LAND OF NOD

"Nod" (נוד) is the Hebrew root of the verb "to wander" and the story is from the book of Genesis. I find India the 'Land of Not'... because it is NOT at all like home.

Business:

People run businesses out of their homes. Restaurants, jewelry, artists, clothing, massage and any spiritual quest. I would not starve in India with my entrepreneurial spirit. I could sell artwork or give colour therapy to tourists. There is a visionary artist here who does chakra readings and colour meditation.

Spirituality:

India is the 'McReligion' of the world. There is a temple on every street corner for you to pop in for your prayers. They dish up all sorts of worship here to any God or Deity of your choice...Buddhist, Hindu (with many deities: Krishna, Shiva, Ganeshe, Lakshim), Catholic, etc. Every business and home has a shrine.

Toilets:

Best advice I got before I came was- bring toilet paper with you wherever you go! Here the toilets are squat style into a porcelain bowl in the ground. You pour water down when you are done and use a little hand held spray to wash yourself with after. Consider yourself fortunate if there is a sink or even soap to wash up with. Forget towels. I imagine plumper ladies trying to maneuver in the tiny stall or Indian women is saris dragging the silk on the sloppy floor. Even an elderly person trying to hover over the hole to aim is a scary thought (especially if the hips aren't open from yoga!)

Yoga:

Indians don't practice yoga! It is mostly a Western thing taught by the Gurus. Indian people don't have time- maybe because they work 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. Kids go to school on Saturdays and only Sunday is a holiday.

Food:

I can't understand the dish names, so its always a stab in the dark ordering off a menu. With the language barrier, trying to find out ingredients is especially challenging. My favourites are "Palaak paneer" which is fried spinach and onion with chunks of cheese made from milk and lime juice cooked in a pan. For dessert: Carrot Halwa (Fried grated carrot with 'ghee'-butter, condensed milk, raisins, cashews and cardamom.) And lots of chai with honey:)
"However it comes to you, is how you should go to it." ~Shoba.



Manners:

I am shocked at how loud Indian women burp like it is no big deal. Horking is also often heard and people blow their nose out on the street without Kleenex.

Dress:

It is very conservative dress for women here. Knees, shoulders and chest covered. Women in saris is the standard, with some Muslim women who are completely covered except their eyes. I wonder if this is empowering to women to not expose their bodies or is it oppression? Body image seems healthier and chubby is considered attractive. On the other hand, I find pornography oppressive, as well as women who dress overly provocative, i.e. Brittany Spears? (In a perfect world, is freedom to choose ideal?) Seen on billboard here in India- "Behind every successful woman is herself"

Shopping:

I am overwhelmed by the high pressure sales here. "Yes madame!" is yelled every few seconds and staff stand outside the store to lure you in. It's difficult to 'look' through a store without someone talking, pushing items in my face to look at. It makes me run away with a burnt and scorching trail behind me.

Marriage:

For those looking for a spouse within their caste can go to the 'Marriage Bureau' for a typical arranged marriage. Some fall in love, even outside their religion/ caste which is also OK I am told.

Driving:

No seatbelts, no helmets...no worries! OMG!!! I just call on the name of Jesus everytime I get in a vehicle. Seen on a highway: A man asleep on a pile of coconuts in the back of a truck.

Poverty:

Poverty is very upfront. In Bangalore I saw rows of tents and shacks on land the size of several football fields. Bookended by highrises, as Bangalore is the IT capital of the world. Begger etiquette: Older people are given handouts as they don't have anyone to help them as they are abandoned, their life is almost over, and those with handicaps because they can't work. Kids are not often given handouts as it will become a bad habit for them, and it is discouraged. Orphanages are quite common. I am going today to volunteer at one behind my house.

Celebration:

There are many colourful events, parties and celebrations here. When one wakes up New years day, all the cows on the street are painted yellow. People throw colourful powder around and on each other during Holy Festival (more up North).

