Shopping in the Dark

There was so much work going on at the Ashram yesterday evening (and there were so many fumes) that we left and sat for a little while at the nearby Shiva temple that was built around an ancient wishing tree. Then we headed across the street to a large Krishna-Radha temple complex. The main temple has a wonderful vibration.  The views from the complex are breathtaking (you can see for yourself on Facebook); at one point we even saw a peacock perched atop one of the minarets.

Jai Guru!

• * * 

There was a simple joy to shopping in Mysore, whether you were looking for a pen, a coil-type (small plug-in water heater), a salwaar kameez, a rug made by inmates at the local prison, or a copy of the Bhagavad-Gita.  You always met new people, or made new friends — each and every time, you connected as humans as part of the transaction. It did the heart good.

Maybe it’s the heat - or the fact that we’re in “the north” but shopping in Jaipur has been a largely sterile, aggressive, and joyless experience.  Getting fruit requires a ride in a rickshaw and having the driver do the negotiations;  buying a dress requires trips to several shops where you are shown many beautiful things (except what you are looking for) and leaving emptyhanded, and so on. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we’re in a tourist area, I don’t know....Seemingly simple things just seem harder here (don’t get me started on the WiFi or the local SIM card that was supposed to arrive on Saturday).

So on the way home yesterday we walked down a road I’ve been curious about — and found a lively little mini-village of shops and vendors selling fruit and vegetables. The normalcy of it reminded me of Mysore. We chose a vendor and I started filling up a bag with big, fat green beans and the local carrots, which have a rough skin and are reddish in color (it is difficult NOT to eat in season here).  We also got some grapes to leave at Gurdev’s feet.  In both cases, the prices were fair.  We were thrilled to find a place we could go on foot, and get the basic things we need for a fair price - and have an experience that was not unpleasant. 

We got home, excited to cook our carrots and green beans for supper.

But then I saw what we’d bought up close, under the light,  and realized our mistake.

Instead of green beans, we’d bought pea pods and hot peppers — which look kind of like green beans in the dark.

Jai Guru!

• * *

Shanti Mantra - Asato Ma Sadgamaya

Om Asato Ma Sadgamaya 

Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya 

Mrtyorma Amrtam Gamaya

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

 

Lead me from the unreal to the real.

Lead me from darkness to light. 

Lead me from death to immortality. 

Om Peace Peace Peace.

Sadhana

Each morning I get up and go to the roof to do asana before it gets too hot/buggy. That’s followed by a seated practice in the meditation room. 

Then we have breakfast, clean up and head to the ashram. Usually we walk, but occasionally Vijay is on the route and takes us there.

Once you arrive, you put your shoes away, wash your hands, and (if it feels right) prostrate to Gurudev / his padukas. 

The devotees who’ve stayed behind have been busy at the ashram while he’s been away — cleaning, updating and painting, etc.  Visitors have been few and far between.

Usually, after sitting for awhile, you will be given a small paper bowl of prasad (fruit and, occasionally, a sweet). After consuming it you go outside and dispose of the bowl. Then you wash your hands and rinse your mouth before sitting down again.

Today we went upstairs and sat in the Lahiri Mahasaya* room, and later in the Pahari Baba room. Both are so sattvic. The mind became fully calm.

After our sit, the devotees served us a lovely lunch. Then we wove our way back home thru the heat, Jal Mahal tourists and auto-rickshas. 

We had a rest, and then got up to find  the vetiver blinds on the ramp outside our room going full blast. Above the blinds are are small hoses that throw mist on the natural materials; it has a wonderfully cooling and humidifying effect (plus it smells good). 

 I’ll try putting up a video on of it on Facebook.

* * * 

The Lahiri Mahasaya*  room has the same image of Lord Shiva as the one I first saw in Sri Dharma’s studio, back in 1999.

Jai Guru!

Heat is On

Summer appears to have arrived with Holi; afternoons are extremely hot. The yellow ashram dogs lie pancaked on their sides, reminding us to do less (and hydrate more). This is the desert, and it gets *really* hot (dry heat is still hot). 

