I know these blogs are rushed and I apologize I may or may not get back to them later. I also know they have been diluted by days passing but the time here is closing and you never know how many people you have met and grown to love until it is time to say goodbye. Such is the case here.
But I have had an experience today that has left me with out the alternative to come to you and so here I am and I will get to it in a moment but first allow me the liberty to catch you up on the past days.
The news from India is as such.
Omaha rode Granny- the elephant who walks Fergesson College Road every day. We say her from down the road and I began to ran as my lawyer's son loves elephants and I have have not been able to catch her yet. God is good and the gift was given. Got it. We ran up the road by 3 hubris collection of Shantaram books and bottles of water to see her walk.
Finally we crossed the street and were invited to touch her. To kill an elephant would be no easy task. Her skin was thick and tough, you would have to find the Achilles heel so to say. But she on the other hand could destroy me with little or no effort just a simple sneeze. But she is gentle, perhaps broken. I touched her truck and caressed her. I spoke softly about how touched I was by her allowing this invasion. Her rider asked if Omaha wanted to ride, she said yes and was yanked up 10 feet to the top of an elephant. We walked together down the street, Ouevien, her two friends in from Atlanta, myself and Granny the elephant porting Omaha on her back. How much should an experience like this value? I paid 100 rs, roughly 1.25$ Is that fair, probably not, would Granny be happier not have traffic blasting around her and being a freak show, probably but none the less this experience for me was moving enough to bring tears to my eyes and again force me to my knees in gratitude of India and all her might.
As Onward is the only way forward we continue. As I mentioned I had collected 3 copies of Shantaram earlier that day bargaining like a fisher woman for the books. I am not sure as of yet where the third copy will be placed but I have a good idea.
As I have said many times, in Omaha's 7 years I do not think she has ever been so safe as she has been here in India and especially Poona. Everyday there is more affection towards her and cheek pinching which she has tolerates but says hurts as they really grab and jiggle but this is love and India is brimming over with it.
Now there have been a few things that have been acquired with my adaption one I noted last night in practice and was surprised and fascinated to see. I have earned cellulite here. I have always thought I did not have it because of my Yoga practice, so it must be the diet. I have truly become Indian. Now I won't exaggerate and say it is truly India as I have laughed with Erick about no I am not that far down the road but I am now perhaps on the Jr varsity team. Yes probably still on the bench but none less there. I imagine after 4 weeks back home this prize will be lost and I am okay with it as as fascinating as it is I do prefer it on others.
Jessyca has had her 4th pair of sandals break and we went shoe shopping. So shamed by our purchases we were that we almost got a rickshaw home but decided to master our shame and expose it to the world.
Our card games have expanded to include more people and after a few drinks and much aggressive questioning to the rules Emma finally confessed she made the game up and then denied it 2 seconds later.
We spent a rough 3 hours last night trying to get a card game going but the numbers were wrong. the rules were inconclusive, the emperor left the room and nobody really cared about betting pasta that did not belong to them so we laughed and misunderstood what was happening more that we played anything legitimately.
There takes a certain amount of abandonment to endear India and if you do not give yourself to India then she has nothing to offer you, but if you look at the flecks of shine that reveal themselves with the sun at just the right moment then you will forever be changed and this now brings me to today.
BKS is always in practice with us and I tend to leave the space to him. I don't watch or interrupt or present myself in any form for that matter. But today it happened that the only place happened to be in front of him so Omaha and I took it. Now typically he just practices but today he worked with Raya first in Sirsasana II to go into an arm balance I know not the name of. I watched but I continued my practice. Abbhy came in then and I have wanted to see her train since I have been here and thought that she did in the house as I have never seen here there. BKS was teaching Abbhy- it was a backbend practice and already my throat is tight and the tears have returned to my eyes just in remembering what I was able to chance upon today. Abbhy is BKS's granddaughter and a teacher who teaches under the guidance or oppression of her grandfathers eye at every class I have attended. I could never teach under her circumstances, she is a marvel and on every level this practice/teaching session today was moving. A master teaching the next kin, a marvel being taught and making her efforts with such verity my heart ached with the levity, as everything has and end and this one is inevitable. I thank the good Lord for small mercies and for every obstacle I traversed, succumbed to, assumed, been beaten by and walked next to in order to be here now to relay this small effort to you that holds within it everything as pure as monsoon rain.
With everything I hold dear I give you Salutations from India
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