Change of Pace

Things are continue to go well here at the Ashram for me ... I am still enjoying the weather, beach, yogic lifestyle and people (staff and guests) ... and now I am actually a "guest" ... doing a yoga/ayurveda/recovery workshop which is quite intense.  Still following the daily schedule ...up at 5.30 for meditation and chanting but on top of the regular ashram activities I have approximately 8 hours of lectures/study.  It feels great to use my brain a little more and taking this course is helping me to assimilate all I have learned while I have been here.  A Swami gives some of the lectures of yoga theory and an Ayurvedic practitioner gives great lectures on its application as well as daily personalized classes for our group from another teacher.  I am learning a great deal about the mind, my body and my spiritual practice.

Now thinking of coming "home" ... where is home? .... have plans to stay with a friend in Kingston while I make some decisions on an apartment or other location to live and build my "nest".  If anyone has any suggestions or ideas for me please let me know.

It would be quite easy to continue with this life ... moving from the loving supportive ashram community to another ashram and work/live together but for this time I will continue back to Canada and trust that things will all work out well there.

The weather is heating up dramatically, quite humid now and the cruiseship business across the Bay in Nassau is quiet by comparison with the Jan - March period.  Far fewer people around and far fewer loud musical evenings to disturb the sleep.  Good beach weather and the sea is warm and calm.

Now that I am no longer doing Karma Yoga (the work of selfless service and surrender all actions to God/Higher Power), I have the time to reflect on the meaning of work as it relates to daily spiritual practice.  This entire experience is helping me reflect on meditation as a life practice and how I weave this concept into my day to day life.

Hope everyone is enjoying the lovely Spring ... see you soon.

Settling in and settling down

This post is a delight to write ... after more than 2 months here at the Ashram I feel I am quite settled ... life is simple in my little tent with the daily routine that suits me.  The work is not overly hard ... at times even fun, especially baking the cookies and other goodies and making smoothies for people.  The period when Krishna Das was here was a mad house - it has settled down now to around 200 people - when he was here it was up around 260 which was maximum and jam packed.  I was like a mad woman making smoothies and other goodies as fast as I could each day.  Now the sun has come out again ... the weather has been variable and at times downright scary especially when the beach was cordoned off because of the size of the waves.  The wind blew like crazy during the nite and my ear plugs came in handy.

It is a steady coming and going of staff here as well and Teacher Trainees.  Each month there is a new batch of budding teachers who come for 4 weeks of training and each group is different.  The energy of the group is often manic at times because of the workload (I think it is a great training but quite demanding for them as they are fed a ton of information and little time to actually digest it all, perhaps not til they go home) and want goodies especially chocolate.  As do the staff who work very hard here and the chocolate is a big treat as there is not often dessert as we all know it after the very healthy and colourful meals we eat twice a day.

My favourite meal is Brunch ... I usually have some yogurt and hot water to drink and granola and cooked porridge with some kind of milk and then a small bowl of veggies and soup and perhaps a grain.  It needs to sustain me til later in the day at 6 pm so I have a good meal, usually after my 2 hour yoga practice from 8-10 am.  The teachers continue to be excellent and between the teaching and the daily satsangs or community events with speakers and/or music, I am feeling full of goodness as I write this.  And I walk and/or swim at the beach each day.

Not a bad life and I have really settled in here.  As the staff leave from their 4-5 months of karma yoga over the fall and winter and new people arrive for their "terms", I find myself wondering "Could I make this my life?" Could I travel from ashram to ashram meeting new people, practicing great yoga and doing meaningful work ... selfless service ...?  I am reflecting on this but for the time being have a return ticket at the end of April.

Love and gratitude is in my heart for this opportunity to learn more about myself in such a conscious community of like minded souls.

On Being a Karma Yogi

I thought of this blog post while meditating this morning ... my mind does wonder off in all different directions as is the way of the mind.  The morning and evening satsangs, or gatherings, are 2 hrs in length so after the meditation of 30 minutes there is chanting and then some kind of music or lecture/discussion.  It is usually quite lively but this morning my mind drifted and I wanted to share how it is to be a karma yogi at an ashram.

The Caribbean is absolutely gloriously beautiful, the beach clean and the sand warm and lovely to walk on.  The temperatures have fluctuated dramatically over the last 2 weeks and I have had days where there was pelting rain and quite cold for here ... well, let's say in the low 60's but with the humidity it felt colder.  Then the days are hot and sunny and I run around in as little as the ashram guidelines allow - shoulders and knees covered.  Unless we are on the beach.