"Everything happens in India...get used to it!" Another word of wisdom from my local friend Shoba.

BEAUTY IN MOTION

Time is nearing it's end of my up and down roller coaster India journey. It is already August 3 and I leave August 12th. Since yoga is mostly what brought me to this mystical place, I thought that I should write about my love affair with the practice.

I started 2 1/2 years ago when I asked a client what she did for sports to have such an amazing physique. Jackie, said Ashtanga yoga! I had tried Hatha yoga before and found it boring and frustrating while not being a work out(I come from a running background of races and marathons)... So I gave it a shot. I went to Lion's Breath downtown and fell in love. There, they even had yoga to the beat of a live hand drummer, which was very unique.

I ended up practicing at the Yoga Loft on Whyte Ave, as it was very hardcore, and I knew what to expect. In those days, my beloved Damian would come with me and it was more of a date night:) We would hold hands as we lay on our backs with our eyes closed in 'Savasana' or 'Corpse pose'- The final relaxation which allows the body time to process information at the end of a class. Since he injured his ankle, we have missed our yoga dates, but I always think of him at that pose.

I have come so far during the commitment of practice. When I first started, I wore fake finger nails, and I remember looking down while in 'Downward dog', thinking how ridiculous they looked!



That was the first memorable change. Inside, I noticed I was calmer, more secure in the moment and less fearful. The stillness of mind and focus on breathing really brings one into an awareness without the distractions of daily life. Yoga has a calming peaceful affect on the mind as well as the body. It was so physically intense, some days I could barely walk down the stairs of the Yoga Loft, my hip muscles were so stretched. With the opening of the muscles, simultaneously comes the peeling away of emotional layers. People tend to assimilate their emotions within the body and it manifests into physical pain. A sore back may mean carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, for example. ("You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hay is a good read on this subject).

People may cry and sob in class, and at times I have left angry and irritable as the stored emotions are stripped from my body through physical exertion. It is very cathartic! Poses are also said to symbolize your struggles in life. If you have trouble doing a back bend or "Wheel" pose, it means you are holding back- afraid of moving forward in life. Once you know this, one thinks about it during practice and pushes through the issues.



Everyone is said to come to yoga through the "Asanas" or physical poses. I am finding out here in India that other things are discovered and learned through the physical practice. It is also said that only those who comes to yoga, are those who have practiced it in previous lives. This makes sense to me because I was doing yoga poses even before I knew it was yoga. I would be sitting around on the floor when the kids were babies and I'd stretch and pose because it felt good. Now I realize I was doing shoulder stand, plow, back bend, etc.! My first class of yoga, I did a headstand and did not even know I could do it. People wonder how to do it and I said I just popped up like toast and stood on my head like it was a natural thing to do and joke I must have done it in another life.

Not only do I feel like I am in the best shape of my life, but I am inspired and excited by what the body is capable of. (Other than party tricks!) Inner beauty radiates from within and all of the exterior plastic world melts away. My other favourite is when my adorable daughter Lexi comes to class with me...she is so flexible! Kids don't hold onto their emotions as early I guess and physical movement is just play. As adults we sit in chairs all day long, rarely sitting on the floor (which opens the hips!)

Practicing in India has been an experience! Humbling, inspiring, motivating, and more. The class is packed with yoga mats touching side by side. Sometimes, overlapping. It really helps with your "Drishti" (a point of focus where the gaze rests during asana and meditation practice. Focusing on a drishti aids concentration, since it is easier to become distracted when the eyes are wandering all over the room. Each yoga pose has a specific drishti, which also aids in alignment), as people are walking by and grazing you, and those around practicing are bumping into each other. But seeing all of the expert, advanced yogis around yourself is awe inspiring...

