This is a lovely video I took with a true feel of the area around laxman Jhula, with the sounds and sights of the place. You can even see the lovely scene of a lady feeding the holy cow and blessing her (or perhaps asking for a blessing for herself) by touching the cow’s head. Today, while down there, without my camera of course, I was witness to this same cow giving birth and seeing the beauty of instinct, the speed at which the calf stood up, and the cheering on of the crowd standing around.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sounds of Laxman Jhula Video
BAGPIPES OR SNAKE CHARMER?
This is a short video, just for fun. This guy has been hanging aroung Swiss Cottage since last year. When I first heard the music, I was trying to figure out where the sound of bagpipes was coming from! Someone playing music in their room? Why? Only when I went to check, I found this guy. A couple of days ago he was outside my room, and I grabbed the camera to film him. He is not very good at "charming" his snakes. They seem to just want to sleep and he does his best to prod them into action, but they are not interested. Enjoy!!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
March 26, 2008 - PS to yesterday's post
(PS: since writing the above I’ve done a Reiki treatment to Yael and her comment one “You were on fire!”. I was also sweating through the whole treatment and I generally never get this warm while doing Reiki…so whatever has been happening, has certainly opened things up for me which were blocked before)
Yesterday also had a Reiki treatment, today, I've just come from my facial and back massage, and tomorrow I have a further "going home" treatment with Dudi. Not a bad way to spend my last few days in India.
Also found an apartment up here with a kitchen and now have the dilemma of deciding the pros and cons (there are lots) to having my own kitchen when I come back in october.
Don't think I'll write any more before leaving. and I will post the remaining videos when I get home so you'll still enjoy India vicariously for another week or so.
Namaste
Jane
Monday, March 24, 2008
Down to the Home Stretch - March 24th 2008
I haven’t been writing about what’s going on here the last few days as it’s been very intense and insightful as well. I think it probably will not get to this blog as much of it is personal and intimate, on many levels, as well as difficult to put into words. So I will simply say that I’ve been through a deep insightful growth experience involving the following, and more:
Disturbed sleep for 3 nights for no apparent reason
A deep sense of painful sadness suddenly overcoming me to the point of tears flowing, while sitting with friends…again, for no apparent reason
Doing an energy cleansing of my room to remove negative energies which seemed to have had accumulated without my realizing it.
Using my Dancing as a healing modality
Further treatments with Dudi
Newfound openness and joy and energy
I am now coming down to the “finish line”. It’s been a very short “race” against time for me this trip. My shopping chores are pretty much finished, I have a facial again on Wednesday, together with Yael this time, . I’d like another dip in the Ganga and perhaps sushi at Moksha (they began serving it last week…remember, the owners are Korean – but I haven’t gotten around to tasting it yet),. An attnement fromDudi still awaits me this evening so that I can begin passing on symbols from Kabbalah which can be used in Reiki II for those who feel uncomfortable with the Japanese symbols. I already had a further Master’s attunement from him. And to finish everything off, one last treatment with Dudi
AND THEN HOME!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Videos Not Working?
It seems to me that the last two videos I uploaded are not working. At least for me they are not. Have any of you seen the video from my roof party and also the snake charmer? Please let me know. If they are not working, I will manage them all when I get home at the end of the week. Have a few more really nice ones as well, including a great one from Holi yesterday.
Nothing to write about...plenty happening, quite intensely, but simply don't feel like writing about it. Will be hope in less than a week. Much too fast!!
Namaste
Jane
Friday, March 21, 2008
#20- March 21st- The Blessing of Friendship
Lovely lovely evening yesterday- friends up on the roof for tea, music, conversation and lots of laughter. It was Yaels 27th birthday and Tasha was leaving. Had a lovely day with Tasha as you can see from some of the pics in the previous post and then came back to finish up amir's movie to take home with him (received a call from home and was told to come home immediately...no details...he was really upset as you can imagine...it was very difficult saying goodbye to him as he doesn't think he will be back next year), did a Reiki treatment for Yael and then people just started to drift up to the rooftop and we spent several really pleasant hours together. 
I have a short video which I will also attempt to upload...(you may have to wait awhile for it to buffer fully-but be patient)
later in the evening we lined up facing the mountain and just laid back and stared at the almost full moon for about 45 minutes...it was beautiful. The air was so fresh and beautiful, we all commented that with the weather so hot these days, it would pay to sleep all day and stay up all night! I'm feeling a little upset about leaving next week but also at peace knowing I've received many wonderful gifts...and know more are still waiting for me both here and at home. I also know I will be back in October...hopefully for 6 months. I am very different here. I never was a social creature and yet when I am here I seem to attract people to me. All very different but together they make up a lovely social group which is closely knit and in complete harmony. I've never really had this at home and yet each time I come to India this seems to be one of the gifts I find waiting for me. You can see from the pictures the diversity of the people...but we all just seem to fit perfectly together. 
A PICTURE POST FOR YOU TO ENJOY
Shop in Laxman Jhula
Me and Natasha with Friend
Monkies, Monkies, Monkis
Perfectly Balanced Scale
Quiet Street in Laxman Jhula
Take my Picture...Pay my Mother!!
Jewish Rickshaw??
Me and Amir Just before he Left Suddenly for Nepal
Me and Tasha
Bangle Shop
Local Currency Exchange Before "Beggars' Row"
Beggars' Row
Always Happy to See Me
This Guy Really Had a Rough Time Getting his Goat Across the Bridge
Thursday, March 20, 2008
#19…”Quiet” day at Home and Changes in the Weather
Again, I have not felt the need to “report” all that has been unfolding the last couple of days, and although the days were fairly quiet, they flow by with alarmingly swift speed and without realizing it, another full week has gone by since we were up on the roof singing and dancing! (I am now sitting in bed with the computer on my lap, transcribing what I wrote a few minutes ago, as I am still not tired, even though the hour is now 3:30 AM. I am quite disturbed that my hip is still “talking” to me…not loudly, but a soft, persistent whisper..but even that I haven’t heard in more than a year!). So, back to transcribing…
It is now 2:30 AM and for the first time here,
I am unable to sleep. It is hard for me to comprehend that this is all ending next week. It has been so intense, and for the first time the thought of extending my stay here begins to plague me. So. Let’s just recoup the rest of yesterday following late lunch with Dudi and then today.
I had gone to sleep the nite before, if you remember, a very hot day where I had gone out with Dudi after my lovely massage with him. I figured I’d have an early night when I got back to the room. But my “muse” was waiting for me when I returned and in just 15 minutes I had Ben’s proposal written up. The other day he had given me all his input about how he views his farm and reforestation project and left it to me to put it into a workable proposal, in the event that the words came to me. I had just left everything to rest in the computer when all of a sudden I knew exactly what I needed to write.
I then had a snack with Tasha and Yael. Tasha was again after a difficult phone conversation with her boyfriend, so I offered her Reiki to calm her down. She had never had Reiki before (she is now sold on it and will learn when she gets home), and then asked Yael to go down and tell Ben his proposal was ready if he felt like coming up in 45 minutes to see it. End of early night. It was already 8:30 when Tasha and I began her Reiki session. When I finished the Reiki session, Ben was patiently waiting outside, as he also wanted to apologize to me as he was cancelling our hitchhiking date in favor of a better offer…someone was taking his motorbike to the local game reserve for the day and offered to take him along. I was actually relieved as I knew I would need a day to just rest with my hip making noises. (The hip will be shortly explained…)
Anyway, he was thrilled and quite impressed with the proposal and with my writing “expertise” and with the fact that I had said everything he had thought of saying but never could have put into written form himself. (You can see the proposal at the end of the post).We decided to add a picture of him which he will come and pose for and perhaps even short video if we manage it in the short time left.
