First India Post

Reading about India is very different than physically being here! All of my habits, and methods of communicating and interacting with the world have been challenged. For example, when a person nods their head 'yes' in India, it is somewhat similar to the 'no' we use in the US and other parts of the world, but with more of a ear-to-shoulder motion than back-and-forth. Without knowing Tamil or Hindi (or any of the other many languages of India), I am able to to communicate since many people do speak English. However, there have been many misunderstandings (e.g: suddenly I have been brought coffee when I didn't ask for any), and there is a lot to pay attention to! These little differences have been where much of my attention has gone, as I want to make sure I am interacting in a way that is appropriate.

A list of things I've seen/experienced so far (maybe to expand on later):

-crazy traffic.. Rickshaws, buses, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians all share the road. The few stoplights I've seen in Chennai have been sort-of dictating when people go and stop, however, it appears to be kind of a free-for-all. Basically, drivers just GO. They swerve around traffic, pedestrians, and honk before and while doing so. (honking, yes, lots of honking..). There are rules to this, and perhaps closer observation will let me learn them. Also... as a pedestrian it is my job to watch out for cars, rather than the reverse. Remember the Atari game, Frogger?

-cows in the street. Holy cows! I've seen them more in Tiruvannamalai (smaller city) then Chennai (big city), but they as well as their cow pies are everywhere. Also, traffic stops for cows but not so much for pedestrians.

-Women in beautiful saris. So many colors! Most everyone I saw on the street in Chennai (men included) had perfectly neat and clean attire. This must be a challenge, because the streets are so dusty. I haven't been able to keep my own clothing impeccably clean.

-A funeral procession in the streets of Chennai. The mans body was partially covered with white linens and flowers. I actually can't recall much because I figured it was more respectful not to stare. Also, I have smelled the smell of burning bodies, as a cremation was happening as we rode by in a rickshaw.

-Delicious, spicy food. It is amazing! True confession, however.. On the third day I bought the only remotely western thing on the menu: cornflakes with banana and milk. My digestion was a little overwhelmed. At the Ashram, we eat on palm leaves with our right hand (the left hand should never be used for eating).

-Squat toilets with a hose and/or bucket next to them (no toilet paper). Thank goodness for all that practice wilderness camping. This is sort of a non-issue mostly, as long as I remember to bring some tp. I'm not ready to convert.

-Bare feet. All temples and some stores require you to remove your shoes. It is important to bring a couple pair of cheap flip-flops to India, as $100 chaco sandals might look very tempting to someone interested in swiping a pair of shoes.

-Trash on the streets, in rivers, everywhere. Plastic packaging displayed before our eyes rather than being swept away by magic garbage trucks and forgotten about.

-Schoolchildren in uniforms hanging onto the outside of buses.

-People peeing on the sidewalks. All the time. See it every day, multiple times per day. Of course, they politely turn away from traffic.

-Cell phones and cell phone stores. Apparently, there are more cell phones than public restrooms in India. For safety reasons, I bought a pay-as-you-go phone (just for local calls), as STD (phone) booths are becoming less common. The phone cost me $20, and it is about ten dollars for an hour and a half of talking time, I think (still figuring this one out... the guy who sold me the phone spoke some English, but I wasn't able to communicate all of my questions and get answers).

-Posters of Tamil actor Vijayakanth. At least on the ride to Tiru from Chennai, he was everywhere! Huge posters with streamers, billboards, and paintings of him on bridges lined the streets.

-People asking for money. This is the heartbreaking and confusing aspect of traveling to a country where so much of its inhabitants live in poverty. I read that 25% of the country lives on less than 20 rupees, or half of a US dollar, per day. In all that I've read and discussed with fellow India travelers, giving money to someone on the streets will often result in swarms of people following you, asking for money. It is better to do it when in a not-so-public place or not at all. The reality of the situation is that I am extremely wealthy in comparison to much of the world. Although I'd rather travel a country like India (rather than go somewhere comfortable and sheltered from this reality), it sometimes feels awkward, but in a very necessary way. Perhaps it was time to be reminded of my privilege. Many things to contemplate.

