India Journal 2006 #8 Feb. 14th 2007- Took a Day Off from Treatments!

Is it my imagination or is Feb 14th Valetine's Day? Isn't it funny what useless information our brains drag up once in awhile??

Well, back to yesterday evening. I got a small heater for my room from the guesthouse, then spent a couple of hours chatting over chai with other travelers. Lovely couple from Umbria, Italy. He's originally British but has been living in Italy for about 10 years teaching English. Lovely couple together 8 years, married for 4, deeply spiritual via intense yoga practice. REally pleasant company.

then to my room, with heat, and it was quite lovely. Chopin, a good book and off to sleep. Decided when I went to sleep that the next day, today, I would "take rest" as suggested by Vivek. I think I need

a day or 2 off. I've actually been up and out early every day since I arrived and the days are long. It's been rainy and cold, so figured some time off might help my cold.

Woke up this morning to SUN!! Turned on the heater, ordered breakfast in my room, real hot shower, dressed in some clothes I hadn't worn yet, brought all the other stuff into the laundry (and I've already picked them up, beautifully clean and folder and smelly lovely, for only 6 rupee per item!).

the clouds are already rolling in-it is only 11 AM or so, but I am up the roof of the guesthouse soaking in whatever bit of sun I still can. The view up here is lovely. The mountain in front of me is dark velvety green and nestled in a curve off to the left are clusters of neat houses rising up from the river into the mountain side. The hills seem to blend into one antoehr and sweep up and down in small peaks. The further range on the right is misty where the clouds are coming in (think it is west)and the range on the left is bright with sunlight reflecting off the few spaces of bare rock showing between the green of the forest.

This whole High Banks area is an enclave unto itself, with may guesthouses to choose from. Above the din and bussle of the town below, offering a true atmosphere of mountain retreat.. Fresh air, birds, flowers, grass, trees all around, completely surrounded by mountains with the river below. To think that I've been lucky enough to arrive in this place, and have the luxry of staying here as long as I choose....God's blessings are abundant and His Universe and its workings miraculous.

I find the Indians here in Rishikesh, extremely friendly...not because they want to sell you something or "get" something from you, but just because they are people living in a lovely, relatively peaceful place, with strong positive energies which can only effect all who are here in a good way. They seem to be happy, relaxed, the place is also so clean. Tehy are possessed of a great sense of pride in the special spirituality of their town. Despite the fact that there is much charletanism here obviously, but there is also much REAL and TRUE sense of higher energies here as well.

You just have to sit quietly and absorb them!

There is no liquor of any kind available here and it is supposedly completely vegetarian but I've seen chicken on a couple of menus. There also doesnt' seem to be as much widespread drug use here-at least not out in the open as it is so prevalent in Dharamsala. I guess people do their smoking in private here.

So, I will enjoy the rest of my first vacation day abefore getting back to the "work" of panchakarma tomorrow.

Napped for awhile...now out for lunch. sopme of you may be surprised that I have not spoken of my meals-but truth be told, I've been eating well and nothing spectacular to speak of. When there is, I will let you know. Now it is just plain porridge with melted butter for breakfast (or brown bread toast), and masala chai and hot ginger honey. Lunch is whatever I get at the clinic and dinner usually vegetable soup with brown bread toast (if I didn't have it in the morning). My appetie is not great anyway and the couple of treats I tried were nothing to "write home about".

I am now sitting on the terrace of a restaurant waiting for lunch and the sun is still stubbornly holding its own against the very theatening dark grey rain clouds looming over the mountain tops. so, hopefully I will have sun through lunch.

The rest of the day went by quietly...with lots of resting and reading and it is now evening and I am feeling definitely better than yesterday.

Will continue tomorrow and hope the treatments go well and the weather stays normal.

Namaste