Later in the evening my hip began to bother me (was feeling it even while out with Dudi earlier but trying to ignore it for as long as possible) for the first time in a very long time. It actually disturbed my sleep at the beginning of the night. I began , of course, to blame myself for not eating properly and being hard on myself while still putting part of the “blame” on the hot dry weather of the past couple of days. When I really couldn’t sleep, I remembered I had Tara Brach’s book with me with her lovely meditations for all situations based on her background as clinical psychologist as well as Buddhist practitioner and teacher. One of them was to help us use the concept of Radical Acceptance to gracefully accept pain without blaming ourselves. After doing this difficult but lovely meditation, I easily fell asleep and slept very soundly until morning, when I had this early morning dream of Ben sitting outside my room, in winter clothing, waiting for me. And when I opened my eyes, quite late for me-almost 9 AM – there he was, outside my room, patiently waiting for me to wake up, dressed in WINTER CLOTHES. The weather had turned colder, very cloudy, and very windy, and looked like a storm was on its way. And that, together with the accumulation of wrong foods I’ve been eating for the past 2 weeks, and the swift change from very hot and dry to cold and wet weather, certainly would explain my hip.
Planning an easy day for myself and my hip, I didn’t understand why he was here, as he was supposed to have left at 6 for his outing. Apparently both him and this other fellow had eaten something bad and neither was up to a day trip. So I gave him my ginger oil and sent him home. I needed time alone in peace and quiet…at least that was what I had in mind.
So…my day:
Got up slowly…did a facial for myself, a pedicure, beautiful hot shower and then down for breakfast. When I came back up, Tasha was up after Yoga and so I did her nails for fun also. And then, with the nasty weather as well as my needed to rest my hip, decided it was a perfect day for the movies. Tasha, Ben and Yael were all invited, but we couldn’t decide on what to see…in the end, Ben came up first while Tasha went shopping and Yael went to practice Reiki on Dudi. We had decided to see the Notebook, and beautiful poignant love story beautifully acted by Gena Rowlands and James Garner, but when he saw the long list of movies on my computer, asked if he could choose…and he did. The Simpsons!!! So stupid that it was actually funny!.
By the time that was over, I was starving…had Biryani for lunch and by then Tasha was back from shopping and asked when the movie begins! So, we went back into my room and we watched The Notebook together, sitting comfortably on my bed with our pillows…only popcorn was missing. We both enjoyed it, cried together and at the same moment that a storm begins in the movie, the rain began outside here as well. Things have cooled down considerably and hopefully the next few days will stay a little cooler. (It was up to 37 degrees for a couple of days).
We had a lite dinner together, just hung around…had an interesting conversation on reincarnation with Yael, Ben came up to play Bubbles and FINALLY won a game, which made it easier to kick him out, and then quickly drifted off to sleep, until now, when my thoughts began churning in my head.
So many things I still want to do here…so many people I don’t want to leave. I will wait a few more days and see if I get any definite answers in the form of signs or messages.
Tomorrow perhaps hitchhiking, but I would prefer doing my last minute shopping for some things I still haven’t gotten around to. It is Thursday and the market is closed but I should be able to get the stuff around here. I also need to stock up on some food as the next day is Holi and the place is shut down tight until the evening (you remember Holi from last year with all the colors thrown around…same day and same background story as Purim)
Friday another massage with Dudi. Perhaps tomorrow I will give him a Reiki treatment in advanced payment. I am also doing Reiki on Yael tomorrow as birthday present to her. She is turning all of 27 years old!!
Well, just writing has calmed me down somewhat. I will probably sleep better now and see what tomorrow brings. The air is really chilly as it blows in from the mountains, through the open window to my left and across my bed. Will bundle up in my extra quilt like blanket and hopefully drift back off to tranquil sleep until a new day dawns and patiently wait to see what it brings my way.
After many years of traveling around the world and being witness to the destruction caused by our greed and lack of respect for nature, I have repeatedly asked myself what I can do to make a difference. The word which consistently surfaces in my consciousness is TREES, TREES, TREES.
The idea of reclaiming a piece of land destroyed by ignorance and greed and having it shine again in all its natural glory, has become a repetitive mantra for me. People today are very aware of their carbon footprint and would favor companies who were perceived as doing something to reverse the situation. The idea of taking over a piece of land which has been destroyed by big business, in effect receiving the land from them, would allow me to achieve the goal of reforestation and at the same time generate good publicity for the company.
With my great love of nature and my ability to persevere even in difficult situations, I feel that I can wholeheartedly apply myself to this goal.
A project of this sort would include, in addition to the reforestation, any or all of the following: regeneration, carbon offset, oxygenation, sustainable farming, wildlife habitats, local employment, re-education, healing, education in reforestation and encouraging others to take on similar projects. A small farm on the same piece of land would also provide permaculture, annual produce from trees and plants, provide employment to local families, even allow for the possibility of one or two local families to live and work on the farm and benefit from a small income as well as a comfortable standard of living for the local area.
An example would be Mexico, where massive areas of land have been destabilized due to deforestation and the resulting land erosion. A large company that is aware of its carbon footprint might find this the perfect solution to contribute to change in a positive way and begin reversing the situation, slowly but steadily. At the same time, the publicity they receive would be invaluable to their public image and continued business success and growth. Sustainable forestry would be one option for such a company.
The resources I would need to initiate such a project would be both financial and human. At some point, volunteers could join the project, thus learning the methods for continuing this work in other places. I am offering you an opportunity to show the public that you are truly committed to reversing the carbon footprint. I guarantee you that whatever goal is mutually set, will be realized and even surpassed.
This is the true path of my heart and I put my feet firmly upon it.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
#18 – March 16-18 BUSY BUSY BUSY!
Well, I have had not interest in the computer or in writing for the last few days. Actually since I last wrote…but then again I’ve been so busy, even if I HAD felt like writing, I really didn’t have the time.
I will try and catch up with the last few days, but will begin my telling you that I am sitting in me newly decorated room, at my “desk” 
and actually feeling comfortable while writing this. Music playing, the fan pleasantly cooling the air (which has gotten very hot the last few days and forced me to change my daily schedule to be out of the heat during the daytime-about 12-4), and comfortably seated, wondering why I didn’t think to do this weeks ago. 
Just how it happened,
was yesterday, Ben came up in the middle of the day as he had asked if I would be willing to offer my secretarial services and writing skills to assist him in writing up a proposal for his dream of a farm and reforestation program. I made no promises to actually get it done, but was willing to listen and take notes etc. to that end he arrived at my room and I asked him to bring the plastic picnic table from the other side of the roof into the shade near my room so I would be more comfortable, but it was still too hot outside, so he simply brought it INTO the room. It fit so well, and looked so good, 
I said I wished I could keep in here all the time. He asked why I couldn’t and I replied that it would not be nice and he said that no one would notice, and if they did, they wouldn’t care, and if they DID care, would certainly not say anything to me. So, I now have an upgraded room as you can see from the pics. And it has a "cooler" look for the warmer weather as well.
