Hello there,
How are you? I hope joy is radiating all around and through you and may you carry a smile on the inside at all times. I send you many great big hugs.
As for me, I am still at the Sivananda Ashram. I can't seem to leave. I am met the most amazing people and am bonding with just gorgeous people, well women actually. I put it out there to connect with women and it's happening left and right. We are supporting each other, laughing, crying, hugging, snuggling, joking, eating, sharing fruit and stories with one another.
I want to put all of them in my bag and take them with me, especially two of them-Laura and Helene. Helene I'll be seeing in Sydney when I get there, but Laura she's off to England in a few days, she seems like a great sister. Oh, then there was Lawrence, she is the little sister I never had, OH my gosh I love her, she lives in Colorado so I'll be seeing her again. I got her up on stage dancing last week.
Last week I told you that there is a talent show, well I kind of went over board trying to get people up on stage and doing my own things as well. Well it was fun but I was pooped! I did 5 out of the 8 acts that got up. YIKES! I did a solo dance, a solo song, a duet dance with Lawrence, a trio with Viv and Laura and a duet with Viv. Wow it is so nice to play on stage.
Last week I taught a body awareness class through movement to everyone, plus sang and danced. It was nice to share my work with everyone. I'm not sure when I'm leaving but Laura already has me down to perform on Saturday, I told her I maybe gone by then.
I have mixed feelings. I am loving being here, but part of me is feeling trapped inside the walls of the ashram, only to be let out on Fridays. But what keeps me here are a few things, one is I can hold a head stand now for over 3 minutes, after 2 1/2 weeks I am doing the scorpion from the headstand with support from a teacher or the wall, within days I maybe doing it myself, yet I'm not touching my head with my toes yet.
This is an Asana where you are on your forearms and your body is up in the air, your back arched back and your feet come down to your head and your head is off the ground. So the only thing on the floor is your forearms. I never thought I'd be doing this, but it's amazing. What a powerful posture and so happy I'm strong enough and getting confident enough to start trying it on my own! I'm thrilled.
Plus I am loving the chanting. I think I'm going to start leading some of the chants. They are so lovely and stick in my head. I go to bed and wake up chanting. It's brilliant-what a gorgeous way to wake up! Funny, when I hear these words I hear an English accent as I'm around Laura-my lovely British friend! Makes me smile!!! ; ) Finding family every where around the world!
Of course doing this work all kinds of stuff comes up but thank goodness for the lake and thankfully the girls are there. I had an incredible breakdown the other day and Laura just held me for must have been 20-30 minutes and she would have held me longer but I couldn't breathe. Oh she reminds of my friends in Flagstaff, AZ where I was raised, such an open heart and trusting of life. It's so nice to be just loved so fully and completely. I am grateful for all of these situations, interactions and reminders of who I want to be when I grow up!!! ; ) The message is love, more love and a side order of love and listening of course!
The other amazing thing is there are tons of lightning bugs here, they get on your mosquito net and their little light bulb butt lights up a yellow green color as they walk around the net or fly around in eratic patterns of lighting and they light the whole room at times and in the bushes. So lovely to be so close to nature.
I've been doing visualization meditation for relaxation lately and all that comes to mind is being in nature, my feet in the grass or river, on the rocks, dancing in nature with flowing clothes on. Yet the visual of this home keeps coming to mind too, I wonder if I'll be finding it on this trip. I'll see. But I'm loving the visuals, my country girl nature wants to come out!
Since I've been here I've been touching, hugging and kissing as many people as I can as it's so nice to be close. I met this lovely women from Chili and I went up to her, kissed her cheek and gave her a hug and she responded with "you have Amma energy" well I'll take that as a compliment, how beautiful is that. I've always loved hugs, it's just my thing, thank goodness others get out of it some of what I do!!
I have to say I am loving the Yoga way of being, it's so tempting to just go study yoga but I'll have to see when or if the time is right. I love all the food and ways of being as a yogi. How lovely. Some of the teachers just blow me away. Yet I've been a little sore the past few days. But it's all good.
OH, here in Kerala everything is cooked with coconut. It's delicious! Try this-sprouted beans with fresh shredded coconut with a tad of onion and curry leaves, just barely warmed in coconut oil and steamed. It's my favorite! Also there is a lot of beets and carrots with coconut-yummy!
It is monsoon season here and when they say it rains, it rains. I am soggy, I've been soggy for days now and thinking of going north to get dry. I miss the warmth, yet it maybe too warm, I'll see. But I have friends up north so it wouldn't be so bad.
I am looking for different healers around India, found 2 doctors and though expensive they maybe what I'm looking for. If you've heard of Siddha Vaidya, then you know what I'm talking about, it's older than Ayurveda and it cures the disease where as Ayurveda is good for before and after the disease is cured.
