Goodbye dear India...

Goodbye dear India.... It is time to move on...

I shall so miss your warm afternoon breezes...

And Yoga on the roof (affectionately known as "the convection oven" in September and October)

Your eternal sunshine... 

And hazy slivers of moon peaking through a cloud of desperation 

Your bright exquisitely mismatched colors ...everywhere....

Your fearless curiosity...

And families of five comfortably riding on a motor scooter to town....

I will most certainly miss your infinite supply of fresh coconuts, cashews, dates, and papaya...

And the deep earthy pigments of spices and herbs that flavor food in a way I will not soon forget...

The aimlessly and ever-present wandering cows rummaging through...piles of garbage??? 

The sea-loving eagles swirling above my head, playing tag with crow and hawk...

Bright blue and green birds straight out of a fairy tale jungle making the strangest sounds you ever heard...

The hoards of wild dogs...protector or snarling beast depending on what side of the road you walk on and the position of the sun....

Thank you,  Thank you, Thank you for all your gifts, lessons learned, the many beautiful new friends, and all the tears of joy and sorrow. 

I have no doubt I shall see you again one fine day... 

I am so happy and grateful I smoothly and easily transition into my next amazing adventure...

      Palolem beach

     Madera's last day in India...

What is Tantra?

It has taken me literally months to answer this. Not because it is so complicated, ok, maybe....but more likely because it is so all-encompassing and has so many different definitions depending on who (and where) you ask. Learning tantra yoga in India has certainly helped me understand what it means to me.  I will first share some background based on information from the traditional system as well as some well known modern tantrics such as Swami Satyananda Saraswati...

One definition from a traditional Tantric perspective defines the word simply as "essence"....as in the essence of life itself. Another common translation of the Sanskrit word Tantra is "expansion" and "liberation". Therefore in this context, Tantra means to expand ones's experience and awareness of everything (the Absolute) and to attain spiritual knowledge and liberation.

What does that mean? Well, basically anything and everything...

Tantra is concerned with the domain of the physical, mental, spiritual, and the psychic.  It is involved with all of life...work, play, thought, passions, and all daily human affairs. The mystery as well as the beauty of Tantra is that it has never been rigidly defined as a whole  which allows for the adaptation of continuously changing conditions and does not become hindered by fixed dogmas. Tantra is also a most practical system as its purpose is to give each and every individual spiritual illumination by any reasonable means that brings one pleasure and happiness.  Seriously. Pretty cool, huh?

Traditional Tantric texts summarize the subjects of tantra to include: consiousness, worship of deities (Devi/Deva pujas), heavenly bodies (astronomy/astrology), different levels of awareness, psychic pathways and centers within the human form (nadis and chakras), laws and duties in society, incantation (mantras), magic circles (mandalas and yantras), symbolic and invocative gestures (mudras), spiritual practices (sadhana), magic, ceremonial rites/initiation/worship (puja), yoga asanas, pranayamas, meditation methods, science, alchemy, and the use of sexual energy as a means to Higher Awareness. 

The guru I have studied with in India will not even give a definition to the word Tantra other than "Tantra is Tantra." 

So what does that mean to me? It means Oneness. It means honoring EVERY human as a Divine and Sacred being. It is everything I have always believed without knowing there was a word to describe it.  I cannot in my wildest imagination (and believe me...that is one wild place)...think of a more wonderful definition of life than to truly follow my bliss and simply be the most authentic me possible. This is called dharma. What a relief it is to know this is all we ever have to do. The rest is just icing on the cake.... 

Ok...make that a gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free cake please....

I LOVE MY LIFE!

I am so happy and grateful I am a clear open channel of Divine Love And Light

Gokarna! The magic just never ends. Really.

I know I know...this is supposed to be about Tantra...but I'm still working on that piece.  Here, read this instead...

I had the most wonderful little escapade in the ancient and holy village of Gokarna last weekend.  One of my best friends came to visit me for a few days and serendipitously I had two days off in a row. So, we decided to take an adventurous train excursion straight into the heart of Spirituality in India. Gokarna is known for its numerous temples and thankfully I had been there before so I knew where many of the ones I had dubbed "my favorites" were to be found. 