Now back to a few days ago, don’t remember exactly when, but the same day I wrote the last post about WRITING. When I returned eventually to my room towards evening, I found Natasha, the English neighbor who was leaving with her friend that evening and Ben, sitting on my terrace and singing! Not very well, but certainly enjoying themselves. I asked what the singing was all about and Natasha joyfully told me she had postponed her flight by a week! It seems the card reading I had done with her in the morning, had a very deep impact on her and she actually LISTENED to the message she was given and followed the guidance to extend her trip.!! I then offered my computer playlist to them to find other songs they would like to sing together with background music to help them along. They asked what kind of music I had and I replied “Music that a 60 year old lady who grew up in America and lives in Israel would like. They were a little skeptical but they began going over my playlists and found lots and lots of lovely songs to sing-along with and I joined them, especially in my specialty of the 60’s which was fun for them as well and we really were having fun. Even I was singing outloud and no one seemed upset about it! It was really really fun. We did this for sometime until Yael, young Israeli girl came up and then we decided to put on some Hebrew songs and sing for them. Yael noticed that I had folkdancing and said she remembers dancing when she was in grade school. Soooooooooooo. I got her up in the middle of the roof, and we began dancing, with me as instructor and her laughing the whole time. It looked like so much fun I guess that Natasha’s friend from England joined us for a few dances. Brought back lovely memories for me of when I taught and all in all it was great fun. The roof is a perfect place for dancing! After that, we ordered light snacks to the roof to wait for Fran to leave by taxi to Delhi and continued chatting, singing etc. She left at 9, and when Natasha came back up she had a bag full of goodies with her. Ben had come back after going home for Thali by Mamaji’s and she said she is celebrating her vacation extension. And then Viki, from the internet café joined us with a bottle of whiskey (which he and Natasha enjoyed), as he was celebrating his 27th birthday. So we went into Natasha’s room with the potato chips, coke, sprite, computer and music, and had a lovely party until almost midnight!! Everyone was enjoying the music on my computer to my surprise, we were telling jokes and stories and it was a lovely evening.
Next day I don’t remember what I did most of the day actually, but I had a “date” with the lady I had met the day before from Tasmania. We met at a mutual friend and healer named Suresh down in the Tapovan Bazaar. I went back with her to her room and found another lovely place to stay if ever necessary. And we agreed to meet at Tulsi for dinner the next day at 6:30. And I went down, we spent 3 hours together, and it was really interesting. No details here as I have so much more to write. Came back late to my room to find Ben waiting for me and we wound up spending time together until after midnight as well. Two late days in a row for this old lady is something! And I am still full of energy, getting up early etc. All since releasing all those toxin fear energies last week. It is a good, light and liberating feeling.
Next day I also had a busy schedule beginning with my getting a Reiki treatment from Yael who had just studied Reiki I with Dudi, the Master here. As I came up to my room which I had decided to clean and was busy sweeping the floor with a typical Indian “broom”, someone came to my door and asked “Are you Jane”. I looked up to see a lovely young India girl there and I said yes I am,…who are you? “My name is Sweta and I am a big fan of your blog…have been following it for years and knew you were here now. “!! She is here for the weekend with her boyfriend from Delhi and had started looking for me the evening before. She said she was pretty sure it was me up here as she had been watching us dancing on the roof and couldn’t imagine there would be a lot of people around in Rishikesh who would be dancing folkdancing on the roof! And then at breakfast she had overheard us talking and I happening to be talking about my Father who passed away about 1 ½ years ago and she KNEW it was me, as she had read my Memorial Blog to my father as well. We spoke for awhile but I really had to get ready for Yael, but I met her the next morning for breakfast with her boyfriend. They are a lovely couple, live in a suburb right outside Delhi and appear to be very well off. They come often to Rishikesh for the weekened to relax. She is “principal correspondent” for a newspaper and he is, get this, a professional golf player!!! In India!!! They were really sweet and a whole new side of Indian life for me, and invited me to come stay with them before I go home for a few days in Delhi so they can show me the OTHER Delhi. I told her the only thing I really know well in Delhi is Pahar Ganj and Khan Market (she couldn’t believe I would actually stay in Pahar Ganj!), and she said she we show me the really beautiful city that Delhi is. I told her I would love to do it but don’t think I would this trip. So she said next time I come back, to simply come directly to her from the airport and stay for as long as I want, AND I WILL!!
Well, back to the day. Yael gave me a really lovely Reiki treatment, very relaxing, and I felt very at peace. Then I helped Ben with his proposal, had a light lunch and discovered, thanks to Yael, something new to eat right here at Swiss cottage on hot days now so as not to have to go out for lunch. Veg Biryani made with brown rice. Quite delicious to my great surprise and seasoned just the slightest bit spicey like I enjoy myself at home.
After finishing up with Ben, I had to get ready, as Dudi, the Master, was coming to ME for a card reading and Reiki treatment. I must say I was a little intimidated, but he has been asking me since he first did the past-life regression for me, saying I had very special energies and he would like to really have me treat him. Once I began however, all my lack of confidence left and I felt totally guided by higher powers. The reading was lovely and quite incisive for him and after the Reiki treatment, he commented that he was simply “flying” and that I have the most comfortable and gentle energies he has felt in a very long time, and actually asked for another treatment. Which I of course agreed to.
As he was leaving I mentioned that I had done something to one of my neck vertebrae which hasn’t bothered me in years, and if I could come tomorrow for him to do some healing on it. He insisted on doing “first aid”, which already relieved some of the acute pain (I am sitting here typing and I feel fine), and when he moved further down my back, said I MUST come for a massage the next day (he is also a massage therapist). When I asked what type of massage he does, as I am wary of massages, he said “as gentle as your energies”…so I agreed. Something else to look forward to. By then it was quite late and wanted to go out for dinner, so went down with Natasha to Tulsi. We had a deeper personal discussion.. She is a very sweet girl and really enjoy her company, and happy to have her for a few more days a my neighbor up here. We decided at dinner that we would go up the next day to the next village, Kunchapuri, as her friend Fran had done it the day before with Amir and said the taxi was only 100 rupee! Well, for that price, why not. A lovely village with nice temple and view of the Himalayas!
OK…let’s see. This morning up again early and went down to the internet (haven’t been there in 2 whole days and didn’t even realize it until this morning), as I had a very powerful need to write to a friend in Israel. When I got down there, I found a letter from HER telling me she had been dreaming about me and Rishikesh for the past two nites!! Quite amazing. While I was down there I thought to order a taxi for later today to go up to the village. I asked how much and the guy said, “It is usually 1000 rupees but you can get special price of only 800!! “ I was flabbergasted, as Fran had paid 100. I told him this and he said it is not possible unless she took a bus. So I went to ask Amir about this and he began stammering and looking embarrassed. He said not to tell anyone here (so I am only telling you on the blog!), but he hired the taxi and TOLD Fran it was 100 rupees!!! And that’s then end of that trip up the mountain for 100 rupees for me and Natasha. But Ben was sitting there, and I just mentioned the part about the taxi costing 800 rupees and I couldn’t afford that much, so he suggested we go together tomorrow. His suggestion being that we hitchhike up!! At first I said no, but he said it would be fun, he does it all the time, and “be a sport”. So, tomorrow, I am hopefully going to make it up to the village by hitchhiking…this is the most surprisingly exciting and unexpected trip I’ve ever had to India.
And that brings us almost up to date. Following breakfast I went to Dudi for my massage, which was a combination of lovely massage and energy work together, and lasted for 1 ½ hours and I left feeling light as a feather. But I told him he must let me pay him in some way, as he will not take money from me. He says he gets as much from treating me as I get from him, energy wise. So I can do more Reiki treatments, but I thought perhaps a meal…however, he hardly eats anything (he really looks like a Baba…thin as a rail), and suggested going down to the Ganga and then lunch/dinner, and he agreed. So I have to “pick him up” in ½ hour. We will also be doing another massage on Friday night when he said his energies are much more powerful! I’m really getting well taken care of here.
