The Easiest Way for You to Help the World

Posted on by

1

“Each of us feels some aspect of the world’s suffering acutely. And we must pay attention. We must act. This little corner of the world is ours to transform. This little corner of the world is ours to save.” ~Stephen Cope, from The Great Work of Your Life

12632TOC

With so much distress around us, it is very easy to feel like you aren’t doing ‘enough’ to help. Many a times I’ve started to beat myself up because I haven’t done enough, served enough, taught enough, or wasn’t enough. This led me down and even more toxic path of beating myself up unnecessarily. It wasn’t until I started practicing Kundalini Yoga that I started giving up the notion that I needed to change the world in a big way, immediately.

Since Kundalini Yoga is a householder’s yoga, students are encouraged to take the teachings and apply them to the real world. In the Aquarian Age, we all have the power to look inside ourselves and make the necessary change to adapt to the challenges of the time. Thanks to Kundalini Yoga, I’ve realized that I can make a difference each and every day by connecting with myself and sharing this joy with others.

While in India, I was fortunate enough to sit down with one of our brilliant teachers and discuss what was happening in my life. I was conflicted about teaching full-time or going back to work in Corporate America. What he said forever changed the way I would approach ‘seva’ or service. He told me that if I did go back to work in Corporate America, I would still be serving. In fact, I would be serving a higher need because much of Corporate America needs Kundalini Yoga and meditation the most. That even if I wasn’t teaching in a classroom, I’d be teaching by example. Operating peacefully, gently, and openly in an environment that is anything but would present an opportunity for others to wonder how to possibly follow suit.

There is a great deal of pressure for people to find their ‘calling’ today. Oftentimes people want to do so in order to help others, what I’ve learned is that by helping ourselves we are helping others. The more we take care of our self, the more we can take care of those around us and I can’t think of a better calling than being a kind and caring person.

We can all serve ‘in our little corner’ by being kind and compassionate to those around us. If you close your eyes and think about all the ways you help others you might be surprised. It could be as simple as puling a file for someone at work, smiling at a stranger, or calling up a friend to say hi. The more people we touch with our light, the more their hearts may open up. Each time this happens, we make a tiny dent in the suffering. The more we do this, the larger the dent becomes and this is when people start to realize their infinite potential and that they are beautiful, bountiful, and blissful. Sat Nam.

I (almost) Didn’t Eat

Posted on by

1

images

Sitting on the plane, as I opened the grape leaves that I had purchased at Cibo Express in Terminal C at LaGuardia airport two hours earlier, a once familiar thinking pattern emerged. How many calories would I be consuming? Should I eat the entire package or should I leave two pieces behind and maybe have them later?

Whoa! Rewind! Where was this coming from? I thought that I had made peace with food and no longer needed to feel hungry to feel safe. Wasn’t I well past monitoring my caloric intake as a means to control my life? Why now?

My analytical mind would say that it was because I was about to embark on a new project, a new opportunity, which would bring me out of my comfort zone, and I was nervous. For some eating brings comfort and support, for me, feeling hungry and not eating did the trick. Being hungry meant that everything would be okay. It meant that if I really wanted to taste something, I could and do so without gaining weight and remain in control. I’d still be able to feel each one of my bones and therefore safe.

So naturally, when the unknown is in front of us, we revert back to old patterns, whether they serve us or not. The difference this time is that I immediately recognized that thought pattern and eradicated it. I used my mantra and cut the thought before it could escalate.  Reciting to myself, with my hand over my heart, “I love my food, my food loves me”, I began to relax and enjoyed my meal. I ate each of the grape leaves in the package, salsa and chips, a bite of raw chocolate, and a few spirulina crackers that I had purchased. Everything tasted quite good and once I finished eating, I was felt full, satisfied and went on with my life.

Kundalini Yoga has granted me the gift of awareness, of self and surroundings. This evening, the awareness of my old patterns brought me out of a place that used to be dark and painful. The best way that I can explain this mental awareness is to compare your mind to a movie that you’re watching. As an observer I can sit back and see what is unfolding and decide if I want to engage, keep watching, or change the channel. When it comes to unpleasant thoughts around food, I always change the channel because that is a place that I not only don’t want to go back to, but also don’t need to go back to.

