Lori McAlister

TOP TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GO…

10. YOU WILL INCREASE YOUR LIFESPAN
Mediterraneans live longer… In 1976 ten U.S. doctors confirmed that Stamatis Moraitis had lung cancer and had nine months to live, so the Greek native packed his bags and moved back to his homeland. With the Mediterranean lifestyle of leisure, connecting with Nature, and relaxing with friends and a bottle of wine every afternoon, Moraitis outlived those doctors and enjoyed life another 36 years…

9. YOU WILL CONNECT WITH NATURE
Start your days meditating in the great outdoors of Spain. Whether it’s the crisp Pyrenean mountain air or the fresh sea breeze, we’ll be soaking up the morning sunshine sitting with the quietude of our thoughts, reflecting in self-study. As recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers at John Hopkins University conclude that mindfulness meditation can ease anxiety, depression, and pain…

8. YOU WILL TAKE SIESTAS
Spaniards take long afternoon breaks after their midday meals to digest and rest. Studies reveal that our minds benefit from this downtime to unwind and process, leading to greater productivity. Living like locals, we will take up this practice of daily afternoon siestas…

7. YOU WILL ENJOY ORGANIC LOCAL CUISINE
Spanish cuisine is all about fresh ingredients and responsible farming. Spanish farmers are the pioneers of “organic farming”. Tapas are sophisticated little appetizers or snacks that offer a sampling of local fare. We will enjoy these plus authentic cuisine prepared by a local private chef, lunch at a Spanish vineyard, and two prix-fixed meals at restaurants that serve freshly prepared local farm & sea-to-table dinners. Plus the Mediterranean Diet is not only considered to be heart healthy, but the most healthy of all diets in the world.

6. YOU WILL STAY HERE
For the first four nights we will stay in a 13th Century historical house in the Pyrenees. Every day you will have downtime where you can relax with a dip in the private pool, catch up with a good book, go on a nature walk, or sign up for kayaking or horseback riding.

5. YOU WILL SWIM IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
For the last four nights we travel to coastal beach town, Sitges. 35km from Barcelona, Sitges is a popular tourist destination. We’ll be there a couple of weeks after the heavy season has subsided, but still in time to take in the warm weather.

4. YOU WILL ALSO STAY HERE

We are staying in a luxurious modern townhouse in Sitges that is only a 5 minute walk to the beach. With ample room to spread out and find a spot of your own to journal, read, take a nap, or enjoy a coffee or a glass of wine, this spacious and newly renovated house will be your home away from home.

3. YOU WILL HIKE TO CATALONIA’S FIRST BUDDHIST MONASTERY
A 22km walk from Sitges will take us to Monasterio del Garraf, the first Buddhist monastery of Sakya Tashi Ling. Open since 1996, this is the first Buddhist monastery in Catalonia. This palace of tranquility and its buildings offer a look of the art and culture of Tibet. Founded in 1986, the Sakyapa tradition follows the ancient order of the spiritual leader His Holiness Sakya Trizin, a king from ancient Tibet. The monastery is ruled by Venerable Lama Jamyang Tashi Dorje.

2. YOU WILL VISIT LA SAGRADA FAMILIA
We will pilgrimage to Barcelona’s beloved La Sagrada Familia. This Roman basilica began construction in 1882 as a neo-gothic design. A year later the project was handed over to Barcelona darling Art nouveau architect Antoni Gaudi, who changed the design completely. He not only dedicated 40 years of his life to its construction, but also died on a tram accident in 1926 and is buried in a tomb there. It is still currently under construction with a planned completion in 2041 and hosts over 3 millions visitors a year.

1. YOU WILL PRACTICE DAILY SUNSET YOGA
Every afternoon Lori will treat you to a practice that balances, invigorates, and renews you for the next day. Honor the setting sun and practice yoga with your new friends. Beginners are welcome!

In a relatively short training, Lori expertly lead us through the finer points of adjusting safely and effectively, mindful sequencing, anatomy, the subtle body, and weaving a meaningful theme through a class. She gave us the opportunity to teach an entire class to the group and was meticulous, wise, and generous with her feedback. Lori’s love and respect for yoga is contagious and it shines through in her illuminating classes and trainings. By sharing her wisdom, she helped me refine and deepen my teaching so that I can better serve my students.

– Rebecca Ketchum

I was so tired to going to different teachers classes and taking the same boring class. Then, I walked into Lori’s class and I knew I had to learn from her. Squencology helped me create inspiring, creative and challenging classes for my students. Her program gave me the tools I needed to transform my classes from the cookie cutter sequences that are taught in the 200 teacher trainings and take it to the next level. I highly recommend this course and Lori if you are serious about offering high quality inspired yoga classes to your students!
-Pepper Pavlish

My experience taking Loris Sequencology course was awesome! I enjoyed every minute of it, not only was this the first time that i started to really understand how to put together a good vinyasa class but i had a lot of fun doing it. We dissected the various aspects of what a good yoga class should have in general. There’s certainly a highly intelligent way that Loris using to make a regular vinyasa class a different experience. It feels like a combination of a very good meditation and dance. Everything flows and enter twines together perfectly. I most certainly appreciated the anatomy part of Sequencology as well,everything was explained very simply and clearly. and this all doesn’t go without saying that underneath it all it was a spiritual experience. Lori is one of my favorite teachers and i will always be inspired by the way she teaches yoga. Thank you Lori!!!!

– Kate Lebowski

Lori’s approach to sequencing yoga classes is complex, brilliant, and full of creative possibilities. She serves up a multi-layered orchestra of knowledge, giving all teachers, both junior and senior, a new definition of the asana practice. During her training my head swam with ideas upon learning her techniques, then my body danced with delight amongst the poses. If you are stuck in a choreographic rut or if you merely want to gain more kinesthetic intuition, join Lori and her crew!

-Leah Landau

I had it easy the first four months. My in-laws were here visiting from Spain, then my mother came pitch in watching the baby. Now she’s back home in Maine and I’m carrying Bodhi all over town. I arrange babysitters to look after him in the teachers’ lounges at each studio while I instruct my classes. Mother and son stay closer and connected. And Bodhi is absorbing AUM.

But it’s a lot of extra work. Packing the diaper bag full of sanitized toys and books, bottles of pumped breastmilk, fresh, clean swaddle blankets for him to play on, and lots and lots of diapers and wipes. Plus the routine of dressing him for travel and coaxing him into the carrier peacefully without fuss tacks on an extra half hour of commute time each direction because when I get there I need to set my little love bug up. We developed a ritual of organizing a play area, checking the diaper, feeding, and playing before mommy steps away. I help him ground before I center myself to teach my beloved students.

So I’ve been meditating on that very notion this past week… On my mat I’m thinking about how to LAND where I arrive. Fully there. Connected and present. Not fidgeting, not analyzing, not obsessing about my son with the sitter and wondering if he’s ok. I trust he is so I can commit to my time. And off my mat I’m practicing, too. An iPhone and news junkie, I’m learning to turn off the television and put down the devices to arrive and connect with my son who just wants his mommy to hold him, play with him, feed him, bounce him to sleep, cuddle with him, make him giggle, change his poopy pants, and teach him the world.

Life is always throwing us curveballs, and I find that the more I let go of my expectations of how I think things should be and stay open to what the Universe hands me the easier it is to LAND where I arrive. Fully there. Connected and present.

Ok, signing off to go play with the little man.

Lots of love,

Lori