The train Saturday was "fashionably" late so it was quite late in the afternoon when we arrived so we only visited a few temples before heading to my favorite restaurant for dinner....the home of the famous homemade peanut butter (!!!)  which of course was in all honesty the only reason I made myself go on this journey the first time I visited Gokarna. Thankfully I found so much more than just the peanut butter in this little town...like the giant penises! That's right...I just said giant penises. Yes, I'm sure I have your attention now. But we will get to that later. 

Sunday we went back to this lovely peanut butter palace, (yes, yes I know...I'm still talking about peanut butter...) as there are even more delicacies to be had at this "westerner friendly" paradise such as fresh salads, hummus, and coconut milk "milkshakes" with banana and mango (and no sugar!)...umm...YUM is all I have to say about that...I had three in less than 24 hours...is that wrong? 

Every night in this sacred corner of the world they hold a "puja" which is a beautiful ritual honoring various divinities, deities, and goddesses.  We walked around following the enchanting sounds of bells and drums until we found where all the action was which seemed to start and end at the Ganesha temple, one of my favorites of course...I mean come on...who doesn't love a big chubby smiling elephant?

I saved my very favorite for last which is of course the Nagas temple....yep, the Snake temple.  Which also houses one of the largest Shiva Lingams...that's right...a giant penis.  Ok, so technically it is the divine phallic symbol of Shiva...but still.  Wow. This temple is so interesting for so many different reasons, one of which is the absolutely gorgeous banyan tree in its courtyard. This structure is also filled with, as well as surrounded by tiny carvings of snakes in every shape and form imaginable. I just love it. So we decided to meditate in the temple and magically had the whole place to ourselves for a good half hour. I know, awesome right? Hanging out in an ancient sacred space, surrounded by snakes worshiping a giant penis. Anyway..where was I?

Soon after that it was time for us to part ways as she was staying in gokarna for a few days and I was heading back to the ashram that evening.  I flagged down a rickshaw and off I went toward the train station. Little did I know I was about to manifest something I had (randomly) been thinking of for the past few days.  Recently, I had decided I wanted to drive in India...just for the experience. I had never driven on the left hand side of a road, nor had I ever driven a motorcycle before, (which is more common to see than actual vehicles here). Low and behold I asked this lucky rickshaw driver if I could drive and he actually said yes! I couldn't believe it. I had so much fun I made him take a picture of me. See goofy photo below...(In case you're not familiar, a "rickshaw" or "tuktuk" or "mototaxi" as they are sometimes called is a motorcycle that they modify by basically adding a funny little backseat and roof. Quite efficient but don't go anywhere uphilly or you'll find yourself getting out and pushing those little buggers uphill yourself. Ha)

So after a short but fun-filled adventure and then another "unexpected" extra long stint in an Indian train station I boarded the train home. It's always an interesting journey in foreign countries when you are not only the only blond white "westerner" for as far as the eyes can see but also the only woman...don't women ride trains in India at night??? Where are you gals anyway? So That was fun. I'm pretty sure I was the only blond white thing many of those locals had ever seen. It was all good..until I stole somebody's seat, which turned into a bit of a kurfuffle...but thankfully he laughed when I made a funny face at him. Ok, so I childishly stuck my tongue out, which I could tell surprised the hell out of him. I gave him back his seat eventually and we made friends. Ha ha. 

Whew. Two days of sacred beautiful magical peanut butter coconut milk divine yumminess I tell ya. Later. 

Yep...I got to drive this bad boy all the way to the train station...

the gutsiest rickshaw driver in Gokarna... 

The Nagas Temple Shiva Lingam (complete with Spirit Being hovering above)

I am so happy and grateful life is EASY and FULL OF MAGIC!

Thank you, India! I am so grateful for all your mystery and magic!

Where has the time gone?

Oh India you can be serene after all! I have spent the last two months in what I know has got to be the most tranquil place in this whole entire country.  The ashram where I am living is nestled in a palm tree grove, lined by rice paddies, by a protected sea turtle hatching area in a little cove beach.  There are more people around now than there were when I first arrived, but it's still [fairly] quiet. Tropical birds singing, the sound of the ocean waves, an occasional welcome gentle breeze, as well as the ridiculously loud clown car style horn honking from the regular parade of public buses and barking from any number of the 862 dogs that live within earshot grace our presence with their daily celebrations.  The rains have long ended and left us with warm sunny days...literally surrounded by swaying coconut palms, mostly spent on the covered roof of the ashram.  

