My Love

for India is beyond being able to explain to the world.
It's going to be Extremely hard for me when the time comes to leave.

It hit's me each morning when I wake up..
at 6:30 am, unless it's a practice day in which I rise at 5:30 am
and it begins with the sounds of Life outside our bedroom window.
Sounds you will Never hear in the states...
like..

women washing the front entrance to their gates and the people strolling by doing their morning walks...talking like it's the middle of the afternoon...

the fruit and veg sellers with their carts and the flower sellers with Big baskets filled with different mala garlands for the residents morning pooja offerings...

then the milkman comes round calling out and the newspaper boys on their bicycles tossing the papers into gates or onto terraces..

the smell when you walk out the from door and open the adjoining window is a smell that I will miss with all of my heart. It is fragrant and full and just so India.
I love it so much.

The air is just the perfect temperature and the marble floors feel so smooth as I walk out and onto the marble that is on the terrace as well...

I begin my days checking to see if there are any important emails from home...
and then make our bed which is just a sheet and blanket as the nights aren't cold here (yet).
Then I go out and my Mala Garland is awaiting me on my front gate...

freshly made and the smell of the jasmine would blow your mind...
I have one delivered each morning and I will truly miss that more than you know..

as I make my way to my pooja room and opened the doors, the smell from the incense the night before is lingering in the room and I begin my morning ritual and light the oil lamp and incense and place my fresh garland in front of my Ganesh/Lakshmi and Saraswathi photo, thus beginning a fresh new day here in the land where Spirituality is always at the forefront with the temples and Gods that line the roads.
Another reason I love this land so much..

India makes me feel Alive!!!
and my husband is the one who brought that to my attention just the other day.
and you know what?
He's Right! It does!
I find that when I am in the states it's beautiful and I love it too...
but India just BURSTS with LIFE!!!

The colors, the sounds, the smells, the People! It is like Nowhere else in this world for me.
It's a place that I love and will always love...

and it's a place that I will return to again and again...

because it feels so much like home that I cannot imagine being away from it for long and in all honesty wish I never had to leave...

 

A meeting with the Police Commisioner of Mysore...

A meeting of concerned citizens of Gokulam and the neighboring areas will be held at the V. V. Mohalla Police Station at 11 am tomorrow, Sunday 18 August. It would help our cause of ensuring safety for women in Gokulam, if some yoga students (both male and female, but particularly female) would come with me to this meeting. We must make stronger representation and numbers would make a great effect I would think. Please be present at Anu's Cafe at 10.45 am if you wish to go with me. If you miss, then come to the V. V. Mohalla police station directly. Your cooperation is appreciated.
~Anu Ganesh

I saw this message on my Face Book page this morning when I woke up at 7:00 and just knew that Ray and I would accompany our long time friend Anu to this meeting.

We arrived just as Ganesh was seeing Anu out of their front gates and off we drove to the V.V. Mohalla Police Station not too far from their home.


                

                                                                                                                                                                                  

 In good Indian fashion the meeting began about 30 mins. behind schedule, so everyone was ready and seated once the Station Inspector arrived.

 

 

 Everyone was anxious for the meeting to begin so that they could address their concerns/issues with the Police Commissioner who was due to arrive shortly. But in the meantime the Station Inspector went over the last months meeting and the issues and concerns that the citizens had come forth with, as well as the outcome of "said issues/concerns"

It was a full house as you can see....

                                                                                                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

 

    The man bending over signing the paper is the Station Inspector.

 

The meeting was pretty much discussed in a language I neither speak, nor will pretend to understand..because I only know a few words and none one of which were spoken during the meeting.

But thank goodness we were with Anu as she was able to translate most of it for us.

 

Many issues were touched on, including the following...

Construction work blocking streets.

Two chickens that had been stolen from a mans property

Gas cylinders that had been stolen from someone's property

Young couples spending time together in the park after sunset

 

and then the situation regarding the Yoga community was brought up.

Anu came forth with her concerns on every one's behalf.

She asked about the extra police patrol on the streets as the busy season was soon to begin here in Gokulam.