Today, I feel safe and in control through my faith and connection to the infinite. Knowing that the challenges that I have encounter or manifest in this life are to teach me lessons and help me grow has changed the way I perceive them. This is thanks to sadhana and my Kundalini Yoga practice.

What patterns or thoughts arise in your life that don’t serve you but give you a sense of security? What else can you do to feel more in control, recognizing that the only thing we really have any control over is our faith? Sometimes if I’m really struggling I simply pray and ask for help. More often than not it works.

Love, light and peace. Sat Nam.

 

When is enough enough?

Posted on by

1

“There is nothing more precious than the self. There is nothing more beautiful than the self. There is nothing greater than the self. Only with the self can you realize that there is a God, a Supreme Consciousness of the Supreme Self.” Yogi Bhajan

My stepmother always listens beautifully and never judges me when we speak. This provides me with an incredibly safe space to share what is happening in my life and reflect. One afternoon while we were chatting I was reiterating that things were going really well and I was feeling wonderful. After I finished listing the reasons why I was feeling this way, I started to say “I just wish…” but realized that there was nothing I wished for at that moment. I was so programmed to never be content with what is, those words naturally came out.

Can we be content with what we have and not always striving for more? I believe we can. In fact, this should be the way that we live each and every day. While I wouldn’t mind taking a beach vacation, teaching more Kundalini Yoga classes, and sharing all I have learned with more people, it isn’t affecting my current state nor my ability to stay present. In many places around the world, including mother India, people work to live, not live to work.

When will we take a step back from the chaos and hectic lives we are living to realize life is actually passing us by? The desires for more money, bigger homes, nicer cars, more clothing and jewelry is keeping us from enjoying what we currently have. These desires are keeping us from knowing when enough is enough and what will truly bring us the peace and happiness that we hope to attain from these material items.

The not so secretive secret is that regardless of what materials you obtain, if you can’t find happiness inside yourself, you’ll never be happy. Living under the false notion that when I (loose 10 pounds, get promoted, get married, buy a home) then I will be happy keeps us stuck in our unhappiness.

What I realized that afternoon is I am happy just being as I am. Life is about nourishing your soul, growing and learning. All the other stuff is just there, but without the former, it will mean nothing.
180px-Prayer-hands_780

Seeing Beyond What’s in Front of You

Posted on by

0

“The capacity of a third eye is when you can see what your two eyes cannot see. The capacity of consciousness is when you can achieve what your intelligence fails to achieve.” Yogi Bhajan, 8/13/89

third eye

Two days ago I had the most enlightening conversation with a stranger about our thoughts and perceptions of the world. We agreed that everything we see with our two eyes are manifestations of our thoughts. This is why two people can look at the same thing and view it in very different ways. As mentioned in Yogiji’s quote above, our Third Eye (Sixth Chakra, Anja) allows us to see the truth, beyond what is in front of us.

The Sixth Chakra represents our intuition, wisdom, and identity. Most importantly, the Third Eye allows you to become a master of the mind and enables you to know which direction to go. Wouldn’t it be nice to never question a decision, or better yet, struggle to make it? This is what happens when you live intuitively. In Kundalini Yoga, we often roll our eyes to up in between the brow point. The pressure created here stimulates the pituitary gland, the master gland in the body. When it is active, we become able to know things not consciously recognized by the mind. When our Third Eye is underdeveloped we can become confused or depressed. We may reject spirituality, the very thing that will aide in changing these lower frequency emotions. We may over think things and feel hopeless.

How can we develop this exceptionally important part of ourselves?