This lovely place, a giant building (a giant building painted two shades of pepto-bismal pink mind you...) as well as another couple of equally colorful buildings in the vicinity,  house anywhere  from 30 to 70 students depending on the month eagerly learning the art of Tantra Yoga. We spend most hours of the day practicing, learning, and teaching yoga asanas, pranayamas, bandhas, mantra chanting, learning Sanskrit, pujas (rituals) as well as Vedic philosophy, the art of right living, and of course...eating absolutely amazing vegetarian Indian food. Did I mention... I LOVE MY LIFE!!  What a magical place this truly is. My time here has stirred everything within me and gifted me the realization that all I have ever believed about Consciousness and our place here on earth has led me here and now...to Tantra. I know what you're thinking...what exactly IS Tantra?  Great question..unfortunately you are going to have to wait for the next blog.  Hahahaha. Sorry.  The secret to the Universe is forthcoming!  I promise. So long for now...

I am so happy and grateful I lovingly go with the Flow of the Universe.

Things I learned on my road trip in just four days in India....

Ahhhh. Now I'm in the airport. A place I have become very familiar with, as this is literally my 6th time in the Indira Gandhi international airport. Every flight in and out has been in the ginormous "Terminal 3"...I'm not sure what's goin on in the other two terminals but I know every coffee shop ..uhhh....forget that....chai tea shop...toilet and Indian fast food joint in this place. I always go by the "bazaar" and spray myself with whatever yummy stuff that smells like sandalwood...that's right, so I won't smell like pee. Oh..sorry that story comes later apparently.  

Speaking of smells, there is some kind of strange phenomenon going on here that makes all deodorant instantly stop working. Maybe it can only handle so much sweat...I don't know but let me tell you, I've got issues. 

And why is it that in all 184 of the bathrooms in this place (and other places such as nicer restaurants and so forth) there is always someone in there....waiting for you?  They pump soap (if your lucky) and turn on the faucet, occasionally hand you paper towels...if your in a fancy one such as the IGI airport. (But not the Kathmandu airport.  That one is absolutely nasty.)  Now I am the first to admit that I can use all the help I can get, but the bathroom is one place I believe I know my way around....(ok, we'll sort of...ugh). There is a whole work force out there training to be bathroom technicians. Seriously. If you can work your way around a faucet (which let me tell you...sometimes it's trickier than you would think possible) and a paper towel dispenser...there is a job waiting for you here in India. Just sayin'. 

Despite my effort to eat by my intuition I am beginning to rethink this whole gluten-free business, ...omg. I LOVE garlic naan. Holy moly. I don't even want to know what's in it or how much of what kind of oil is used to make it. I want it. My belly often...ok...Always..argues but....but...but...   I. Want. It.

Yes...! the whole freakin' basket they bring you. 

I am thinking of starting a movement. It's called "free-gluten"! ...But just for garlic naan. Ok, it's a small, temporary movement...alright, maybe I have an addiction. Help. 

"Plain vegetables" means covered in lots of spicy sauce. Always.

 I know, I've tried, but ok, just give it to me...whatever. 

It still tastes awesome. How could it not? I'm in freakin' India. These people know how to cook some spicy food. Who am I to argue?

Did you know that...Two lanes can also be five? Huh. Who knew. 

Fortunately, rarely do roads have "lanes" which means its just a good ol' fashion free-for-all. If you can squeeze your ass in that space, you're good. 

Oh yeah, honk a lot first so every body knows your pushing them out of the way...then pull up in there...go on...now don't dilly dally...

...and then maybe honk some more just for good measure...

All cars in India are white. Ok, they all used to be white. There must have been a clearance sale.  

On the other hand, there are a lot of gigantic trucks, which oddly are very colorful. Usually due to some enthusiastic young lad with cans of spray paint I imagine, but very colorful nonetheless. Even the big trucks have colorful scarves flowing off the back of their necks. I love it!