 

Other citizens spoke up and asked why the Yoga Shalas don't do more or come forth with ideas and solutions regarding the situation when They in fact are the ones making the BIG Money from the Yoga students. And in fact was Their responsibility.

Some even felt that it was a good idea for the Main Shala to move to a remote location that would ensure the students more safety and thus provide housing for them as well...

 

They addressed Anu's concerns and told her that they were doing everything they could to provide extra street patrol during the hours of 4am-2pm and 4pm-8:30pm

 The Police Commissioner is pictured in blue. He was quite thorough in telling the crowd what they were doing in regards to making Mysore an even safer town. He seemed genuinely concerned in making the residents feel safe and watched over. He touched on Many points in his conversation and I felt a real sense on community while at the meeting.

 

 

One very concerned gentleman turned around and told Ray and I that he gets Extremely concerned when he sees young women riding on the backs of scooters with men that he seems to know are of "questionable character" and wanted us to be sure to tell them that they should Be Aware of who you go with unless you Know who they are. He doesn't want to see anyone getting hurt or any problems arising from such situations.

 

The Police Commissioner also told Anu that included in the Police Security, there are 6 all together and a few are dressed in street clothing so that nobody will know who they are.

He said he in fact "wants this situation taken care of and want's to see it come to an end. That he is trying to solve the problem"

 

I personally came away from the meeting with a good feeling and with a Very hopeful heart knowing that the Police here in this wonderful little town that I am living in are watching over the residents to the Very Best of their ability and they Do Care.

 

 In fact they care SO Much...they must have Known I was coming because they served CHAI and Cookies!!!

 

 

 

So you think you want to drive in India...

You may want to think again!!

Most Magical Evening in Mysore...

I have had practically zero motivation to blog lately.
There are wonderful things all around me, and as goes the story there are equally not so wonderful things all around me.
I won't go into the not so wonderful things, but I will say that my rose colored glasses have changed to clear.
I have seen some things for what they truly are and I am Grateful that I have because that in fact has made me realize who I help and what I get involved in in the future will indeed involve a Great deal of thought.
I actually have decided to NOT get involved in anything more for the duration of my time here in India. Just to enjoy my time here with my friends and my husband and our dog...

Oh how some people will show their true colors...Amazing. Disappointing, but a great reality check indeed!

So, onto more Positive things now, yes?

The other night Ray wanted to walk over to The Green Hotel to pick up a freshly baked loaf of multi grain bread that the French trained baker Kenneth had baked for him (you place your order early in the day and it's ready by the evening..and costs 30 rupees. Less than one dollar.)

On our way back to our home we decided to go a different route and we walked past Amma's home. Amma lives close to the Green Hotel and she used to rent her Penthouse Apartment to a couple of our dear friends J and H. We had Always wanted to meet her and tonight was the Night!!

As we passed by, she was sitting out on her swing. Swinging away and chatting on the telephone. It was so Cute! Dressed in her sari and sweater...

We approached the gate and her security guard immediately wanted to know who we were and what we wanted. So I called out to her and told her who we were and that we were friends of J and H and her face Lit Up with a Big Smile!

She told us to come, come inside!

she turned on all of her lights, the lights in her display cases and her fan.
It was like being in a Museum! All of her Indian Gods and Goddesses displayed perfectly in wonderfully enclosed glass shelves (as they are here due to the dust).
I couldn't stop looking around, and she Loved the fact that I loved it all so much!

 this is her first doll that she had as a child and the chair it is sitting in was made by her grandfather...the photo is of her as a baby.

 this is a photo of her receiving her degree..

and her sister painted this beautiful picture that is just Beautiful in person! She had other paintings that were HUGE and so, So old. She told us they were her grandparents and that they were painted by a very famous artist and the worth of them..and I almost fell off the couch I was sitting on.


At one point in our visit, Amma said "I will get you some juice, Real Nice Juice, not from can. Because in India we believe that when a guest comes into our home, it is like God coming into our home" (and that is true.That is what all Indian people believe and that is why when you are a guest, you are treated like royalty)

She was preparing our drinks and popped her head out to say "Would you like to come say Hello to my God"?
I Knew what she meant and jumped up like a rocket!!
She wanted us to come see her Puja room...
and What a Puja Room it Was!!!

 all of those windows in the front entrance are Filled with pure silver Gods and Goddesses...

 as are all of those pictures and OM on the wall there...

and these are Very old pure silver pictures...they are literally breathtaking to behold in person.