And so, going to get dressed and head down with Dudi to Moksha where I hope he will enjoy eating as much as I do. If I haven’t posted this before then, I will continue when I get back, but perhaps I will post it sooner, as truth be told, it is a long enough post anyway.
So, another week and ½ to go and I am having more and more fun as each day goes by! I am truly, truly blessed.
Namaste
Jane
Sunday, March 16, 2008
JUST SOME NEW PICTURES
These are just some pictures I thought you might like...
Beautiful View of Shiva Statue Outside Hardiwar (not from my camera!)
Rickshaw Ride into the Market!
The fabric shop that drove me crazy...but finally made my choices
Local Milk Delivery
"My" Rooftop
Natasha Out on "My" Rooftop
WRITING – From the Heart or From the Head
I’ve come to an interesting understanding… My blog posts this trip have been fairly dull and uninteresting and whenever I sat down at the computer to write about my day, there was no true desire to write at all. So I simply put down the basic facts of the day’s experience and left it at that. The “heart” of my experience literally never got put down “on paper”. And that was the problem.
I am now sitting in a coffee shop along the Ganga,
feeling the energies, absorbing the atmosphere, and, with pen in hand, FEELING the words for the first time this trip. I cannot go back and “fix” what has already been posted, but I would like to believe that the rest of the trip will, as in the past, first find its way through my heart and hand via pen, to paper, and then later simply be transcribed to the computer. The full range of feelings and insights can only be felt in this way it seems.
I truly have had an amazing journey here. So many things have happened in so short a time, that I honestly do not feel the need to be here longer than the originally planned 7 weeks ( which end in 2 weeks!). Everything I could have dreamt of and imagined to make this short time perfect, whole and complete, has happened. Healing on deep levels, great joy and laughter, unexpected surprises on all levels – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – all coming together in perfect harmony to bring full and profound meaning to this trip.
I have been blessed with all those people (angels) necessary to initiate and facilitate different processes whose end results are complete tranquility, harmony and balance. A feeling of wellbeing on all levels which I haven’t experienced in a long time, and was in desperate need of.
There have been those who have been guided to me to find answers to their own issues through the Divine guidance I am always offered. And there have been those sent to ME to help ME move forward in healing issues which have plagued me for too long. Issues which I have been asking for help with for a long time.
I now sit overlooking the Ganga, with a feeling of deep contentment, knowing that once again I have journeyed inward through Divine Grace and discovered further unexplored territories and landscapes in the depth of my heart and soul.
I look forward to returning to the “real” world and continuing my journey, knowing that I have all the faith necessary to fearlessly continue to travel the new paths opened before me. I am surrounded always with loving protection and guidance from God and His Universe, my Guides, and the angels.
I amy be writing further posts…but I doubt there is any way to truly put into words the full depth and range of feelings and insights I have experienced over the past short month.
INSIGHT: It is interesting that this first “writing” comes in the wake, and seemingly as another result of, the healing in the form of past-life regression and Tikun (fixing) I experienced 2 days ago. It fits into the pattern…my meditations are deeper and more tranquil of mind, my yoga asanas are easier with a newfound flexibility of joint and muscle, my quiet, still poses, are effortless and can be held indefinitely without loosing my balance, my pranayama (breathing exercises) are much deeper and exhilarating, so ti makes sense that as a result of this deep cleansing, unblocking and release of accumulated “toxins” from the past, my words would also begin to flow as well!
Friday, March 14, 2008
# 17 March 13-14 – Lazy, Lazy, Lazy….and Rain
Started last nite…was very hot yesterday and was really tired after my walking so just hung around the rest of the afternoon and evening. Had some grilled cheese up in my room for a snack at nite. I was up the roof playing “bubbles” and listening to my lovely flute music when Ben came up and asked what I was doing. I said “Some real deep spiritual work”. He came to see what it was and burst out laughing when he saw what I was playing. I explained it really was a form of inner work for me as it was one of the few ways I could find myself completely “mindless”!. And then like a little boy he asked if he could please please please try to play too, but I warned him that it could be dangerous to begin this game.
“You can’t just ‘try’ this game and he replied: “I’m fine…I don’t get addicted to this kind of stuff”.
Well, I could not get him to relinquish the mouse for 1 ½ hours until I finally asked to be allowed to go to sleep. He said OK but please please please could he come up again to play in the morning.
I thought he was joking, but bright and early he was up here and spent another 1 ½ hours in this completely mindless but actually relaxing pursuit. I, in the meantime, realized I didn’t feel like doing anything today. Perhaps the weather-it is actually overcast, windy and chilly…so I sat in my room while he played and cursed, and I did some work I needed to for myself. Finally kicked him out and now am alone and still with no desire to do anything. I am listening to music, will play some games as well, hang around with people at lunch…all here “at home”.
This evening I am hopefully going to do a past-life regression with a guy named Dudi to see if we can find the source of my irrational fears and finish the cleansing process once and for all.
So it will be a quiet, reflective, lovely day doing “nothing” and feeling wonderful about it.
8 PM
It is now almost 8 in the evening. Had the need to sleep this afternoon, (only in retrospect did I realize the entire lack of energy the whole day was due to my anxiety of what I might find out during the healing session….) and when I woke up I did the healing and past-life regression with Dudi and it was wonderful Received more answers and insights into the fear thing and am completely energized as well. And when I came out, it was raining and no electricity! (That would explain the slight twinge in my hip yesterday and this morning). So, got a couple of candles from downstairs and am now up in room, by candlelight, incense burning, eating crackers and cheese and listening to folkdancing and for the first time this trip even have the urge to dance!. Am feeling really good and if the electricity comes back on, I have a “date” to watch the movie Himalaya with Ben this evening and if not, will dance in the dark alone!!. (Or so I imagined!!). And then the strangest thing happened. I have about 600 songs in my folkdancing playlist, and I put them on to play at random, and the first song that came up was a further answer to what went on during the healing session with Dudi. A song with words which said exactly what I still needed to hear was playing, as if the angels , or my guides were singing the answer to me disguised as the voice of Daklon (Israeli singer) singing “Al Nevakesh”. All the verses are insightful, but just as an example, here is a translation of theverse:
“There are unknown secret things which we cannot understand or know
Things may happen which seem without reason
Not all things need to be investigated and questioned
Sometimes it is alright not to know everything”
I imagine the air will also be less heavy tomorrow and I will feel like walking again (And that was exactly what happened, as I woke up the next morning to the clearest bluest sky I have seen since arriving and a lovely feeling of clean and fresh in the air).
And then Ben arrived….no lites…caught me dancing…but just asked to sit down and play again, which he did until the battery ran out on the computer. Then we just sat and talked until my sweet neighbors came up. Finding their room dark and uninviting, I asked them to come in and join us. By then it was raining hard and quite dreary…they came into my candle-lit room, and said “Why does it feel so warm and comfortable in here? Our room is the same but it is nothing like your room” It’s like when people come into my living room at home and say the same thing…good energies…My room is very inviting. We sat and enjoyed each others company, all the time with my folkdancing music still playing and everyone commenting that it was quite pleasant to listen to. Close to 10 the lites finally came on so the girls left and Ben and I still had our movie date! We even sat and held hands like in the real movies. Only thing missing was popcorn. In all, it was a lovely day!
And now it is morning. Brilliant blue sky…lovely sunshine, nice breeze and clean fresh air…like after a chamsin at home when the rains finally come. Beautiful, beautiful day.
