MyLifeYoga

From temples to palaces and make-shift huts, India permeates with history, culture, religion, tradition and wisdom. Mark Twain who travelled to India in 1897 wrote that the city of Varanasi was the “oldest” in the world. Interestingly enough, his future work was to help him get out of debt. India being a rich and vast country is not only a writer’s dream but a photographer’s haven. Because of the understanding that India is the homeland of yoga, it is also an important place to visit. As a yoga teacher and student, I have been making an annual trip to India; a sojourn that is very dear to me. One reason is because of my love of yoga but the other is my love for India. Standing at the foot of a 12th century Hindu statue or inside of a Jain temple is more than just a little awe-inspiring.

As a woman travelling alone I discovered many things about myself, people and life itself. There are, however, many misconceptions about travelling in India. And to make it things more confusing some of these myths have a few truths intermingled within them.

Women Travelling Alone

By now there are more than enough women who have made successful trips by travelling alone. (See: Eat, Pray, Love) I actually feel it is easier to get around alone than in a group. It’s just easier to slip into a crowd and disappear from a pushy vendor by yourself. As well, shopkeepers and hotel staff will give you extra care when they know you are doing it solo. I have also heard women say they interacted more with the locals when they were alone than accompanied with a partner. In those scenarios they were ignored as the men ‘talked’.

It is wise, however, not to have in-depth conversations with strangers. Would you do so in your own country and then get into their car? The same street rules apply no matter where you go. Continue reading →

The rescue organization got a cat about 2 months ago, the type of cat it hurts your heart to see come in … because she is so ugly, I feel she will languish with us for months unadopted. She had been found when some abandoned building caught fire … I don’t have the whole story, but they named her Phoenix. When she came in, she was very skinny, and had a litter of kittens with her. She was a very good mom. Just ugly.

All of her kittens (who did not look at all like her, at least she has good taste in men) were quickly adopted. Then there was a batch of scared little kittens who’s mother hadn’t made it, and we put Phoenix with these kittens. She was the best foster mother in the world. The kittens flourished under her care, came out of their shells. She cleaned them, cuddled them, even let them play nurse. These kittens, now playful and not at all shy anymore, were quickly adopted.

Then we had a cage full of mismatched kittens, leftovers from various litters who hadn’t gotten adopted with their brothers or sisters, for mysterious reasons. We put them all in with Phoenix, and again, she took on the role of foster mom with an amazing loving heart. Until this third batch was all adopted.

Poor Phoenix had at this point been cooped up in our cages for weeks. Someone stepped up and volunteered to take her home for a few weeks, just to give her a break. A few days ago, Phoenix came back to us to go back “on display” in the hopes of getting her adopted. Back in the cage. All the kittens we have now are with their own moms, so Phoenix was put in with another adult female to keep each other company. Continue reading →

A young monk went to a forest; there he meditated, worshipped, and practised Yoga for a long time. After years of hard work and practice, he was one day sitting under a tree, when some dry leaves fell upon his head. He looked up and saw a crow and a crane fighting above in the tree. This made him very angry. He said, “What! Dare you throw these dry leaves upon my head!” With these words he angrily glanced at them and a flash of fire went out of his head and burnt the birds to ashes. He was very glad, almost overjoyed at this development of such power. He could now burn the crow and crane by just a angry look!

After a time he had to go to town to beg for food. He stood at a door, and said, “Mother, give me food.” A voice came from inside the house, “Wait a little, my son.” The young man thought, “You wretched woman, how dare you make me wait! You do not know my power yet.” While he was thinking thus the voice came again, “Boy, don’t be thinking too much of yourself. Here is neither crow nor crane.” He was astonished and anxious to know how the lady inside knew about his powers, yet he had to wait. At last the woman came, and he fell at her feet and said, “Mother, how did you know that?” She said, “My boy, I do not know your Yoga or your practices. I am a common everyday woman. I made you wait because my husband is ill, and I was nursing him. All my life I have struggled to do my duty. When I was unmarried, I did my duty to my parents; now that I am married, I do my duty to my husband; that is all the Yoga I practise. But by doing my duty I have become illumined; thus I could read your thoughts and know what you had done in the forest. If you want to know something higher than this, go to the market of such and such a town where you will find the butcher who will tell you something that you will be very glad to learn.” The monk thought, “Why should I go to that town and meet a lowly butcher?” But after what he had seen, his mind opened a little, so he went. Continue reading →