July Fun & Explorations

I have been waiting for some super inspiration to hit me over the head. I wanted to wow you all with a fancy blog post on something healthy and/or magical and/or profound. But I haven't come across it yet. So instead, a simple post.

One really unique thing to do in Dom is to go see baby turtle hatchings.

Isn't he just the cutest thing?!

Another obvious fun outing: Go to the beach your RSO friends. Number 1 Beach was pre-tty cool. Also where a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. We swam in the river that flows to the ocean. That was one good beach day.

And then there's the Kalinago Indian Reserve. I had gone exploring to meet the medicine man of the tribe and learned about the 110th anniversary of the reserve. So I came back and brought a few (daring as they were) friends along. It wasn't very organized, and one of those - who knows what's gonna happen kinda things - turned out we learned a few things and had ourselves a nice little cultural outing. 

my personal favorite costume right there.

And for one more taste of island adventure: Today I went on a hike where we climbed down the face of a mountain using ropes to reach a waterfall feeding into the Atlantic. Spectacular.

In other news, I have added a new job to my calendar. That makes it officially 4 (5 if you count babysitting my friends babies) budding Domincan professions so far. Yoga teach, dance teach, standardized patient actor, and now hotel marketer. Just as long as these things enhance this adventurous life, I love adding them to my active list!

Peace friends and fam. Love ya'll!

Jenny

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

Not in any true order of preference, I would like to share with everyone the simple pleasures of being a "spouse" at Ross Med and living in Dominica.

Friends - It's hard really, moving to a new country. But thank the good lord, everyone else in this community is in a similar situation. With as much as I have relocated and evolved personally over the last decade, I have actually struggled with lonlieness. Growing up I always had a ton of close dependable girl friends, but this hasn't been as constant for me over the last few years. (boo hoo) No, but I've found hope! I have met so many beautiful people here, and I am so thankful for the time I get to spend with my friends. I am grateful for all these sweet mama's that I can call friends.  I have already had a few neighbors and hang out buddies come and go, but I still have Amberly! She's my neighbor and has the two most beautiful little girls. I go knock on their door to share a cup of tea and some girl talk... it's tonic for the soul. Banks, Amberly's 3 year old, is another of my favorite people - she just cracks me up with her sweet banter. She loves to compliment me/everyone (why thank you! who doesn't love a good compliment) and just makes you pour over her cuteness. There are so many others that are enhancing this journey, you know who you are and I just love you all!

Roseau Day with the Bestest Ladies and Babes

Music Festival with Rikki

Our Crew for Boiling Lake Hike

Banks and Me at Dance Class

RSO Northern Link Trip

Community -  Often I find myself awe struck by the community here. We live together, study together, work together, eat and drink together. Student, family, faculty, and locals alike. It's just so beautiful and comforting. Also, the spiritual maturity of this group is also a great relief. After living off and on in a monastery (no I've never been a nun people), I still constantly feel a strong presence of Spirit within the land and the community.

Singing & Dancing at In.Light.In

Yoga Shoot, thanks for helping me friends!

Cook Out at Kootney

Kittens - My kitten is my other BFF. I love her to pieces, and everyday I tell her how happy I am that she's in my life. True story. Steve is the same with kitten. She's just the cutest, best little companion ever.

One of Kittie's Favorite Spots

Another Favorite: in the closet under the clothes

Husbands - Oh and while we're at it, Steve is my numero uno bestest closest companion. I am so lucky to have such a strong, determined, intelligent, and understanding best friend and partner. He's doing so well in school, I am so proud of him. And on top of school he is loving EMS and the Salybia Mission project. In both activities he plays an active role in applying his book knowledge to health care: EMS in the Ross Community, and Salybia in the Kalinago Territory. He usually studies at home, so I get to see his sweet face often.

Birthday Rainbow

After Extreme Dominica

Morning Yoga Asanas

Dancing - Only my momma knew that I might fall into the position of dance teacher on the island. This has been a great creative outlet for me. Story: funny thing happened when I was cleaning out my closet at my parents house in April. I found a career aptitude test that I had taken in middle school which assessed my highest career potential in the performing arts. I laughed a little cause you see I was sooooo into dance at that time in my life, but now look at me! All these last years I have been fighting to find time for practicing visual arts, but the performing side just lay before me like a red carpet. Anyway, I'm now really looking forward to visiting home and taking some classes at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Academy to brush up on my skills and get some exciting new inspiration to add to classes.