I went down to the market with a few friends and actually found fabric I liked and which is now at the tailor to make a couple of more things for me from things I already have and like from home.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
#16 – March 10-11, 2008 – Back to the Real World and A Really “Rough” Day
Interesting, during the previous 3 days I had this intense need to be alone, and work on the issue of irrational fears. (A posting will eventually find its way to the Mindfulness Journal, but it is still being contemplated to try and get the full impact of those 3 days across). And to my surprise, I WAS entirely alone. No one came looking for me at my room. Id didn’t meet anyone in town anywhere, nor bump into any new, or old friends at meal times. And today (yesterday actually), which I declared a “vacation” day for myself, and just hung around doing relaxing things –
nothing require any great effort either physically, mentally or spiritually, the people who saw me during the day told me I looked: renewed, vibrant, full of life, at peace, tranquil etc. But still was alone most of the day. [ Except for my meeting with Dudi, which will have to wait for another post].
And when today, (really today), I more or less got back to my “real” world, everyone staring turning up again…pretty much coming out of the woodwork so to speak. Yael, a young Israeli girl, came for advice and we sat for a long time early this morning. Then I went down to mail my package and met a nice Indian guy on the way and we talked for awhile. He is from Kerala and vacationing in Rishikesh and wanted my advice about sending a package “home”! Then, back to my room where I had prepared a small snack of cheese and grapes before headingoff to the Ganga, when Ben turned up. He’s started his teachings with the Swami Dyananda (also Akhilesh’s Swami), and I figured I would not be seeing him for awhile. Well, HE came to tell me about his first evening and morning and so we snacked together and he talked. . Then finally got down to the Ganga, and following my “swim”, walked into Moksha, the nice new restaurant down there and again met Yael, not planned, eating with a young German guy so again had company. There was hardly a minute during the day when I was not with someone else. And just as I thought I’d be heading back to relax, my phone rang (I had it with me for this exact reason, just in case) and it was Nikolai, asking to meet me in about an hour for Chai! So, back to the room, quick shower and down to spend a lovely 3 hours with him, after not seeing him for a year. And WOW! What a story HE had to tell.
From a deeply devoted practicing Buddhist of 7 years, living most of that time in India with short and infrequent trips back home to visit family, living at a monastery and preparing for his first 5 year retreat, he is now going back to Moscow to get married to a very rich girl he knows since age 14 (he is 32), who was married previously, divorced, has a 7 year old son (which he says may even be his anyway), and is very rich. He will go into her father’s business which he says is dirty, cut throat and completely demanding, and wind up getting rich himself!! When I asked how this will effect his practice and all his Buddhists beliefs, and why he was doing it, he replied that if he didn’t do itnow, he would always wonder if he made a mistake and with regrets, could never move forward in his practice anyway. If it works out, he will assume he was never as truly committed as he imagined himself to be, and if not, in 4-5 years he will simply leave it all and come back and continue from where he left off!
It is now the next day…March 11th, and I had planned, after the very intense “people filled” day yesterday, to go early to the market to do some shopping I still have on my list. But Ben joined us (my 2 British neighbors…I know, I haven’t written about them either), for breakfast and then came up to speak to me further about the teachings and why they are not working for him, and how disappointed he is in himself etc. It was an intense, and long talk, but quite insightful for him, and in the end, I didn’t leave for the market until after 12.
I easily found the computer shop recommended to me on Railway Road, and if I hadn’t just seen myself walk into it off the Rishikesh street, I could have sworn I was back in raanana! I bought a Logitech cordless mouse and it was so pleasant shopping there . They didn’t just hand it to me, take my money and say goodbye as would have happened back home. They opened up the substantial packaging, took out the mouse (I hadn’t said a word, was just expecting to pay and go), showed me how to put in the battery, how to store the USB piece, how to get the best results from the mouse, plugged it into their computer and asked me to try it and see if it was comfortable…all this before taking any money for me…)
I then decided to look for a mortar and pestle from marble for myself and one of my daughters, and some fabric to have a couple of favorite tops remade for me by a local tailor. But then remembered that the cosmetician I went to last year was right up the same street so figured I’d walk up just to make an appointment. I wound up spending the next 2 hours being completely pampered including back massage, and all kinds of beauty treatments, which were as wonderful as I remember them being, my face is as smooth as a baby’s behind, and all for 250 rupees!!
I DID find a mortal and pestle, as well as having my late lunch of brown rice and steamed veggies, went up to my room to rest from this really “rough” day…it was 4:30 by then and I have been up since 5:30 this morning. I am liking Rishikesh more and more each day and will definitely be back here.
I have BTW, begun doing my yoga, pranayama and meditation outside each morning facing the rising Eastern Sun and it is quite powerful. Trying to figure out some way to do that at home but so far cannot think of any practical option.
Namaste for today
Jane
Sunday, March 09, 2008
#15 March 8, 2008 – FREEDOM FROM FEAR
Where to begin. There actually is nothing much new happening as far as “travel” goes, and you may all be finding my posts getting boring, but I am in a very personal place right now and what is happening in my life right now is exciting to ME.
So, first of all,
the video promised will have to wait until I get home as it is taking too long to upload it from here…it is a lovely one but I will get it up on the blog as soon as I get home.
The Ganga is rising from day to day. It is quite amazing. In the pictures I sent from just 2 days ago, there is a large square kind of rock sticking out of the water which I held on to so as not to slip. Yesterday it was no longer on the shore and half submerged, and today it was well out into the river and almost completely covered over. There is also a current now and eddies and small rapids forming where there were just calm waters 2 days ago. The snows are melting fast I guess and the water seems to be getting even colder, but I do my dip each day and love it.
I continued working on fears, and picked other lovely cards for the next two days as instructed (!) and I won’t go into details here but I was given further insights, reinforcement and encouragement to continue.
Yesterday I picked the angel Shanti “I am the angel of peace. I bring you new tranquility and a smoother road ahead”.
And the Goddess Hathor reminding me to “allow yourself to receive. This will increase your intuition, energy and ability to give to others”.
And today, the angel Adriana telling me “I am leading you toward the answer to your prayers, Please listen to and follow the steps I am communicating through your intuition, thoughts and dreams”
and The Goddess Ixchel…reminding me that “You are a channel for Divine healing power” and to continue my healing practice and to honour my healing knowledge and abilities and to continue to teach others….
I’ve been out 3 days in a row now for hours in the full sun, with no ill-effects, dipping in ice cold waters with no hip or knee problems, and going out at night, in the dark, alone, and completely enjoying my new found freedom…freedom to do what I want and always thought I couldn’t, and freedom from fear.
I find myself spending more and more time alone, being out of my room from 10 in the morning until 5 or 6 in the evening and then going out afterwards to eat if I feel like it, so even if people look for me, I am not around. I also have less and less need for the computer, and am only writing now to get this down “on paper”, more for me than anything else. It is a very powerful period in my life’s journey right now, bringing many things together in a process which began months ago and all things seem to be now falling into place. I feel very blessed and at peace with the process and confident that many more of my issues with fears will dissolve over the next period of time.
And the best surprise of the day was, I literally bumped into my friend Nikolai on the street! 