For those who want to know more...
Ashtanga 101:

The term "Ashtanga" comes from the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, where it refers to classical yoga's eight (ashta)-limb (anga) practice, partly, Kriya yoga, the "yoga of ritual action". The eight limbs are restraint, observance, posture, breath control, sense withdrawal, concentration, meditative absorption, and "enstasy"- which means "standing inside of". Samadhi, which literally means to "put together" or "bring into harmony" where we "stand inside of" our true Self in preparation for the ultimate state of classical yoga, the eternal "aloneness" (kaivalya) of that Self in the purity and joy of its being.

Alot of Sanskrit words!!!

Links:
http://www.ayri.org (this is where I am right now!)
http://www.ashtanga.com/html/background.html

MISS FIT OR MISFIT?

Today I was walking downtown by myself, on Deverajs Road eating a banana, amongst the throngs of people. When I was done, I fed the banana peel to a cow standing on the sidewalk. Me and this cow in the middle of a foreign country, alone. Clearly white in a sea of brown! I have felt quite guarded since I arrived, partly due to Damian's warnings, partly because I am in absolute culture shock. I was so concerned about getting lost, walking down a dangerous alley, or getting too familiar with strangers, that I forgot that I really am a guest in their country!

India has now become a sense of community, and I am starting to recognize the locals, say hi and feel a sense of security. Even if I did get lost, so what? Find a pay phone, flag a rickshaw or hang out? No need to worry or panic, because wherever I go, there I am! To quote Shoba, my friend from India, now Londoner, whom I went to Bangalore with yesterday- "The whole world is a beautiful if you have a good heart."

So, I caught a rickshaw, which are everywhere, and heavily decorated. Decals, fresh and plastic flowers, tassels, posters, jewels, fringes and scrolled pelmets. It is like 'Pimp My Ride'. The first week I was here, I must admit I was taken advantage of by the drivers. When I would negotiate a fare, I found out later I was paying more than by using the meter. But now, I know the routine. Familiar.

The greeting here is "Had lunch?" Its like "how are you", but they are really concerned to make sure you are ok and have enough food or money, or they would help you. The men are extraordinarily friendly with other men and hold hands, or drape their arm around each other, but in a non sexual way. A street kid will come up to us in the rickshaw at a light and tries to sell dishtowels. Then the kid may hop in on the strange drivers front seat while I'm in the backseat and take it to the next block. Maybe at a light, the driver will get out, walk across the street and take a pee on a tree. Very bizarre!

Everyone is pretty friendly and community oriented. There isn't even any road rage here despite the crazy driving! The local kids in their school uniforms treat me like a celebrity, saying "Hi-where are you from- what is your name?" Its probably all the English they know, as they giggle and wave. I tease and say 'Bob' and they stop and roll the word slowly over their tongue as though it has some glamorous magic powers. (I shouldn't joke, as one day they may name their daughter Bob! )

I am really enjoying the culture here. Monday, I went to the big 92nd birthday party for Pattahbi Jois, and since my sari wasn't ready, I still had to get a bit fancy with the Indian traditions. I bought some silver temple dancer anklets, which are said to ward off evil., and Elise surprised me with a string of jasmine to wear in my braid (see side note about garlands). In the center part of my hair, a diamond "Tika' which is customarily worn by brides but now for fashion, and a diamond 'Bindi' to guard my 'third eye' between my eyebrows. It used to be worn by wives so no other man could hypnotize them. Its funny because I would keep forgetting it was on my face, I would accidentally rub it, knock it off, put it back on. I thought it might end up on my cheek or chin. Later when I was getting undressed I found it down my shirt!



The beginning of the party was a 'Pooja', which is a prayer celebration. Men chanting, in togas sprinkled the crowd with holy water using banana leaves dipped in golden bowls. There was a bonfire in the middle of the shala and the room was filled with smoke. A pile of flowers and coconuts and gifts were in the center of the room as Gurujii sat on a throne on the stage. There was Indian music, Chinese dance and western songs. We sat on the floor, ate rice, beans, and other Indian cuisine, scooped up with our fingers from actual banana leaves as plates. Elise smiled sweetly and said "Ya gotta do it , its part of the experience!" Now, I was fitting in here, but at home this would have been quite the sight.