  1. By meditating on the Third Eye
  2. Doing Long Chant, Kirtan Kriya, Archer Pose
  3. All exercises where the forehead rests on the floor (Gurpranam)

Living intuitively means not living fearfully. Every emotion, feeling or decision can be traced back to love or fear. Oftentimes we stay in a particular situation out of fear, or the idea that it will provide us with safety and security. While this could be true at the moment, the only certainty we ever really have is from our breath and the notion that there is no such thing are certainty.

amrit_vela

By sitting for sadhana each morning, you get the opportunity to go down to the deeper layers of your self and meet your soul. It is at this time that you can unlock your infinite potential and find your purpose. During the ambrosial hours (between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m.) it is the time to get honest with yourself and make decisions that are most right for you, irrespective of your intelligence and external factors. I’ve found that it is near impossible to not be truthful with myself at this time. Being truthful isn’t always easy and clarity doesn’t always feel good, but in the end, it is what makes you who you are and will never steer you wrong.

Sat Nam

How do you participate in your life?

Posted on by

1

“All personal things are personal but they must be considered impersonally, and all impersonal things are impersonal and they must be considered personally. That’s the only way we can walk.” Yogi Bhajan, 10/8/89

How do you participate in your life? Are you an observer or a follower?

calm equal money

One of the greatest pearls of wisdom I received during my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training in India was to watch my life as though it were a movie. While I was challenged by this piece of advice while in training, it resonated with me when I returned home. I felt less attached to the outcome and more present in each moment.

The realization that this universe is so much bigger than just me helped tremendously. Conceptualizing the 8.4 million lifetimes we have lived before coming into this human existence put things into perspective. If we have come so far, and have so much further to go (at least for most of us), then anything and everything that happens today, tomorrow or happened yesterday, is just a miniscule piece of the puzzle. I am not saying that things don’t matter in this lifetime, they do, and we are all faced with challenges. However, if we are able to take a step back and observe what is going on rather than getting emotional about it, life becomes much more simple. For me, sadhana is a chance every single morning to regroup, clean house, and move forward. I take inventory of the thoughts, worries, concerns, and drop them as I connect. This opens up my day for all the universe has to offer.

Yogi Bhajan explains this concept quite nicely in the quote above. Things happen to us and therefore they are personal. Yet, we need to act in an impersonal way, i.e.neutrally without reacting from the positive or negative mind. The same goes for impersonal things. We don’t ignore them, we watch and take what we need and leave what we don’t.

Life is full of challenges and it isn’t always rainbows and butterflies, but when you find your coping mechanism it becomes bearable at first, and then beautiful. Sat Nam.

There are a million things, how many can you go after?

Posted on by

0

“Go get” is the worst psychological mental state in which human has suffered in spite of all richness and intelligence. Let things come to you. Don’t go after them. There are a million things, how many things can you go after?” Yogi Bhajan, 3/13/90

HereNo

I rejoice at this quote from Yogiji. This was just what I needed to hear several years ago.

After working in Finance and realizing that I was unfulfilled I started to seek out “my purpose”. I wanted so badly to find “my calling” in life, i.e. a career that I felt passionate about and chose to do regardless of how much money was to be made. After a few months of looking, I was sure that I had found it and was thrilled at the idea that I found something new to fulfill me and make me happy.

When I lost my job 7 months before I intended to quit, I thought it was a dream come true. Now I could go full speed ahead with “my dreams”. I believed that immediately the pieces would fall into place and creating my new business would be a piece of cake. The pressure that I had been putting on myself for years (to get straight A’s, to maintain my 90 lb.. frame, be the best employee, have it all) shifted towards devoting myself the this new “calling”. While on this treasure hunt, I was forced to get down and dirty with myself. While I didn’t fully comprehend what living truthfully meant, something inside me knew that this new path wasn’t something I was ready for yet. The most important work hadn’t been done; finding peace and fulfillment internally, rather than looking for something external to “fix me”.

As I dove head first into working on my new business, something started shifting inside me. Literally, all of a sudden, while sitting in the park one day, I crashed. I was paralyzed. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t write, I couldn’t breathe and started crying really really hard. The years of pressure, intensity, hate, harshness collapsed and literally took my breath away. For the next few weeks, I sobbed and buried myself in my misery. I thought that I was going to be “that girl from high school who went crazy and had to go to a mental institution”.