I know him from McLeod and only see him there, and he mentioned he was coming to Rishikesh for the first time for a short vacation in one of his e-mails. I was getting ready to write to him today to ask when he was coming, when I literally turned around in a shop and bumped into him! He has been here for a week already and is leaving in just 3 days. He is also staying at Swiss cottage but we have never seen each other. Very funny. Hopefully he will come up this evening as he wants to see pictures of the latest family members and see how the others have grown since last year when I saw him. You might remember he is my Russian born Buddhist friend, around 30 now I think, who lives about 8 months a year in India, sometimes even longer and mostly at Tashi Jong where is lama (teacher) is and where Tenzin Palmo’s nunnery is located.
I’m including his pic from a few years ago…he now sports a really smart mustache and goatee…
Ah…yesterday I finished most of the little shopping I had to do (which you all know I hate) and hope to get a package out sometime this week and know I am finished with that.
And I will end here for today
Namaste
Thursday, March 06, 2008
# 14, March 6, 2008- Massages and Messages or.. Could a Day be More Lovely?
Continuing the Story which began yesterday with my talk with Amir, I received a very clear message last night while asleep…not a dream like message, a spoken message: “Don’t go swimming at the Spa pool, BATHE IN THE GANGA and ask her to remove and wash away your fears!”.
So I awoke this morning
knowing that I would definitely go to bathe in the Ganga today, despite my fears of “where to go”, “what to wear”, “how cold will it be”, etc. But before going down for my massage, decided to just pick a card or two, and wound up pulling one from each of the two decks I have here with me…figuring I might get further reinforcement from the cards which might help me overcome the real fear I was feeling about what I knew I had to do today.
Well, the first card I picked was Archangel Raphael (one of the Archangels I ask to accompany me each day in my morning prayers and meditation), and the card says:
"I am helping you heal physical challenges in yourself and others. You are a healer, like me”.
Quite amazing…a big grin appeared on my face, knowing that I was certainly not alone in this venture and couldn’t have asked for better company.,
And then just for good measure, decided to pick from the other deck, and the card that came up was:
Sekhmet…which reads: “Be Strong”…” You are stronger than you think you are, and your strength assures a happy outcome”.
Even more amazing…
Then I happily headed down for my massage with Bablu and told him about my plan to go immerse myself in the Ganga after the massage and he said “How did you know to do it today?” Didn’t really understand the question but told him I received a message during the night that I must do it today. He said the message was directly from God because today is the best day in the whole year to bathe in the Ganga in Rishikesh as it is the once a year festival of Shiva (Shiva Aarti) today!
Well, nothing is my chance and a couple of other people I know who I met along the way, Indians, were all very excited for me that I was doing this the first time on this “most auspicious day”.
So, with all this lovely reinforcement and loving company, I set off for the Ganga at about 12 in the afternoon…gathering my faith and courage for the adventure.
(Just a quick aside: this was the fourth massage I’ve done with Bablu and we’ve got a kind of rapport going, and today he asked me if I know that my bones (I am paraphrasing, his English is very poor and this took some time to understand) are weak, lacking calcium and dry…and I must go to a doctor to find out what to do. I asked how he knew this (which is true, I have advancing oesteoporsis) and he said he can feel it when he massages me. I told him I do expensive bone density scans with fancy machines back home and they say the same thing!! He gave me good nutritional advice, which I already know, but was surprised that he knew this much about counseling his clients, and he was very happy to hear that I do panchakarma, eat the right foods etc. )
So, I had a nice fruit salad for breakfast and headed off with my longee and a towel, and went to the area where several people had told me I’d find a quiet beach, and they were right. You can see from the pictures…those are my clothes drying on the rock, .JPG)
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and you can see the place where I immersed myself, several times. It was quiet, private and intensely powerful. 
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The waters were icey cold. Fed by the mountain snows which have begun to melt. At first I gasped and thought I could not do it, but ever so slowly I dipped in up to and over my waist, and then threw waters over the rest of my body, including my head…And quickly got out, but after resting in the sun for a few minutes, I felt the need to do it again and did. Despite the numbing cold, I felt warmth spreading through my entire body as the first of my fears began to desolve, being washed away in the waters of this holy river. Quite a remarkable experience. Sat on the beach for awhile and plan to try and go each morning now…before breakfast.
Had a pleasant lunch…enjoyed Shiva Aarti Day which I was told by many is THE most auspicious day to immerse in the Ganga in Rishikesh. There will also be special celebrations this evening at the puja, but my stomach is a little “dodgy” so may remain close to my room. Will decide later this evening. After my relaxing meal I head home, com[pletely energized and this is also the first time the sun has not bothered me, and I have headache. I’ve taken to wearing my dupatta (scarf) on my head like the Indian ladies (kaffiyah style_ and that seems to do the trick. So 2 fears have gone. I can be out all day in the sun, immerse myself in ice-water, with no ill effects, even find a quiet beach all by myself and the last fear, being out along after dark will be confronted and conquered either today or tomorrow.
Then, when I get home, I will begin traveling to “unknown” places alone by car!!!
The next post will be a lovely video I made of the area around laxman Jhula, with the sounds and sights of the place. You can even see the lovely scene of a lady feeding the holy cow and blessing her (or perhaps asking for a blessing for herself) by touching the cow’s head.
Many things are falling to into place, and I think the timing for my return home is just perfect.
I am truly loved and blessed…always watched over and taken care of…truly no reason for any sort of fear to limit me.
Namaste
Jane
#13- March 5, 2008- Counseling Session with Unique Practitioner
Something very interesting happened today. I had already decided that the next few weeks I have left will be devoted entirely to me, which you can read about on the link to the Mindfulness Journal on my last post. I had a massage first thing in the morning, right after meditation and pranayama and yoga, before breakfast, it was the best massage I have ever experienced. There was something different about it. I don’t know if I mentioned the massage therapist Bablu, who studied Ayurveda massage ad the Parmath Niketan Ashram here in Rishikesh, but every massage he does , he does from a spiritual place. He says prayers over the herbs and oils before he begins, asks for Divine help and then chants OM before actually begin. He also does the massages with so much loving energies, that I see brilliant bright green surrounded by pink through the entire massage. And the massage itself is superb…among the best I’ve ever had. And having it this morning, as a continuation of my morning rituals, made it even more wonderful . Bablu explained that this was the best time to do a massage, with ,
the morning sun shining in the window, before any other earthly pursuits, and that it would serve to open all the chakras in the best and most powerful way possible. And to my surprise, it was the first time I did a massage like this and didn’t feel like sleeping afterwards. I was completely invigorated, was not hungry, even though it ended after 10 in the morning and by the time I showered, (and had unexpected company as well when I came back), I didn’t eat my first meal of the day, Kitcheri, until almost 1:30 and I felt wonderful. So I’ve ordered another one for tomorrow morning and am really looking forward to it.
I went to breakfast/lunch with a nice girl I met here, we walked down to Welcome Center, while waiting for our food, I opened some cards for her and as always, the reading was direct and to the point, I came back up, went to the internet for ½ hour and then came to my room to rest for awhile. I was awakened by a knock on the door, and thinking it was Ben, opened the door to find a young Indian friend of Einat’s called Sushil at the door. I quickly went back in and changed my clothes to something more appropriate (I was wearing just a tank top and pants), spent a short time with him but found I had no patience for chit-chat and excused myself after about 15 minutes.
I then went into the room to continue my work with the Archetype Cards I had bought a couple of days ago. It is a demanding process and I am taking it very seriously, when all of a sudden, Amir, the young guy in charge here came up to visit me. I didn’t like that Sushil had come to visit and came to see if he had left!!!
And this is where the story really begins. It is really something more suitable to the Mindfulness Journal, but I am posting it here as it is something which happened to be because I am on this journey in India, and it makes sense for it to be on the India Blog anyway. If you don’t agree, let me know.