As much as I came here to do yoga and improve my 'fitness', I find I don't really belong with the yoga students as much either. Yoga is not my life, it is simply a part of my life that I enjoy. Here, most visitors are teachers and very advanced, having come here many times before. I am very humbled by their dedication and level of fitness. I sometimes get teased about how I pronounce things. The yoga school is called a 'Shala', and I say it like like Alabama, rather than shawl-a. Or how I don't know all the Sanskrit names for poses. I'm even told here I am a picky eater...Everything is rice and beans. I don't eat rice I say, "Its poor man's food!" Apparently there was a girl from Hawaii in January who showed up for yoga class in a bikini top and thong. Wow! Talk about doing your own thing! Sharath kicked her out and told her not to come back.

I do admit I live in a bubble. Tonight I had a great conversation with MJ and Stina about our favourite things about India. Mine was that it makes me more appreciative of home and how lucky we are. Speaking of lucky, I keep finding 1 rupee coins on the ground. I already feel rich in India due to the 37:1 exchange rate, but I find these little tokens a good luck sign. "Being rich is having money- being wealthy is having time." (Stephen Swid.) Even luckier, I also have more time on my hands here in India, not trying to fit in and doing my own thing.

THAT'S SOOOO BARNYARD!

"Barnyard" is my new slogan. In North America, we may say "It's so ghetto!" However, in India, there are many new phrases that come out of my mouth, (as I am the cliche queen). So now, I say: "Thats so barnyard" to everything, as it really is literal! Other sayings that are in my everyday vocabulary are:

-"It's India!" (When things just don't go they way you planned...)
-"Expect the unexpected..." (Which really is true, because everyday you see a sight you've never seen before, nor expect to see, or something happens that is so ridiculous.)
-"India is an assault on the senses." Is more of a reminder of the sounds- (dogs barking all night long and no one seems to care, the cars honk incessantly, the merchants verbally harass when you shop) along with the foul smells, the shocking sights and the varying tastes.
-"Go with the flow, cuz the flow knows where to go!" Planning is futile here, and if you try, India will leave you frustrated.

Yesterday I randomly went with the flow. I was walking by Rachel's and popped in to say hello. She was with Sahida and they were going to a temple 35 km from Mysore and invited me. Without a second thought...I had money and my camera...I was on the road in a motorized rickshaw to who knows where. At first, it was nice to get out of the city and breath the fresh air in the open rickshaw and see the lush and green wide open spaces. It helped to erase some of the 'assault on the senses'. As we were shakily rambling over narrow and rough, red dirt roads throughout the countryside, I began to wonder- what was I thinking? I had never met Sahida- and she was now leading us on some milk run through the countryside of India. I must admit uncertainty crept over me like a prickly shadow. I began creating stories in my head that she was taking us to some white prostitution ring out in the middle of no where and I would have to see how well my Kung Fu moves served me! For over an hour of bumpy and rugged terrain, we saw alot of barnyard!

We snaked through the tiny villages, where cows and farm animals roamed freely on the road. We even saw some cows or water buffaloes being bathed in a river by the locals. Many of the homes were lean-tos with banana leaf thatched roofs. Women squatted in their dirty saris breaking a pile of rocks with a hammer in the ditch. They all stare at the foreigners invading a peek into their everyday, simple life.

I was relieved to see that there was actually a temple at the end of our route, and thankful that we didn't take the bus as we had first planned. We had the luxury of no stops, plus I can't imagine how buses could manage those confining roads, or when we would even get there.

We each paid our 100 rupees admission and went into the outdoor, abandoned temple. Outside, it wasn't too exciting, but as I stepped into the stone giant, my breath was lost at the stunning detail. Every wall, pillar and ceiling was hand carved stone down to the tiniest minutia. Deities, elephants, dancers, royalty...it was unbelievable how the artists could create such a sight.

