Yoga in Africa

On my last trip to East Africa, another of my female traveling companions and I were the fortunate guests of a Masai Village at the base of the Ngong Hills in the Masai Mara region of Kenya. This nomadic, warrior tribe which once held vast swathes of pre colonial Kenya, still retain many of their traditions as they live largely unaffected by modern day civilization, in areas surrounding Masai Mara. The village we visited, with about 140 friendly citizens, offered a gracious welcome with a traditional dance and tour of their homes. Fire making is done each morning and evening by the men who also care for the livestock, leaving all other chores to the women of the village. Their handmade beading indicates wealth and position.

The Masai enjoy hosting visitors as it gives them a chance to sell their brilliantly colored beadwork to enthusiastic foreign tourists. Since there were only the two of us on the day I visited, it was a little overwhelming to see the display of handmade beadwork, jewelry, small baskets and decorative masks that had been laid out in a huge circle by the villagers. I was introduced to each one whose work I was encouraged to touch, to try on and examine while it was described in great detail by my English-speaking host. Shopping is a pretty big deal in the village. If I showed even a smidge of polite interest by holding a piece, it was placed in a cloth satchel for, what I later learned, would be a lengthy negotiation by elimination process.

Not anticipating a lot of shopping on the excursion, I had shoved a few Kenyan shillings and I had some American dollars tucked away in my fanny-pack but not enough to pay for all of items in my African shopping cart!

Knowing the upper limit of my budget, my lead “shopper” combed through the satchel, showing me what the amount would purchase, encouraging me to match the items with the women artisans I had just met.

It was a wrenching process as these lovely, proud women were anxious that their work be chosen by the visitor and, as I later learned, this commercial venture is the main revenue source for the village. Of course I bought more than I had planned, spent every last dollar in fact, and have enjoyed the beautiful beaded pieces ( many were gifted to friends and family ) the priceless memories and iphone snaps ever since. A few of these are shared in this post.

An unexpected blessing was the chance to practice a few yoga poses, standing in my socks in the middle of the dung field, with my new friend Julian and his companions. They had studied with a visitor who had spent time living, and practicing, in a nearby village. Their strong, lithe bodies were impressive in the poses we shared together in this surprising connecting thread.

Here’s to many more travel adventures abroad for this broad!