Gorgeous Greece (refugees and bureaucracy included)
Like a typical enneagram type 7, Lynn loves Mykonos and dancing. And the biggest difference from her life in San Francisco is how unstructured the days are. But don't rush to conclusions, as glamor is far from describing Lynn's normality.
"Here I have time to imagine and be creative. To even watch TED talks and think about what I am interested in" she says.
In October, Lynn responded positively to a call from the yoga community for volunteers on the island of Lesvos. She spent a weekend driving newly arrived refugees to the camps -- up to 70 Km away. Her experience with the refugee families made her realize she held many misconceptions about them. Ever since she values experience over information, and she wants to involve more people in the seeing of the reality.
I was prepared to be very pro-Syrian. They are coming from a war, we have seen the pictures. But I didn't know how I felt about the Afghanis and the Iraqis because it seemed that maybe they had been a little opportunistic here. Then I started driving families and hearing their stories. 'The Taliban were threatening us. We moved twice in Iraq and bombs were still falling. We didn't know where to go.' These were people who were speaking from their heart. So, my feelings completely shifted. If that's what is happening to you, it's bad. And I shouldn't be the one to judge if you should have left your country or not.
As every freelancer who respects themselves, Lynn has different cafes that she calls her office to break the monotony of working in her apartment. The Underdog is one of them -- pet friendly of course.
She confesses being Acropolitan, so in the evenings she meets friends over a glass of red wine in Hitchcocktales bar, in the area of the Acropolis metro station. But Lynn shores everyone up -- they don't fret about the economic crisis or the bureaucracy. Not quite sure whether it's by nature or by practice, but it's easy for her to focus on the good things.
I do live in Greece and I don't have the illusion that it's perfect. When the referendum came, that three-week period when we didn't know what was going to happen, I was depressed like everybody else. But it's like when you meet a person that you really like, and then you see their character flaws. I am not saying that they don't have a character flaws, but they are so much good that I kind of accept the bad and I find a way to work with it.
Fate vs. Destiny
Lynn's focus goes onto being herself, for only when you start to be you, the universe supports you and you do what you are here to do. But it takes a lot of hard work to get to your destiny. According to Kundalini yoga masters, 80% of the entire population are going through their lives asleep by following fate.
But you are on this planet to deliver something only you know about -- a life or even a moment of your life. That's destiny.
If I had stayed in San Francisco, living my very comfortable CPA life, it would have kind of been my fate. No one was going to complain, but it wasn't lighting me up. In my destiny phase, I can deal with a lot of hardship because I have a purpose.
She stays up quite late and gets up late, walks Roxie, makes new friends (often through Roxie), works on her book, builds the yoga community, workouts, goes out, runs yoga classes and online enneagram and yoga 40-day programs. Lynn belongs to Athens -- her chosen home.
But fitting somewhere is also tossed by the community you are trying to fit in.
I felt people here to be incredibly helpful, warm, engaging and willing to bring me into their circles. I haven't felt being left out or people being aloof. Being a single woman must have made it easier because I feel they want to protect me.
Stand as a lighthouse
In November, Roxie was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and she lost use of her back legs. But Lynn found a solution, and Roxie continued her walks by rolling on two wheels instead.
Lynn's answer to the veterinarians is a life lesson we can take with us on our way out from this meaty chat: "Please don't ever again say to me that there is nothing that can be done because we don't talk like that in this house."
Roxie died three weeks after our interview, and Lynn took some time out.
Lynn has overcome herself many times in her life. Being a teacher involves a lot of public speaking - not Lynn's cup of tea. Yet, she had to share with other people the benefits of Kunalini yoga.
For the first three months, while I was figuring out how to practice my teaching skills and not charge people for that, I taught in a homeless shelter in San Francisco. It was draining. There were some people who were extremely messed up -- drug users, mentally ill. And there were some people who were very spiritual. It was a big mix.
Her first official yoga classes were taking place at night in a clown school in the financial district of San Francisco. From there it was onward and upward.
But it all started with a single breath.
"Your breath will change your thoughts, and remember that your breath is free" she says slyly.