First he asked if I had found a “friend”. (He is a sweet young, 25 year old Nepalese guy, but is not very discreet). He is always concerned that a “nice” lady like me doesn’t have a boyfriend, or at least a fling while on vacation and I always tell him I am not looking for that but for the “real thing”. He was of course referring to Ben who has been spending a lot of time around my room, and he assumed something was going on, but explained that there was nothing happening except sharing of healing sessions and pleasant discussions. He was sooooo disappointed and said “Oh, I was so happy for you because I thought you had a “friend” this time!”
And then he noticed I was working on the cards and we began talking about them and their uses, and I brought out two other decks to show him and he was amazingly interested in them. He looked at the cards with reverence, read a lot of them, and when he came to the Angel of “True Love” he commented “This is the card you need to pick”.
He is very intelligent and a highly spiritual being and we began a really serious discussion of some of the cards, and at some point the problem I have with my fear of traveling, or going to new places etc., came up. And THIS is the point of this whole post.
He looked at me and began asking me ,many questions, particularly about why and what I am afraid of etc. When I mentioned that it is all irrational and I’ve tried many ways of healing the problem, I also mentioned I feel it must be some trauma from a past life which has never been resolved…which lead to a discussion of past lives, and finally, he said he thinks he has a simple solution for me. It is WAS simply put, in very simple English, but quite profound. He gave me one concrete suggestion, and then two examples.
The suggestion, to overcome my fear of going alone to new places, which is even worse at night, was to wait until midnight, get dressed, WALK, ALONE to the nearby Spa, Narayana, get undressed and go swimming in the pool. And then walk back home alone. He said I would never be afraid again after that, not of the dark, not of being alone, not of going to a new place and not even of what might happen if someone sees me and what will happen etc. The idea is clear…confront your fear and overcome it!! But even thinking of the idea is terrifying to me, even though there is nothing really dangerous about it, and of course I won’t do it!!
Then he gave me the following two examples of how fear, or lack of it, can determine the outcome of events.
A guy has to get someplace and there are two paths. One is short but through the forest with wild animals and dangerous. The other is the long way around but safe. Which path is better to take. I of course said I always take the longer, but safe path. He said the guy decided he was in a hurry and to take the short dangerous one, but was not afraid at all as he knew he would be protected. And arrived at his goal quickly and safely, even though taken the dangerous path.
The second example. People travel very often from India to Nepal carrying large sums of money with them to bring home, in cash.. He does it too but never worries. He is calm and relaxed, attracts no attention, and has never had a problem. But other people are nervous, worried, frightened that they will be robbed, look anxious, attract attention, and in the end, THEY are the ones who DO get robbed.
No explanation is needed for either of the above, as they simply reinforce the idea that what is utmost in our thoughts is what happens. “Thoughts become things…choose the good ones”, etc. The fact that Amir, the young Nepalese working as reception manager at a guest house in Rishikesh to save money for his family at home would be profound enough to speak to me like this however, is the amazing part of this story. And he has made me begin thinking further about dealing with this fear. I don’t know yet how I will do it, but it has been on my mind more and more frequently over the past year, and SOMETHING will have to be done about it.
And that’s the story for today. Many different angels are sent to me with messages and today it was Amir.
PS: I am sitting out on my terrace, at 8:30 in the evening, listening to music and writing this. Although fairly warm for me during the few afternoon hours, the weather is otherwise beautiful.
THIS WAS NOT THE END…THIS WILL BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST…GETS MORE INTERESTING AND MORE EXCITING!!
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
#12 March 4, 2008- Circus and Messages and Weather
Well, it was basically a quiet day, but yesterday evening I started to feel my hip for the first time in a very very long time and was trying to figure out why? (It is fine today). Eating all kinds of things I shouldn’t, perhaps weather changes, too much yoga, other activities, couldn’t figure it…
Turns out, today is a chamsin! I first noticed it in my hair, and then when I was out felt it was just “too hot” for me to be walking around and came back to my room to rest. I went down to the Wi-Fi café today WITH my laptop and the guy there was able to configure the settings for me and I had a lovely time using my own computer, but shlepping it down their was no fun at all. I will do it every so often, but still feel it easier to write here in the room and then send the stuff off…. Had a pleasant afternoon, did some more work with the new cards I bought (you can see a post about a message I received on my Mindfulness Journal...
HAVE TO! MUST DO! TIME OUT!
So the sudden weather change is what hit my hip…I’ve already made an appointment for a massage tomorrow morning (wanted one today but he was full up)…rested a lot, and then went out after 4 for my walk, had a nice lunch..came back to my room and found a sweet girl name Yael who arrived a couple of days ago and another Israeli (from Australia) and we sat for awhile, went to Mamaji’s for dinner (which I hardly ate) and then went down to see the circus rehearsal! Quite impressive. Maybe you can see something in the pictures.
Seems these young people from all over the world collect money from various places and then go to poor countries, particularly India for now, and perform for poor children and their families in schools etc., also teaching about the environment at the same time. It was fun and a pleasant surprise at the end of the day. I am now up in my room, listening to music, and even had to turn on the fan for a few minutes. I was considering extending my stay, but think I will come home as planned. I simply don’t feel like traveling around and would not be able to stay here longer due to the heat…and following the message I received today, I am even MORE relaxed and living the moment, so I have another 3 weeks to devote entirely to me and I will make every moment count.
I was asked to teach Reiki by a couple of girls, and something inside said “no”. Did a meditation on the question and was unequivocally told “NO”…but also told to offer them the same class back in Israeli for the Indian price, if they each bring a friend, and we’ve already discussed it and that is what I will do. Will give me an opening into a new market of Israelis and am sure will be a very good opportunity for me.
So, that’s about it for today…
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
#11- March 3, 2008- PEACEFUL DAY
Had an especially peaceful day today. Yesterday I exchanged healings with Ben and then went out for lunch and back for dinner at Mamaji’s…early to bed..I was very tired.
Early but very light breakfast today. I ate too much yesterday and felt it.
And then spent some time with Ben before going out. Picked up some DVD movies I had burnt for me from the originals…150 apiece instead of 450 at the CD shop I send everyone. Two days ago I had brought the rich ladies there and they bought a lot of stuff…also tried to get cheaper price and he held fast at the price he gave them. Well, when I came down today, the DVD’s were ready (these are movies mostly Tibetan, that I have not been able to download from the Internet), and when I went to pay my 600 rupees, he said “no…480. You deserve a discount as you brought people to me and also DID NOT ASK FOR ONE!”. I thought that was lovely…which means I got one almost free.
I will watch one tonight with Ben…”The Cup” which I never got around to seeing in Mcleod.
Then I continued down to the Book Shop by the German Bakery to look for the Cards I wanted. I found 2 sets I was interested in and bought them. And also a set of postcards, as Ben had given me an idea I never thought of. I am sending each of my grandchildren a postcard from India. Don’t know why I never thought of it all these years. I went into the German Bakery, ordered boiled veggies and lovely grilled cheese and tomato and sat to write the postcards and then go down and mail them. Realizing, that I don’t know everyones mailing addresses…only e-mails! Very Bad. So will get the addresses and mail them tomorrow. Had a lovely lunch, met some interesting people there, and then began working on the cards…A set by Caroline Myss called Archetypes and it is for personal growth purposes mainly. Fascinating. Based on archetypical Forms first mentioned by Plato but brought forward in the modern world by Carl Jung. I’ve begun working with them and you must be brutally honest about yourself to do the work. I have begun!!