-Also part of the wealthy westerner/not-so-wealthy Indian dynamic are the many safety issues to watch out for as a traveler. There are many details to think about, all of which I am paying very close attention to as I will be traveling alone for part of my journey. It will be a very empowering and important experience for me.

Right now, it is very difficult for me to keep my eyes down, not say hello to strangers, remember to keep my distance (from men, especially) and feel that I am interacting in an authentic way. I know that I will meet people and connect (I already have), but that I can't connect with everyone, especially not in the ways I am accustomed to. I find that I actually have to ignore people, lots of people. As I walk the half mile to the ashram every day I am approached, shouted at, or honked at by at least five different people, many asking for money.

I feel like I have grown up in a cheesy and overly happy childrens sing-a-long video (think: Barney and Friends), and India is like watching a documentary about some of the harsh realities that exist outside of that bubble. In this metaphor, I am specifically referring to the people (many who are missing limbs) begging for food. Although the reality I want to create does involve happy songs and rainbows and such, it is important not to ignore other realities. This is important. I don't know why I was born into a life of comfort and ease (at least, materially) when others have little access to precious resources like food and water. The only thing that I am sure of is I that am certain to whine a lot less from this moment forth.

india: what i am doing and why

It's true!

For those of you who don't know, I'm headed to India for three months to complete projects I created for undergraduate study. I had to buy the ticket first and do the planning second, otherwise I would have continued to make excuses as to why it was not practical to go. With student status it is the perfect time for this exploration! Now is the time to go so I will. Currently, my loans are in deferment, I don't have any pets, kids, or mortgages, and I'm pretty much set. Jes has given me both her blessing and showered me with thoughtful gifts that will be really useful in my travels, including a hand-bound journal with daily quotes, a laminated currency conversion chart and a hand-sewn pouch filled with first-aid supplies. True love it is. I say, "I want to follow my heart but it means leaving you for a while." She becomes excited for my adventure and encourages me to do it.

The projected average cost of $5-20 per day includes lodging, food, and some travel. This estimate does not include the plane ticket to and from India or the unexpected costs I've run into while making sure I have all the shots and goods to comfortably navigate the subcontinent. I've read that a $10 day/night may consist of bedbugs and no hot water. Sounds fine to me! My aim is to keep costs at $10 per day but am willing to spend more for safety, health, and adequate sleep (not planning on sleeping in train stations or skipping nights of sleep). I will report on things of this nature as they arise...

What I am doing:

Traveling will be fun. Half of the trip will consist of meeting people in specific places and doing specific things, the other half of my time will be solo (and remains unplanned). I won't be traveling and sightseeing as much as I will be settled into particular places for 2-3 weeks at a time and then moving onward. I hope to report on my experiences in such a way that is helpful to those who also might be interested in going to India.

My student project is perfectly from the heart. I am taking part in four areas of study:

Philosophy: Based on the words of Ramana Maharshi (and cross-referencing other works, including the ancient Yoga Sutras), I will ponder the "Self," the "I," and write papers about these concepts (how did I stumble upon this awesome life? Really? I am bursting with gratitude!)

Meditation: I will attend a workshop and conference on Yoga Nidra. Part of the workshop will be exploring the philosophy and spiritual aspects of this practice. The other portion will be more scientific, and we'll discuss practical applications of Yoga Nidra, studies that have taken place in the western world, and use EEG machines to record our brainwaves during various states of the meditation.

Dreams: I will be reading various theories on the significance of dreams, keeping a dream journal, and comparing waking, dreaming, and meditative consciousness (drawing from the philosophy and meditation portions of my contract). Basically, I want to explore the nature of reality, ahem... Reality (reality and Reality are two different things!)

Touring: I am meeting my professor and a couple of other students and visiting different places in Delhi, Sarnath, Varanasi and Rishikesh. My professor is planning a program in India in 2013 and we will be assessing places that may be placed into her program plan.