Now to get back to being a karma yogi - it is challenging, as I work approximately 5 hours per day in the boutique/health hut where I started out stocking the shelves with books, clothing and t-shirts, sweets, drinks and then was instructed on the cash handling and cash register operation and now am in charge of cooking cookies and other sweets including smoothies and grilled cheese each day from 11 to 3 pm.  I am on my feet all day and that is a challenge (memories of Yoga Plus but much more relaxed for those ofyou who remember that adventure) but I am pretty self directed and have another karma yogi helper from the teacher training program some of the time.  We can get great ingredients for everything here but the costs are high and these are reflected in what we charge for the goodies - usually $3.00 for a large Sivananda oatmeal cookie and up to 6.00 for a kale smoothie.

Karma yogis are many - we have staff meetings each morning - it seems there may be up to 50 of us, I'm getting to know everyone, most come for 3 months or longer and are from all over the world.  It is fun to meet and chat with people from around the world - when I get time, meals (we have two each day) are morning and afternoon - 10 am after yoga practice on the lovely outdoor platforms overlooking the sea - and 6 pm after I have had a walk/swim and rest - but they are short meals as I work again after each meal.  I am eating lest and savouring it more.

Life is good overall - when it was raining heavily a couple of weeks ago I was concerned at the safety and security in my tent - but all went well and I was all dry.  A good tent and other equipment saved me.

I have a few hours off here and there to manage my laundry and swimming and yoga and friendly chatting - enough to feel like it is not all work.  Karma yoga is not for everyone, I have found it pays to develop a thick skin, ask for what I need ( like a few extra hours off if one is too tired ) and a willingness to pitch in as there is much to do.  The property is not large but many hands make light work.

This is a most beautiful place and I would encourage anyone who is curious about it to check it out online or come down and take a program.  The presenters and most of the yoga instructors are excellent.  There is a teacher training program with up to 50 participants each month - it will be my job this month to make little bouquets of flowers for each for their graduation, which is a great pleasure.

Life is good, what a way to spend the winter!  I feel healthy and well and very grateful to have this experience.

Busy daily routine

I know many of you are curious about my daily routine; I think I gave you a brief, bird's eye view in the last post but to be more specific.  It's arduous with all the chanting and meditation, two hours both am and pm starting at 5.30 am and ending at 10.00 pm.  BUT the presenters have been fantastic.  We have had an interfaith panel over the last few days as well as musicians from all parts of the world playing music for us and now there is a creative writing and yoga and creativity special event.  It is busy!  This is the busiest time of the year as the weather is lovely.  I just got back from a swim in the Sea and it was so wonderful!  Usually I walk on the beach after my workday but today I swam and was so glad I did!  The weather here is cooler than usual, when we talk in the morning for ameditation walk on the beach I wear my fleece and toque!  The wind is cool.  But most of the time we are in casual, cool clothes and eating and living outside.

All in all the life is good here; today I prepared 40 bouquets of flowers and 40 small packages of three fruits for the teacher trainees who will be graduating and getting their spiritual names tomorrow.  It is lovely to watch these new teachers grow and develop and talk to them about all their experiences while they have been here.  Tonite I had a meal with a young woman from Russia and her friend from Ottawa (her father is from Napanee!).  It is a small world.

This morning (think 7.00 to 8.00 am) we had a lecture from Dr Joe Dispenza and he talks about our brain and how we can use meditation and visualization to create the life we want.  I am impressed, loved his presentation and plan to read his book.  Check out his website formore info.

Am planning on having some body work done here, perhaps a thai yoga massage, there are great therapists.  But daily yoga keeps me limber and I feel very well and healthy.  The food is nutritious and delicious.  I still have to get over to Nassau (by short boat ride) to explore there ... perhaps in my next blog???

Hope no one has too much snow to shovel.  The beach is lovely here.

Karma Yoga at the Ashram

It has been nearly two weeks here at the Sivananda Retreat Centre and Ashram in the Bahamas.  It is not necessarily easy at times ... there are challenges of learning who people are and the rhythm of the Centre. I have been given my work assignment and it is to be in the Boutique approximately 5-6 hours per day and to keep it looking fresh and clean, monitor the bookshelves, do laminating of the various Indian saints and dieties and to set up special displays. I have also been trained on cash.  It seems like a lot but is fun being around the guests and near the food snacks (healthy things like energy bars and bars and smoothies with kale that I love!).  The weather is warm and the sea a little cold for me but soon I think it will be warm enough for me to swim ... I tried it once and I walk on the beach each day after my shift ... usually between 3 and 5 pm.  I have settled into a routine and rhythm of life in a tent (pretty simple and basic life) and am enjoying the yoga each morning between 8 and 10 am.  I love the food and the outdoor living and all the people from various parts of the world and have even bumped into people that I have met at Val Morin at the Sivananda Centre there in the past!  How fun, a woman who I did the juice fast last spring with, she is from Tremblant and another woman who is from Belgium and is doing karma yoga for over one year now at places around the world.