Oh, diseases can be headaches, back aches, eye problems, fibroids, joint problems, anything really and they know of thousands of diseases just for the brain that we are born with. They work from the core outward. But I'd have to some how get money for that treatment. But I'm still researching it to make sure it's the best possibility of healing.
I am really hoping to get my wrist healed so I can continue doing healing with people once I'm home. Get my eyes back to seeing properly, some fibroids shunk and if I can find anyone that works post traumatic stress then that would be helpful as well so I can feel like myself again. If you know anything about healing these things I value any suggestions!
Oh, I haven't forgotten about photos, I'd love to send some but I haven't found a way to attach them yet, I've tried numberous times and it hasn't worked. So please be patient, we have to be with India, as it works it's own way and in it's own time.
So I send you hugs and love. I hope to be at the beach sometime in the next week to relax from ashram life and plan my next healing adventure for my heart, mind, spirit and body!
May you always have enough to keep you strong, giving, loving, happy and full of life. Know that now is a choice, you choose happy or sad, depressed or thrilled, how would you like to spend your day, moment, year, life? Remember you are giving up a day of your life for this day, how would you like to spend it?
Many hugs and kisses to you. I miss and love you, Heather
Friday, June 22, 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Talent Show at the Ashram and Nose Floss!!!
Hello there My Lovely Friends,
How are you? What's up and new? What is your heart saying and feeling today???? As for me, I've been a the Sivananda Ashram now for a week now. It's truly amazing and so what I've been needing. My heart is happy here, I get a work out, I get to meditate (not as much as I'd like though), I get to be social and well....I'll tell you more in a bit.
So let me start by telling you the schedule-it's 5:30am rise and shine, 6-7am is Satsong where we meditate, chant amazing chants that I'm loving most of, a little word of Sivanandas work, more chanting/ending prayers and then Prasad-this is a little sweet that translates to Grace om english and it is chanted over and given to you in the morning an evening-all different kinds of prasad-fruit, fried fruit with sugar on them or dates. Then we have tea, do 2 hours of yoga, on to breakfast, then a talk on yoga, diet, etc, then karma yoga/service to the ashram, coaching on what ever you need, then yoga, dinner, satsong, prasad and then bed at 10pm-ish.
It's a very full day with little time alone and great people that you want to be social with so it's hard to not just take your space in the little free time.
But THIS PLACE IS GREAT!!!
Every Saturday they have a TALENT SHOW!!!! That's right, a talent show. Last week I got up and sang a duet with my friend Viv that I met at Amma's and then I danced to Lisa Gerard-the mirror pool album (the first track, just in case you want to know). Everyone went wild over it-well wild for an ashram anyway, even the main Swami thanked me in front of the whole crowd from bringing dance on stage and something different, HOW EXCITING! As I feared they may freak on me for doing such lustful things-yet it was quite a spiritual song so not too groovy, sexy or sensuousness.
But I'll be dancing again tomorrow twice, one a duet and a solo and then a singing duet and a solo. Oh, last week I got the dance captured on my camera!!!! So that's great! It's nice to have these things documented! I'm meeting great people and learning a ton about myself, yoga-which I'm just loving and the practices.
Speaking of some of the yoga practices, they do this great thing of taking salt water and putting it in a little container and then we do what I call nose douche and you put the container to your nose and let it pour out the other nostril. It gets out all kinds of lovely mucus, makes you snore, cough up stuff and get it all out.
But then comes the really fun part NOSE FLOSSING! You take this rubber cord and slowly stick it up your nose, inch by inch until it hits your tongue, then your reach back and grab it and pull it slowly through and you then proceed to floss back and forth-YOUR NOSE! I gets a ton of stuff out and it works! Don't try this at home without some kind of instruction! But it's interesting if you don't gag, throw up or anything. So now I no longer have to just floss my teeth but now my nose!!! More things to do in the morning I guess! All for good health.
Some people even swallow 6 cups of water and then make themselves puke so it cleans the stomach, I haven't tried this yet. But I'll think about it.
The food here is good, feels healthy, yet not enough raw. They said it's because it's not slow season and not enough staff to get raw fruits up there. But many of us will go out and get fruit as it's just so nice to have it around and so refreshing in this sticky weather. It's thankfully rainy season now and so it's so cool I don't need the fan at night but it's still muggy at times and the mosquitos love to come sneak up on you to take blood when you are holding an asana-they know you can't move so they can just take what they want from you.
OH, OH, OH!!!! I'm so excited, I did my first head stand by myself on the first day they instructed it AND I didn't fall over! They teach it so well here I'm so excited! As the last time I tried it in India I hurt myself, but they have it down in the teaching of the head stand and I can feel how healthy it is to be in this position!