As Rachel and Sahida took pictures of one another, using sunglasses as a filter on the camera to create an orange antique photo, I had my own little photo shoot with myself. Below is a sample of my handiwork! We browsed the tiny shack stores and I bought Henriette a gift (secrets!!!!) and made our return back to Mysore by dusk.




In the city, it is still very barnyard. Cows rule the streets, just as you may have heard about India. They are considered holy and no one can hurt one. They wander around, eating garbage from the gutters, stand or lay in the middle of the road and the dense traffic just makes its way around them. Elise says not to move out of the way for the beeping cars..."Act like a cow! Glance over and ignore the honk!" Ya right! Its still a shocking sight to see cows everywhere. Even though one hears and grasps the concept, until one actually sees it, do we understand. When the cow feels like going home, it returns to the owner to be relieved of its milk. The milk then becomes holy, as it is not taken from the cow, but rather given freely. Barnyard?

Driving is a whole other endeavor in India. I am still trying to decipher how many honks means what:

1 honk- I see you
2 honks- I have the right of way
3 honks- I am overtaking you
4 honks- Get the fuck out of my way

Just a guess! However, the right hand drive cars drive on the left side of the road, no one signals, and there are no lanes or rhyme nor reason! Just massive amounts of people all trying to pass each other, honking. There are very few stop lights, and when they stop, they turn off the engine. When the light turns green, they all rev up again. Even coasting down hills without the engine on is common. I don't even want to try to ride a scooter as many of the brave westerners do. Very barnyard.

I attempted to take a rickshaw downtown to pick up my saris by myself. I had a 12 o'clock appointment at "Dazzles" sari shop. They were closed. Sooooo barnyard. Now I am out another 100 rupees in rickshaw fare. I am not complaining, really!

This morning, I went with Elise and we had an underground quasi-illegal yoga class at Shelly's. The shala is closed for 4 days so we rebelled and did our own private class on her marble tiled living room floor. Interesting, because it used to be the old shala, back in the day.

After, Rachel and I went to the Green Hotel to the organic market to pick up my handmade business cards. I bought some organic cotton, vegetable dyed pants and we had a fruit platter on the terrace. The pineapple actually tasted like a barnyard, but since I am not complaining this week, we just laugh. On our walk back, we saw chickens run around the yards, rows of dried cow patties lining the street and logs of patty-caked cow patties with actual hand-prints in them! Who knows who collected all the cow poops and what they are used for...

Gratefully I am in India, as there are no coconut stands in barnyards!

AWAKENING INNER BLISS

I have now practiced yoga for 6 consecutive days. A first in my world! No wonder I have been craving chocolate...my body is in shock.

On my first day here while in conversation with my yoga teacher Sharath, an Indian woman in a sari came up to him, kneeled at his feet, kissed her hands and his feet 3 times, then swept the air to her third eye. Reputably, the Guru's energy comes into one this way.

However, 2 weeks later, its interesting to see the reverence and the spirituality extremes coexisting with the lack of respect.

Walking to the store, I was stopped by a youth of about 17 on a motorbike. "Excuse me...can you please show me your boobs?" I was absolutely dumbfounded as it took about 10 seconds to register. Zero reaction, other than my jaw on the ground, as he drove away. It was as though someone threw a bucket of cold water on me. After, I was thinking of all of the brilliant things I could have done: thrown a flip flop at his head, ran up and punched him or said something obscene, but nothing came to mind. Does this mean I have nirvana? I was even covered in a shawl, long sleeves and a high neckline. At the market I have to be downright rude and scold hawkers and beggers that are unrelenting. We are so kind and polite in Canada to everyone, but here, I walk with my sunglasses on, eyes down and don't talk to anyone. The Indian men try to talk to me... "Where are you from? Whats your name?" I just ignore and turn and walk in the other direction. If they persist, I say "Please don't talk to me." Rachel shook a rickshaw driver's hand. I passed her the antibacterial gel and told her "You're not supposed to do that here or they think you are a Ho!"