The lifestyle is very disciplined here.  It is part of the "practice" ... we are awoken at 5.30 am by cow bells and they ring continuously til the morning meditiation starts at 6.00 am.  Then two hours of meditation and chanting and yogic philosophy and then a short staff meeting and yoga for two hours at 8.00 am.  Brunch at 10.00 am and then work from 11 to 3 pm.  I have three hours off then and dinner is at 6.00 pm.  I go back to work for one hour between 6.45 and 7.30 to handle last minute customers and clean/close the boutique.  It is a full day but very worthwhile.  I am learning a ton about myself ... more posts about that in future.

I am not missing snow or shovelling or snow tires or anything of that business.  The beach is absolutely glorious and I am feeling very well and recovered from my cold and flu of December. 

More to follow.  This will give you some idea of life here.  O, my tent is well sealed, we have had some evening rain and condensation and I am quite cosy!  I'm grateful for that.

Surfacing

After being under the weather with cold and flu and jet lag over the last more than one week, I'm back on my game and tomorrow heading for Bahamas ... a 3 month commitment in the advanced karma yoga program at the Sivananda retreat centre.  I will be camping, have a lovely new and very light tent, with instructions and help from friends Tim and Debbie!  It will be yet another part of my adventure on my Sacred Sabbatical 6 months!

Coming back to Canada in the middle of winter from India has been quite an eye opener and I would not recommend it to anyone to be honest.  It is very tough, the cold and snow and ice and trying to drive safely without snow tires ... stressful ... but only one of two storms during the last one-plus week.

The bus to Pearson Toronto today with a huge suitcase which holds not only my summer work and yoga clothes, but my camping gear.  Heavier than what I took to India but necessary.

Looking forward to sun and beach life for the next 3 months.  More updates on the work in Bahamas, the scene at the retreat centre and my life as a camper!

Happy New Year to all who are reading!

My typical day in Auroville

As many of you can tell from my emails and previous blogs, I'm loving it in India.  I have managed to find places and people that really suit my nature especially here in Auroville where I am surrounded my lush, tropical greenery, easygoing people from all over the world who are united in their quest for greater peace and serenity through selfless service, ie, work!

Each day starts quietly - well not really so quiet because the temple nearby blasts chants from 5.30 or 6.00 am but some days I cannot hear them from my room depending on the wind.  Then I am up and making a pot of tea (a wide variety of organic blends, all from here in Auroville, provided by the guest house) and time for a little sit outside looking at the greenery all around me and sipping a wonderful tasty blend with honey.  Then I'm usually going to the Matrimandir, the spiritual centre of Auroville, for meditation or biking or walking through the forest to the yoga centre for a class.  I have a good variety of classes and teachers in this lovely serene building surrounding by tropical trees and plants, then back to the guest house for a fresh fruit breakfast.

The rest of the days are spent biking around to see small settlements in the forest, stopping at roadside cafes and shops, visiting with people that I have met since I have been here or new ones, some massage or other bodywork, classes in the philosophy of this community (established by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in 1968) to learn more about the Aurovilians and sometimes just relaxing and reading and having time to try to think about very little.

I have always been interested in intentional communities as many of you know so this is a real experience for me, I am in awe of the work that has gone into Auroville by so many thousands of people from all over the world.  Auroville is owned by no one and no one here owns anything ... they are paid a "maintenance salary" for their work and most of their daily needs are met.  The entrepreneurial spirit is strong here and there is a very strong European influence -mainly French, Italians, Germans and some British.  There are 10 Canadians living here but I have not met any.  Much research into so many aspects of sustainable living is conducted here.

I'm happy but must leave this Saturday and will post again soon.

Kind seasonal wishes to all who are reading this ... enjoy!

Auroville Life

I arrived here in this idyllic international, spiritual community (since 1968) just over a week ago.  It has been wonderful, peaceful and like a little oasis in the middle of the noise, smells, garbage and sometimes (well, most of the time!) the chaos of India.  I am staying in a little guest house called Creativity with 5 bedrooms.  We are an international house with residents from France, USA, Italy, Denmark and myself and my friend Theresa from Canada.  The house is overseen quite capably by a Belgium woman who is a real den mother and looks after us in a most compassionate manner.  It is quiet and well maintained as we have a cleaner who keeps things lovely for us (right down to flower arrangements) 6 days a week, including our clothes washing.  My room is lovely with a bright orange painted wall, double bed, desk and little outdoor sitting area.  Dogs and cats and cows/bulls roam wherever, whenever so I never know when I will be visited.