Still learning the art of Indian toilets. Often here, places will boast about having "luxurious western toilets". Western toilets are not always a luxury as you have to sit on them. Naked. Trust me. This is rarely a good thing.  Indian "toilets" are holes in the ground with bumpy places to put your feet next to the hole.  I have yet to figure out how to do this without peeing on my shoes. I'm like, ten for ten. This is a rather unfortunate situation as I wear sandals...'cause its like 35 degrees.... In fahrenheit that's like 150 or something. And I have pee on my feet. Always. Yep. I stink. That's okay, I am not a minority. At least in that regard. 

Speaking of minority, I get a lot of looks. Fortunately, I get a lot of smiles....as well as my fair share of wide eyed blank stares.  Yes, it's true, omg...I'm white, blond, and I talk funny. By some of the reactions, I must be a very small minority here these days.  In fact, people are constantly staring at me. It's funny how easily you get used to it though. I just smile as big as I can. That's right people... I'm tall and I'm weird. Just stay back. 

I'm thinking of going out in clown paint. Just as an experiment. I'll let you know how that one goes. 

For now?  I'm headed south people. There is just not enough fruit in the north. That's right I'm after fruit... and not just hard little apples and warm mushy bananas.  Somebody show me to the place with the coconuts...

I am so happy and grateful I eat and crave foods that nourish me deeply and wholly. 

There. That should take care of this whole "gluten" issue. 

The Golden Triangle. Kinda like the Bermuda Triangle...but weirder.

Consider yourself warned...this one's a doozie....proceed with caution. 

I just returned from what can only be described as a two week excursion crammed into three days. Well, three days of...omg... I just spent three quarters each of the day light hours of three full days "driving" (or shall I say being present inside an automobile) ...attempting the "Golden Triangle" experience. Who planned this ridiculous trip? Uhhh...that would be me. 

1,000 km doesn't sound like an epic journey anywhere...does it?...(maniacal laughter ensues)...

First of all, I can safely say now, I am happy I had this experience. I got to visit the freakin' Taj Mahal. How cool is that kids!?! Secondly, I'm happy it's over. 

The "Golden Triangle" is a triangle on the map connecting New Delhi, Agra (the Taj Mahal), and Jaipur. Of course "connecting" has an interesting new connotation for me now.  

 I had three days before I flew to Goa and the only thing I knew was 1) Three days was way too long to spend in New Delhi and 2) I was way too close to one of the 7 wonders of the world not to make the effort to get there. 

The odyssey began late one night (...wow..that was only three nights ago....anyway...I digress). I had flown in from Kathmandu and arrived fairly late in the evening. 

I was on a mission -that night- to hire a driver to take me on this {preposterous} journey. I didn't shop around, I didn't interview people, I trusted in the Universe to guide me.... And, oh did it. Success! I found the sweetest, most polite and courteous driver in this crazy place to fulfill my request. He treated me like a queen.  Early the next morning we headed for Agra...the city known only for housing the one and only, Taj Mahal. 

Having only had a couple of taxi rides in Delhi from the airport to various hotels (I have been flying in and out of Delhi now for over two months so I FELT  like I was familiar with India at this point, but alas I realized soon after we departed on this journey I didn't know squat.) Getting there was more than half of it. It felt at times like getting there wasn't even guaranteed. When we did actually arrive in Agra (late that afternoon and on a Friday...the only day it is closed) I was not only relieved, but exhausted, frazzled, and wondering what exactly was I trying to accomplish here...all in the name of....fun??? 

Ha. Take that! I'm still here. 

Lets start with the "department of transportation".   This would include the concept of road maintenance. Which I am afraid would be, well... none. What the hell,  people?  The term frequent "Land mine" potholes come to mind....on the highway...where people drive.."things" fast.  Yeah...dodge these while trying to figure out which of the speeding truck-angry taxi-bicycle-rickshaw-tractor-camel driver-motorcycles is honking at you and apparently, they all want to be exactly where YOU are. Fancy that.  And then there is the case of the rest of the "department of transportation" experiences you will encounter along the way, such as..."Diversions". This is the sign you will see regularly and this means "get ready to shift".  Sounds easy enough, right? 

All I can say is I have never had so much time to practice my calming, meditative pranayamas (breathing exercises) before. I'm really good at them now and don't even have to think about it...they come as naturally as...huh...breathing. 