Dancin' with the Kiddies

Stretching with Kiddies and Ms Christi

Yoga - So you've heard me mention yoga. Well what an amazing tool it is in my life. And what a wealth of experience I am gaining. I take classes from a gifted teacher, Trudy, where I learn from the spectrum of Yoga practiced around the world. I practice my own series gifted to me by my teachers in the Sivananda Organization. I teach a class weekly to the Ross Spouse Community. I've taught yachties out on the beach and I've taught a private class at an incredible resort, thank you to Ms Trudy's guidance through Rainbow Yoga. I am humbled by these incredible opportunities. I am working to expand the offering with both Rainbow Yoga and on my own, and look forward to updating everyone more on these developments. OH and in November, I am traveling to the Sivananda Paradise Island Retreat to work towards my Thai Yoga Massage Certification. I A M S O E X C I T E D. Not only to do the course, but just to be in that incredible spiritual place and with my Sivananda family.

Posing on De Champs Guest Balcony

Tree Pose while Banks Says Cheeese

Pretty Pose in Pretty Scenery

Exploring the Island - I have been on some pretty epic adventures around this island, already! We hiked through an active volcano, we repelled and cliff jumped through a canyon, we hiked up to breath taking waterfalls, we met modern indian people, we snorkeled, and sailed, hiked and hitched. (Big sigh) What a place to be!

Cliff Jumping at Extreme Dominica

Boeri Lake Hike on My Birthday

Bwa Nef Falls with Christy

Shopping Days - Hitting up the market in Portsmouth is a real treat when I make it up and alive early on a Saturday morning. I love talking with the older Dominican women. I love their style, their madras head scarves and big toothy smiles. I love their accents, which aren't quite calypso, more island French. I stock waaay waay up on fresh produce, herbs, coconut oil, and anything unique that I want to try. Today I bought chrisophene and made this massive vegetable medly with it, plus Dominican sweet potato and pumpkin - topped with a coconut pepper cream sauce. And I wouldn't want to leave off my epic shopping trips in Roseau, where I stock up on GF offerings, health food from Fresh Vitamins, and stop in for an organic lunch or juice at Organic Lifestyle, where Narissa and her husband treat me like family. What a joy!

The Only Picture I've Taken in Roseau

Cooking & Baking - Well when I'm not practicing Yoga, teaching dance, exploring the island, swimming, or hangin' out with friends, I'm in the kitchen... and I really love it! Who knew. I was never a big cook until pretty recently. I learned to cook at the Yoga Ranch, where as last resort they tossed me into the kitchen and had me cooking for 50. Hah, that's one way to work it out real fast! When I moved back to Brooklyn I cooked less, but now I'm back! Last weekend I did a cooking workshop with Sybil Allen Jones who has really opened my eyes to Caribbean cooking. This week I've made mashed green bananas (as opposed to mashed potatoes), and I've found new ways to incorporate coconut milk, oil, and season peppers. I've made some epic salads/ salsas with all the mangos, avocados, and tomatoes available here. And I'm just so thrilled every day to make fresh smoothies with the best ingredients. I'm feeling super healthy... even with all that local chocolate I've been consuming. Baking wise, I'm perfecting my chocolate chip cookies, I've made mango pie, and tonight my second ever gluten free cake. I've tried new recipes for other kinds of cookies... and I'm pinning many more to my "Get in My Kitchen" board on Pinterest to add to my repertoire. I think I'm going to make a pretty good mom. One day. hehe.

Rikki Preparing the Dough

GF Mac n Cheese Specialty

Cookie Ganache Sammies

Now while it looks like I'm a real perfect lifer here, trust me, I'm purposefully highlighting all the blessings in my life. The difficulties that have come up, while I'm learning to embrace them, and use them as lessons and catapults, I know these hardships are what will make life just that much better and more delightfully complex. I am practicing how to be happy within, and to be happy no matter where I am physically. It's all about what's inside the heart.