Quite an incident last week when I was walking through the forest on the way to the yoga centre, a bull and a cow were standing by the path, I walked by carefully and as I was passing by the bull, I was head butted in the arm, a nice bruise in green/purple greets me these days.  The great thing is that I was en route to the yoga centre/healing centre and they took wonderful care of me.  However, no one expects such a thing and I was in a little shock for a few minutes after.

I have been biking all over the huge complex for the last week now - many people ride motorcycles or mopeds but I am quite happy with my bright pink bike - and getting to explore all the little nooks and crannies of this fascinating place.  Most of the roads are hard packed, a few are paved but the pavement stops quite randomly so I usually only bike during the day.  It is incredibly dark at nite here so evening times are usually spent preparing a meal and relaxing.

We are served a lovely fruit, homemade yogurt, tea and bread/jam (homemade right here in Auroville) breakfast outside near the garden of the complex (the weather has been lovely and warm and sunny every day) and then usually I attend a yoga class or another event.  Last Saturday was a half day workshop on Consciousness as Medicine given by an Indian doctor, it was wonderful and I learned a great deal and got to practice techniques which I am still practicing. 

It is easy to be relaxed and joyful here as most people seem to enjoy their life and many Aurovillians have been here for many years, some since the inception of the community in 1968!  It is so fascinating to see an international complex like this utilizing compassion, spirituality and kind communication to operate a community of more than 2,000. 

The yoga classes (Iyengar so they are quite precise and a good challenge for me) have been excellent, usually 1.5 hours long and so reasonably priced.  And I have had a facial massage/treatment and plan a craniosacral session later this week.  There are many many therapists from all over the world here offering all sorts of treatments.

The most famous place in Auroville is the Matrimandir complex, too much to explain, suffice to say it is a huge structure that is absolutely magical to enter and meditate in.  Check it out online for more info.  I did my preliminary visit there last week so now may go any morning after 10 am.  But there is so much to do here I have not been back yet.


I am really enjoying this leg of my journey but am also planning my return to Canada late December, briefly, between Dec 28 and Jan 3/4 before moving on to Sivananda retreat in Nassau, Bahamas for 3 months.

My dear son Christopher has also had some changes in his life during my absence and will be leaving Kingston to move to Calgary to accept a job next weekend.  Please keep him in your hearts and minds over the next few weeks as he settles into his new life in Calgary!  Burrito Amigo will remain open and day to day operations will be passed to the cook, Ben, who has been working with Christopher since he opened in May.

Thanks to all of you who stay in touch through email or FB; it's great to know what people are up to.

Namaste from India ... more from the Gypsy at 60 - plus!

Since Rasa Ayurvedic ...

I have been super-negligent about posting to this blog since I left the Ayurvedic healing centre but have been having a wonderful time travelling around.  First I went to a beach called Kovalam Beach where I had a lovely quite little room way up a hill from the beautiful beach - right next to a yoga centre - and on the other side a lovely small hotel owned by an Italian couple who served nutritious and delicious breakfasts.  I had a quite time reading, walking on the beach, chatting with locals and planning the next phase of my journey.

After Kovalam Beach (which was a little more touristy than I was wanting) I teamed up with a new friend from Rasa and we travelled by train to Fort Cochin which was a bright star in the journey ... quiet, cleaner than much of India, relaxed and full of other surprises!  Including a homestay (like a B&B) where we each had beautiful rooms, mine was bright yellow with a huge balcony overlooking the parade ground.  The shops were very posh indeed and we had a real shopping spree.  So much of India is colourful and great prices it was hard to resist.  But I'm conscious I'm trying to travel light with one small bag on wheels and a light knapsack. 

After Fort Cochin we travelled together to the hills where the tea and coffee is grown and we had a very very very special 4 days with two top of the line hotels ... first the Windemere Estates for two nites - overlooking the tea plantations - quiet and very elegant with the best bathroom yet!  Then we had another nite in a different hotel because Windemere was booked and we stayed in our own little chalet at a place called Tall Trees.  You can google these and get a real taste for the elegance.  We were both unwell unfortunately with little bugs but made the most of the rooftop restaurant and lovely food and furnishings in our little chalet overlooking yes, the tall trees.

I am thoroughly enjoying all the variety of exciting travel experiences since I left Canada on Oct 15th as both India and the UK have offered a wide variety of sites and sounds.  But India is the best for both!  The people in the south have been warm, friendly, gentle and slow moving.  And very very willing to do whatever they can do to make the ferenghi (foreigner) happy.  Even the frequent power cuts have not bothered me too much.

Now I'm in the southeast of India near Chennai and will post very soon!