Finally, I started to pull myself together enough to visit a therapist. My therapist, whom I am forever grateful to, introduced me to the Paradoxical Theory of Change. According to Gestalt Therapy, it means: that change occurs when one becomes what he is, not when he tries to become what he is not. My interpretation was that in order to get where you want to be, you need to accept where you are. Brilliant, no? So my therapist advised me to only do what I wanted to, indefinitely. Pretty sweet advice. Because I had always done what I thought I should do and never tuned in to who I was and what I really wanted to do, it was time for a break. During that break was when I walked into Kundalini Yoga East, thanks to their enticing sign “30 days for $30″, and found myself.

So back to the top, when we force something and become attached to outcomes, we loose sight of ourselves. When we connect with out truth, say Sat Nam, and have faith that the universe and the creator will deliver to us exactly when we need, our world becomes beautiful and doors begin to swing open like magic. Be who you want to be, those that mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.

Love, light, and peace

Behind Every Great Man There’s a Great Woman

Posted on by

1

“Behind every great man there’s a great woman; if not in physical body, then in image. There are very few fortunate men whose mother have theft them the image of divinity and courage and grace. These are the men who change the world.” Yogi Bhajan 7/12/89

According to Kundalini Yoga, when the child in the mother’s womb is a boy, an acid bath occurs which diminishes the full functioning of the boy’s right brain hemisphere, causing the boy to become more left brain oriented. When the boy is born and the umbilical cord is cut, the male child experiences a feeling of separation and then longing. This is much less the case when a girl is born since the female arcline brings more compassion and connection. The female child has the feeling of creativity in the depths of her soul from the time of birth.

The male has one option only to liberate himself, by becoming one with the universal consciousness. A woman has four options to fulfill her destiny: 1) become one with the universal consciousness, 2) give birth to a saint or hero, 3) serve her husband, 4) serve her spiritual teacher. This is because of her nurturing mother nature.

As women, we innately want to take care of everyone around us, including the men in our life. However, we cannot forget to also take care of ourselves. When an airplane starts to go down, we are told to put the life mask on ourselves first and then our children. If we are not operating as brightly as we were born to, because of stress and poor health, we won’t be able to take care of others in the loving way we are meant to. Keeping our six-track mind focused is a challenge, but we can overcome it with a daily practice (sadhana), exercise and relaxing activities.

So now back to the top. If behind every great man there is a great woman, who is behind every great woman? Other woman? Friends? Herself? All of the above. There was a point in time where I felt that I needed a man to take care of me. However, since I started practicing Kundalini Yoga, I feel more secure and independent than ever before. The independent feeling comes from having faith in something bigger than myself. It is an overall awareness and consciousness that no matter what happens in my life, the universe has got my back. I know that the intentions I set will come to fruition in the perfect moment. Each morning as I get the opportunity to connect my soul and the universal soul, this belief becomes stronger.

Sat Nam,
Dharam Dhyan

Ganga Aarti

Posted on by

6

Aarti, a spiritual ceremony which offers thanks to god for providing us with light all day, was preformed each evening at the footsteps of the Ganga River at Parmarth Niketan, the ashram where my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training was held. Below is a description of the very special experience I had one night, written while I was there:

DSC00135

As we sat on the marble steps of the Ashram, I was suddenly drawn to the water. It was electric and I couldn’t stop myself from walking down to touch it. Millions of people have tried to describe the energy of the water but it wasn’t until that moment that I understood it’s power. I walked a few steps down and put one hand in the water, then the other, and couldn’t resist rolling up my pants and stepping into the mighty water with my feet. Despite its freezing temperature, a warm sensation ran through my body and an overwhelming sense of gratitude came over me.

IMG_1051

How miraculous it was to be here, to have this experience, going deep into my psyche to grow as a human and connect deeper with my soul? Just a few moments was all I needed but they were profound and naturally, I do what I seem to do best here, tear up and cry. I went back to my seat on the holy steps and observed the remainder of the ceremony.

IMG_1143

The smell of the peonies and incense floated up my nostrils and filled my sense of smell in the most beautiful way. This is what Mother India is comprised of, spirit, faith, soul, prana.

IMG_1138

The young boys dressed in red an orange were scurrying around like busy worker ants. This is a way of life for them, they seem not to question but just accept what is.

