Hi! I was born and raised in San Francisco. I am in Honolulu at Chozen-ji training in zen and martial arts (feels like spiritual warrior training!😁). I learned how to chop wood - makes me feel pretty badass. 💪🏼I am here at the temple most of September and have not left the grounds. So I would love to go places with my host. I love meeting new people and getting to know what makes them feel alive, sad, content, etc. What has your journey been like? The ups and downs of life.

I practice and teach taichi, qigong, yoga. At the zen temple, I have been learning kendo and boxing. Part of the training/conditioning is bringing up rocks from the nearby stream for the landscaping of temple grounds.

Outdoor adventures, outdoor work like gardening, movement/dance, laughter and meaningful conversations make my day.

At the university, I studied Cognitive Science with an emphasis in Human Computer Interaction. I also minored in Chinese Studies and spent a year studying abroad in Beijing. I run a small nonprofit that supports healing and violence prevention.

Some quotes I like and do my best to live by:

The world is like a mirror. When you smile at it, it will smile back.

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there. -Rumi

Check my assumptions because all the assumptions that we have inform the questions that we ask and the questions determine what we learn.

Be kind to yourself and others.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am here to find a safe place to stay and meet kind people to share stories and sightsee. What are your favorite nature spots here?

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have couchsurfed once in Paris, twice in Tokyo, once in Korea, and once in Nepal. All were great experiences.

Interests

Here are some photos that I did manage to post:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sasannayee

A musical instrument I play is the GuZheng (pronounced goo-jung) which is a traditional Chinese zither with a 2000+ history. It creates beautiful resonating sounds on its 18 strings.

Other interests: triathlon, yoga, meditation, art, dance, architecture, psychology, healthy foods, different cultures, tai chi.

• arts
• architecture
• photography
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• triathlon
• yoga
• meditation
• flying
• boating
• reading
• traveling
• outdoor activities
• hiking
• history
• psychology
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

Books:
Eat, Pray, Love
1984
The Da Vinci Code
Last Child in the Woods - talks about Nature Deficit Disorder!

Movies/Documentaries:
You've Got Mail - "I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address".
Avatar - "I see you".
French Kiss
The Buddha
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.
The Story of Stuff

Music: I enjoy a large range of musical genres from electronic to folk:
Sea Wolf - indie folk, alternative rock
Peter Gabriel and WOMAD - progressive rock, art rock, world music
Cold Fairyland - mix of Eastern and Western, classical and rock.
Kitaro - instrumental, spiritual, new age, folk
Janelle Monae - afro punk, R&B, indie pop, funk
DJ Cheb i Sabbah - global electronica
and of course Pink Floyd...Beatles...Celine Dion :)

Live Shows:
Vagina Monologue
Modern dance performances
Live music especially incorporating rare instruments/sounds

TV Shows:
The Big Bang Theory

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

*Camped overnight on the Great Wall of China
*Buddhist bicycle Pilgrimage - Bike 100 miles, visited 5 monasteries
*Solo-Trekked Ana Purna circuit in Nepal

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach yoga, taichi, qigong to support the flow of breath and ease of body.

I would love to learn how to surf! I would love to accompany you on hikes in nature and around town.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Taichi, qigong, yoga, meditation, cooking, stories, photos, Cantonese/Mandarin, cleaning.

Countries I’ve Visited

American Samoa, Canada, China, France, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, United States