Stay tuned for more adventures ... life is warm, humid and always fun on the road!  Check out my facebook page for some photos as/when I remember to upload them.

Travelling as a woman of a "certain age" ...

It has been interesting to be travelling around India as a mature woman.  I find because I am not in a hurry, have no desire to do a great deal of purchasing, and dress as Dr Geetha, the Ayurvedic physician reminded me, in a "respectful" way, I am given a great deal of respect.  I am not nagged into coming into every little shop and both men and women seem to be very comfortable chatting with me about life in India, especially in the South, which is quite a bit more relaxed and easy than the North (where I had travelled in the past).

Life is relatively (for India!) quiet in Fort Cochin, really a "haven" compared to the heaving noise and dirt and congestion and pollution in other parts.  I have been here the last 4 days and have visited churches, monuments, museums and countless shops while basing myself in a "homestay", a large stately home right in this small town where the family rents out 6 rooms for bed and breakfast.  I lucked out and got the best room with a bright yellow theme and windows all round and a front balcony to sit on.  I've pretty much got used to the Indian systems of bathing and eating and travelling and using rickshaws (taking one's chances on getting to the destination in one piece).

Yesterday was an eventful day and one of the highlights was being dressed in a traditional cotton sari and I will place the photo on Facebook ... it was such fun but took quite a while to get it looking just so.  Two lovely young Indian women dressed me up and waited patiently as we took photos and I explained gently that no, I was not buying the sari.

Took a ferry over to the mainland today, a pretty rickety vessel, but I got there and back and had a wonderful Keralan lunch (not too hot food, again unlike the heavy food of the North of India) with lots of coconut milk.  I am eating excellent food and drinking lots of fresh juices, teas and bottles of water.  The food here is quite good and very very cheap!  Lots of fruit and fresh vegetables and much, much basmati rice.

Tomorrow I'm off to the mountains to Munnar for a 3 day stay at another Homestay.  The mountains are full of tea and coffee plantations and wonderful views as well as much cooler than near the sea.

I continue to enjoy every day, every minute of this journey.  India is not easy as a traveller and much patience and good humour is essential!  It is good that I don't have a tight Itinerary and can move around relatively easily.

Am flying to Chennai on Satuirday and will post from Auroville, my next stop for three weeks.

The treatments at Rasa

It has been 20 days since I arrived in Kerala to begin this Panchakarma journey.  I have not regretted it for one minute!  The staff - from the driver on my arrival to the cooks, cleaners/washing ladies, to the treatment young women - and even the owner who lives in the US - I spoke with her through Skype within a few days of arrival - everyone is truly kind, gentle and feels it is a privilege to assist us here at Rasa in any way possible.


The entire experience has been orchestrated smoothly and gently.  From the daily schedule (arising around 6 am, but the music and chanting from the temple starts at 4.30 or 5.00 am), treatment timings (each day morning or afternoon for approximately one hour) to the meal times (three meals, all delicious vegetarian according to our Dosha (or constitution which is determined by the Ayurvedic doctor who talks to us each day except Sunday) ... everything is well tuned, smooth and easy to enjoy ourselves.  I could probably stay another week but leave tomorrow.


The treatments have been especially interesting. It was determined quite quickly by Dr Geeta that I have a Vata imbalance - very very common - and would need to begin with some oil massages, head massages and steam baths.  Lots and lots of oil, slipping and sliding all over the treatment table.  The treatment area - because this is a very traditional experience - is on the rooftop with a thatched roof and four small rooms - two for treatments, and one room holds the steam bath unit which is constructed from thatching and we sit in there with our head popping out.  Ayurveda does not support head getting too steamy.

Other treatments have included hot compresses of herbs being pounded all over my body and then rubbing andmassaging with the herbs, followed by a quick oil massage.  I have also had an oil bath where the oil is dribbled all over the body (we wear little cloth g-strings which don't protect much!, one cannot be shy here) as well as a hot rice bath where the rice is held in a gauze bag and rubbed and dragged all over the body.  I have also had steam for the sinuses before bed, special medicines for sleeping and helping with overall rest along with the delicious food,daily fruit juices, herbal teas, water that is boiled with 7 different herbs for sipping throughout the day as well as lots of medicated ghee (clarified butter) through different orifices.  All very relaxing - lots of time to sleep, lie in the hammock and on one or two occasions I have had a taxi take myself and another "patient" into Trivandrum to see temples and do a little shopping.

The effects of this entire Panchakarma (deep cleansing and healing) are continuing for the next 45 days so I will be especially careful not to overexert myself in India - I had not planned on this being a marathon tour anyway as I was aware that after Panchakarma one needs to be cautious about sun and too much swimming in the sea.  It has really been a challenging experience - my body, mind and spirit feel very relaxed and grounded now.   Yoga and meditation each day has helped as well; we do our own practices in the morning usually.

