A calmness that moves through the trees reminiscent of Dharamshala... makes me understand why so many of my friends are here. All the amazing peopler I met at Tushita made their ways to Rhishikesh... It seems I am just running into people from the course everywhere I go in India.
I guess becoming close with 63 spirit seeking travelers will do that to you.
My Scottish BFF from the course, Mikey, arrived yesterday just a few hours after Aaron, Danny & I. We had left our stuff at a guesthouse a bit further up the hill while getting our breakfast, booking our white water rapids adventure and going to the internet cafe for that communication stuff we do.
At that time we thought High Bank was the heart of Rhishikesh and we already loved it.
We returned and found that we had to relocate guesthouses... So we walked down a skip and a jump and found Bandari Swiss Cottages.
I sat on my REI green backpack in the walkway waiting for a room to be cleaned for me smack in front of my new buddy Ganapth - the Self proclaimed vagabond snake charmer jewelry maker, music lover and generally smiley 60 or so year-old Shivaite from Rajasthan by way of everywhere.
Aaron & I sung him a song.
He threw his head back in joy and laughter and then returned the favor by playing his bagpipe-like snake charming instrument (though he didn't get his cobra out for a while)...
As Aaron, Ganapath and I were in the middle of jammin out somethin awesome, Mikey rocked up and pulled out his new wooden Indian flute, joining right in without even dropping his rucksack.
Aaron & Danny immediately understood why he is decidedly my favorite Scotsmasn of all time.We all hugged it out and danced around, dumping our bags and setting out on a mission to find a Reiki teacher!@ (Not too difficult in a place like this, but we were on a mission to find someone recommended by Amanda, our Tushitaite friend and puppy saver)
Luckily and awesomely, Mikey is doing Rhishikesh Take 2 on his journey as he was sick during his first pilgrimage here... But now he has the lay of the land down pat, so we maneuvered ourselves down through the steps and streets that leak towards the Ganges Bridge - a rickety, swaying thin bridge that bazillions of people shuffle over along with cows, monkeys and motorbikes.
Duh.
The other side of the bridge is where it is popping in Lakshmi Julle... ashrams, yoga studios, funky fresh clothing stores, crystals, healers and yummy fresh eco-veggie style food places named things like "Pyramid Cafe"
Aaron & Danny had lunchinner (i just made that up... like brunch).. while i practiced yoga with Mikey. (A killer class! sadly i found out was a one off).
I had already signed up for the everyday routine in my head.
We sat by candlelight in the courtyard and sand our ever expanding repertoire of feel-good vibe songs.
AS per the usual, we made some awesome new friends.
Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.
Its so damn true.
A warm smile goes so far in this world!
OH! big news! On our walk back up to the guesthouse we found this little market with western imports... I just stood in front of nature valley granola bars, V8 and Skippy Peanut Butter and cried.
It feels like lifetimes ago that i was home.
Something in me has been feeling fear about coming back to America. I'm not 100% sure what that's all about. Aaron and I tried to untangle the emotion on the train from Varanasi, but i still don't totally know.
I'm trying to not get caught in a tornado of nostalgia and homesickness, so i turn the other cheek and do something bold and amazing and fear-confronting... like a 26km white water rapid adventure! (p.s. it was freaking AWESOME)
Danny, Aaron, Me and Sandeep - our Indian guide. <3 him.
Such a cool guy. Great snacks.
We recovered (ALIVE! woo hoo) and then i taught the guys a yoga class.
Its amazing how comfortable & natural i've become over the years.
I just slide into the words that spill out from me as i teach... i ramble and share and dance the flow of the practice.
We all felt great and walked down to a hole in the wall for some delicious Thalis.
I ate a bit too much to be going to yoga, but lucky for me it was the first day of a teacher training at the ashram, so they were moving at a sloth's pace.
I left and found 5 Tushitaites at the bridge.
Amanda and Rainer had rescued a little sick puppy and were tending to it.
What angel sweetie champions, right?
Jessica and Margot would be proud!
I walked back up the hill, huffing and puffing in the pitch black night with my orange scarf around my head like a veil.
I felt like a vagabond gypsy woman.
I jingled and clanked as i walked.
I breathed deeply and felt the urge to chant and then totally did. why not?
if not now, when?
if not here, where?
(i gotta remember that.. like... always)
in other/not that other news
i am officially playing guitar. (see the next entry that is coming on this one)
we are writing songs constantly - sometimes just us, often with new friends and younglovers. New songs are born every moment it seems... Rolling them out like a magic newspaper press, printing poetry between blank lines and emotion saturated stanzas.
i don't even know what that means.
but ya.
that.
if not truly, fully expressive and honest then WHAT?
what if this is it?
well... hell... then i'm gonna make the most of today.
As Baba Aaron G wrote "I'm for today... i'm for the birds who fly away. Free as they came. Free as they came."
Thanks for being here friends.
Have I told you lately that i love you?
I really really do.
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