Where was I? Oh yeah...the Taj Mahal. Yeah yeah yeah... Big freakin' marble building....

I got to witness this "bigger than you can ever imagine marble structure" at dawn. The sun's first light shining upon this translucent marble surface is like nothing I have ever seen. I was fortunate to be accompanied by a lovely and knowledgable young Agra native that shared the less than wonderful story behind this monstrous building project. 

You know the tale..."love story meets epic ego-ridden rich guy saga" and basically 20,000 craftsmen that carved this giant mother-scratcher by hand got their fingers and hands cut off so there would never be anything like it ...ever ...on the planet again. The dude was so crazy he wanted to build another one and the guys own son locked him away for life. Uh. Huh.

Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to have witnessed this piece of art. It truly is amazing...the detailed carving of what is said to be the hardest marble on earth, is astounding. The inlaid stonework with onyx, carnelian, and other gems...it truly is a sight to be held.  My gratitude goes to all the artisans involved with this grandiose project. They did a bang up job. 

Next on the itinerary was Jaipur. I'll be completely honest. I have no idea why I asked to be delivered to this "other" crazy city...I knew absolutely nothing about it...until I arrived at the "astronomical playground" as I would later affectionately call it. It's real name is "Jantar Mantar". It's a world heritage site and was built fairly recently (in terms of history in India..) about 287 years ago. It is a park- like courtyard just outside the palace and it contains all sorts of giant sundials,  zodiac alignment tools, "Chakra Yantras", and various Solstice/Equinox calculating devices... It was truly like a mystical playground. Yum! 

The palace inside the "pink city" was lovely...as well as the museums, the "Jah Mahal"....the water palace- in the middle of a lake -which really isn't a palace but a big fancy palace-looking structure where they would hunt tigers...boooo :-( on the surrounding mountainsides, the "mirror temple"...which is exactly that...a temple made of tiny cut pieces of mirror, which is just trippy I gotta say... Whew. It was quite the experience. And then...back to Delhi. 

My kind driver, who I affectionately called "friend", and who would continually call me "ma'am" absolutely cracked me up. ....So, he gets in the car and looks at me, smiles, and says "English, no", "Hindi, yes"...which would be a perfectly reasonable thing to establish if this had been within, oh...I don't know...say an hour within meeting each other. But this fun little conversation was happening on the SECOND day after having had many conversations with him speaking Hindi to me, and me responding in English, telling him....again... I didn't understand. We would both giggle and then continue to be quiet for several hours. Then the process would begin again. The only words we mutually understood, (clearly NOT being each others' names as these were never truly understood by either of us) were the words "lunch", "water", and "toilet" as these were the only words that matter when you spend what seems like an eternity with someone in a car on a road trip. For three days. Think about it. 

It's like being alone. But watched. As he too was an Indian fascinated by this freaky white girl wanting to be driven all over India in what was (obviously) too little time. I don't think either of us knew exactly what we were getting ourselves in to. Ha. 

I think my "friend" could tell I was a little anxious about the every day normal goings-on of the highways in India...to put it mildly. What he didn't realize was half the anxiety was from him. The more anxious I looked, the weirder he drove. Do you know what's worse than an aggressive driver in India? A timid one. You know the type...you're on the interstate and the merging vehicle instead of speeding up to "go with the flow" slows down and brakes...pissing off everyone around you. Yep. That's right ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to my world. 

Combine that with one weary [no I'm not a control freak] lady, who was originally asked to sit in the backseat, but insisted she sit in the front seat [no I'm not a control freak]...I never imagined in a million years there would come a time where I would think to myself while riding in a car (repeatedly...ok...almost continuously at times) in a place such as this, "I wish he would just let me drive". [No I'm not a control freak!]. Seriously. If you could have heard the conversation going on in my head.... 

I don't know if he was being so timid because he thought I was nervous and going slowly and so passively would ease my mind, or if he drove that way all the time but....I gave myself a stiff neck by literally forcing myself to look out the side window so I wouldn't "backseat drive in my own head". I hope he didn't see me pushing my imaginary gas pedal down to the ground. 

Road tripping in India...all I can say is ...don't forget your valium.  I think next time I'll take the train.  No offense, my friend.

