LIFE ON SCHOOLHOUSE EARTH

"Give up the drop. Become the ocean." ~ Rumi

Monsoon season has flooded parts of India, but I am safe and sound here. Despite the rain and the red mud everywhere. I hand wash my clothes in a bucket in the bathroom which take days to dry, hanging around my room. There is still too much rain to hang them outside.

Another sleepless night. Gun shots or firecrackers went off every few minutes and the diarrhea became unbearable! I finally gave into the antibiotics the health nurse sent with me when I had my vaccinations. No sleep, no fluid or electrolytes and I am off to yoga at 6:15 am. I arrive and don't even get to sit to wait when Sharath calls, "You! Come! No resting!" (My yogi name is 'You' it seems.) I go through the motions with my sluggish body, and for my last pose, the 'turtle', Sharath comes and helps me 'bind' my hands (connecting the hands together to hold the pose for five long breaths). I warn him that I think I pulled my hamstring yesterday and the force may make it snap, as he pushes on me to go deeper. He says "Muscle just opening." Sure! At breakfast a yogi friend says he has a crush on me...I say "No, we just go way back... a few lifetimes!" Ever have that feeling? Plus I'm naive and unpolished in my practice which must be refreshing from all of the rubber bands around me. On one side, a lady is in a hand stand, with her feet touching her head. I stopped and stare. The man next to me had purple nail polish on his toenails. (Yep- theres alot of that here too)



At the orphanage, the kids were acting out of sorts. Violent, crying, fighting. Plus, I had no patience with my lack of sleep. I tried to read a story but the lack or respect or concentration frustrated me. They too must have been awake all night. One little girl took a stick and was whipping the other kids. The old lady took it from her, ordered the kids to all sleep in a row on a sheet on the marble floor. They closed their eyes and she would whip them with the stick if they opened their eyes. They all fell asleep.

Getting away from it all

I went power shopping with Amy from LA. At the tailors I had 2 saris made into duvet covers, and then we hit the Sahara market. I was telling her about how my attitude has shifted since I stopped treating the natives defensively, but with an attitude of gratitude. Everything shifted in my inner and outer world at that point. Circumstances are the creation of people, not the other way around.

"There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. The true nobility lies in being superior to your previous self." ~ Chinese proverb

Today, we had our own little tour guide- a boy of eleven who wouldn't accept a tip. He spoke his native tongue, fluent English and bantered with me in French. I wonder who is the richer person? Communication is sometimes far more valuable, as I have especially learned here. I made sure I knew the basics before I came. It's important to know manner communication and gratitude wherever you travel. It gets you alot of mileage and shows respect. Thank you (shu-kri-ya), how much (kittenay?) and there seems to be no word for 'please', as the language is considered so beautiful as it is. I do notice that Indians call all women Mam or Madam...even each other. It seems so colloquial!

We went absolutely crazy shopping, spending a ton of rupees (which isn't much in Canadian) and I bought all my gifts. After a great day, Amy showed me the hidden gem "Cubs" restaurant. I was transported into an Italian coffee bistro in the middle of India! White leather couches, club music and a normal menu...I was pretty excited! They had chicken, pasta, prawns, desserts...I was drooling! I had a ceasar salad, greek salad, french fries and chocolate cake with ice cream...Three hours later and I am still full... I can't believe no one showed me this place! A couple of other yogis were also there. It must be the 'Getting away from it all' oasis.

Yogi's food makes sense to me now and I have adopted a few of the practices. Non-violence is the 'no meat' purpose. Some vegans don't even eat root vegetables, as worms may die in the digging up of potatoes. There is also a common religion here, Jainism- where they may sweep the floor ahead of them so their steps don't kill any bugs.

The three energy groups are:

Sattvic (purity)

This is the purest diet, the most suitable one for any serious student of yoga. It nourishes the body and maintains it in a peaceful state. And it calms and purifies the mind, enabling it to function at its maximum potential. A sattvic diet thus leads to true health: a peaceful mind in control of a fit body, with a balanced flow of energy between them. Sattvic foods include cereals, wholemeal bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, pure fruit juices, milk, butter and cheese, legumes, nuts, seeds, sprouted seeds, honey, and herb teas.

Rajasic Food (activity, passion, the process of change)

Foods that are very hot, bitter, sour, dry, or salty are rajasic. They destroy the mind-body equilibrium, feeding the body at the expense of the mind. Too much rajasic food will overstimulate the body and excite the passions, making the mind restless and uncontrollable. Rajasic foods include hot substances, such as sharp spices or strong herbs, stimulants, like coffee and tea, fish, eggs, salt and chocolate. Eating in a hurry is also considered rajasic.

Tamasic Food (darkness, inertia, sloth)

A tamasic diet benefits neither the mind nor the body. Prana, or energy, is withdrawn, powers of reasoning become clouded and a sense of inertia sets in. The body's resistance to disease is destroyed and the mind filled with dark emotions, such as anger and greed. Tamasic items include meat, alcohol, tobacco, onions, garlic, fermented foods, such as vinegar, and stale or overripe substances. Overeating is also regarded as tamasic.

No more meat boys!


The foods here in my little bubble of India, are catered mostly to the visiting yoga students:

-Curd (plain yogurt)
-Muesli & Millet toast
-fruit & veggies
-Homemade peanut butter
-Almonds, figs, cashews
-Badam milk (with almonds)
-Ginger& lemon boiled as tea, served with honey...yum!

Three months have passed since I've had any alcohol and I have not missed it. As I go deeper into my yoga practice, I see the connection of how the foods eaten affect life in so many ways. It's about living life from the inside out, rather than the outside in.

I am really content now in India and could stay here if it called me back. This weekend: The beach:)



Check out this site on India:

"For the daring adventurer: India will exhaust and intrigue, exasperate and inspire you. English-speaking India is the world’s most populous country and the largest democracy on the planet. India assaults your senses—all of them. India is loud, pushy, dirty and chaotic. It is both more and less than I’d expected, ricocheting me from elation to despair and back again. That said, the country is immeasurably rich in sights, history, cuisine and spirituality. It doesn’t come easy, but for the intrepid traveler the hassles are worth the rewards; there is splendor amidst the squalor. In the end, India breaks your heart, tests your will, exhausts your spirit, stretches your soul, awakens your humanity and, finally, repays you for its challenges and exasperations with its indelible imprint."

www.offbeattravel.com