I've considered doing the teacher training for yoga here just for the knowledge but I doubt I'll do it. It's not something I want to teach I just love all the info on health and how they believe and live. Well except the part that you should have no desire, lust and you should keep your energy to yourself so no sex. Well I'm sorry, that maybe for them but that's not my philosophy, I like Tantra myself, I am about inclusion of life and bringing up energy a different way thank you! But I can see how people can get sucked into this way of being as it's powerful!
You see all these amazing people going through their day, meditating, chanting, being fed, being of service to everyone and it makes you want to be part of it! I have seriously considered staying here for a few months, but I think I'd rather go visit a few more of their ashrams around India and not just be in one place.
The ashram had several people a week ago and just in the past few days everyone has cleared out so now there maybe 30 people here, well.....more like 20 people studying here now I think. It will be nice as there will be more space and time to ones self.
I'm loving doing food service here, yet it's a little tricky with no speach during the two meals a day, as you just have to guess if people want something and go over to them and see if they look up and signal yes or no to what you have. Talk about serving, it really shows me how servants had to have been way back then or even now in some places, watching your every move to see what you may want-reminds me of The Color Purple.
Oh the other night everyone in the ashram went for a night walk to the lake, it was so nice to outside at night walking and seeing the stars, how lovely! We all sat at the lake to meditate and chant, just beautiful. A few lights on the lake from a few homes on it, the sky dark but for the stars and the outline of the palm and coconut trees around the lake. Really breath taking! We do that walk in the morning once a week too!
I really get how someone can stay a while here. You can swim in the lake. Well let me explain this statement. It's not like stripping off and going skinny dipping. Nothing of the sort, here in India. It's more like you have all your clothes on-in which you want to wash as they want you to wash yourself and your clothes down in the lake to conserve water. So here you are dressed from head to ankle and you walk into the water and hope and pray the rumours of aligators in the lake are a myth or have been taken out of the lake by now. But still you swim with one eye open curious about them!
So I'm good, I'm happy, I'm getting better in yoga and trying new things-like the head stand by myself! Now I'm meeting a few people that want to do cleansing as well, so we may all go and do it together which would be nice. Plus I talked one of the teachers into teaching a class on cleansing so that will be on Monday!
I hope you are well. It's funny as I sit here they are throwing fire crackers outside every minute and it feels and sounds like a bomb, so coming from the ashram it's a little shocking. But I am doing great other than the shock waves of those things!!! ; )
May your heart be happy, sing, dance, play and may you find more hidden belief in yourself every day! The people here are never taught to question themselves with low self esteem or confidence so here they get up and just chant out of tune, off key and out of rhythm and love it! It took a little bit to realize how nice it was to just have them be them and them show self acceptance so beautifully.
I have found some new people to hug and touch and play with which feels really good! I really get I need that in my weekly, if not daily life.
Well I'm off, I love you, send you hugs. I hope to hear from you soon at my email address at: gypsysundancer@yahoo.com. Remember to be happy and do things that make your heart thrilled to be alive. Love and passion to you, Heather
Everyday feel what it feels like to live a passion filled day! XXXOOO
How are you? What's up and new? What is your heart saying and feeling today???? As for me, I've been a the Sivananda Ashram now for a week now. It's truly amazing and so what I've been needing. My heart is happy here, I get a work out, I get to meditate (not as much as I'd like though), I get to be social and well....I'll tell you more in a bit.
So let me start by telling you the schedule-it's 5:30am rise and shine, 6-7am is Satsong where we meditate, chant amazing chants that I'm loving most of, a little word of Sivanandas work, more chanting/ending prayers and then Prasad-this is a little sweet that translates to Grace om english and it is chanted over and given to you in the morning an evening-all different kinds of prasad-fruit, fried fruit with sugar on them or dates. Then we have tea, do 2 hours of yoga, on to breakfast, then a talk on yoga, diet, etc, then karma yoga/service to the ashram, coaching on what ever you need, then yoga, dinner, satsong, prasad and then bed at 10pm-ish.
It's a very full day with little time alone and great people that you want to be social with so it's hard to not just take your space in the little free time.
But THIS PLACE IS GREAT!!!
Every Saturday they have a TALENT SHOW!!!! That's right, a talent show. Last week I got up and sang a duet with my friend Viv that I met at Amma's and then I danced to Lisa Gerard-the mirror pool album (the first track, just in case you want to know). Everyone went wild over it-well wild for an ashram anyway, even the main Swami thanked me in front of the whole crowd from bringing dance on stage and something different, HOW EXCITING! As I feared they may freak on me for doing such lustful things-yet it was quite a spiritual song so not too groovy, sexy or sensuousness.
But I'll be dancing again tomorrow twice, one a duet and a solo and then a singing duet and a solo. Oh, last week I got the dance captured on my camera!!!! So that's great! It's nice to have these things documented! I'm meeting great people and learning a ton about myself, yoga-which I'm just loving and the practices.