DSC00136

An old woman with a cane that could barely stand straight came sitting down on the ground cross legged with the grace of a six year old. clapping a praying                                      IMG_1060

Old men with white mustaches contrasting their dark skin, stared in the direction of the Mother Ganga, closing their eyes, inhaling the small of the incents in flower patches just as I was. Wrinkled with age, they were singing praises to Lord Shiva whose statute sits atop the

IMG_1062I once again realized that we are all connected. The beautiful sounds of Kirtan echoed into the sky for the entire country and perhaps the world to hear. I watched people shrug their shoulders in dance motion as it feels so good and necessary to move to the music. Lastly, I noticed that the moon is out even though the sky is still blue, perhaps closer to gray, but nevertheless, the sliver of the moon is formed as such that it is smiling down on it all.

Barely Ashram Living and Rishikesh

Posted on by

0

Greetings from Rishikesh!

Our schedule is quite jam packed since wake up is generally around 3:00 AM because our morning meditation (Sadhana) starts at 4:00 AM and lasts until 6:30 AM. I try and get into to bed around 8:00 PM and usually fall asleep quickly and sleep deeply, however, it took me a little longer last night because I walked into town after lunch to try the famous chai from a tiny storefront. For two and a half days the skies opened up and the rain fell from the sky in intermittent buckets. We had to move from the tent which holds all 130 people from 29 countries to the indoor yoga hall because the wind blew the roof off, literally. If it was my wedding day I’d be very displeased with the construction but I’m not sure if a cement tent could have lasted with the weather we had. One of the teaching assistants said it was the most rain she has seen in 11 winters of living here! Lucky for me, my lovely new friend Patty and I moved to Nirvana Palace three days ago.

This is how it went: after class, a few girls asked if we wanted to take a walk to the spa and check it out. We agreed and walked three minutes outside the ashram, down a little street lined with clam cows and perky puppies. After turning left, we walked through the tinted glass doors with gold handles to Nirvana Palace. We were ushered to a restaurant where ginger honey tea was served to us and spa menus were presented. At this point we had only been sitting on the ground for two days so muscles were less achy but still slightly inflamed. I realized quickly that this was not just a spa. No no, it was a hotel too! How could such a beautiful structure be in this tiny town? Sachin, a tall well groomed thin man asked if we would like to see the rooms and I agreed. What would be the harm. As we took the elevator up to the first room, Patty and I looked at each other inquisitively, could we live here perhaps? We stepped off the elevator and Sachin showed us room #1.

Wow wow wow! It’s gorgeousness was thanks to the cleanliness, huge double beds and full standing shower with glass doors. My knees nearly gave out. We asked the price: 3500 rupees a night (about $67). Okay. Was there another one a little less fancy? Oh yes, and we were ushered to room #2. A little smaller but no less clean. While the shower didn’t have a curtain, the shower head reminded me of one I would see at restoration hardware. Sachin said he could put the two queen beds in the room, bring us a heater, and guaranteed hot water 24/7, and all for 1,575, a generous 25% discount since we would stay for the month. SOLD. We said we would come back tomorrow to move in, giving ourselves the evening to think it over.

As I retreated back to my room at the Ashram, shivering, I dreamt about walking into a room with heat (I am severely averse to the cold). I quickly struggled to open the door with my less than exact hand carved key, quickly put on my thermal pajamas, walked to the “bathroom” and poured some water on my toothbrush, brushed my teeth, and hopped into my sleeping bag, dreading waking up not because I was tired but because of the digs. My mind was made up, tomorrow Patty and I would move onward and upward to the hotel.

I contemplated if it would detract from my experience here, or make me any less of a teacher down the road and immediately concluded no. In fact, it would make me a better teacher since I would better appreciate the experience and have a better time sleeping. Since that day, the heavens opened up, it’s been 40 or less degrees but Patty and I are not phased thanks to our beautiful warm, clean room.

