om

hello

i had to make an entry. I suspected that some of you would be emailing to check on my safety and security and sure enough, when i checked, there were emails and i appreciate all of your concerns. i love you.

and sure enough, as you wrote, Raina, i am tucked safely and soundly away in a peaceful ashram far, far away from Bombay (Mumbai). In fact, we barely heard about the event here. I mean, the news did waft in from outside but it is as insignificant to us as the colour of our underwear. At this very moment I still know nothing about what happened at all. All i heard was ... terrorist bombing in Bombay. Really, its so far away from here in both physical and every other kind of space.

its not really news. I hope that doesn't sound.... arrogant. That is not my intention.

What is news to me is things like.....there is black tea at tea break today! (rather than the green or red we usually drink) and that the first draft of Mata ji's book has just been printed and handed to me for proofreading. So that's exciting, and not dangerous or terrorizing in the least.

I will promise to stay out of the big cities unless I absolutely have to, for passing through to other destinations. This is where the attacks tend to take place.

So while i'm here i might as well tell you a story.

There is a place by the river ganga called Santosh Puri where a family lives; a mother, her two daughters and a son. The father left this world in 2001 after telling his family the previous day, that tomorrow, he would not be here. He gave them all the instructions for preparations to be made for his departure. He was not ill or sick in any way, just advanced in age. His work here was done and it was time to go. We call him Baba-ji (grandfather) and the mother: mata-ji (grandmother).

When it was time to go, sitting in the garden, he took 3 breaths and on the fourth, he left. His body leaned over and into mata-ji's lap and she then chanted through the night.

This is the ashram where i stay now.

It is not easy. Conditions are austere, but punctuated with moments of sheer perfection, joy and delight.

i don't really know what else to say about it at this very moment. It is all a giant science experiment going on in my life. We shall see the outcome of the experiment when i return home.

i miss everyone and everything in canada immensely. it is a favourite pastime of mine when i have time, to daydream about people and places at home. Food. Memories. It is amazing how sharp and clear my imagination has become since going without any media, television or movies for three whole months. I can conjure up anything i want and it is so vivid that i can smell things and taste things. It is marvelous.

still, being here takes up all of me. Involves all my senses and demands most of my attention. Which is a blessing, because if it wasn't for this, i would be homesick way more often.

So.....

the plan is still to stay in this ashram until i go to nepal in january. It is like family here. Because it IS a family and they treat you as such. It is a family that reminds me alot of my own. A bunch of hippies.

well, i gotta run.

pranayama class starts now. breathing. one whole hour of breathing. how to breath. different techniques and experiments with breath that create different effects and results. aaaaah, oxygen and life force.

it is my favourite class out of all of my classes.

ok, i love you all.

feel good, live well.