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YOGA RETREATS: Senegal 🇸🇳 April 2026 🏝️ Croatia 🇭🇷 Oct. 2026🌴 Mallorca 2027🇪🇸 Yoga & meditation teacher/Martial Arts Yoga Online, @equinox NYC.

I haven’t had time to really post and share fully I haven’t had time to really post and share fully since arriving here, but I’ve been taking it all in and reflecting.

This retreat brought me back to something I knew when I lived here years ago, but felt again in a deeper way this time.

There’s a way people show up here.
With so much joy. With warmth. With openness. With a kind of ease in shared connection that feels so real.

In Senegal, there’s a word for this. Teranga.
It’s often translated as hospitality, but it’s more than that.

It’s the feeling that you are welcome exactly as you are. That there is always space for you. That we are here for one another, in both big and small ways.

At the beginning of the retreat, we spoke about this idea through the proverb nit nitay garabam… a person is another person’s tree. And over these days together, that’s exactly what this group became.

Everyone showed up with that same spirit. Supporting each other, listening, encouraging, sharing, laughing, being real. It reminded me that this is what makes a retreat special.

And honestly, what makes life feel meaningful.

We are here for each other.

Deep thank you to this incredible group for your trust, your openness, and the energy you each brought. And to everyone at @souimangalodge (especially Amir & Danya!) for holding us so beautifully and with incredible heart and smiles throughout this experience.

I will be reflecting and sharing more, but for now, I’m enjoying the glow of a grateful heart and spirit.❤️ 🇸🇳
Almost 2 weeks ago, I competed in BJJ and won the Almost 2 weeks ago, I competed in BJJ and won the gold. This was after taking time off post severely injuring my back and going through a fibroid surgery. I spent months in agony thinking I would never do BJJ again and there I was in the compeshowing up with my whole heart, mind, body and soul. And I walked away feeling amazing from the inside out.✨

The experience reminded me of how extraordinarily far I’ve come and at the same time it showed me how much I still have to learn and grow.

There was a significant moment for me where because of winning the gold I had the chance to enter the open division, across ages and weight classes. For a moment, I seriously considered it.

But then I paused… and listened to myself.
My body was clear. Here is enough. Not from fear… but from svadyaya, self awareness.

There’s a line from the Tao Te Ching (which my mom gave me years ago and has been a big influence in my life) that stayed with me:
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

And that’s exactly what that moment felt like.
I had already done what I came to do, to show up, be present, be my best, and enjoy the experience.

Since then, I’ve been reflecting on how much my training has evolved.

When I first started, BJJ, I always felt and moved in a hurry, these days I have really come to be at peace with where I am and move much slower. Which turns out to be more efficient! And I rest when needed.

I’ve been working on trusting that where I am (no more and no less) is what actually allows me to expand into full potential.

Just a few weeks before the competition, I was suffering from a major leg infection that started small, but somehow landed me in the ER for 5 hours getting an infusion.

Another pause. Another moment of uncertainty.
And again, the practice was the same: be aware, rest, heal, ground in being enough
and then… rise.

As I prepare for leading a retreat in Senegal, I’m reminding myself to go slow and be patient with my heart and mind staying open to all experiences… curious to see what this journey will bring for me and my students.🥰

Staying grateful for all that is and open to what’s ahead. 🙏🏼 @__nicolassanta @gregorgraciejiujitsu
A few years ago I did my first competition ever a A  few years ago I did my first competition ever at @grapplingindustries as a white belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

I can still feel that moment… the handshake, the eye contact, the ref saying go, the adrenaline rush.

This weekend, I’m doing it again at @ibjjf . Now as a blue belt, more than 3.5 years later. And honestly… it feels so very different.

A year ago, I had just recovered from fibroid surgery and then severely injured my back shortly after. I was told I might not be able to do martial arts again. Getting out of bed and through the day was extremely painful. I came to a place of acceptance… and still chose to keep showing up for the healing journey that has brought me here.

And then recently… I had to pause again. A pretty intense leg infection that started from something small.

During that time, I felt it… the self-doubt, the sadness, that contraction. I even had a moment of tears in the locker room with a trusted BJJ friend.

But instead of pushing it away, I sat with it.
That’s the yoga practice Svādhyāya. Seeing clearly. Getting curious. Understanding. And then choosing differently… creating the path forward I actually want.

Thinking of that moment right before the match starts… it still gives me chills. It’s like standing in front of an ice bath. You know you can do it, you’ve done it before… but you still have to choose to go in.

I was really inspired by gold medalist Alysa Liu and the astronauts on Artemis II. Alysa said “I just go out there and do my best. That’s enough for me.” And that’s exactly it. Showing up with an open heart, mind, and soul is the most important part of the journey. Astronauts know there are risks, and still choose to go forward. Courage isn’t about certainty… it’s about showing up.

So this Saturday isn’t about proving anything. It’s about learning and growing from it.

Maybe you’re in a moment like that too… where you know the way is through, not around. This is your reminder: 

you don’t have to feel ready, you just have to show up.

Inhale confidence
Exhale doubt

Please keep me, and everyone competing, in your prayers. I’ll share how it goes on the other side. 🙏🏼 ☮️ ❤️
There are moments in life where you can feel every There are moments in life where you can feel everything aligning… your past, your present leading to purpose.

This feels like one of those moments.

I’ve been invited back to teach at the Bryant Park Yoga Festival, and this time, it is  on my birthday.

I can’t think of a more meaningful way to celebrate than share what I love in the heart of our beloved city.

To move.
To breathe.
To connect in community.

To share the practices that have carried me through every season of my life - the highs, the challenges, the growth, the becoming.

Yoga has always been my anchor.
My teacher. My mirror.

My way to reflect upon what is important and how I can let go of everything else in order to show up better for myself and others. It’s been my way home to myself, again and again for a lifetime.

I can’t wait gather again in Bryant Park and feel the pulse of NYC’s heart surrounded by others who share the love of yoga and our city. It feels like a true celebration of life.

Not just mine, but all of ours.

If you’re in the city, I would love for you to come practice and celebrate life, my bday (and Bastille Day!🇫🇷💥) with me.

To pause. To reconnect. To have a meaningful experience with your fellow city dwellers. To remember together what really matters.

Save this, send it to a friend, and/or hope to see you in July! 

With so much love gratitude always🤍

@bryantparknyc @calmmom_kristendollard
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