Sharanam House is built to stay cool in summer and warm in winter. There are pipes under the floors where warm or cold water flows, depending on the season.  It’s taken Pranava 6+ years to realize his vision for a guest house for the international devotees of his guru, and the kinks are still being worked out.  Right now the pump for the heating/cooling is not working, and we’ve been using the fan and keeping the door open at night.  There are a couple of other cooling systems in place as well (a misting system, and manually spraying the vetiver blinds on the serpentine ramp that winds its way around the building (the ramp represents kundalini). The building is not to be believed; suffice to say that we are living inside of a piece of devotional art/architecture.  I hope to post pictures if/when WiFi works and/or Sumanta brings a local SIM card. In the meantime you can see several of them on Facebook (@yogikaliom or https://m.facebook.com/yogikaliom/)

So far, though, we’ve been quite comfortable.  When I was convalescing from my fall, it never occurred to me that I’d rather be ‘home’ in order to heal and feel better (which is usually the case). Instead, I felt like I was already there.

Jai Guru!

* * * 

In other news, we had a long list of grocery items that we needed (ghee, toilet paper, dishwashing liquid, ginger, cardamom, moong dal, etc) and engaged Keval Kumar to take us shopping in his ricksha.  We thought we were going to a supermarket. Instead, we ended up going to a couple of local vendors who had everything we needed hiding in the back of the store.  The man in charge would yell out what we wanted to a man or men in back, who would dig it out and either throw or hand it to him. Using photos, pointing, and asking nearby customers to translate, we got everything we needed — and learned some new words in the process.

DUUUDE! - milk

Kishmish - raisins

SO! - 100

Jai Guru!

Expect the Unexpected

I forgot to mention in the last post about how our ricksha driver, Vijay, was concerned that some locals might “want to play Holi” and throw colored powder on us during yesterday’s trip to the clinic.  I told him we were wearing old clothes and it would be fine. Nonetheless he carefully  unrolled and snapped in the covers for the sides and back of the rickshaw so no one could see us.  At the end of the odyssey — which included stops at the pharmacy and a fruit stand —  I asked how much we owed him.

“As you wish,” he replied.

* * * 

Shambo and I had a deep, dreamless sleep-type nap after our morning session and lunch at the ashram.  We were both still groggy when Uma came and told us that Gurudev would be away from the ashram at a special Kriya Yoga camp outside the city from that afternoon until Sunday night.  

Flummoxed, we weren’t sure what to do - since he’s the reason we’re here. I’d been entertaining thoughts of taking Shambo to Ramana Maharshi’s ashram in Arunachala in Tamil Nadu for his birthday next week (since he is a disciple of Ramana) -- but had decided against it since we’d both rather be with Gurudev. 

But now it seemed like it might be a good idea. So I spent some time trying to get logged  onto Yatra.com to research flights and accommodations (not easy with broken reading glasses +  no WiFi +  limited bandwidth; finally I realized I could use my phone as a hotspot and do the research on the iPad). Meanwhile Shambo spent some time digging up the contact info for a travel agent he’d stayed with years ago. After our research, we decided to let the idea percolate while we took a walk along a nearby “nature trail” that leads to a small, very dear Hanuman temple. 

We’d turned down the road and were heading towards nature when I had a strong feeling we should turn back and go to the ashram.  

“What time is aarti?” I asked Shambo. 

“Right about now,” he replied. 

“Let’s go,” I suggested, and he agreed.

When we got to the ashram, we were surprised to see that it was just as busy as usual. 

And then we saw that  Gurudev was still there, radiating peace.

Not only did we get to spend more time with him, but also got to enjoy aarti *and*  see him off.

Jai Guru!

Fallen Woman

I got up in the middle of the full moon night on Tuesday/Wednesday to use the bathroom and fell face-first onto the edge of the wood bed frame. The impact was between the nose and teeth and the pain was immediate and intense. I fell onto the floor, woke Shambo and asked him to get ice, and got into child’s pose.... and proceeded to go into shock; the pain was profound. 