But I have chosen to come back to Rasa for 2 days before I leave India so I will be here from Dec 22-early on the 25 for a few more treatments and consult with Dr Geeta.


So tomorrow I'm off to Kovalam, a seaside resort south of here (I will stay at a quiet place called Tree Tops) and relax for a few days before taking the train north to Fort Cochin and lots of sightseeing and touring.  It is a busy place and promises to be exciting.


More to follow ...

Kickin' back in India

After an arduous journey from London Gatwick through Dubai Airport (beautiful place but after 7 hours lost its lustre especially with my flight departing at 0415 hrs).  Travel is sometimes overrated I say to myself.  Anyway, after two long flights, arrived safely in Trivandrum and a driver and car were waiting to whisk me away to Rasa Ayurveda Healing Centre for Women (called a private clinic here in Kerala).  30 minutes in the back of the car through Trivandrum reinforced for me that even after 20 plus years since I have been in India, nothing much had changed - at least in mymind - just as frantic and noisy and colourful as it was back when I was travelling 'round in the past.  But at Rasa it is all calm and cool as I expected it would be.  A warm welcome, a warm bath/shower (hot water is brought to the room by one of themany attendants here), then a lovely vegetarian meal (Kerala was once known as the Spice Coast of India) and a long oily hot oil massage in the afternoon, followed by a sleep, I felt pretty good.  And have continued to feel wonderful here, the hot humid weather punctuated by regular monsoon like rains at around 5-7 pm all contribute to it.  The greenery is magical and the birds/crickets/other unknown types of noisy critters outside my window at nite lull me to sleep.

Yesterday was a big day, the previous several days working up to it, when I had the actual Panchakarma treatment.  A hot oil massage at 6 am was followed by light steam - this is not a spa ladies and gentlemen - everything is done very traditionally and usually seems quite antiquated from our Western eyes!  But it works as Dr Geetha, the Ayurvedic physician here, tells me - and that's why I came, to sample the real authentic Ayurveda that has worked for people for thousands of years.  And it worked yesterday, after all the massage, steam and medicine at 7.30 am, I spent the day - I won't get too graphic here folks - but let's just say I had a nice calm cleaning out through all orifices.  I have an overhead fan but no AC and it was a hot day, good for sweating toxins says Dr Geetha.

So today is more relaxing, lots of nice food, another treatment from the lovely young women therapists here, then we are having a Divali celebration this evening.

There are two other patients/guests here now, a woman from the UK and another woman from Texas, US.  We have lovely chats over the wonderful nourishing food that is specially prepared for us.  And there is a great little library to choose reading material from.

I'm planning the next leg of my journey as we speak as I leave here on the 21st and will probably either go south to the sea at Kovalam and/or north to Fort Cochin.  Both are appealing and I would like to visit the very southern tip of India.

Loving my time here, it is such a rich place - colours, foods, spices, lots of caring and love, people are warm and thoughtful, can't do enough for us!  I know I chose the right place to do my healing journey and am looking forward to another 10 days here!

More to follow.  Hope all is well with everyone who is reading this!  Health is an attitude Dr Geetha tells me as we discuss growing old with Ayurveda.

Thanks and Gratitude

Nearly 3 weeks in the UK has flown by ... or has it?  So many wonderful adventures from juicing and raw food and interesting conversation and touring round the lochs with Lilian in Lochwinnoch/Glasgow (thanks for hot water bottles and wooly jumpers).  Then a long, sunny train journey to York where Hilary arranged a homey Bed and Breakfast just outside the gates of the lovely walled city of York.  Many thanks to Hilary for such a warm, kind gesture.  Spending nearly a week with Hilary in the lovely Minster City of Beverley and touring round the Yorkshire Dales was a treat.  Thanks to all the kindness of strangers in Beverley from the tourist information lady to the coffee gals who chatted with me about the beauty of Canada and my lovely soft accent (they oohed and ahhed, so sweet).  Off for another train journey on a glorious sunny day (the sun always shone when I was on a train trip, every single time, in between it rained a lot, o well, we don't come to the UK for the weather, now do we?), this time down to Bath Spa for the weekend.  I have always said, going back to the days when I lived in the UK, that there is no more beautiful countryside than that country when the sun comes out and I was truly blessed with sunny train trips to enjoy it, thank you!  Bath Spa proved to be one of the many highlights of my journey to date - I love the City.  I managed to have a lovely room in a spacious flat owned by a friend of a friend (the very special Barbara whom I have known for many years since my days of living in the UK).  What an incredible location overlooking a huge park with the trees still in their many fall colours.  I walked down to Bath each day and enjoyed the little alleys and shops and the newly renovated Spa with the healing waters of ancient Roman times.  The food and the people were welcoming and kind in Bath Spa ... I cannot wait to visit again.  Over the last few days I have been in Somerset visiting the lovely and very special, Barbara and hubby Phil.  All my friends here have been super special and I am so grateful to all of you/them.  We reconnected after many years ... it was just like I had only been away for a short time, relaxed conversation and laughter!  Phil is an accomplished chef and provided us with a delicious pasta/veggie dish ... thanks to Phil for a veggie delight.  Now I'm here at the Airport Sofitel Hotel ready to tuck into a selection of salads picked up at M&S at the airport ... fresh and delicious ... M&S has come a long way from underpants ladies!  I'm so excited about my flight to Trivandrum tomorrow and know I will have a great sleep tonite.  Hi to all my friends near and far and I will try to be more frequent with my posts ... my phone has not cooperated well in the UK ... we'll see how I manage in India.

