Yoga is a system of mental, physical and spiritual exercises or practices aimed at attaining bodily or mental control and overall well-being.  Through pranayama (a sanskrit word meaning "extension of the life force") or the breath, a person is able to transform body and mind.  During a recent trip to Florida to photograph the natural springs,  I spent time with my family and a couple Southern yogis.  Yoga is an ancient art that started thousands of years ago in a place very foreign to John's Creek, Georgia.  Nevertheless, yoga has found it's way into the deep southern regions of the U.S.  And, in my family.....cornmeal grits with collard greens have also been known to lead one towards enlightenment.

Our search began early one summer morning with a cup of french roast coffee and a prehistoric-looking paper map of the North Florida Panhandle.  We located a river within a couple hours drive from our beach house.  You see, my friend lives in this quiet, little fishing village along the majestic Emerald Coast of the Sunshine State.  A place that makes one realize how/why Native American tribes settled here thousands (approximately 9000 B.C.) of years before the white man.  These pristine coastal areas are a seafood lover's dream.  The north panhandle bays and seas boast local fare like oysters, bay scallops, shrimp and reef fish.  In addition, the fresh water bubbling from nearby natural springs sustained life for the tribes; literally and spiritually speaking.  This day, we went in search of natural springs more for spiritual reasons.

That evening, the local swamps and funky beach bars were enlightened by a rare, welcomed occurrence.  The Supermoon 2012....

Not all beaches in Philippine archipelago are created equally.  The numerous beaches on the island of Boracay host some of the most fine, white sand in the country.  As one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines, these beautiful beaches also host all-you-can eat dinner buffets and many late night beach parties.  Boracay is a mixture of tropical paradise meets Ibiza in the central visayas of the Republic of the Philippines.  On the island we came across the perfect mixture of wild Boracayan trike drivers, Filipino reggae musicians, and Eastern European exotic dancers.
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The Philippines is the 73rd largest independent nation, covering almost 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 sq mi) and an archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, and is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.  Its capital city is Manila.

The Island Images Photography team spent two amazing weeks in the Visayas.  There are three administrative regions in the Visayas: Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas.  We focused on the Central Visayas because of it's abundance of clear, temperate offshore waters and friendly local people.
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Ancient Hawaiians had a fully oral culture, passing down stories, songs, and traditions directly from generation to generation, and for a large part, maintain that oral tradition today.  One drawback to maintaining a largely oral culture is all that is lost due to the changing of time and the evolution of culture and introduction of new influences.  Since the arrival of Captain Cook in the Hawaiian Islands in the 1700s, much has changed.  Hawaiians are no longer predominantly an oral culture, and much of what was not preserved and documented after 1700 has been lost due to various factors such as the outlawing of religious practices and the practice of speaking English only prior to the Hawaiian Renaissance in the 1970s.

"Talking story" connects back to these Ancient Hawaiian cultural protocols and was the chosen method of sharing knowledge throughout the tribes;  primarily  passing values and beliefs, such as the importance of the 'āina (land) and kai (sea) and ohana (family).

Today we spent the day talking story with a local Thai mermaid off the coast of Waianae.  Thai mermaids are a rare (especially in Hawaiian waters), but incredibly photogenic subject.

This image shows a split view of a pod of spinner dolphins near shore.  Stenella longirostris.
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The seven mile miracle is a seven mile stretch of world class surf on the north shore of the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Island chain.  Here are a couple shots of a morning well spent at the North Shore, Oahu.
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Skin Diving is a popular activity in many modern island cultures.  Below, a skillful skin diver displays his catch. Octopus vulgaris.
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