Then I came back up…found Coconut Oil for one of my friends. And sandalwood oil which I didn’t buy as it was VERY expensive…will have to think about it. Moving further back up the hill, I stopped in a shop where I saw really nice stud earrings. I had looked at some in the shop with the rich ladies which were $40! Here they were 40 rupees!!! And nicer. I bought one pair and if they don’t bother my ears after a couple of days, will buy them in lots of colors. And while I was there, I looked at a mala necklace which has all the 9 sacred gemstones in it, and all the shops are asking 150 rupees. This guy asked only 100 rupees…did a test to prove to me they were real stones and not glass, and so I bought it also. Was very happy with myself and my purchases. Continued up to try and make an appointement for a facial, but no one was there. And then to my “grocery store” where I bought Yak cheese for dinner, found more of those lovely homemade chocolates which I should NOT be eating, as well as masala chai mix which I was looking for, AND Indian Taj Mahal tea to make chai with, and happily headed up to my room. Sat and worked on the cards for awhile longer until Ben came up to say hello and tell me about his day, and me him about mine, all the time listening to lovely music and sitting out on the roof terrace…(the weather has been perfect!)…he then went down for his dinner by Mamaji, I just had my crackers and cheese, and still listening to music, and then he will be coming up to watch one of the new movies with me.
Could there be a lovlier, more relaxing way to spend a day??
I am truly blessed….I have only 3 weeks left but am doing my best not to think about it. Just enjoying each day. One of these days soon I will go down and start bathing in the Ganga which has gotten a “little” warmer…still freezing cold mountain snow water, but maybe just up to my knees. I’ll see.
Namaste
Jane
Sunday, March 02, 2008
THE PEOPLE #1
The People
I just had the idea of keeping track of the different interesting people I meet. I should have been doing this from the start because I seem to be meeting an enormous vfariety of people from many places in the world, each with an interesting story to tell….So I will try to go back to remember all those I’ve met so far, and if some get left out, well, I guess they were not all that interesting in the first place.
The first person I met was a sweet girl from Australia, with that special Australian glow of health about her, and she was my neighbor the first few days when I was so ill, went down and ordered my food for me when I needed it, and even went out and bought some Tulsi for me when I realized I hadn’t brought any with me. She understood my need to be alone but never failed to ask if I needed anything. She was supposed to have come with a friend but in the end the friend couldn’t come, so she braved India by herself, had a great time, and here in Rishikesh met up with a friend of her friend’s, a young Indian guy, with motorbike, and had a lovely time traveling the mountains with him. And she celebrated her 35th birthday here. The young Indian asked her if she likes children, and she said yes…so he made her a surprise birthday party at a local orphanage where all the kids sang Happy Birthday to her and then were all treated to birthday cake. She said it was the best party she’s ever had!
Now, let’s see…Well, I “re-met” a lady I wrote about last year, a really funny
French lady who was doing panchakarma the same time as me and we used to compare notes, but she was SO graphic and it was really funny, with her French accent and limited English. One of her favorite expressions was “ooh-la-la”…Well, one of the first days I was out, I bumped into her and we had a nice chat…she is also here just to relax this year and I actually bumped into her two more times over the next couple of days., when she tried to convince me to come to Varanassi with her. In the end I declined. I didn’t feel like moving anywhere quite yet.
Then there was the sweet girl named Bea (short for Beatrice) from Hungary, who is here just being alone, taking courses, and relaxing after several months of running around India. She invited me to lectures with her at the Sivananda ashram, but they begin at 7 in the evenong and I’m not big on going out at night…so again declined. She is staying up on the Hill Top and very rarely seen.
Then my first group of Israelis one evening, who are staying over in Laxman Jhula and came up here looking for “all the Israelis” and were surprised and disappointed to find that there are none staying here. They had a big dinner, we spoke for awhile, and then they headed back to Laxman Jhula and were hard put to decide where to head to next. When I suggested that they relax here for a few days and just enjoy Rishikesh, they said th”there is noting to enjoy here…nothing to do…very boring town”.
And then the day I was up having a lovely kicheri at the jaipur Inn Restaurant, the day I mentioned there was a political convention, I met this really lovely coupoel from carmel California. They were so California! Named Lynn and Marc, blong, blue eyed, brown skinned and looking so well put together. Turns out they were staying at the Swiss as well and had just arrived that morning after a whirlwind trip around “all of India’. They were exhausted but enjoying themselves. He did most of the talking and we had many lovely discussions ranging from the upcoming elections in America, their views on Obama vs.Clinton (and nothing good to say about mcKane), to talking about the pros and cons of all different kinds of yoga (this one day when Marc came in panting to breakfast after having a session of “Nazi Yoga” as he called it!! They were here for about a week and we spoke a little each day…they had rented a bike so were out and about a real lot, and planning to end their trip in Udaipur….although Lynn actually was ready to either just stay here another week or head home…haven’t seen them since yesterday so I assume they’ve left.
A lovely young girl, probably late 20’s early 30’s with her husband, who basically kept to himself and her really cute 3 year old son. They had been in India for months and this was the very end of their sojourn. The little boy was so outgoing and relaxed (not surprising…his Mom was the same way…soft-spoken but friendly and open and completely at peace with mothering). He spoke English and French and when I asked how that was, she said they had spent 2 months in Goa and their was an American family there with a little girl his same age and he had learnt English from her! Kids are amazing. They left today to go back to Delhi and from there to Brussels to plan their move. Her husband teaches Tai Chi and after being in India, they realized, for the first time in their lives how dark and dreary Brussels is, and have decided to plan to move to New Mexico to get away from the weather and into a healthier life style. They have friends who live there and have been trying to convince them to move for the past 3 years…now they are doing it.
Family from America…Her name is Jean, her husband is Abe and her son named Noah. They are from the States…she says she was lucky enough to marry a “nice Jewish boy”…she is not Jewish. She was 38 when Noah was born and he is now 7…a child/adult who was as much apart of our discussions as his parents were…fascinating child. The father is a professor of Middle Eastern studies and they went to live in Peru where he was offered a professorship at the University there, so that Noah could have a diverse environment, learn a new language etc. They do home schooling and take it very seriously. They rented an apartment just down past Welcome Center which I will check out one day. It is a full complex, and they found a flat available, without kitchen which was OK for them as they enjoyed going from place to place to eat. They had 2 bedrooms, two full baths, and living room and terrace overlooking the Ganga, for only 10,000 rupees a month! I will definitely go down there to check it out as if I ever decide to come back here for any length of time, or even come with a friend, it would be wonderful living arrangement, but I would then want a kitchen as well.
Benjamin (met him the first nite I went down to eat at mamaji’s)…I have a brother named Benjamin so I told him I wouldn’t forget his name easily and he said he has a sister named Jane! He comes from all over the world-left family of 5 sisters and “bitch” of a mother…England (Harlow),malaysia, Australia, mexico, partner killed…he was married and divorced and then had his son taken from him at 25…worked in many jobs…also studied Shamanic healing while living in Mexico and we have been exchanging healing sessions…lovely person….dreams of setting up a healing center and growing trees from seed and reforesting some place somewhere in the world where he could get funding or backing or have some government agency or private person give him the piece of land to do this on…build his own house, grow his own vegetables etc…will be in India until July where he is slowly recuperating from the loss of Marie –Cruz, his partner in Mexico for 3 years, who was killed by a driver while she was riding on her bicycle just 4 months ago. Turns out he will be studying with Swami Dyananda at the same ashram where Akhilesh, my Reiki Master, lives…very small world.
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