The Magic Journey to India Eat, Pray, Love, or I prefer - Love, Pray, Eat
As the plane made its decent into Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi I closed my eyes. I prayed and chanted my mantra for my partner and myself, as our awaited journey was about to begin. We had conflicting feelings of excitement and fear with the anticipation of what lied ahead. Opposition brings balance, as we are taught in yoga, and so to calm ourselves we just had to remember to breathe deeply. Our dream was about to unfold. We had been warned that upon arrival our senses might be overwhelmed by the intensity of India. My colleague was right, as we walked through the dimly lit airport there was a thick golden haze filled with the exotic aromas of Indian food in the humid air. We stepped out into the noise and chaos of this huge city, but underneath we could feel a deep calm. We were about to explore the far corners
One of my dear students had arranged for us to stay with her relatives, and Bhakti love was awaiting us as we connected with this dear family. We were welcome as family members and we immediately connected on a spiritual level. Kavita and Mona shared their philosophy of life with us, believing that God’s hands control what the universe has in store for us. These generous people showered us with pure love, devotion, and complete acceptance. Bhakti consciousness flowed out from their hearts and into ours. This devoted Hindu family believes that we are all one people; no matter if you are a Christian, Sikh, Hindu, or Buddhist, we are connected through spirit of god.
Upon arrival, we were immediately swept away to their own Hindu temple, where a group of 20 or more orphan boys live. Before we had arrived, these young boys had sung a prayer to each deity in private ceremony held for us. At the temple, the Brahman Priest welcomed us. He blessed us with milk, flowers, and a special scarf, which was placed around our necks. As we received this magical gift, tears of joy flowed endlessly down my face. My heart swelled with love, knowing that we had been accepted as one into this family whom we had never met before. I was at home in already, filled with love of family in this, the Mother Land.
I am home, I am home. Gratitude, love and radiance shone so bright! The soft landing and warm welcome set the tone for the entire start to my trip. Each day spent with this family, we became more strongly connected to God.
Yoga began in India and has been practiced for thousands of years. I have been devoted to yoga for many years with a dream of one day visiting the place where it all began. I had learned yoga in North America, where spiritual yogis from India, like Yogi Bhajan, had come years ago to spread the teachings to the new world. One afternoon I shared some Kundalini yoga with my new family and taught them some techniques that they had never heard of before. Can you imagine the irony of me teaching yoga to the people of the country in which it had all originated!
The three days we spent with that family deepened a part of myself I had never touched, we shared laughter, tears and joy but most of all we experienced a deeper connection to a global consciousness.
The secret to finding your truth is to quiet your mind so you can hear your inner voice which always shows you the way. I learned a lot from this family about Eastern mentality and I am so humbled to have had this opportunity to understand the differences between the Western and Eastern mindset.
In the western world, we tend to be very ridged, thinking our way is the best way. We are often closed minded about other countries beliefs and way of life. We can be judgmental about things that are different or that we don’t understand. The Eastern mind is filled more compassion; love acceptance of what is different or individual. Many in that country may not have a lot of material items but they are a proud people and are happy to share what little they have. Perhaps that is one lesson we could learn from them, it’s not about how much you have, it’s about sharing and caring for others! Maybe they’re the enlightened ones? One thing I know for sure is that I have become more enlightened because of my experiences in India, and look forward to sharing more of my own enlightenment with you in future blogs.
