That time I accidentally ran away with the circus...

Let me set it up for you: I was in Nicaragua. I’d just finished teaching a chakra-vinyasa yoga teacher training and I got stuck in the country because I had been robbed in Costa Rica. My passport was stolen so I had to get a temporary passport in order to get into Nicaragua from Costa Rica for the training. My full passport would be ready in 15-21 business days so essentially I was hunkered down in Nicaragua until my new passport was ready. Additionally, my credit card was stolen and I couldn’t book a flight out until my new emergency credit card arrived. This took a while.

I saw it as an opportunity to explore more of Nicaragua and essentially cut my losses. Nicaragua is FAR less expensive than surrounding areas and obviously significantly less than traveling onward or going back to Canada. Besides, I had sublet my place back home. So I stayed.

As always I shared stories and photos via instagram. Even after YEARS on the platform and making the majority of my living off of folks who come on retreat and to YTTs after following me there, it still astounds me when people reach out and offer me opportunities solely based on my social media presence.

Well THIS is exactly what happened with Momentom Collective. They saw, they stalked, they liked, they invited me to join them at a digital nomad residency about 40 minutes from Popoyo at the stunning Aqua Wellness Resort.

Aqua Wellness Resort is a collection of treehouses connected by jungle paths and wooden rickety bridges with ocean views, private pools and it’s very own beach that is basically a google image of paradise. It is one of the only luxury resorts in Nicaragua. So obviously I was going.

As with most decisions in my life, I went with my gut, I listened to my instincts and there was nothing immediately or viscerally telling me to stay away. So I said yes.

Maybe I should’ve researched them or their mission more, maybe I should have asked more questions… But I didn’t. I saw their instagram feed or a second, they looked legit. I was kind of stranded anyways and I had always wanted to stay at Aqua Wellness Resort, I’d heard amazing things about it.

I had NO idea what to expect but when I arrived I was greeted by many tattooed, dreadlocked, buddhapant and pinecone necklace wearing hippies who all smelled like amber and palo Santo, gave me big breathy hugs and said, “welcome home.”

shit. I’ve landed in a cult. What the fuck am i doing here?

This was my initial thought. But I got to my gorgeous little bungalow with ocean view and it calmed me. I also recount how in the YTT community that I’ve been building at Yoga Academy International we joke constantly that we are #notacult.

At least in my private space I had a little haven away from any chaos or weirdos. I told myself this would be good for me. I would keep an open mind, join this community with my heart open and complete the job I was brought in to do: take photos for Instagram, teach a yoga class and give a talk on social media.

In any close-knit community people of like minds come together. They probably dress and speak alike and enjoy the same hobbies. Put us in a secluded jungle setting, add in some rituals and sunset music-less dance parties, drum circles and hula hoops and frankly, any group of friends may be mistaken for an evil commune.

Momentom Collective welcomed me with completely open arms which in turn after a very stressful 3 prior weeks allowed me to fully relax, ground and decompress.

Momentom Collective was embarking on was their very first residency for likeminded business folk who were:

1. Location independent entrepreneurs (like me)

2. Loved yoga and/or circus arts

3. Were spiritually inclined

4. Loved living healthy and playing outside

5. Were nomadic or at least loved traveling

6. Understood the importance of watching sunset every night

7. Seeking growth of some kind in their lives

8. Enjoyed sharing meals, songs and happiness together as a community

9. Willing to take people as they were and see the best in everyone around

Even Tanto joined the community!

So basically, after stripping down my initial discomfort and judgments, I realized that I was amongst my own kind.

What I found was a community of spiritual beings who were sharing space as humans and accepting each other exactly as and where we were on our own individual journeys.

I found I was treated with incredible respect by the other resident attendees. This made me further respect them and their projects. There were change makers, magazine editors, fire dancers, hula hoop twirlers, social media managers, web developers, videographers, circus performers, stilt walkers and clowns. We all joined together to learn from each other to share and to grow.

After just a few days with Momentom Collective, I felt honoured to share my knowledge and skills as a yoga teacher and entrepreneur. They gave me plenty of opportunity and a platform to do just that.

We did workshops together and goofed around while we built our businesses.

Photos by: Moss Photography

One of the most enjoyable experiences with Momentom Collective was bumping brains with the founders- John, T and Gabs. I see their vision. I get the mission. It was so similar and aligned with my own. However we in no way compete with each other. I do Yoga Teacher Trainings, they do Circus/Artist/Business co-working thingies.

It was an opportunity to learn and share in a totally transparent environment without any strange feelings of too much disclosure. These three have managed to sustain what I am trying to- a steady community of harmonious individuals who work hard, play hard, laugh hard and spend most of the day outside and barefoot. Like me, sunset is part of the daily schedule and they believe in eating together in order to create a family feel.

As an objective outsider with a similar business model, I was able to see and feel out some gaps or struggles in their growth process that I’ve been able to overcome in my own and vice versa. Perfect really.

Momentom founders Terese, Gabby and John

Giving a mindful business talk with John and Paclow

Family style meals at Momentom Collective

Friday evenings are for winding down with wine, sunsets and poolside dance parties

The absolutely best part for me of (briefly) being part of Momentom Collective was being reminded to and given a space (or more like forcible inclusion) to play, to be silly, to reconnect with a part of me that I’d forgotten I had. I was given an open forum to fully express my humour, my weirdness, my quirkiness, my vulnerability, my softness, my klutziness, musicality and inner child.

It was met with complete acceptance and love. This made me further love and accept those parts of myself I’d long forgotten on the road to becoming a successful yoga entrepreneur, building a mindful empire of love and trying to be taken seriously while doing it.

Photos by: Moss Photography

I cannot wait to collaborate with Momentom Collective again. Giving talks about mindful, spiritual business was a joy. Being candid and accepted made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Sitting in the presence of artists and clowns forced me to tap into that creative and groovy space inside of me that begged to be remembered of its existence. Thank you.

There is no doubt in my mind that we will intertwine and cross Pois again.

No, I am not leaving yoga or my school. But I WILL take more time to play and maybe even clown around.