Now onto the guts of why I am here: Kundalini Yoga and becoming a teacher. It’s been an incredible experience already. Seven days feels more like seventeen and the amount of shedding and discovering I’ve done in terms of myself and my experience with meditation and kundalini yoga has been profound. They say that everything moves faster in India and I have to believe it to be true. The sets we do are more challenging than those I usually do at home, the meditations are longer, the chants more intense, but it is so very worth it even during the minutes I yearn to hear the words “inhale deeply” or ask “why am I doing this to myself?” Because afterwards I feel fantastic, phenomenal, free, and weightless. My desire to keep up with this practice, teach, and devote more of me to it grows and I feel more grateful than ever to have this incredible opportunity and to be so blessed to have found something I love so much and my passion. We are learning the ins and outs of being a teacher and it’s very exciting to think about myself in that seat, but it’s a lot to learn too!

The food is phenomenal. We have been gifted to have an expertly trained Ayurveda chef cooking every single meal for us with completely organic ingredients, fresh and specific to the weather and the yoga we are doing. Every morsel tastes phenomenal and we are far from undernourished. For the first time, I’m truly understanding the gorgeousness of eating three BIG FILLING meals a day. I don’t snack in between and my body has never felt better. My love of Ayurveda has definitely resurfaced so more likely than not, I’ll resume my studies when I return home.

Our teachers are all very different and have something so appreciable to offer us all. Every individual is in fact so kind and special in their own way. This afternoon we walked through the ashram down to the Mother Ganga River and meditated there. I stayed after the group left and spent some time sitting, breathing, praying and being still and silent. I heard music playing from other meditation ceremonies by the river and was so moved by the faith and spirituality of India. I felt that I could stay here forever in that moment.

I could go on and on but I’ll leave you all with what I’ve written above. Know that I am so grateful for each and everyone of you and love you with my whole heart.

Wishing you all nothing but pure love.

Mumbai, India – Day 2

Posted on by

1

I had lots and lots if dreams on my second night in India. Perhaps because of the jet lag, but I’m not complaining since sleep has never felt this good! I wonder if the tiredness of jet lag is comparable to getting lack of sleep normally and if so, I may try every so often just for the few seconds of joy when my head hits the pillow. The only caveat is that my contacts are dry.

Nevertheless, I woke up refreshed and ready to go. After a light breakfast of bhel (puffed rice) and tea I headed with Ramnik to the oldest temple in Mumbai. People from all over travel by foot, without their shoes, to pay their respects. The gateway to the temple is filled with beautiful flowers and also more beggars than I’d seen yet. We had to walk through security to enter the temple. I was by far the only person with blonde(ish) hair. This is a destination visited by locals not tourists. I have the fortune of traveling around with locals, hence this incredible opportunity. As we were walking towards the metal detectors I saw a said that said no cameras allowed and there was the option to keep them locked up for 100 rupees. Naturally, I was following Ramnik so we didn’t sop, yet when I got patted down, the woman security guard felt my camera and took it from my pocket. There was no part of me that was going to leave my camera with a woman in a sari but Ramnik insisted it was okay as this was a place if God and no wrong doing would take place. So on we went, my heart dropping down to my stomach and my stomach dropping down to my knees. I replayed the quote of “worry is like an alarm bell, it doesn’t put out any fires” in my mind and decided not to let the fear of my stolen camera pale this incredible opportunity. I was pushed and prodded, barefoot and completely out of my element but in awe of the devotion. Men in skirts and golden crowns stood in front of a bright orange statue of Ganesh as people packed as tightly as sardines pushed their offerings of coconuts, money, flowers, and small treats to the front for the men to collect. Ramnik showed the man some rupees and we moved to the front. The temple caretakers placed a huge orange bhindi on my far head and I quickly turned to exit. The man at front called to me “miss, miss” as I had not taken my thank you gift. I was touched by the pureness and genuine religiousness here as in the midst of managing thousands of people, he still made sure my offering was complete. When we exited we were handed a piece of coconut meat (I did not eat) and were on our way. Ramnik went to retrieve my camera and I went to retrieve my shoes, fully aware that tears would sprout from my eyes if my camera went AWOL. Miraculously, when the woman security guard, dressed in a sari, saw Ramnik, she walked over with my camera wrapped in a cloth, untouched. I started to laugh in awe and amazement on the beautiful human spirit and how faith makes this country a safe and beautiful one.