Speaking of some of the yoga practices, they do this great thing of taking salt water and putting it in a little container and then we do what I call nose douche and you put the container to your nose and let it pour out the other nostril. It gets out all kinds of lovely mucus, makes you snore, cough up stuff and get it all out.
But then comes the really fun part NOSE FLOSSING! You take this rubber cord and slowly stick it up your nose, inch by inch until it hits your tongue, then your reach back and grab it and pull it slowly through and you then proceed to floss back and forth-YOUR NOSE! I gets a ton of stuff out and it works! Don't try this at home without some kind of instruction! But it's interesting if you don't gag, throw up or anything. So now I no longer have to just floss my teeth but now my nose!!! More things to do in the morning I guess! All for good health.
Some people even swallow 6 cups of water and then make themselves puke so it cleans the stomach, I haven't tried this yet. But I'll think about it.
The food here is good, feels healthy, yet not enough raw. They said it's because it's not slow season and not enough staff to get raw fruits up there. But many of us will go out and get fruit as it's just so nice to have it around and so refreshing in this sticky weather. It's thankfully rainy season now and so it's so cool I don't need the fan at night but it's still muggy at times and the mosquitos love to come sneak up on you to take blood when you are holding an asana-they know you can't move so they can just take what they want from you.
OH, OH, OH!!!! I'm so excited, I did my first head stand by myself on the first day they instructed it AND I didn't fall over! They teach it so well here I'm so excited! As the last time I tried it in India I hurt myself, but they have it down in the teaching of the head stand and I can feel how healthy it is to be in this position!
I've considered doing the teacher training for yoga here just for the knowledge but I doubt I'll do it. It's not something I want to teach I just love all the info on health and how they believe and live. Well except the part that you should have no desire, lust and you should keep your energy to yourself so no sex. Well I'm sorry, that maybe for them but that's not my philosophy, I like Tantra myself, I am about inclusion of life and bringing up energy a different way thank you! But I can see how people can get sucked into this way of being as it's powerful!
You see all these amazing people going through their day, meditating, chanting, being fed, being of service to everyone and it makes you want to be part of it! I have seriously considered staying here for a few months, but I think I'd rather go visit a few more of their ashrams around India and not just be in one place.
The ashram had several people a week ago and just in the past few days everyone has cleared out so now there maybe 30 people here, well.....more like 20 people studying here now I think. It will be nice as there will be more space and time to ones self.
I'm loving doing food service here, yet it's a little tricky with no speach during the two meals a day, as you just have to guess if people want something and go over to them and see if they look up and signal yes or no to what you have. Talk about serving, it really shows me how servants had to have been way back then or even now in some places, watching your every move to see what you may want-reminds me of The Color Purple.
Oh the other night everyone in the ashram went for a night walk to the lake, it was so nice to outside at night walking and seeing the stars, how lovely! We all sat at the lake to meditate and chant, just beautiful. A few lights on the lake from a few homes on it, the sky dark but for the stars and the outline of the palm and coconut trees around the lake. Really breath taking! We do that walk in the morning once a week too!
I really get how someone can stay a while here. You can swim in the lake. Well let me explain this statement. It's not like stripping off and going skinny dipping. Nothing of the sort, here in India. It's more like you have all your clothes on-in which you want to wash as they want you to wash yourself and your clothes down in the lake to conserve water. So here you are dressed from head to ankle and you walk into the water and hope and pray the rumours of aligators in the lake are a myth or have been taken out of the lake by now. But still you swim with one eye open curious about them!
So I'm good, I'm happy, I'm getting better in yoga and trying new things-like the head stand by myself! Now I'm meeting a few people that want to do cleansing as well, so we may all go and do it together which would be nice. Plus I talked one of the teachers into teaching a class on cleansing so that will be on Monday!
I hope you are well. It's funny as I sit here they are throwing fire crackers outside every minute and it feels and sounds like a bomb, so coming from the ashram it's a little shocking. But I am doing great other than the shock waves of those things!!! ; )
May your heart be happy, sing, dance, play and may you find more hidden belief in yourself every day! The people here are never taught to question themselves with low self esteem or confidence so here they get up and just chant out of tune, off key and out of rhythm and love it! It took a little bit to realize how nice it was to just have them be them and them show self acceptance so beautifully.
I have found some new people to hug and touch and play with which feels really good! I really get I need that in my weekly, if not daily life.
Well I'm off, I love you, send you hugs. I hope to hear from you soon at my email address at: gypsysundancer@yahoo.com. Remember to be happy and do things that make your heart thrilled to be alive. Love and passion to you, Heather
Everyday feel what it feels like to live a passion filled day! XXXOOO
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