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If I Followed My Heart
In. And out.
Her mind focused on the soft tickle of her breath onto her upper lip, Natalie felt her shoulders relax as the soft breeze wafted into the small dwelling from the small windows, lightly brushing her face. She listened to the soothing voice of the instructor, as she guided the occupants of the room into a light meditative state. Natalie breathed air into her lungs, and with each breath, felt the tension leave her body. Her mind open and thought-less, enjoying the elements of the moment.
It was a pretty picture of serenity, 6 occupants, including the yoga instructor, in a small stilted dwelling in Bali. The sent of Marigolds floating in the slight breeze, filling the small room with the aroma native to its land. The room was lit only by the sunlight coming in from the sets of shutters completely opened to the outside. It was coming to the end of her year here, and Natalie wanted to memorize the aura of this charming village. She wanted to engrave the peace into her heart, to take with her back home.
She needed this, this soul searching year abroad, to be alone, to get to know herself and find her direction. She hadn't been running away from anything in particular, but she had always been a timid girl, always afraid to break the rules. It often frustrated her, and she was constantly engulged with the feeling that she was on the precipice of something absolutely wonderful, yet was walking a path that stifled her dreams, and suffocated her. With the rush of life, she had never stopped to just breathe, look deep down, and figure out what it was that she truly desired from this life. So she had signed up to come here, to Bali, to teach English for a year while she reveled in a culture that was humble, pure, and content. Her eyes could not soak in enough, from the prayers, sacrifices, and hard work of the people around her, to the beauty of the rice fields and untouched nature.
She had her routine, the same one she'd had for the last 11 months. Sitting with a small group of women in the mornings, teaching them how to read and write in English, hoping to equip them with the tools they might use to contribute to the humble income of their households. She would return back home by 2 p.m., prepare a small meal to take with her to the beach. By 4 p.m., she would make her way from the beach to this same yoga class, whose participants varied. Sometimes she would see the same faces for a few weeks, sometimes even a month or two. She was always curious about what had brought them here, and she felt blessed that even in some brief way, she was witnessing people from all over the world coming to a turning point in their lives, where they finally took control of the reigns. Just as she was doing now. She knew she loved people. She was fascinated at the many different ways of life that were so foreign to her. She had moved around quite a bit in her life and the excitement of that had never been dulled. She loved to write also, and was most inspired during travels. Even memories of her travels and the people she'd met burned the fire of inspiration in her when she felt herself sinking into the mundane routine of monotonous work life back home. She was moved by the universe and the perfectly designed rhythm that it carried. But she did not know which direction to take her life. And so, she had come here. Hoping that by distancing herself she might gain an objective perspective on her life and see what path she could reclaim as her own journey. Perhaps it was unconventional. Or perhaps it was a mix of unique and typical. Regardless, she didn't care. After 11 months, Natalie had come to be confident in what and who she was, and was determined to live authenticly to who she was in her soul.
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He dropped his bags down in the small room, nervous at being so far away from home. This was it, there was nothing to lose. Six months ago, Zach had had a heart attack, which rocked him to his core. Two weeks afterwards, he promised himself that he would take a step back and approach his life like nothing mattered. But as he got back into the routine of work, he found himself