Amma shared her life story with us and took us into her guest room and it felt like coming home. It was soooo comfortable looking and she was proud to show us her guest bathroom inside the room as well...it had a full size bathtub!!!!!
Something you rarely see in India!
She showed us her family tree and all her photos of her parents, brother and sisters...

at one point during our visit, the front door bell rang and it was her security guard. He said to her "Amma, you have two strangers in your home, are they allowed"?
She laughed and told him that yes, in fact they were just fine!

During our visit, Amma shared many things with us. She ran us through a typical day of hers.

She told us "My cook arrives at 6 am and asks me what I would like to eat for the day, I tell her and she begins cooking all of my meals. She then puts them in the hot box and I can take them out whenever I am hungry and they are ready to eat. Around 8 am my maid arrives and cleans my entire house. At about 10 am I go in and have my breakfast and then I bathe before I go into my prayer room to greet my God. I do my prayers for about 2 hours and then I begin my day with meetings, bridge, Yoga or a day out with friends" "My days go by very quickly as I keep busy. I believe that you Need to keep your mind busy and fit as you do your body in order to have a healthy long life" she then said "Everyday is a Bonus Day that we are alive and I am SO grateful for each day. I just want my life to be Peaceful and Happy and I only see the Good in others"

It was so refreshing to be around her and to share the evening with her.
All unplanned...
but yet perfectly orchestrated.

me, sitting on one of her 4 couches...

When the time came for us to say farewell, I asked her if she would swing with me and she Loved the idea! She told me that she Loves to swing and in fact spends a lot of time out on her swing in the evenings. As it overlooks a park that is just being completed. She said it is a "high tech park" and as I looked over I could see the most beautiful green lights lighting up the whole park! It was pure magic! Then she told me, "put your legs up, I shall swing us" and that she did! I had to hold on and she had the best balance. No hands for her!

She is a very content soul.
Her husband passed away last May and she seems to be at peace and she is living her beautiful life in beautiful India...
My dream.....


 

And the Dosha verdict is in.....

PITTA!

I had always wanted to go to an Ayurvedic doctor in India and find out my constitution.
I just had to wait for the right doctor.
And I found him!

So today was my appointment and we hopped in a rickshaw and drove the distance to his clinic. He was pretty far away from our home here in Gokulam.

But we arrived as his previous client was leaving and entered his well kept room with all of his wonderful Ayurvedic potions well stocked amongst the orderly shelves.

I was so happy that Ray was with me (as I always am) because he asked me so many questions and Ray pretty much "kept me honest" with the right answers!!
It was actually quite comical and Dr. Rao got a kick out of us as well.

I don't have any "problems" per say..and the one thing I thought could be a problem, turned out to not be a problem at all! He told me it's Just Who You Are!
Because you see..I am a pretty wound up character generally. Even as a small child I was highly energetic and bouncy and bubbly...
I thought he might have a special Ayurvedic potion he could subscribe to me to make me..
well... r e l a x e d.
But quite the contrary actually. He thought I was just fine and dandy just the way I am!
So There!!

Now, had we of been in the US and I went to a regular medical doctor, I have a feeling he would have referred me to another sort of doctor (if you get my drift) and that other sort of doctor may have prescribed for me a nice bottle of meds to take me down about 5 notches (or so).
One of the Top reasons I do tend to steer more towards Natural Medicine if at all possible.

