Yes, it’s true, I have found Shangri-la, and the most extraordinary venue for a wedding EVER!
Better yet, this glorious piece of paradise belongs to a friend of mine, so I can attest forth the outdoor chandeliers, the fragrance, the waterfall, the magic of it all!  I was just visiting her at Haiku Mill last week! It’s an old sugar mill converted now into a setting exclusively for weddings and private functions. The chandeliers, marble, statues, pots, and other objects of desire have been imported from romantic destinations such as Paris, Venice, Vienna, and India to create a true heaven on earth. Located just above the ocean on the majestic Haiku road in Maui, if one’s taste is for decadence and lush outdoor fragrance, I suggest you give it a whirl! www.haikumill.com

Last week, while snorkeling with my daughter in Maui, we had such a magical, underwater experience. I was determined to see a green sea turtle, but wasn’t prepared to be so taken with a pair of squid. I’ve never seen squid on any of my snorkeling safaris , and I was amazed at how peaceful and communicative they were. They seemed to be a couple, floating side by side beneath me, looking at me with their big eyes, there is no way I will ever eat calamari again. Not after that connection!
Right after the squid experience was another first, an octopus, fantastic. I would never have spotted it on my own, it was my daughters keen eye that pointed him out, camoflouged between the rocks and sand. Then, we looked up, and floating quietly above us was our friend, the sea turtle. I had to keep swimming backwards to keep a good distance away from it, so docile and friendly, that turtle had no qualms hanging with us snorklers!
And all within 10 minutes. The magic of this planet never ceases to fill me with wonder!

I could barely contain myself when I literally stumbled  over a palm leaf right into a fully equipped Iyengar yoga studio on the beach this morning. I mean seriously, how lucky is that? I had read in the “Maui Lonely Planet” that the “Maui Yoga Path” studio was towards the South end of Kihei Rd., but I wasn’t expecting it to be right on the ocean and in the midst of my morning walk. I felt somewhat guilty at first walking in there with wet, sandy barefeet, but  it seems to be the norm here.

The 9.15am class was taught by Steve Salkin who co-founded the Las Vegas Iyengar Yoga Center in 2006. I can’t blame him for returning to Maui, the studio and the surroundings are idillic.

There were 9 of us in the  mixed-llevel class, over half of the students seemed to be regulars as they had their cards stamped upon arrival. The drop-in fee was $20 for the 1.15 class, standard for Maui. We began in sukhasana with parvattasana arms  , which made me smile, as sukhasana is translated to “joyful or happy pose” and opening up the armpits and stimulating the bodies nadis in parvattasana, throws depression miles away! A suitable pose to begin with, one I often begin class with in order to remove “dukha” (pain or sorrow) from the body.

The rest of the class was well paced and exceptionally taught, just as one would expect from a certified Iyengar Instructor. I had told Steve at the beginning of class that my left hip was nagging me a bit, so in savasana he carefully laid a bolster upon my upper thighs, followed by a 25lb weight wrapped in a blanket.That savasana was all sukha for me, glorious.

If you are headed to Maui for a holiday, this is a studio most definately worth experiencing.

Maui Yoga Path in the Mana Kai Maui Resort

2960 S.Kihei Rd, Wailea, Maui