What a fantastic experience my trip to Brazil was! I successfully taught my first college course, called Total Wellness, to a class of 18 wonderful, fun, kind students at Broward International University Brazil in the city of Belo Horizonte.
Highlights of my Brazil experience:
- Taking the students to a chiropractic office and getting adjusted by a Brazilian chiropractor who studied at Palmer College of Chiropractic just like me! We adjusted each other and taught the students about chiropractic, the spine, the nervous system, and how to use this science to stay well.
- Learning a few words of Portuguese and being inspired to learn more – Rosetta Stone and Duolingo here I come!
- Going to a beautiful yoga studio for a beginner yoga class and Yoga Nidra meditation with my students then hearing the students say how much they loved it.
- Enjoying the nice weather – 80s most days.
- Getting to try the Brazilian Martial Arts called “Capoeira” which is a mix of martial arts sparring and dancing (yes, really!) with music and chanting. So beautiful!
- Our weekend trip to the countryside to visit Inhotim, a Brazilian cultural institution that has botanic gardens, outdoor sculptures, and many museums. I hear it is the location for the Netflix show called 3%…I need to check that out.
- All the food….fresh vegetables, amazing tropical fruits such as papaya and passionfruit, Brazilian cheese bread made from yucca flour called Pao de queijo, famous cheese from the state of Minas Gerais, acai bowls (families go out for these as a treat instead of ice cream!), Brazilian coffee, South American red wines, and of course, meat, lots of tasty meat. We ate at a fancy Brazilian BBQ restaurant and tried all the different cuts of meat, more than I knew existed!
- The “million dollar view” from Broward House, the house where I stayed that my Cornell University roommate (who is also the Dean of this college in Brazil), Kim, lives.
- Sharing a meal and music together in the outdoor kitchen of Broward House with the students and some of the college staff.
- Making many new friends and having my world expand.
Dr. Amy Mercovich