I spent Wednesday resting and applying ice (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off — as we learned in Sri Dharma’s 500-hour training). Tired and nauseous, I ended up watching a Hindi movie I’d downloaded from Netflix before I left — called Firebrand. It’s about a low-caste, successful women’s divorce lawyer whose past (she was raped as a child) keeps coming back to haunt her.  The solution was brilliant; her doctor had her write down what happened in detail and read it to herself in the front of the mirror - every night for a week (each night, she writes it down and reads it). By the end she’s bored with it; it has become just “a story” and loses its power over her.  Most important, her identity as a victim disappears. I thought that part was brilliant, given what we are trying to do in Jnana Yoga (stop identifying with our false identities, and realize our one single identity — the impersonal Self).

In any case I had plenty of time to hydrate (we can drink straight from the kitchen tap here, thanks to reverse osmosis filtration), use the bathroom and look at the mirror. At some point I noticed that my nose looked and felt a little off — kind of like someone else’s nose.

When Uma and Shambo got home from the ashram, they looked at the nose and thought it was fine. Nonetheless Uma - who lives here more or less full-time — made some calls and found an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist who was willing to see me on Thursday morning despite being closed for the Holi holiday. We took a looong rickshaw ride there and he confirmed my suspicion that it  needed straightening, which he did then and there. He also gave me a prescription for some tablets (for the pain and swelling) and liquid paraffin drops (to apply to the interior) — and would not allow me to pay for the visit.

Later I found out he’s a well-known neck surgeon and university professor and has many, many specialities and accolades. 

And he saw me with my comparatively minor injury on his day off.

Without being paid.

Jai Guru

Vande Gurudev

After a big breakfast in Delhi the trip to Jaipur was quite smooth; Shambo met me at the aiport and we took an Ola (rideshare) to Sharanam guest house, which has a view of the Jal Mahal (Lake Palace) from the roof. Sharanam means refuge, and this is indeed that - and also very much like living inside of an architectural masterpiece. 

When/if the WiFi works, I will share photos. In the meantime I’m using my phone as a personal hotspot (thank you, TMobile), but there’s not quite enough bandwidth for pictures.

More important, I’ve been three times to the ashram — words fail — and settling into the house and getting to know Uma (our roommate), the dog Gabriel, and the lay of the land.

The 5:30 am call to prayer on Monday brought me straight back to my first trip to India, in 2002, and all of that time waiting on the roof to get into class at the old shala — which only held 12 people.

Tapas. 

Yatra.

Jai Guru!

Arrived in the Motherland

The plane landed at 1am (vs. the scheduled time of 2:30pm the previous day) but apart from the video giving out before the end of Padmavaat, the 15-hour flight was fairly painless.

[Re-reading that, it looks it looks like it says ‘the plane  landed at I am’ - which is pure Vedanta]

After the flight, immigration, bag claim, customs, money-changing and arguing with Air India about checking my bags through to Jaipur (not possible unless I stayed the night at the airport — regardless of what they told me at O’Hare) I was too tired to scan license plates so skipped Ola and Uber and took a prepaid government taxi (Rs300) to the hotel. 

Finding the hotel took some doing, as did checking in — but here I am with four liters of bottled water, a hot shower, WiFi, free breakfast, and a comfortable bed.

Jai Guru

Photo: Emerging from a Kolkata cab, 2017

* * *

Pranava recommended the hotel. It’s called the Red Fox (and I am drinking some awesome Assam tea out of the very mug you see pictured above).

Shambo and I have been reading The Little Prince to each other via FaceTime. ShantiMa made the recommendation.

Our most recent share was Chapter 20, about the prince’s encounter with a fox - who speaks pure Vedanta to the little boy. 

He says, ‘Here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.’

Sounds like it came straight from  Ramana Maharshi.

Jai Guru

* * * 

PS I’m not sure if the photos are coming out; please let me know if they’re not.

Delayed

Just got a text that tomorrow's flight is now departing at 8PM rather than 2:40PM. No waiting for hours and hours at the airport.

And no connecting flight.

The question is: Does one find a hotel in Delhi, or hire a car to drive to Jaipur?

Pranava says not to take a car. He tried it once, and ended up driving the entire five hours while the 'driver' slept.

Jai Guru



UPDATE:
Flight is now departing at 10:30PM.
I've arranged to stay overnight in Delhi at a hotel recommended by Pranava




Photos: Sharanam guest house construction, March 2017

No Sleep Til Jaipur

I'm headed to India soon to spend time with Gurudev at his ashram in Jaipur and see/stay in Pranava's new guest house. But, it may take some time to get there - despite having booked a 14-hour nonstop from Chi to Delhi.