After my long and Very thorough question and answer session..in which All aspects of my person and personality were covered. He gave me the results..
and told me I am balanced in the Vata and Kapha Doshas, and my dosha is Pitta 

The Pitta dosha controls digestion, metabolism, and energy production. The primary function of Pitta is transformation.
Qualities of Pitta: Hot, light, intense, penetrating, pungent, sharp, acidic. Those with a predominance of the Pitta principle have a fiery nature that manifests in both body and mind.
Physical Characteristics: Pittas are usually of medium size and weight. They sometimes have bright red hair, but baldness or thinning hair is also common in a Pitta. They have excellent digestion, which sometimes leads them to believe they can eat anything. They have a warm body temperature They sleep soundly for short periods of time and have a strong sex drive. When in balance, Pittas have a lustrous complexion, perfect digestion, abundant energy, and a strong appetite. When out of balance, Pittas may suffer from skin rashes, burning sensations, peptic ulcers, excessive body heat, heartburn, and indigestion.
Emotional Characteristics: Pittas have a powerful intellect and a strong ability to concentrate. When they’re in balance, they are good decision makers, teachers, and speakers. They are precise, sharp-witted, direct, and often outspoken. Out-of-balance Pittas can be short-tempered and argumentative.
When Pittas are overstressed, their typical response is “What did you do wrong?”

I will admit here and now, that I was a bit apprehensive about going to see him, ONLY because I LOVE Chai SO much and was scared to death he would tell me that was One item I needed to eliminate in my diet..WRONG!!!

YIPEEEEEE!!! My god was I scared though....

He gave me a list of each food group and what I should avoid..and believe it or not, I pretty much eat that way already. Heck, he even said I could keep on eating the Mysore Pak (in moderation of course!) I'm telling you, this man is an Ayurvedic Saint Doctor!! LOVE Him!

He then prescribed 4 Ayurvedic potions for me to take. All are natural and most are plant based and one that he prescribed for me that I am to take in the afternoon tasted so good I wanted to drink the whole bottle in one gulp. But I resisted.

The potions he prescribed are basically for my hormonal changes as I am getting up there you know..
and one other which I won't reveal..(a girls gotta have Some secrets!)

I LOVE Natural Medicine. I always have. I always will. I am SO happy I went today and I will continue to use natural therapies as long as I can in my life. Because it's what I believe in.

(seen on our way to the Ayurvedic doctors home, a priest on his way to the temple, barefoot of course!)

Oh, one more thing. Today's cost for the one hour consultation, my constitution assessment as well as my four bottles of potions (that will last a month) $22.00.

What's Not to love about that I ask?? But only in India!

 

Lunch at Sandhya's House!

I still can't believe it was my first time going there.
In all of my trips to India, and I had Never had lunch at Sandhyas house...?
I know, it makes No sense whatsoever.

But yesterday was The Day!!
A few of my new friends here visiting made all the arrangements and at 1:30 our driver picked us up and drove us through the streets and lanes to Sandhyas home.

We arrived right on time and it was such a warm and quaint abode.
Then I saw her...

and her smile was as Bright and Warm as the day was!
I couldn't keep my hands off of her, she is just So Huggable!!
What a great Spirit this woman has. So Wonderful.

We all sat down at a long table set especially for us. There were 7 of us.
Then the food started coming...
and it seemed like it would never end.
I would see an empty dish, only to look away and then look back and it had been replaced with a full one!
We all ate until we thought we would POP!

I asked Sandhya what time she began the cooking for us. She told me that the chopping takes about 2 hours and then they begin to cook. They started at 9:30 am...we arrived at 1:30 pm. She has two woman that help her cook. A mother and her daughter. There was one other daughter, but she is off at school now. (she is the one who modeled for the front of her cookbook)
The girls learned and began to help at the ages of 5 and 8 years old. So they are Quite the cooks now!!
 

above is the one daughter and below is her Mother. (they look like they could be sisters)

 The daughter above lives with Sandhya along with Sandhyas beloved cats!
 

and she has many~
They roam around as you eat and are quite well mannered at that!

Here are some pics of everyone enjoying her Delicious food which is cooked and prepared from her old family recipes and are Ayurvedically balanced. We had some great conversation and some really good laughs (as we always do!)

and shots of Sandhyas home...

then it was MY TIME...meaning...Chai Time!!!

I LOVE my Chai!!!

Sandhya has written a cookbook for those of you who didn't know...and it is available on Amazon!

and she also has accommodations for Yoga students during high season. Who Wouldn't want to stay at her house...and eat her delicious food????

see...we ate it ALL!!!

 we took some photos and said our Good-Byes...

But promised to return again soon..
and we will!