people volunteer rides and production materials (electricity, decks, speakers) and they all go dance all the night in the desert.
During the convo, another traveler had walked in and I saw she was inching closer to us.
Kirthika introduced herself and shared that she was a Hatha yoga teacher from India, also on her own solo trip across Greece. Rachel received her cert in Bali and Kirthika got hers in India while I got mine in The States. Outside of being solo travelers, we bonded over yoga and exchanged our favorite gifts of knowledge via book titles, podcasts and notable yoga figures in our respective communities. Kirthika has a dream of opening up a yoga studio in India and invited me to teach Vinyasa (if you’re reading this, I’m still so down!!). She urged me to follow my heart and always trust my intuition; if I ever can’t figure out what’s going on in my head, then listen to my body. And if my the noise in my head is too loud then dial it down by withdrawing all distractions to reground: Pratyahara aka Sutra 2.54. Then, you will find truth in your head, and heart - Sutra 2.36
Removed from our life back home, from the bias of family and friends, solo travelers can be fully free. Always going international for my yearly solo trip, I chose to go domestic this year. I wanted to trade in hostel bunkbeds for a tent in the woods, conversations at the hostel for head nods on the hiking trails.
Starting in San Francisco, I met up with Richie (who I rode ATVs with in Paros on last year’s solo trip to Greece). After Richie helped me grocery shop, I drove off in my rental car. I was hiking 7-12 miles a day during my trip through the National parks: Yosemite, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Arches. I coasted through miles of desert road. I had a shit ton of time to think.
“If something takes too much work, it’s probably not worth it.” – words from my witchy yoga mentor Alex Plante. In yoga, we talk alot about listening to our body. And how in uncomfortableness, we find growth. And in growth, we find expansion.
Remember that: transitions are just as important as the final shapes. I’ve always told my students to trust their body and listen to the vibes, always. Well, I evaluated different areas of my life: career, personal, medical, mental…and I thought back to how my body felt in all situations. Just because something doesn’t look perfect on paper, doesn’t mean it isn’t the right decision. Trust only your gut and intuition - my body doesn't lie.
I’m getting to experience Pratyahara on a solo adventure to the highest degree: uprooting my life and moving to a new city. And I absolutely love it.
SATYA - TRUTHFULNESS, SUTRA 2.36
2. EDM MUSIC
PHILOU: Funky and French. House, acid house & Latin sounds
My first intro Philou was her guest set on LP Giobbi's weekly Femme House radio show where LP spotlights female/marginalized artists.
Born in Paris, Philou felt a lacking in the Parisian music community. Not feeling fulfilled by the French music scene, she decided to start her own community via @u.n.titl.ed to combine Parisian chic with good music and local vibes, amplifying the talents of local artists across fashion & music
DJing around the world, Philou found a mantra to help her decide how to adapt to different cultures: she listens to the popular music in the are prior to performing then “I play whatever I like to listen to, right now”. By doing her music research, she is able to match and amplify the vibes - by country. Leading her to perform at Tomorrowland, in Brazil, Mexico, Dubai & all over.
Whenever I can't decide what to sequence in my classes or what songs to add, I think of Philou and I just do whatever I want, at that moment.
I've even put her track “Reposa Rave” in my yoga classes during Sun Salutations. Stream her on SoundCloud.
3. BAKASANA
BAKASANA OR CROW: One of my favorite arm balances!
If you miss taking class with me, here's your chance to hear my voice again :)
IMPORTANT: Keep your gaze about a foot in front of you, on the ground, when you are in crow
4. SELF CARE
SELF CARE RECOS: Feeling chaotic? Here are some tips to re-ground:
SCHEDULE FEEDING TIME: Block out time on your calendar to eat and take a break. Be firm with yourself about it. Don’t just survive on iced coffee and adrenaline
REST: Dedicate 1 night or day to “self care”. On Sundays, I put my phone on DND all day and purposely try not to make plans or socialize with people
SLEEP: at the same time everyday
PHONE ON DO NOT DISTURB: Whenever I need to lock in or when I just don’t feel like talking to people, I put my phone on DND. There’s a setting where your contacts won’t know your phone is on DND, too
OIL PULL & TONGUE SCRAPE: Add a copper tongue scraper + Ayurvedic oil to brushing routine
NOURISH YOUR BODY: Hot tea. Root vegetables (potatoes, beets..stuff from the ground). Eat in-season fruits & veggies
GET ORGANIZED: I made a Excel template, juuuuust for you! Download it at monicameas.com/excel
GROUNDING POSES: Stabilize your nervous system. Ignites focus, balance & peace of mind
CHILDS POSE: Bring your big toes to touch, knees out wide, arms out straight in front of you. Forehead flat on the ground, fingertips stretched out wide and flat. Release your belly and jaw. Close your eyes and let the space between your eyebrows soften
FORWARD FOLDS: Paschimottanasana, Janu Sirasana (both sides!), Malasana
BACKBENDS: Locust, Bow, Cobra
SEATED POSTURES: Gomukhasana, Baddha Konasana
5. INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND
HOSTEL: Balmers
TO DO: Ski or hike, depending on the season. I went during hiking season
TO EAT: Toblerone chocolate
TO EAT 2: Cheese Fondue. It's Traditional Swiss
VILLAGES TO VISIT: Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen
TO HIKE
ROTHORN-BRIENZ RIDGE TRAIL: The hike that made me fall in love with ridges and rock scramble
AUGSTMATTORN TRAIL: Saw someone get engaged at the top
HARDER KULM TRAIL: Got lost with an arguing sibling duo. Hitch hiked at the end
BACHALPSEE: Pretty blue lake! Went with some boys from Montana
TO VISIT
SCHLITHORN- PIZ GLORIA: Take the cablecar up. One of the James Bond movies was filmed here
ST.BEATUS-HOHLEN CAVES: Go behind a waterfall and go cave exploring. A natural wonder by Lake Thun
THE SPA: Lake view
Thank you for letting me share my light with you,
Monica Sor Meas