Thank you for a truly wild adventure (did I mention almost getting run over by elephants!!?!) and especially for returning me safe and sound.

Thank you for helping me learn to TRUST IN THE UNIVERSE especially by letting go of things totally out of my control. 

Thank you for showing me your kind, beautiful heart. This sweet man volunteered to come pick me up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and take me to the airport. 

Thank you.

I am so happy and grateful I trust in the universe!

More fun things about Nepal...

As far as I can tell, nearly every door that locks, in every hotel, has a giant skeleton key. That's right. I said skeleton key.  I didn't know those things still existed...until now. And, what's even more fun, is that they all come with a huge metal plate inscribed with the name of wherever you are. Try carrying THAT get-up around in your bra all day. (Of course you men don't know what I'm talking about...your clothes all have pockets.)

My current skeleton key and its unnecessarily ginormous brass plate is inscribed with the words "Jesus Block". I asked if I was put in this room because I was from America. She laughed and said, no,  that's just a bonus.  Who knew you had to come this far to find Jesus. 

Every time someone asks where I'm from and I say, "The United States", the immediate response is, "Oh, are you from California?"  And then I was told that they should know better than to ask that because when people from California are asked where they are from, they say "California". No one, and I do mean no one, knows where Georgia is.  

That's okay...I didn't know much about Nepal either....

It's a jungle out there. Literally. Somehow that's not how I pictured Nepal. I ignorantly thought I would be in a barren cold valley surrounded by Everest-like snow covered mountains. It's lush and tropical even....(with lots of monkeys!) seemingly fruitless, but tropical feeling nonetheless. Huh. Go figure. The big snow covered mountains are lovely too, although you rarely catch s glimpse of them during monsoon season.

Now here's something important to discuss...

There's a whole lot of spitting that goes on around here. Seriously. I have no idea. Maybe it's the air quality in the city. I have theories. And not just light little spittle spitting either...the full on, gather everything from the gut up to the nasal passages kind of spitting. I cannot tell you how many times I have actually been awakened in the morning by this disgusting sound. Really people, must you do that outside my open window? At 5:30am? Do some pranayamas for heavens sake. 

 

Bathrooms. Now I know I was mystified in (several) other countries, but the bathrooms in Nepal take the cake. There are so many spigots (literally, not including the sink, I have three in the bathroom where I am now...you know... Jesus's place). There are always buckets, big bins, and other accoutrements that make me think there is something way more complicated that is supposed to be going on in here. I never knew washing myself could be so confusing. 

Am I doing it wrong by picking one faucet, turning it on and standing (more of a crouching really) underneath it??? 

And what's wrong with shower curtains? Or heaven forbid a shower stall? Why must the entire room become your shower? I cannot think of any reason why this is a good thing except when your are cleaning the bathroom. Because the whole thing gets wet. And with 653% humidity it never dries. Ever.

 Maybe that's why there is always a pair of flip flops in every bathroom. 

Speaking of bathrooms...the bum guns are back!  Yay! It must be an Asian thing in general. And thank gawwd because the toilet paper here....well let's just say that perforated tissue is a good thing. I don't know who invented perforated toilet tissue but their idea didn't take off here. I don't know why. Without it you end up with...well, it's not pretty. 

Yes, bathrooms shall forever remain a mystery in more ways than one. 

Tired of discussing bathrooms? Ok, how about food? My other favorite subject...

White rice. It grows here, ya know. It's really beautiful to see actually...terraces of this emerald green grass up and down the mountainsides. 

All I know is there MUST be some kind of secret nutritional value in white rice because every human (sage and fool alike) on this continent eats a shit-ton of it.  At every meal. Every day. Morning, noon, and night...forever. And likes it. 

It's growing on me. 

Ooowheeee Nepali's like their spice!! I have developed a new taste bud in my mouth. It's called FIRE. And you have to live here a while to develop it. And you douse the FIRE with...you guessed it. White rice. 

Oh yeah, and tea! It's lovely. I know the English (and yes of course many others) have been doing this afternoon tea thing for quite some time, but I'm beginning to like it. Tea anyone?

Well, now that I have discovered some of the important mysteries of Nepal, it is time to move on. India, here I come....

