The Gallivanting Grasshopper: Buy the Bikini -- Vis, Croatia

I achieved a magnificent sunburn on my face during the ferry ride from Split to Vis.

Now I even look like a lobster. Look at me finding harmony between mind and body. Blurgh.

It's before five on Sunday morning. The silhouette of a deciduous tree is black shadow against a brightening dusky sky. My laptop is harsh light in the dark, warm room. A gnat finds the light particularly compelling and wanders back and forth all over the screen.

I stare at the gnat. Bounce, bumble, tumble, flit, flop, flutter.

Gnat, you bizarre little creature. You have no pattern to your movement at all.

The refrigerator hums fitfully. Jurate sleeps silently (we've both been accused of snoring, but I have yet to witness the event. Perhaps because my own snores drown out hers). I expect to hear the sounds of birds at any moment.

I'm happy to be back.

The first thing I did after unpacking the groceries when we arrived at our home on Vis (felt like going back to grandma's) was to chuck my shoes and abscond into the hillside for a barefoot walk.

The ground was hot underneath my feet and there were moments I had to skip, hop here to there to avoid sizzling tender skin.

I resembled the gnat bouncing, bumbling, tumbling, flitting flopping, fluttering across my laptop screen.

Skip-hopping here to there on a rocky trail full of bumblebees and spiders requires certain mental and physical dexterity. My movement was jerky and uncoordinated. I landed squarely, resolutely on my backside after nearly colliding with a spider the size of my thumb.

My skin had grown sensitive during my week of walls. Even the smoothest, most benign looking rock seemed to grow an edge to pierce my feet.

I went out with the intention of picking flowers. I was so consumed with assembling my perfect bouquet that the rest of the path before me faded away.

Which is generally the point of having a focus, I suppose. To let one thing stand out while the rest becomes soft.

I'm not sure if I like walking with purpose. I think I prefer mindful, aimless wandering. When I walk without purpose, everything is important. When everything is important, I'm decidedly more aware.

The new group of six ladies arrived on the late ferry from Split. A Norwegian, an Australian, a Canadian, an American, a Latvian and an Irish.

So much to learn here.

We chatted over a late dinner of carrot, ginger, rosemary soup, simple green salad and sweet potato dessert. I discovered that most of them are quite new to yoga and have come to the retreat with hopes of relaxation and restoration rather than to become more physically fit/learn more asana. Which is wonderful for them, but hard for me.

'Cos I teach asana. A bit of pranayama. And I try to make a loving space.

This is the last retreat. I'm going to give everything I can -- emotionally, physically, mentally. It won't be the same gift as the first, second or third weeks here, but as long as my gift is given with mindfulness and love, people may be willing to receive it. Open it, wear it, use it instead of asking for the receipt so they can return it for something that suits better.

Suits better. Ach.

I need to learn more accessible yoga. This is the reason I think my role is best played as an optional yoga instructor -- people who are in a similar season can choose participate. Vinyasa is a phenomenal practice and brings me such joy, but it is simply unfeasible, unpleasant, unnecessary to so many people. We're all in different seasons of our lives. My practice fits my season perfectly, but this is a very specific season and the vital flow component of Vinyasa makes adjusting for different seasons problematic. Reshaping it to fit some people is like trying to turn a winter parka into a bikini. It CAN be done -- but in doing so, you remove everything that makes the winter parka the winter parka.

And you probably won't even have the best looking bikini at the end of the epic process.

Just buy a damn bikini. Is the moral of this story. Girl, you gots to learn some Iyengar and brush up on your hatha.

Here's where I'm going next:

Description

I am 46 year old and I am sculptor.
With the time, I have profiled myself with huge installations on public places across Croatia.
At the time I work on establishing a multyfunctional art park.
I am single and my parents are living in Solin(suburb from Split) too.
I am founder of art association "" which is active in this park.

Area

Solin/Croatia

Type of help.

Art project,
Language practise,
Helping with Tourists,
Help in the house,
Help with Eco project,
Cooking / shopping,
Building,
Gardening

Help

Park is ,as I said before, multyfunctional and there is wide spectrum
of job possibilities.
First, there is some help needed in housing. Then, I have started with
ecological gardening which is spreading constantly so, there is also help needed.
Since I am sculptor, ther is also summer school of stone carving
and some assistance with pupils is needed.
Park is situated partly in pine tree forest and there is a lot of work
on cleaning around the trees.
This sommer park is going to be open for the guests/ tourists
and some assistence there would be needed.
It is going to be some building of small houses with natural material
and some help would be welcomed there.In gardens there are few jobs to do; building stone supporting walls, preparing soil,
planting. In the kitchen help is neede in cleaning and cooking.For
language courses are native speaking volunteers needed.
How do volonteers benefit being there?
They can meet lot of interesting loco people and share the time with them.They can meet park visitors, artists and learn croatian and other languages.Volunteers can use park"s bikes and ride to nice places
and beaches in just half an hour.
They can learn some skills in park; bake the bread, skills in permacultur,
in open air cinema how to operate with projector.
In workshop, they can learn how to carve the stone and take their
work/piece away, all for free. I can connect them with interesting people in area; fishermen from islands, shepards from highland,
experts for mountain climbing, eco farm owners etc.
Here,I would also say that I do not expect from volunteers any strict working time. Main point is , they choose work they like and, time that suits them.
There is lot of fun in park most of the time and the atmosphere is easy going.

Languages spoken

ENGLISH, GERMAN, ITALIAN, CROATIAN

Accommodation

Park offers at the moment tants which are situated in pine tree forest part of park.
ther is also an caravan.
There are wooden toilet and shower
available.

What else ...

Park is situated in Solin, small town next to Split.
Solin in town with rich historical monuments.( Salona, ruins of bigest Roman"s city in region at the time).
Park is easy to find. (Above road beetwen Trogir and Split)
Since it is situated practically on the coast in heart of midlle Dalmatia,
one can even with the bike within half an hour be in Trogir, Solin, Split
and ferry port to the famous midlle dalmatian islands.(Brač, Hvar, Vis,Korčula). Volunteers arriving from Split are taking bus number 1 and
getting of on last stop and then walk about two minutes to north and,
park is there. If they are coming from Trogir, they should take bus number 37 and get off in Sveti Kajo and walk about 15 min. also north to the park.