This morning, I was reading about Nirvana. Its about permanently stopping all negative thoughts and never getting angry again. At the same time, I could hear Elise in the hallway yelling at Yashoda, about her private washroom and the cook in there doing a number 2. Now it is tainted and she had to brush her teeth in my bathroom. This lifestyle can be so frustrating!

At breakfast, I ordered a yummy veggie omelet (there is no meat here- I've been a vegetarian for almost 3 weeks now), and decided I will eat all the foods I may miss for 9 days. I started crying, literally. I broke down and felt so helpless . My omelet was so salty I could barely eat it, there were potatoes in it (wtf?) and they forgot the tomato chutney. Anyone who knows me (My son Jordan says I'm so picky), knows how fickle I am about my food and frequently send meals back to the kitchen in restaurants.

Elise, Akasha and I then had a good chat about loss of control and surrender. Here, we don't have the luxury of choice, preparing our own food in our kitchen, shopping at all the regular stores with the availability of products at our fingertips. Even the comfort and leisure of going to any restaurant we choose. With the language barrier, you really don't know what the hell you might get. In Mysore, the hours are set: Lunch at 1, dinner at 5. We dine at only a few trustworthy places and what you get is what you get. There is a real letting go in the process.

But isn't this the way to inner bliss? The book I 'coincidentally' am reading is all about this subject...hmmmm interesting parallel! For example, Root ignorance- everything we see is not what we think it is- things are not themselves- they are ourselves. Self-ness- The things we perceive are seeds in our own mind and different from someone else. So basically, most other people would have loved the omelet; the salt, the potato, or even just having food to eat today. But I created the dissatisfaction in my own mind. We like what feels good and brings us peace and dislike what feels bad or brings us pain.

It is difficult not to get angry here, and this is another one of the karmic cleanse rules I may find challenging.

FROM COCOON TO BUTTERFLY

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." ~Plato

I am getting used to the constant power outages in India. Typically at night when I am reading or in the middle of something and then POOF! Complete black. Very scary! I have plenty of candles handy just in case. It is all part of the adventure and helps me to appreciate our life in Canada. I went downstairs to make sure Elise had a match and found her standing in a daze with dental floss still hanging from her teeth, trying to use her cell phone as a flashlight.

The world famous Pattahbi Jois taught class today. He is 92 on Tuesday. He counted very fast and we flew through the poses. In the middle of our headstands, he got up and went to the bathroom at number 7. When he came back after 3 minutes, he says: "Yaaaate" which is "eight" with an accent. Everyone laughed. I was doing yoga on the stage right next to him as there were no more spots on the floor. Good energy. The class only lasted an hour.

After, was downtown with Eva from Hong Kong. I bought one of Pattahbi Jois' yoga books. We went sari shopping and I ordered 2. (See picture above) The shopkeeper kept complaining that I was so tall! They custom make them for you from any fabric you choose. I look like Indian Barbie:)

Besides the power failures, the pollution, noise and crowds, another adjustment is grasping the disturbing 'caste system' here and depending on your birth family, that level is your 'caste':
1- Brahman (Godly/ physicians/ educated)
2-Warrior
3-Merchants
4-Servants
Asking what your fathers job is or how much you make is quite normal conversation. My house mom is a Brahman and so there are servants- cook, maid, gardener, etc. There are certain maids who also don't even touch toilets. I feel self-reproach about having 'Ningamar' the tiny dark skinned woman come in and 'swab' my floors with a grass hand broom, squatting over in her dingy sari. I sit on my bed and monitor her as instructed (the upper caste stands to watch them work to ensure they don't steal anything). Bored, I paint my under-worked, growing fingernails. It just doesn't ever feel clean here...it makes my house looks like a Lysol commercial! Ningamar also washes my clothes on the 'washing stone' for me, which doesn't smell the same as home. I tried to hand wash them in a bucket in my room, but was scolded not to. When I come and go, Ama is always sitting and watching TV. She eats her meal at the table while the servants sit on the floor at her feet like a dog to eat their food.