Many months later ...

I have felt compelled recently to resurrect the "Gypsy at 60" blog - even though now I am 61! It has been six months since I returned from my wonderful, quite life-changing journey - my soul feels fuller and much richer and more authentic than I have ever felt before. The last 6 months back in Kingston has allowed me the opportunity to reflect within on who I am, where I am, what I want in my life and how I am going to move forward into this next age and stage . I have taken the time to not only reflect internally, but also to clean house - literally - I have cleaned, cleared and purged much "stuff" in my home and taken the time to reflect carefully on what I need now versus what is not serving me well to hold on to. So liberating! I feel lighter in my being as a result - fresh space for the energy to move into. And just the other day I transformed my living space - the kitchen and living room - by having it painted a new colour, a lovely creamy and warm glowing yellow. Fresh and glowing - a reflection of my inner being. I am pursuing some very new and oftentimes challenging goals in my life now - entrepreneurship - as a holistic life coach for women in midlife. I will be utilizing all my personal and professional tools as I assist women to vision their lives and set goals to help them move toward whatever is deeply, intuitively speaking to their hearts. I feel called to offer this service and over the next month will reflect on identifying the various business steps as I develop my Business Plan. O, yes, life is a great gift and I'm taking a big bite of it.

Photos you may enjoy - Greece

Try clicking on each photo to enlarge ... enjoy!

Back in Canada ... Reflections

It has been 10 days since I returned to Kingston - it seems that nothing much has changed here but I feel that I have! The dust began to settle after one week back home - the jet lag was not nice. I have been reflecting on my journey ... the places I have seen, all the experiences I have had, the beautiful museums and architecture I have seen, the tasty food I have eaten (and prepared at Yoga Plus) and the internal journey that one takes whenever one travels. It doesn't really matter if it is far afield or an experience in one's own town or country ... there is something about stretching outside of one's comfort zone, taking a risk, accepting the challenge ... that changes one's perspective on oneself and the world we live in.

As I reflect on the journey I have just returned from, I would have to say that the most memorable moments were spent meeting new people - that has always been my passion and reason for my journey - meeting others and enjoying the interaction. From the Europeans - many of them fellow Yogis - at Yoga Plus, to other travellers at hotels, restaurants and in various modes of transportation, to residents especially in Turkey and Greece, who made me feel so welcome and enjoyed sharing their recipes, jokes, language tips and tricks and in many cases, offered rooms in their small pensions and hotels with great pride. These are my most vivid memories along with the scenery of Greece and Turkey ... so mountainous, usually quite close to water ... the roads at times trecherous ... and the olive groves, cacti and bougainvalia (bright pink and purple) as well as household geraniums everywhere. And the sounds of the animals in the country hills, muezzin calling Muslims to prayer, roar of the diesel engines of cars and buses (NOT nice) and vendors attempting to sell us something - anything - (as one clever vender in the covered market in Istanbul said "let me sell you something you don't need; I'm very good at it!).

This is just the tip of the iceberg for my memories ... more to follow.

Visiting Berlin

Berlin has been everything I had dreamed it would be ... the last two days have been spent exploring, talking with people here about the life especially since the Wall came down ... took a one hour boat trip along the River Spree yesterday which pointed all the main sights ... food has been incredible especially the simplicity and at times downright meat laden meals of Ukraine and Poland ... a great variety of delcious food here. I love the architecture and the history of this city and I have been enjoying the cleanliness, designs and everything working aspect of life here ... after Turkey and Greece and Eastern Europe it is a welcome change. Those fine details begin to make a difference after many days on the road! After the diesel fumes and insanity of the roads in the above countries, Berlin is a dream ... the fumes are much less because there are exhaust restrictions throughout the main areas and believe it or not, jay walkers are fined just like they are driving their own cars ... hence no one walks on a red light! Thez can lose their driving license if they abuse the law too manz times. This really shocked us after the free for all in Turkey and Greece ... where absolutely anything goes! And pedestrians have no rights ... it is nerve racking at the verz least.

