Panacea on the Road — Day 3

Morning yoga – the hallway seemed a bit better for keeping folks from walking through us!  Got our bodies and selves moving a bit more, and played with what it was like to be pushed or pulled, then to find that place of balance, harmony, where ease and effort come together.  Once we found that using a partner, we then brought that into our asana practice on the mat – wow, what a difference that makes.  We also worked with the fluid nature and creativity of our 2^nd chakra, and got our hips ready for the fun day ahead.

After breakfast, we met at the Plaza Grande with our police officer/tour guide for our walking tour of the historic center of Quito.  It was a beautiful day for walking through the city and we heard about the history of Quito, and the buildings (government ones and churches) that tell so much of the story of this World Heritage site.  We now understand why the three stories of the presidential palace are so significant, where to find the best hidden brewery in Quito (clue:  follow the monks!), where the bad monks were put, and how the different groups who came after the Incas continued to use aspects of their earth-honoring as they built their churches.  To top it off, we had some great sorbets and ice cream in La Ronda where some of our group found the nightlife to be festive!

In our afternoon session we worked with our 2^nd and 3^rd chakras, got in touch with our creativity, and looked at what we wanted to put into action in our lives.  Many of us realized how our “gut instincts” could be helpful, if we keep open to listening to our body wisdom!  After that, we had a fun birthday celebration for Peter (thanks to “Lorena” and “Paola” – we are still laughing with you on this one!), who was gifted with a fabulous new hat for his collection.