Tag: Shannon Fitzpatrick

By Shannon Fitzpatrick

It’s a beautiful thing to bring happiness to others through doing what I love. During my past few months in China, I have found that despite the major changes that come about from living in a different environment, the things in life that have always made me happy, continue to do so. I have discovered that the flame of a true passion is not easily put out- it may flicker and change with changes occurring around it, but passion runs deep enough that regardless of the circumstances, it perseveres.

As mentioned in my previous post, I have been volunteering at V Yoga Studio in Shanghai- helping out around the studio and teaching English lessons to the yoga teachers who speak Chinese. In my case, my passion for yoga has allowed me to connect with a specific community that shares my same passion. With this, I have been lucky enough to contribute to the studio’s community in sharing my perspective and knowledge of yoga, and have learned so much from the warm and welcoming women around me in exchange. In our time spent together, it is clear that we enjoy eachothers’ company. With different things to learn from, teach to, and share with one another, we constantly empower one another and have thought-provoking interactions.

One of the most interesting aspects of my time spent at the studio is that every interaction feels so meaningful and thought-provoking, even when no words are exchanged. With a large language barrier between myself and some of the women who speak only Chinese, our interactions are often oriented in gestures and involve translation apps. Nonetheless, we still find ways of understanding each other and learning from one another.

The studio describes itself as a family and welcomes anyone into its doors to practice. Employees are constantly looking for new ways to share their passion for yoga with the community around them. In an effort to expand and achieve their goals, the studio manager has decided to create an outdoor cafe space on the roof of the studio where people can enjoy the positive atmosphere of the studio, without feeling obligated to practice yoga. I have been fortunate enough to be able to contribute to this action of passion sharing- helping to renovate the studio space for the new cafe. I definitely didn’t feel qualified when I was asked to help paint the walls of the new cafe, but had a blast doing so anyways.

I am so excited to watch the community of V Yoga grow and transform, and will continue to use my passion to help fuel the community’s fire.

 

 

 

By Shannon Fitzpatrick

Last post, I described the role that passion plays in fostering a sense of community. To build off of that, I’m going to talk a little bit about letting passion drive service. As I previously posted about, I have found an amazing yoga community here in Shanghai and am incredibly grateful to have met so many individuals with similar passions to my own . With almost three months down, and about a month and a half left of my time in China, I have been starting to think about my plans after my time in Shanghai.

In July, I will be heading to Uganda, Africa for the summer. In Uganda, I will be working with an organization called the Giving Circle, which is a non-profit organization that assists with educational and health development in poor regions of the world. In particular, I will be working with midwives in the African village called Kagoma Gate Village. In Kagoma Gate, I will be observing and assisting with health practices in an underdeveloped region of the world. The work that the Giving Circle does is incredible, and I am very excited to be a part of their efforts. The organization has been expanding and making unbelievable transformations in the Kagoma Gate community. As an entirely non-profit organization, the more money that is raised, the more aid the Giving Circle can provide.

Living in Shanghai, I have experienced life in a developed city where most of the population is relatively well off. Thinking about my near future, I will be living in a location vastly different from my current one, transitioning from a global city to an underdeveloped village. I began brainstorming how I can use my time here in Shanghai to help the individuals in Uganda who I will be working alongside for the summer.

One of my friends here named Sarah is currently a PhD student at the university where I am studying. Sarah was the yoga instructor at a yoga class I attended on campus, and we began to talk about yoga and have been friends ever since. A few days after I met Sarah, she invited me to an outdoor yoga class that she was holding at a nearby park. I had such a fun time with Sarah and her friends, and got an idea for a fundraising event to benefit the giving circle.

Now that temperatures are rising in Shanghai, I am hoping to host a fun night time yoga session outdoors. As of now, I am planning on co-teaching with Sarah, who speaks Chinese, so that she can cater to the Chinese speakers and I can cater to the English speakers. Between the two of us, we can spread the message about our event to our friends here in Shanghai, and by creating a suggested donation for the class, we will be able to raise some money for the Giving Circle. If all goes well, we can maybe even hold more than one event. It will be such an incredible feeling to be surrounding with new friends for a night of yoga for a great cause and I am looking forward to sharing more details on the event to come!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By shannonfitzz

I have just returned home from two weeks of traveling in Europe and Iceland, and currently sit at my computer with a huge mug of green tea and a snowy view outside my bedroom window in upstate New York.  In just a couple of weeks, I will begin my study abroad program in Shanghai, China. Since Chinese Universities do not resume classes until following Chinese New Year in February, I have had an extended winter break, thus providing me with the opportunity to travel a bit before I leave.

I decided to travel to Europe and prior to departing, my future adventures and experiences were largely unknown. I had a one-way ticket to London and plans with a volunteer organization in Greece, but other than that, the future was sort of a black box. I intended to spend a week exploring the city of London prior to heading to Serres, Greece, where I would volunteer with Refugees from Iraq, teaching yoga to women and children. Upon arriving in England, I met up with a friend with whom I was staying, and began ironing out the details of my arrival to Greece. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a mishap with the volunteer organization where I was scheduled to work, and my exciting service plans fell through. Life has a funny way of throwing little curve balls into your world and seeing how you respond- almost like some sort of game set up by the universe to see how you react in different situations. I knew I had to make the best out of my situation. After all, I had never been to England and was excited to be in a new place.

So, I was in London, without much of a plan. As bummed as I was that I couldn't spread my love for yoga to others, I used my time in Europe to explore different experiences and cultures, and to see things I had never seen before. From bustling market places, to ancient Catholic churches, to sacred Buddhist statues, I made it my adventure and task to explore new sights, sounds, peoples, and cultures with the goal of expanding my perspective beyond what it had been when I left New York . From London, I was even able to plan a trip to Iceland on my journey back to the States and experience the magic of this Nordic island country.

...continue reading ""And we danced on the brink of an unknown future, to an echo from a vanished past."-John Wyndham"