Back to the Motherland

I am in India and happy to say that I, along with all of my luggage and my sanity, have arrived in Mysore intact! The journey is long but worth it. I basically use the time in transit to sleep (a lot), take tons of vitamins, hydrate, eat light (if at all), watch a movie or two and I arrive feeling rested and ready to go. After 16 hours on an airplane I was relieved that my driver was the rare kind whom did not play Bollywood music to a defeaning level. Instead he blared Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA". Listening to that while driving on the opposite side of the road, dodging cattle and Mack trucks alike, smelling that sometimes good/sometimes awful India fragrance, whizzing past coconut palms I can only say that I felt enveloped in a warped but happy parallel universe.

At 6am local time I arrived at Geetha's house where she greeted me with a bear hug and "welcome home". I did my practice in my room this morning since I barely missed the shala class and it felt great to move after all that traveling. It was warm and inviting (did I mention it is 95 degrees here today and super humid). After Yoga and a shower I felt myself teeter on the brink of starvation when my self proclaimed Indian mother greeted me with a delicious breakfast of roasted semolina with vegetables and pineapple. Delish and healthy, of course. I absolutely feel like I am at my second home here. The 2.5 hour drive alone reminded me how amazing it is that I have a month here to be nothing but a student of yoga and of life. I am ready to relish every moment and learn as much as I can.

So far nothing out of the ordinary to report unless of course you count the zillions of little things that you can only see in India as part of that category. Women riding on motorcycles side-saddle in their saris, people carrying brings on their heads, the harmless chaos at the airport baggage claim, kids chasing your car with flower garlands they hope you will buy......etc. It never ends.

I am off to continue my assimilation into life in a foreign land. Peace and Love to you.