The story behind this, in brief:

While attending school I realized that I could study anything (within reason) and still have a bachelors degree. Yoga and meditation are far more beautiful to me than any of the other options, and discussing the meaning of existence is my favorite tangent! Once, during a significant moment of quiet I understood everything and nothing to be exactly the same. It made sense in a way that is experiential, so to put words to it actually turns it into something that it was not, so I'll stop here.

My practical reasons for going to college have been neatly tucked away (to be used for grad school instead). Now is the time to follow the heart and trust.

Choose Your Own Adventure

I created a fun blog for an assignment in school. Here it is! Have fun

Ode to My Undergrad Experience

I am filled with gratitude for the profound transformation that has taken place through the wide range of experiences made available to me through my Evergreen degree.

Ideas.
Ideas.
Ideas.
Ideas.
Tactile.
Applicable.
Experiential.
Community-based.
Connected.
Motivated.
Understanding.
Real.
Exploring.
Memorizing.
Creating.
Thinking abstract.
Love.
Aliveness.
Research.
Dedication.

Discipline.
Planning.
Organizing.
Outlining.
Ideas.
Ideas.
Ideas.
Ideas.

The realities which are the fabric of this setting represent what I would like to create for myself in the coming years. Here, ideas are allowed to take flight and swirl in the minds of young, idealistic misfits with the container of the academic world holding them accountable for follow-through. Nothing is impossible as long as you know who to talk to, which rules to follow (and which ones are breakable and under what circumstances), and how to connect to the people that are doing what you want to do.

Ultimate freedom,
Within definite boundaries,
A perfect dichotomy that somehow transcends its own.

Criteria that must be met in order to move forward....

A rough outline of ______________ (fill in the blank with whatever your mind desires).

Creativity does not, as I previously had thought, exist only in a painting, colored-pencil sketch, or hand-stitched outfit, assembled with eclectic scraps of material.
Creativity is not just found in an art gallery in the city,
because the whole world is an art gallery!
Every aspect of this life is touched with a piece of yourself, transformed into something different simply because you interacted with it.
Once this is understood, the beauty of each pulsing breath becomes an act of utter divinity,
and life,
a joyfully painful engagement that just is.
Nature manifests this best,
and we are all a part of nature.

My college experience started out as a blank canvas. The canvas was the limitation, yes, but it also provided the space for the vivid painting that now rests upon it, nearing its completion. I thought when I graduated I would hang this proudly on my wall, only to realize that the painting would dissolve and only the memory of the experience of painting it would remain a part of my cells for always.

Not Broken (but I knew that)

"Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is her patience."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson



Injuries are our greatest teachers!

It has been one year since I've been able to use my wrist in the ways I have in the past; Pressing, weight bearing, sculpting, digging, carrying, and bending all lead to an achy feeling inside. Practicing all weight bearing yoga postures on my forearms since May, I've had to challenge my desire to "accomplish" postures and instead, find out what yoga truly is, awareness of body and breath.

When teaching yoga, I've wrestled with the challenging of articulating the poses with words, rather than simply offering a visual demonstration. I've had to shed my previous assumption that, as a yoga teacher, I should be able to do everything I teach- not true, not true!

Taking care of the body is important. The most effective way to take care of the body aside from action (pursuing the necessary medical attention) is equanimity. Pain X Resistance = Suffering. Pain X 0 = 0. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. This wrist injury is, to some extent, the least awkward of some of the ouches I've experienced in this lifetime. It is the perfect opportunity to practice equanimity.

"Forever is composed of nows."

-Emily Dickinson

Philosophy is Still Fun...

Complex and Fascinating Idea

Bigword the bigword bigword a bigword bigword, the bigword bigword bigword bigword bigword bigword bigword. Bigword Big-word, bigword the bigword bigword. The bigword big-word, bigword bigword bigword, bigword bigword bigword, the bigword. Bigword bigword, important date, bigword bigword bigword. Bigword bigword the bigword the bigword. A bigword bigword bigword bigword bigword bigword bigword bigword, big-word bigword, the bigword bigword.

Conclusion:

Let me get my dictionary! (five hours later, the paragraph is translated)