• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Byers Without Borders

My WordPress Blog

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog

Yoga anywhere

Farewell & Thank you!!!

April 12, 2017 by byerswithoutborders Leave a Comment

And just like that it’s over. A decade of wishing, a year’s worth of hard planning and scheming, and here we are looking out at the frighteningly short and narrow runway of the Paro airport, awaiting our departure. None of us want to leave, the time went too quick, evidence that our life here was too perfect.

And it was a perfect community of friends and loved ones who made it all possible. Thank you for supporting us with your insanely generous donations. Thank you Hunt Regional CRNAs for working your VACATIONS! Thank you, to all who didn’t doubt, question, or discourage this dream. It is without a doubt that Jen and I are at this place in our lives because of the myriad interactions we have had with each of you along the way. We are a web of lives, each touching the other, pluck one of us and who knows where the vibration will resound. You have all made this trip with us, you have all helped the people of Bhutan.

Thank you our gracious hosts and new friends.

 

Farewell

Filed Under: Bhutan, Health Volunteers Overseas, Kids Yoga & Mindfulness, Medical Volunteers Overseas Tagged With: Bhutan, byers to bhutan, family adventure, family travel, happy life, health volunteers overseas, himalayan adventure, living in Bhutan, Many thanks, Medical Mission, overseas volunteers, Travel Bhutan, with gratitude, Yoga anywhere, YoPlay International

YoPlay Away! Kids yoga can go anywhere.

April 10, 2017 by byerswithoutborders Leave a Comment

Prior to my arrival in Bhutan, I reached out to the Early Learning Center, in Mothitang, to organize some volunteer work for the girls and myself. Having spent two years teaching English in Japan, volunteering in ELC’s English Literacy class was a no-brainer. However, when principle Madam Kueron discovered my current passion, YoPlay, my true role in Bhutan revealed itself.

Founded by Madam Deki, ELC is a very progressive school (grades K-12) that puts as much emphasis on kindness and respect as it does on academics. Every class period begins and ends with 2 minutes of quiet meditation (they call it brain brushing) because the teachers believe an upset, angry or distracted child can not be expected to learn. Therefore learning is preceded by prepping the mind. Imagine my enthusiasm when they asked if YoPlay could take the place of their performing arts class for the month. Turns out, that class was lacking a teacher during our time here. Serendipity.

Of course it was a mix of excitement and trepidation I felt as I started my first day of YoPlay-Bhutan. Their school culture is so different from our own; worry about how my program would translate sat like a rock in my stomach. Their day begins with morning assembly. Rows and columns of children in the courtyard, standing in near military formation. The National anthem is sung, prayers are said, announcements are made and achievements are recognized (acts of kindness, recycling efforts, gifts to the school). The whole thing can last up to an hour. And then there is the cold! Unlike our schools, Bhutanese schools have no central heating, shivering children are taken outside to “warm up” in the sun. Even answering questions is different in Bhutanese schools. Here children stand up when speaking, and must address their teacher as Sir or Madam. These and a thousand other little differences.

Worry, anxious prepping, nervous introductions…

And it’s was all for not. For all our differences, we are still so much alike. It is a fact that despite country or creed, children can not form themselves up into a circle. Partner poses will always illicit rowdiness requiring shushing and stern looks. And all children, no matter where they are from, love to pretend (a bonus for my guided meditations). Basically we’re all the same; born in Bhutan or Texas, kids are kids. If there is a tree they’ll try and climb it, if there is a puddle they’ll find a way to get wet.

After a month of classes I can say YoPlay-Bhutan soared! The children, so kind and appreciative, would swarm my girls during snack time. Each vying for the opportunity to share their Bhutanese snacks with the foreign visitors. The instructors requested a teacher training that was enthusiastically attended one Saturday. And even after my departure, the school surprised me by posting a yoga video for international children’s yoga day.

Stella often likes to say she has 108 hearts. And she’ll name each one, “My daddy-heart, my mommy-heart, my puppy-heart, my ice cream-heart…”. As the children of ELC sang us farewell at our final morning assembly, my tears and cracked voice were evidence of my very own, new Bhutan-Heart.

Filed Under: Bhutan, Kids Yoga & Mindfulness, Uncategorized Tagged With: Bhutan, byers to bhutan, family adventure, family travel, happy life, himalayan adventure, homeschool, kids yoga, living in Bhutan, mindfulness for kids, overseas volunteers, Yoga anywhere, YoPlay International

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

DOWNtime

May 1, 2020 By byerswithoutborders Leave a Comment

COVID Response Team

April 25, 2020 By byerswithoutborders 24 Comments

Luang Prabang

December 3, 2019 By byerswithoutborders Leave a Comment

Train Trials

October 25, 2019 By byerswithoutborders Leave a Comment

Airport Schooling

October 15, 2019 By byerswithoutborders 3 Comments

Categories

  • Adventure
  • Africa
  • Bhutan
  • bus life
  • Bus Life
  • COVID-19 Response
  • Events
  • Family
  • For Parents
  • Health Volunteers Overseas
  • Hope
  • kids yoga
  • Kids Yoga & Mindfulness
  • Medical Volunteers Overseas
  • Mom Blog
  • nomad life
  • Rwanda
  • skoolie
  • transportation
  • Travel
  • travel with kids
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteer

Archives

Footer

Latest Posts

DOWNtime

COVID Response Team

Luang Prabang

Train Trials

Airport Schooling

Follow Our Adventure

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

© 2023 Byers Without Borders · Developed by Renaissance Web Solutions