My experiences in Nepal (food, bathrooms, and customary bodily functions aside) have been amazing.... The flora and fauna, the majestic mountains, the mystical and spiritual energy of this sacred land have all captivated me. Of course it is the people that make up a land... The people of Nepal are truly special. They are kind and loving and so many have touched my heart. Thank you beautiful Nepal for a magical adventure I shall not soon forget. 

I am so happy and grateful I am open to new adventures in life...

The 11 days that changed my life...

Its true! I joined a commune and found Jesus! 

Of course it was the name of the building I was staying in, but I found him alright. Ok, so I was only in the commune for eleven days, but I lived a lifetime there. Really. I have had the pleasure of stumbling across an Osho meditation center in this sacred land they call Nepal. 

12 days ago I would have told you that I had been meditating for years and knew what I was doing. Now, I realize I didn't know shite from shinola and meditation is so much more than I ever thought. And...at times more difficult for hours on end than I ever though possible as well. 

When I would hear people say "Meditation is the answer to everything" I honestly didn't really understand what that meant. I certainly don't have it all figured out, but after the first week of vipassana (silent meditation), I began to have a clarity that I have never felt before. I understand how mediation effects EVERY aspect of life...physically, spiritually, emotionally...in every plane and dimension. For me, it has especially helped center and ground...helped me stay in the present moment, come back to the present moment more quickly when I have wandered off, and more frequently. 

My creativity has skyrocketed...  I wrote so many pages in my journal about new ideas, thoughts, and perspectives...I see the value in keeping my reality spontaneous...less limited by past habits and mundane routines that keep us in that safe (but boring!) comfort zone.

By learning to become awareness itself...being the "watcher", I can see the gaps between thoughts happening more and more. In that stillness is peace...A tranquility that no material object or money could ever equal. 

This meditation commune has been the most beautiful gift. Living in a community full of peaceful beings (I mean seriously peaceful beings!) that share the same mission of consciousness and the desire to share that gift with the world has effected me greatly. Days filled with a variety of quiet meditation as well as sessions full of dancing, shaking,  humming, jumping, "cathartic noise making" and a variety of other powerful transformational activities...

.....Dancing every night to joyful beautiful music with a room full of people so happy to be there celebrating together...smiling faces as big as the moon...the air filled with incense that takes you instantly back to an ancient civilization...the nightly Osho discourse filling your soul with love and understanding... And of course the yummy SPICY Nepalese vegetarian meals... I shall take this amazing gift everywhere I go and share it with as many souls as I can find. 

Thank you Thank you Thank you! I love my life! 

Meditation does not have to be the chore as many uninitiated people believe...contorting yourself into the Buddha-in-lotus position ...mentally torturing yourself by fruitlessly attempting to empty your mind.... Ok...there are a few moments of that in a week long vipassana...but I anyway....  At least I was sitting comfortably (my lotus needs a little work) and a couple of sessions I actually used a chair! Of course at first it felt like cheating (but its not!)...it is more important to be RELAXED. That is the key. Relax, be comfortable and just watch. Watch your breath at first. Then watch your body. Is there a pain or an itch? Try just watching it, as Osho would recommend. The itch disappears. The pain releases. (Ok, maybe not the pain from the lotus position..where was I...?) These are all simply distractions. ...Huh?...

Ahem...as I was saying...These are all distractions. See?

Watch your feelings. Watch your emotions. Be "the watcher on the hill" Osho would say.  This practice... this discipline some might call it, leads to the ultimate freedom. Peace. When you are at peace, you are free. 

Try it. I double dog dare you. It might just change your life as well. 

I am so happy and grateful I am always at deep peace. 

Trekking in the Himalayas...oh yeah, babeeee....

Oh Nepal, you are so wild and crazy!

Your mountains are amazing yet so shy! Monsoon season...with your endless clouds and shifting winds, hide your majestic beauty more times than not. And then, quite literally out of the blue, sparing a peek at your peaks!  Rivers, lakes, lush valleys, infinite stone pathways.. high and low...across the raging river on the creepiest bridge I've ever seen or felt beneath my feet!  ...And a crop of leeches, the likes of which these eyes have never seen. These little vampires searching for blood honestly tormented me a day or two (..or six)!  The paranoia with each step wondering if I was being drained of my life energy somewhere deep in my sock,  kept me on my toes for days. Continually scanning my shoes for these suckers ...menacingly inching up to find their oblivious host... Yikes! I missed one or two and found a blood drenched sock later in the night...