Love to All and Peace to All!

Jenny

Yoga Instruction

Blessed Friends & Dominican Community,

I would like to invite you to practice yoga! This ancient healing practice has transformed my life. It is truly accessible for all types of bodies and in all places. Because of all the positive growth I've experienced through yoga, I am dedicated to teaching the practice to others. Is yoga calling you?

I have practiced yoga for about 10 years and have both a Yoga Teacher Certification and Advanced Teacher Certification. I am a Registered Yoga Alliance Teacher - RYT 500. It would be an honor to guide all interested in one-on-one private instruction or private group instruction. 

Private Classes - $135EC 

Private Groups - $135 EC for up to 3 people, an additional $25EC per added person

Regularly Scheduled Classes (at your local establishment) - Let's discuss!

Please contact me if you would like to schedule a private, private group, or a regular class at your establishment.

Jenny Jackson Miller

767-225-9243

JennyLynn820@gmail.com

*or leave a comment below

I am located in Picard and am happy to travel to surrounding areas.

Blessings <3 

Love for Coconut Oil

I would like to share with you my love for coconut oil. This aromatic oil has many health benefits, for which I urge you to read the linked article from Wellness Mama who has an informed approach at describing this in detail.

I am particularly inspired by a great website that I've recently become privy: Mind Body Green. From which, I daily find myself reposting articles. MBG posts articles that are info dense in the health and wellness sphere and fun to read. Anyway I was getting a kick out of this article 20 Signs You're A Wellness Junkie (Hilarious). Going through mentally, saying yes.. check to that, yes to that, and definitely yes to You’ve made peace with the fact that you smell like coconut oil. What else would you use to cook, moisturize, remove makeup, floss, and fuel your car? 

So I don't fuel my car with it... yet, but I do use it extensively on a daily basis. I've turned my sister in law onto it for moisturizer, and I myself lather head to toe with it in place of lotion. I also use it for near everything in the kitchen. It can handle the high heat, and it just enhances the flavor of just about everything. (I haven't found a time when I've thought, nope, using a different oil next time).

So why am I so obsessed with coconut oil? Well, a teacher of mine, and Ayurvedic practitioner, Lalita Devi, first turned me onto coconut oil mixed with neem oil for my face due to some tenacious adult acne. (yuck!) While it helped a little, I was able to find that my gluten allergy was the cause... but that's another story. Anyway, in Ayurveda I learned that skin is considered an organ. A major component of overall health is through oleation of the skin organ. Huh?! So I learned that our skin soaks everything up, moving absorbed nutrients (or toxins) into the blood and bones which circulates all through the body. A crazy novel thing I was learning! A real game changer in my life actually. After that I really began taking a close look at ingredients in my beauty products. I urge you all to do the same. Whatever you're puttin' on that skin's going into your whole body!

From Ayurveda, I learned that coconut oil is particularly cooling for strong and more fiery body types (aka Pita Dosha). For a face that requires moisture, but light moisturizer at that, coconut oil has become my entire cosmetic supply kit. I don't need much else. And since moving to tropical Dominica, due to it's cooling properties, coconut oil is a great choice not just for face but for everything: applied both topically and absorbed through nutrition.

I can tell you from personal experience that when we use coconut oil on our bodies we actually contribute to a healthier immune system, but go ask a holistic/Ayurvedic doctor about the specifics on that one. I also hear that it contains a natural SPF... but I don't rely on it for a full few hours exposed in the sun, only on cloudyish days when I'm not going to be in the sun for long.

Enough rambling, now uses:

1. Face Moisturizer

2. Whole Body Lotion

3. Food!

5. (specific favorites for 5, 6, 7) Coconut rice

6. Coconut curry or Dal

7. Frying (not that frying is so healthy, but I loved my coconut oil fried okra).

8. Adding to anything in your daily diet, as 20 ml a day is good for brain function and memory

9. A tonic for fresh wounds

9. A mild sun block


Now that I'm writing, I'm realizing my list doesn't seem all that extensive, but it really is a big part of this household. Try it for yourself. Read the articles I've linked so that you know some of the super groovy health benefits. And then... never turn back!