Eating is a whole other undertaking. Since they don't have toilet paper here, you wash only with your left hand after squatting at the hole in the ground (there are taps and a bucket to use) and one only eats with the right hand....with no cutlery or napkins!!!! They use naan or roti breads to scoop up the beans/ curry or whatever as sauce drips down the arm. It is quite an unpleasant experience.

"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." Matthew 15:11

I have done a few dietary cleanses in the past, but while I am here I am thinking of doing a Karmic cleanse! I am supposed to start on the new moon (Sunday) as that is the best time for new beginnings. I am also not to watch TV or read newspapers. (Easy since I don't do that here at all, barely at home.) I'll have to close my eyes when I pass Ama in the dining room. Good thing the audio is in Hindi.

It is 9 daily steps for 9 days. (9 is an Indian numerology favourite).

1- No Complaining. (I must admit I have been doing alot of that here!!!)
2- No Criticism of others.
3- Observe thoughts and actions. They are magnified as the pressure builds when you stop doing the first 2!
4- Arise one hour earlier than usual and practice yoga or martial arts. 4 am is called "Hourti" or 'God's time' as this is when there is a special change in the ionic concentration of the atmosphere. The whole electromagnetic balance of the stratosphere changes before dawn, and we catch these beneficial waves. Bizarre!
5- Eat one major meal. Fruits and vegetables and water only. No meats/ fish or fowl.
6- Meditate between dawn and sunset for 20 minutes or more. Deep relaxation resuscitates the body and inner being.
7- Do something daily that is disliked. This should be interesting as I am in India...we shall see what I come up with! This builds will power.
8- Perform a selfless act. This will be very easy in India. Tiny, barefoot and dirty 3 year olds carrying a diaper-less baby sibling, pull on my arm constantly begging for food. We are discouraged from giving handouts, but rather give to an agency that helps feed the poor. I will inquire to volunteer at one of the orphanages.
9- Review and recall the day in bed at night. Pause and experience the emotions that come. Acknowledge, look within, see the flaws and all else that is there and face the fears. Evaluate to repair and re-imagine in a positive way.

Wow tall order! I can't imagine the fruit and veggie only part...that will be the hardest as chocolate is my favourite thing to get me through the other stuff right now.

Wish me luck:)

Namaste!

FERTILE SOIL

Today was a productive day! It all starts good in India, usually with a Red Bull soda bought at the corner store (its safe to drink and its caffeine:) - but today I had the luxury of an instant coffee in my house. Yoga with yesterdays sunburn on my thighs mixed with the lotus position stung a bit.

After was Sanskrit/ chanting/ Sutra class...too much work for my vacationing brain. In Tina's Indian cooking class I learned how to make Roti/ chipoti, spinach dal and stuffed eggplant. You are all in for a yummy surprise when I return. Kids- I have a video to teach you how to make the flat breads- you will love the 'roti'...they are like homemade tortillas and you can put anything on them including butter and brown sugar...mmmmmm! Next week I put in a request for paalak paneer and mint chutney, along with a black bean dish as well.

This is the place to grow seeds as it is very much fertile soil. I am mostly alone with myself or strangers, with some becoming friends. It is the opposite of my life in Canada #1) I barely cook #2) I am surrounded by my adorable kids and an affectionate boyfriend #3) I don't sit still!

In India, I have learned to quiet the mind and be at peace in the moment...not letting anything ripple my pond! I will be so chilled when I return you won't know who I am:)

...Except for when the lizard runs up my wall at night or at the internet cafe, the cockroach jumps on my chest in my sleep, or a rat runs around Shelly's house. I am checking out the toilet every time to make sure a cobra doesn't slither up. Then I tend to jump on a chair or run around screaming...one day I will get used to it! Ganeshe and Anu who run the internet cafe say that lizards are good luck and will bring me great fortune and riches. So the lizards and I are now friends:)