Onward we went to Mani Bhavan, the home where Ghandi stayed when he visited Mumbai. It was very meaningful since today was the anniversary of his assassination. I thought children about have a day off in commemoration but they do not. We took off our shoes when we entered the home and I couldn’t help but thing how filthy my feet would be by the end of this day. As we entered there was a group of elderly people sitting on the ground listening to a lecture, which I learned was about Ghandiji. After a few moments they started singing in Hindi and it was very beautiful. Music lifts me up, especially when it is sand with faith. I believe this is one of the reasons why I love Kundalini Yoga since we chant and sing so many mantras. I shot a short video of the performance and we headed through the rest of the home. Lots of pictures and inspirational quotes were all over the home as well as Ghandiji’s bedroom in perfect condition. As we exited the home, I felt the sun wash over me and how incredible it was to be here.

We hopped into the car, which like magic, always appears within two minutes of needing it (I’m still fascinated by it) and headed to The Cottage Industries, as special places with Indian Artisan’s work (scarves, statues, paintings, jewelry, etc.). After filling out a form to enter and walking down a hallway that reminded me of an aquarium, we walked up two flights of steps and saw a spectacular site of anything and everything Indian one could want. The women who worked there spoke perfect English and were well accustomed to visitors, however we were the only ones there. I browsed the “aisles” despite anticipating the markets in Rishikesh and landed on two beautiful 100% silk scarves. Recipients will be revealed when I return. We continued on to other shopping areas nearby and perused but didn’t purchase. Like a magic carpet ride, the car appeared and whisked us off to lunch.

Swati Snacks seems to be the hippest place in Mumbai, “ladies who lunch” were waiting, as were school children, and teens. There was even a trip advisor poster in the window, my first glimpse of the Western World in Mumbai to date. I ordered coconut punch, a bottle of water, and let my hosts take care of the rest. Baked masala kitchardi, pani poori, panki, roti, and a brown basamati rice with vegetable dish (clearly whose name I forgot) graced our table. We ate and enjoyed and I watched the school children behind us filled with laughter and life. It was amazing how the waiters would shush them and they would quiet down and the mother’s wouldn’t bat a perfectly mascaraed eyelash when the waiters moved them gently out of the way to get by. Patience is a word that seems to resonate throughout the city.

Onward and upward, we crossed the busy street to meet our silent and steady driver who took us towards the Crawford Markets, the largest fruit and vegetable market in Mumbai. I dosed off and re-opened by eyes to beautiful buildings, school buses and a true “car tour” of the remainder of the city. As we passed the hectic market, my gracious hosts asked if I wanted to go in. Since I could see the inside of the market from the car, and wouldn’t be able to purchase anything anyway, I said staying in the car was quite alright and we continued. What I saw next was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. We took the back roads and saw how the produce was delivered. Skinny skinny men carrying huge wooden cases on their heads, children in between the streets playing games, any type of merchandise imaginable being sold in the street, tiny wooden stoves kept alive by women, more vespas than in Venice and others simply strolling around. How pedestrians manage to stay alive is still a mystery to me, but I’ll leave it at that.

We returned home, I rested a bit and headed to the home of my host’s son (and friend’s brother), who runs a vegan kitchen. There was a fair going on outside of his street, yet driver went through, honking along the way. We arrived in one piece and were graciously greeted by the kinder than kind family. The food was lovely, light and tasty and when I asked for bottled water, they sent someone to the market to purchase, despite my insistence that it was not necessary.

This was an excellent conclusion to my extraordinary second day in Mumbai. While I was asked if I wanted to venture out into the city to experience the nightlife, I declined as my day was full and I was more satisfied than imaginable (and my eye lids were giving in to gravity).

Knowing that the Ashram was my next stop on my journey, I fell asleep quickly and deeply. I’ve missed my group practice even though my own meditation set remains strong, and my thinking about arrival in Rishikesh brings butterflies to my stomach in the most incredible way. Yet I remain detached to the outcome with no expectations except living fully and presently.