Peace Ya'll,

Jenny

Blessings of the 28th Year

I recently had a birthday. We all have them of course, but as I was perusing through my pictures I thought: I need to do a recap of my 28th year. Holy cow was it full of blessings, adventures, and an exploration into the mysteries of life like one cannot fully describe.

Now (take a deep breath)...here's the short play-by-play:

I was in a movie about one year ago.. (okay I was just an extra). I saw Phillip Glass in concert on the summer solstice accompanied with my sweet angel "formally" asking me to marry him. I visited my brother and sister in law in Finland, accompanied with traveling around the country of Finland, then going to Sweden and Denmark. I traveled back and forth from NYC to the Yoga Ranch quite a bit where I stayed for extended periods in a tent. We went to Canada, Maine, and Vermont. I finished up an MBA at Baruch in Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Business, and I loved every minute of it. We had one wedding which we decided upon the date seven days before its occurrence which meant me running around Curry Hill gathering Indian food ingredients and going to M&J trims to buy random strings, ribbons, and other various decorations. I tried on lots of wedding dresses for our more traditional ceremony that was held in Texas on New Year's Eve. A kitten came into our lives and became number 3 in this new family. We waited out a hurricane in an airstream as trees crashed down all around us. I had one last hurah with a bachelorette party where, afterwards, I swore off drinking and smoking forever more. Christmas in Houston - Wedding in Austin - New York goodbye - then INDIA for 7 weeks. Back to New York where I battled vertigo but had some deep spiritual insights (in India too). I housesat at the most magical home in the catskills where we had to nurse a sweet little pup to her last days on earth. I experienced blizzards. My brother Jeff had his first sweet baby, Magnus. We packed up the Rav and a UHAUL and put the kitten in her travel house and drove from New York to Houston. Along the way we stopped first in Nyack to say bye to Cassy and to eat gluten free sweets. We celebrated Dennis' 60th birthday in Arlington. We spent the night in Gatlinburg and dropped in at Dollywood. We stopped at "The Farm" then drove onto New Orleans where we visited our friend Joe for lunch. Then Houston. We packed up and got rid of most of my entire life's belongings. Now my parents can move into their new home and not need to sort through 29 years of their princess-daughter's life. Then. We boarded a plane with Kitten, stopped overnight in San Juan. And alas, Dominica. Whew.

Thank you Lord for this year. My heart is filled with gratitude. The people, the places, the spaces. Wow. How can one girl afford such a wealth of experience? My heart is overflowing.


And now for the pictorial recap:

Movie Set in Parksville, NY

Phillip Glass at Battery Park

July 4th at Battery Park over the Hudson River

Trying on dresses, this was my favorite

with Jeff in Helsinki at the Hyatt by the airport

in Helsinki with Alex, Jeff & Molly 

Picnic on a hike

In Turku Castle, Jeff put on full metal chain-male 

Stockholm with Alex

Mom as a Finnish maiden

Coppenhagen Sand Castle Exhibition

With Mom at a cafe somewhere in Scandanavia

At the Subramanya temple in Canada

In some caves in Vermont nearing New York state border

In Maine sailing a boat

Near Woodbourne, NY doing some yoga exercises

Trying on "the dress" at Kleinfeld's

Ma making our malas for our Indian style wedding

Kitty relaxin' out the storm in the airstream

Trying not to freak out at the stripper ordered for the bachelorette

My lovies in Austin at Karaoke before the wedding

Stevie outside a Ganesha temple in Goa

In a hidden treasure nook on the grounds of a Rajasthani Castle

The Taj

Lighting our unity candle

Bathing in the tirtum in Kanyakumari

Babysitting Oscar in the snowy New York Catskills

Loving Magnus from afar

our favorite Annopji at the Yoga Ranch

Visiting my childhood first idol: Dolly

At The Farm in an octagonal stain glass dome

Mom with her Bluebonnet-wildflower bouquet in Mexia, TX

Kitty traveling in the Miami airport

Our first meal in Dominica!

Thank you for sharing the memories and the journey. Love and Peace to all!