Mysore to Pune-WOW! What a Journey!!!!!

Hello there,
Yes, I know it's been a while. I guess life has just taken me away. But you are never far from my thoughts. So I guess the last time I wrote was when I left Kerala. So let me back up to Mysore. Mysore was this great city that had an amazing Palace that they lit up with thousands of lights on Sunday nights.It was magical, breath taking, stunning and like a fairy tale castle at night. By day, well let me just say this, taking a walk around this place, I thought "Oh this will take an hour" well the glass ceilings, edges of the walls and ceiling that were painted with angels, birds, peacocks and designs just left me thrilled and after 3 hours of stairing upward toward the painted ceilings and the colored glass I was blown away and pooped! My chiropractor is going to love me-literally, as he tells me looking up is a good thing for the neck as we spend so much time looking down it screws up the spine.

But anyway, I met Christine, which I think I told you about and she made sure I did some touristy things, like going to ruins, temples, etc. Not my thing really but honestly after taking over 300 photos of all the tiny intricate details of these relics of shiva, shakti, and many other Gods and Goddesses, I was done with being a "tourist". We ran around a few cities, missed our last bus out and had to go to another city to get another bus to the city we needed,which is the same city we forgot to get off at early that day-I suggested we jump off the train as it had just started moving but she wasn't all that keen on it and if you knew how heavy my bag was you may not have jumped either-I'll be sending some of those 14 books and new clothes home soon!

But we got to the city we needed, had an incredible dinner for something like a dollar or two and then sat at the train station-almost took a "retiring room" which is a room with a bed in it. But instead I took my comfy yoga mat, threw it down on a bench, put my head in Christine's lap and rested. There was no sleep with all the loud speaker things being screached across the train station. So our train got in only a half hour late at something like 2:30am and we were off to Hampi.

Hampi, OH, Hampi. A town I LOVE. Did I say LOVE, yes LOVE. I felt at home there, I felt at peace there. It was lovely, no traffic, no horns,no cars to dodge. Just venders trying to sell you things but other than that peace, beauty and fresh air.

Sitting next to the river in the morning after my yoga practice I'd watch the locals come and bath in their shorts for men and full on saris for women. Then they'd do laundry by smacking the clothes against rocks and concrete of the steps. Then once a sari was washed they'd go and lift it up to dry some in the wind,just blowning in their arms. Then they'd lay it down on the concrete railings to dry in the sun. So colors were every where!

The little kids would run around naked brushing their teeth with their grand father trying to get them to bathe in the river. They'd finally get there. It was stunning.

Then there were the huge banana fields amongst all the brown desert with green bushes growing amongst all the dryness! There were a ton of ruins there, I spent a whole day by foot exploring and it was just glorious to be out on foot for the whole day, with the sky threatening to rain. But just before it was to rain a rickshaw driver with already 3 people in it stopped and did the most incredible thing. He told me to get in, he was going to Hampi. I asked "for free" he told me to get in, knowing I was going to get drenched and didn't charge me a thing. I was grateful! The kindness of these people at the perfect time just opens me, reminds me to trust and to really just be and I am fully taken care of in so many ways. How have you been taken care of this week? It's nice to look at and appreciate those moments. I've had many on this trip and I lay in gratitude for these people!

So I went shopping for gorgeous clothes in Hampi, first time I felt like shopping. I think it's because it had the Rajastan feel and they have the most incredible clothes there! So it was nice.

I left there as I wanted to see Christine one more time before she left Pune and this is where I have spent my time the past days. But first I have to tell you about the woman I met on the train. Her name is Chandra, from India and she shared some lovely stories of Yoga with me, she shared food with me and she shared about her family. She gave suggestions on where to study yoga and she was my "mother" while I was on that train, making sure I was safe and sound. She knew I had to get off the train at 2am and she made sure she was awake to make sure I got off the train and that she kept her eye on me until I was off the train. I felt her heart, she was beautiful and I was such in gratitude to meet her and share such special hours with her.