I just learned from a friend returning from Varanasi that there's a no-fly zone over Pakistan due to recent conflict with India, and planes are being rerouted and massively delayed.

According to FlightAware, my outgoing flight has been delayed anywhere between 1.5 and 15 hours -- or canceled altogether. The "nonstop" return flight has been stopping in Vienna for a couple of hours and arriving in Chicago 2+ hours behind schedule (My Varanasi friend, KU, said that her "nonstop" flight from Mumbai to Newark stopped in Munich and that passengers went without food for 10 hours, and without water for 8 hours).

This is a good reminder that the purpose of this trip is yatra (pilgrimage) and that tapas (austerities) is part of the package.

And to pack smart.

Jai Guru!

Yoga Chicago profile!

"For me, yoga is the answer to every question and the solution to every problem. That’s why I have dedicated my life to it."

Read more in a new Yoga Chicago magazine profile of me, here.

WGN Interview with Rick Kogan

Click here to hear the podcast of my interview about yoga with Chicago media legend Rick Kogan on WGN-AM. He's a masterful interviewer, as you will see....er, hear.

The Book is Out!

Kali's new book, Beyond the Mat: Don't Just Do - Live It , is available on Amazon, Kindle, iBook, Kobo, and Nook (and soon you'll be able to get it at your local library and bookstore)!

Hear Kali discuss her book on Rick Kogan's WGN-720AM radio show on Sunday, October 14 at 9PM.

Kali will do a book signing Saturday, October 13 from 11-1 at at Brewpoint Coffee in Elmhurst.

Read an excerpt here.

Discuss it on Goodreads here.

Share your Amazon review here.

Book Release Party Saturday!

BOOK RELEASE PARTY & WORKSHOP FOR KALI'S NEW BOOK:
'BEYOND THE MAT: JUST DON'T DO YOGA - LIVE IT'

Saturday, September 15, 1-4
Yoga Now, 742 N. LaSalle
312.280.9642 | www.yoganowchicago.com
$40/​$45 at the door

In this workshop – which is based on Kali Om’s new book of Yoga Chicago magazine columns -- you'll learn how yoga’s timeless and universal philosophy can be applied to life and off the mat, and help us cultivate contentment in an increasingly chaotic world. Her book also includes practical yoga remedies for overcoming anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches, constipation and more.

As Yogi Cameron says, “In 'Beyond the Mat,' Kali Om beautifully brings our awareness to how true yoga starts once our morning practice has finished and our interactions with the world begin.”

Please bring your questions to this all-levels event. Our healing practice will include asana, pranayama, philosophy, chanting and Yoga Nidra in the tradition of Sri Dharma Mittra. Copies of Kali’s book will also be available for purchase. Plus we’ll share a vegan treat.

More info here.

Sunrise Practice

Thank you to everyone who joined our sunrise practice today!

Please come to our book release workshop next Saturday, 9/15, at Yoga Now

Join us for the next one on Saturday, August 18 at 5:30am. More info here.

Still Feeling Anxious?

Read our article, Eight Ways to Reduce Anxiety

Feeling Anxious?

1. Turn off the news. And your phone.

2. Breathe deeply

3. Read this



.

kick out the jams

"When you hit a wall - of your own imagined limitations - just kick it in."

-Sam Shepard





.

Real Love is Unconditional

“Yes, love, ...but not the love that loves for something, to gain something, or because of something, but that love that I felt for the first time, when dying, I saw my enemy and yet loved him. I knew that feeling of love which is the essence of the soul, for which no object is needed. And I know that blissful feeling now too. To love one's neighbours; to love one's enemies. To love everything - to Love God in all His manifestations. Some one dear to one can be loved with human love; but an enemy can only be loved with divine love. And that was why I felt such joy when I felt that I loved that man. What happened to him? Is he alive? ...Loving with human love, one may pass from love to hatred; but divine love cannot change. Nothing, not even death, can shatter it. It is the very nature of the soul."


-Prince Andrei, War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy




.

The Reality

“That which is not perceived is Reality."

-Siddharameshwar Maharaj