So many people have asked me with a tilt of their head and their eyes upward, “where exactly is Nepal”?

Allow me to briefly acclimate you….. The largest city in this tiny country is Katmandu, which is also the capital. The official language is Nepali, their currency is the Rupee and their modest motto says “Mother and Motherland are Greater than Heaven”
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Nepal is an Asian country landlocked between India and China with a population of approximately 29 million people. This wondrous, friendly, topographically diverse nation is filled with beautiful scenery, happy children and varied religions.

Their flag is unique in the world, since it is neither square nor rectangular like most. In fact…it is a polygon. If you don’t remember that word from your vocabulary quizzes or geometry class, the Nepalese flag is the only one on earth that is not quadrilateral in shape. Their flying symbol is different and diverse, just like them.

The color red on the Nepali flag is significant of a history of aggression against their tiny country and dissent within its borders from corruption and politics. The highest hope is that the blue border calmly contains the hope of calmness and peace as well as depicts the celestial symbols of the sun and moon.

In Sanskrit ‘Ha’ means sun and “tha” means moon.

So for the Nepalis and the yogis alike… May the curvature of the moon in the night sky continue to shine the power of the feminine and be a prevailing icon for a life of peace and joy.

The people pray ” as long as there is a sun and a moon in the sky, Nepal will be there”.

I was spaced out and tired, and in need of a bath when the man known as the legendary ‘A.D.’ reached out with one hand to take our luggage and with his other ‘paw’ to welcome us heartily to Nepal. A.D. is a Sherpa and the owner of Friends in High Places. This big, profound man, with a warm smile, an enormous heart and love of his country swiftly and efficiently alleviated us from our rolling REI duffle bags and placed 2 hot mugs of tea in our hands. Tea in this country is symbolic a gesture of sharing, camaraderie and warmth inside and out. In schools, business, homes and shops this offering is extended with gratitude an respect.

So we dutifully followed A.D. to the bus that would take us through jutted, rocky roads, dust flying, and into fierce negotiations of drivers and traffic on rickshaws, trucks, donkeys, motorcycles, cows, buses, taxis and bicycles navigating aggressively, yet smoothly, in a loud, dusty bustle of uniformity and order.

I was shocked and amazed to watch wide-eyed, and sometimes closed eyes, as all the vehicles and animals found a balance, and youth of 3-12 years old perched on the gas tanks of motor bikes moving slowly through foul air and dust.

The Nepali women generally sit side saddle on the back of the motorcycles, feet resting nonchalantly on the exhaust pipes with their posture perfect and their purses guarded tenderly, snuggled in their laps. No helmets on their head, just brilliantly colored shawls draped perfectly in all patterns and colors of the rainbow.

Regardless if the traffic is stopped, or in motion, the intense air of Katmandu is ever present. People are crammed into buses like sardines or just a limb or or clenched fingers hanging onto windows, bumpers or mirrors to catch a ride. Regardless though, their regalness and poise seems to be in their genes. They remain as stoic as statues even when they are untethered, hanging on to bumpers or doorways, just grateful to be transported.

The main purpose of our trip was to support the Madhav Ghimire Scholarship Foundation which was founded by Don’s cousin, Dr. Jeffrey Kottler, a professor at the University of California in Fullerton, author of over 70 books, and a psychologist and humanitarian.

We were a merry, mixed conglomerate of child focused professionals from Guam, New Zealand, Australia and America traveling together to various schools. Don and I were there to introduce yoga and YogaKids to the children and their teachers.

Our first stop was Bhaktapur, Nepal where we begun by consulting with local agencies, visiting with the school principal and staff and of course sharing YogaKids!