I got to Pune a week and a half ago to see Christine, I stayed at a friends house here in Pune and met up with Christine. We walked around what used to be a sweet,fairly quiet Koregeon Park where Osho's now Resort is. Well nothing quiet outside the gates of Osho's,it's crazy with cars and people now. I thought to not go in but would think about it.

Well I got sick again with a fever. Thankfully Christine's friends who are all part of an organization to take in homeless women and to give them shelter and train them in something where they can work and be empowered as self suffient women. Luckily they were there. Long story short I was in the so called "hospital", with 6 beds on a drip for my dysentary and they finally were able to tell me what I had-it's the same thing as last month. Some bacteria got in my blood and they call it a blood infection. Well what ever it was it's dead now. As much as I told them "no anti biotics" wellI got them anyway,they snuck them in when I slept, when I'd go to the toilet they'd put them in my drip. I'd tell them to change my drip bag but they'd still do it later. Well after two days I was all well, walked out with the bill of $36.00 for 2 days in the hospital! It was a fun experience and I'm grateful that bug is killed now!

I'm now at Osho's, yes I changed my mind and happy I did. Though my first day was intense starting at 5:30am and going to Dynamic Meditation at 6am, having a full on day of meditation, walking around, eating and meeting a new friend or two along the way and a few old ones! Did the Aum meditation that night and went to bed finally at 4am. Yes I was up a long time. a very long time. And if you don't know much about Osho's work, most all his meditations are active, sweaty and aerobic and full of dance. Well for someone who hasn't danced since Sivanda and never for hours out of a day you can say I was pooped! So I took my maroon robe off, washed it, hung it up to dry and rested the whole next day! Shew!!!!!

Now I'm used to the program. My lungs have been stretched, my heart has been worked, my calves are getting used to all the jumping around in the meditations and so I'm getting in shape as well as I can now hold my arms up for the full 10 minutes of the Who, who, who in Dynamic meditation! Very exciting! I think that first day I dripped out about 4 liters of water including the Aum meditation. It was intense and cathartic and grilling but very much worth it!

Being here I miss my lil' sis, Renee,who was here with me the last time. She and I traveled 3 months together in India and we shared a space for that whole time and now at Osho's the memories flood me-I miss you Renee. Now she's in San Francisco with husband and baby,taking care of life! And then there are a whole mess of other people I reflect on here that I made such deep connections with and just smile in gratitude. You know who you are, I miss you too!

So I'm enjoying my time here, yet it's not the same, not as warm hearted, not as connected. It's low season so very few people and the energy of the people is less connected but the meditative energy of the resort is still beautiful, fulfilling and grounding. I'm happy about that. I feel my mind focusing, finding and feeling stillness. It's having me crave Vipassana again- as they do a one hour vipassana each day! Nice memories. So I'll be here a few more days, but since there is a missing link some where in this space I feel I'll be leaving soon,possibly see my friends at the center- the friends that fed me at the hospital,made sure I didn't leave their place until I was fully well and made sure I was comfortable and fed.

These women took me out to their villages-I don't have the website now but I'll get it to you, they do fabulous work for these women in these villages. They have 3 or 4 villages, some for children, some for older people, some for not mentally functional and they take care of them all. These people were all so full of love, so giving, so generous and all heart. I got to see even deeper the true India here with these lovely people. No one wanted anything from me,just to say hello, offer food and show us their creativities and work. It was really mind blowing and heart opening to be with and near them. The real India behind the tourist areas.

So I can go on and on, but honestly I'm sure this is enough. I'm sure there is so much I've forgotten to tell you. But how can I put them in words and I don't have the 36 hours to sit here and write to you all that I have to share.

Know that I miss you,I love you and wish you a peaceful heart, loving friends and family all around you and plenty of laughter (I did a laughing meditation-wow, intense, hard at first but after a while it came out. So incredible! One hour of laughing, or a little less actually).

I'd so love to hear from you. Remember what Osho's says, which I'm trying to implement- speak from your heart. I love that line!
Much love and many hugs to you, Heather