I am happy to report that I have made it safe and sound to India. I arrived here in Trivandrum last night around 10pm. Fully rested from 2 wonderfully luxurious days in Singapore, I got up early this morning and went exploring a bit.
Nothing is more exciting to me than being in a foreign place for the first time. The sites, the sounds, the smells, the energy. It’s all so wonderful. It kind of takes me back to my days in West Africa, especially this heat. WOW!
My first task this morning was to find an ATM and to get some money. So I left the hotel and headed in the direction of Mahatma Gandhi Boulevard (great name for a street by the way). Well, the good news is that there were a plethora of banks. The not so good news is that they were all on the other side of the street. Those of you who have been to India probably understand the challenge of the situation. But for the benefit of those of you who haven’t, let me tell you, it’s a daunting task. There are no traffic lights and no real crosswalks. So I just watched how other people managed to do it and eventually worked up my nerve. I sandwiched myself in between 4 or 5 of my new best friends, and whew…success. Back home I’m so fanatical about properly crossing the street. Here, not so much.
I’m sure there will be many more opportunities to learn to do things another way. I look forward to them all. Tomorrow I leave for Neyyar Dam to begin my yoga training. I am so happy and so fortunate to have this time to take my practice to a deeper level. There’s something very powerful about separating oneself from the world of distraction and turning the focus inward. Yoga has been such a grounding, powerful force in my life over the past few years. I think Shwami Vishnu Devananda describes it perfectly when he says, “Yoga balances, harmonizes, purifies and strengthens the body, mind, and soul of the practitioner. It shows the way to perfect health, perfect mind control, and perfect peace within one’s self, the world, nature, and God.”
Thank you most especially Colleen Garrity, Shawn Bracha, Clay Kyle, and Peter Barnett, my yoga teachers over the past few years, for helping me to get here. I am eternally grateful for your kindness, your encouragement and your example. I aspire to follow in your teaching footsteps.
OM SHANTI
4 comments:
I love me some Timmy J!!
Jack
Happy and safe travels and adventures! FSU won big the other night, if you don't know. The final score was 42-13. Keep your fingers crossed. We may be back on track. Love you.
WOW - the pictures are so beautiful and the place looks like none that I've ever seen.
Charles
I was finally able to catch up with your blog. I'm envious of you
being in India. We may have talked about this before but I've done
multiple trips to Nepal through the years and have met some amazing
people in that country also. India was a whirlwind trip in the 80's
but one I"ll always remember.
The one thing I learned about Yoga in Nepal is that it is not viewed
the same way we view it here. It has a tendency to be a form of
exercise here and when i took classes or treatments in Nepal it was a
total healing modality. I loved that!!!! IT wasn't necessary to be
able to touch your toes or bend in a pretzel but it was more of an
energetic practice. I know with all your previous trainings that you
will see that and incorporate it in to your teaching. From what I
know of you, I have no doubt that will be true.
Enjoy yourself, your time learning, your challenges and blessings and
take in all the food and Chai experiences you can.
Be well
Happy New Year.
Love
Kay
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