What interesting people I have met along the way...Japan, Malaysia, England, Spain, and Australia seem to be the homes of most the travelers I met. Nary a one from the good ol' U.S. of A.  I was an oddity in more ways than one, I am sure. We spent many evenings comparing leech bites and stories of the places seen along the way. Our guides gathered somewhere off in the kitchen comparing entertaining tales of the touristy-trekkers they effortlessly guided through their home turf. That's okay, laugh at me if you will...I made it back to Pokhara in one piece, much wiser for the journey...much less blood, but in good spirits physically and mentally. 

Thank you dear Rami for an amazing trek in the Himalayas. You are a wonderful guide and I shall never forget this magnificent journey. See you next time ready to tackle Mount Everest!!!...okay, at least the trek to the base camp!

And now for the long adventure back to Kathmandu... Ciao!

I am so happy and grateful I am pure Unconditional Love

Jhinu- Day Two

"Australian Camp" where we spent the last night of the trek

Fun things about Nepal so far...

You know you're in for a treat when you're in a time zone that is ___hours and 15 minutes off from the rest of the world. I mean really. What's up with that?  

Most street vendors sell face masks. In all sorts of pretty colors, even.  Hmmm. I don't even know what to say about that. 

Monsoon means everything it sounds like it does. Mud. oh, and wet shoes....Often. 

What is a sidewalk? Nothing, when motorcycles drive on them. It's like their own personal HOV lane. Watch. Your. Ass. 

Even the bicyclists will run you over. Funny, I always thought of cyclists more on the "pedestrian-friendly" side of things.  Here, their horns are louder than the vehicles. 

Lots of cool hippie clothes for sale. None of the locals wear them. Only tourists are hippies? 

Nepalese don't like veggies as much as the Thai. Damn. However, the veggie momo's are awesome, although I'm not 100% convinced they don't have meat in them....? 

I mean come on...who doesn't love a good mystery dumpling?

Oh yeah...they have gigantic mountains here.  Unfortunately as it turns out, I am completely ill-prepared to climb them on this journey. I'm just gonna stare at them and do some yoga. 

Smile even bigger! The Nepalese are even nicer!!! Seriously. 

And how can you resist when everyone is constantly saying "Namaste" to you??? I love it! 

-Namaste

Mantra of the day: I am so happy and grateful I am always surrounded by beauty. 

Fun things about Thailand...

No matter what quality of accommodations you find...don't eat your snickerdoodles in bed. There are ants. Everywhere. A lot of them. And all their friends. Apparently they come with the room. 

Amazing food grows wild. Bananas, papayas, and coconuts oh my...they grow like veritable weeds around here! Yay!

Your shower is your entire bathroom. Don't forget to remove your tp and bath towel. Yep..learned that one the hard way. And yes, the bathroom floor and your toilet seat are permanently wet. 

Oh yeah..."the bum gun".... It seems like a weird idea but you get used to it. There is hardly ever toilet paper, but almost always a bum gun (you know, it looks like the sprayer thingy next to your kitchen faucet but conveniently appears next to toilets or toilet-like holes in the ground). I found them annoying at first but I know one day I'll miss them. 

Flip flops are suitable footwear for ANY and ALL occasions  in the country and everyone here knows it. Why bother bringing anything else? I've worn my sneakers a total of...never. 

(I know that will change because I'm going Trekking!)

In Thailand you have bills with 1,000's on them. So what if it means you have about 30 dollars. You feel like a zillionaire. 

Smile. Everyone here is nice. That's right. Everyone. 

The best part? Thai people love veggies! Thank gawwd! The food is AMAZING! Curries, coconut soup, fresh herbs, chilies...don't even get me started about Tom Kha...yum yum and yum! 

Oh Thailand, I love you so.  Thank you for all your magic, warm waters, stunning sunsets, laid back-totally chill vibe, and your super kind-friendly faces. I will be back some day for sure!

Now, I prepare to transition to the next adventure...  (Dramatic music...) Kathmandu, Nepal!

Mantra of the day: I am so happy and grateful I trust in the universe!