By this time however I am pretty ready to return home ... was not sure I would say that toward the end of this exceptional journey but it is time ... I am weary of dragging my suitcase, looking for and settling into different hotels ... looking for modest and nutritious food etc etc. I need to recharge my batteries at home ... So this afternoon off to London Gatwick, overnite in a Yotel room at Gatwick and then back to Canada tomorrow. Lucky me that my all grown up son will pick us up ... More to follow ...

Updates on the travelling road show ...

Thats what it is at this point ... Ukraine was a mix of old and new and grey and dilapitated ... then Poland proved to be even more eclectic. The transfer between the Ukraine and Poland ... by ancient, rickety bus was ... how can I describe it ... it was so sad and complicated and anger provoking that it ultimately became laughable. We spent two days in each place ... Lviv in Ukraine and Premsyl, Poland in fertive attempts to track down Wallys paternal roots ... finding this was apropos to a needle in a haystack ... however Wally did get some sense of gratification when he noticed some familiar looking buildings near a graveyard where Wallys grandfather is possibly laid to rest.

I found it incredibly stressful throughout the 4 to 5 days in these two countries ... the weather, the cold and rain, the grey days, the lack of openness and excitement on the part of the people ... they were kind but it was hard to communicate with anyone because of so little English. Wally, thank goodness, fumbled around with his Ukranian and we somehow managed ... but it was often pretty funny to say the least ... asking for honey for our tea by extending our arms and buzzing like bees for example. Funny memories.

Finally yesterday, just in time for both of us to leave Poland ... we attempted to catch a 12 hour train journey through Poland into Germany, to Berlin ... which ended up through again a comedy of errors in Poland, to be an all night, slow train which ended in Berlin this morning after nearly 24 hours of listening to the noisy drunken Poles and the wind whistling through the cracks in the train. Arriving in Berlin was like stepping into another world ... we felt like we had just got off the boat! A couple of country bumpkins but still speaking .. sort of. Then we realized the hotel we had booked from Poland and then cancelled from Warsaw ... had indeed been charged to our card ... so we had approximatelz 4 hours in this lovely hotel room ... with breakfast ... approx Euros 100or US $ 140 ... hmmm ... worth every Polish zlotty.

We have another hotel room now ... near this one ... for the next two nites and then on to London ... on Monday to fly back to Toronto on Tues am.

More news as it happens, love to all, look forward to seeing you soon.

One more day in Turkey ...

Our flight to Lviv, Ukraine was cancelled unexpectedly by Turkish Airlines this morning so we have another day at an airport hotel, the Marriott, very posh by comparison to previous lodgings. Just had some tea and backlava (yummy Turkish dessert laden with honey) ... as well as a relaxing sauna and swim. Speaking of relaxing water experiences, I have had two visits to the hamam ... Turkish Baths ... where I have been pummelled by large men and women, usually three massages and lots of hot hot water, even a very luxurious shampoo by one attendant in Istanbul. Also visited a hot spring water pool near Izmir ... place called Cesme on the Aegean Sea ... had the best massage there and lovely Turkish tea afterward. The food and drinks have been wonderful here ... there is always a lovely cup of chai/Turkish tea wherever we go ... as well as very strong coffee. I am wondering what the food in Ukraine will be like because I have heard it is primarily meat based ... hmmm. I'm getting excited about Lviv because it is a designated UNESCO world heritage city and promises to be very beautiful and quaint, we are staying right near the centre. More news soon, happy fall and early winter to all!

Exploring Istanbul

It has been a whirlwind week in Istanbul ... so much to see ... mosques, bazaars, spice markets, the world's largest covered market, Topkapi Palace and the museums and harems to tour along with all the gardens. I LOVE this city ... it is alive with people, noise, smells, surrounded by water like the islands I love. This City in particular has a particular blend of East and West ... took a ferry to the Asia side of the city the other day, they are quick and easy ... today also took the metro which again is easy to navigate. Meeting the wonderful Turks is so easy, they try to sell us everything from a shoe shine to a shave to food/drinks/sweets ... I am thankful Wally is taking lots and lots of pictures to document our travels in/around Istanbul and throughout Turkey. But, a little sadly, tomorrow we are flying to Lviv in the Ukraine ... it will be another fascinating experience Im sure. More to follow ... hello to all...