Calmer

Namaste!

Each day is a challenge here, in more ways than one and as much as I want to get my next level...I'm glad I am only doing my 200 hours as I will definitely need a break for a little while.  My body is sore,  I'm exhausted and  sometimes I just want to scream.

The culture here is still something I am trying to wrap my brain around.  They are very passive here...if something doesn't get done they are like "oh well that's just the way it is, it will happen eventually." So when you are getting something fixed or need something done most of the time it won't be done when you ask, you may have to wait an extra day or two.  I get it, it's okay if things aren't done, and it is nothing to stress about ... and each day I'm working on not getting so uptight and being calmer about things but it is extremely frustrating sometimes.

Most teacher's don't seem to give much encouragement or care to .... they may make comments and call you out in class or make a comment about your injuries and honestly... 'it can be demoralizing.  I know this is my ego talking and that's what we are trying to stay away from but fuck....we are working our asses off.   We are pushing our bodies and minds every day.  Geez... I'm in the studio an hour and 15 minutes every morning before class starts and I go to yoga classes on our days off.  My body is being pushed to it's limit... I'm working on my flexibility, my strength as well as learning to work with (and hopefully heal as much as possible) the injuries - new and old - that I have acquired over my life...this includes my broken foot that doesn't seem to like to balance me very well.  Again, my ego talking but fuck... I have cried in three classes because of how I am pushing myself.

On my days off I enjoy myself instead of studying which probably isn't the greatest idea as I really needed to be studying but to be out and doing something besides yoga is a nice break.  Don't get me wrong...I love the course but it can take a toll mentally and physically...however my body does not like me taking a day off so I need to stretch or go to an (asana) class so it doesn't yell at me the next day.

Wednesday we have a half day off so our second Wednesday they took us to a temple on the mountain to watch the sunrise.  We left at 4am and took a bus up the windy mountain road.  It wasn't as bad as the road going up to Machu Picchu  but there were a few times my heart stopped...then I would feel Julie's hand on my lap and her say "it's fine, we are not gonna die." Can you guarantee this?!?

I of course sat in the window seat and watched the scenery go by.  Road workers live at the site.  They have shanti's that are literally tents covered with tarpaulin on the road.  You see them sitting around a fire heating up breakfast and getting warm.  The roads are narrow but the driver drove slow, he even had to back up at one point to let another vehicle pass ... I almost suggested I walk from there.  This is it, this is where it ends. But it didn't - obviously - or you wouldn't be reading this right now.

I have seen a lot of sunsets around the world but this was enchanting.  We climbed the wall on the outskirts of the temple and sat at the edge and watching as the sun rose over the foothills of the Himilayas.  It kissed the horizon and then it lit up the hills, the houses in the villages and the windy streets below. As soon as we saw a bit of light behind the foothills everyone fells silent and held their breath.  The 3:30 wake-up time and the near-heart attack drive was well worth the beauty that mother nature blesses us with.  I'm hoping to experience it again while I am here.

That same night they took us to a ceremony on The Ganges.  It was a lot of chanting and lot's of people.  Julie and I wandered around and then met some guys who seemed quite interested in hanging out with us.  "Do you want to go to the Mushroom Cafe?" one asked us.  We looked at each other "umm, we are here studying and we have a curfew."  They laughed at us.  "It's not that type of cafe, that's just the name."  We got their contact info to meet them on Sunday but it didn't happen.

Sunday we have a full day off so I got up early and went to a Hatha Yoga class at 8 am... everyone else of course was sleeping but I wanted to see what a class was like and I wanted to keep working on my strength.  It was just me and another guy in the class.  We ended up going for breakfast after class and just talking about yoga and travel.  We made plans for Wednesday (which we have a half day off) to go to The Beatles Ashram.

I dressed for the occasion.

I am so glad we went.  We had so much fun and the place is huge.  I thought it was just one building but it's acres and acres of land ...when ever we got to one spot we saw more buildings...and one of the greatest things is that you get to go through the buildings, walk through the halls, walk up the staircases, look out the windows...it's really amazing.   I would love to go back in tie and walk through it when it was in it's prime because it was probably incredible. Even though most of the place still stands there is not one thing that shows there were ever people there...there is not one piece of furniture, cup, blanket or anything to show that there was ever life - other than all the graffiti art.

We spent hours there taking pictures, enjoying the view and climbing staircases, going into rooms, going on the roofs and anywhere else we could get to. Walking through their (The Beatles) bungalow was pretty cool...to be where they once walked and played music was awesome.

I believe the whole White Album was written there and a few of their other songs as well - look at the top of the door frame in the photo.  There are also a few other musicians who spent time there (with the Beatles) who wrote a song or two as well.  It is really interesting to learn about the background to their songs and where their inspiration came from.  If you want to read about it please click here this will take you to the Wikipedia page.

The whole place is falling apart but just like the rest of the dereliction in India it's beautiful with such a great vibe and energy running through it.  I would highly recommend it to anyone planning to come to Rishikesh and so glad I spent my time off here.

My days are filled with classes.  I've been working hard and it is paying off.  We are now coming to the end of our course and I am physically able to do things I couldn't do four weeks ago.  My alignment teacher has helped  me work with my injuries and strengthen other area's. It's amazing and I feel great.  My body is achy but I am really happy with my progress and as much as I am looking forward to being finished I am sad at the same time.  You go through a lot with the people you are here with.  Tears, physical and mental struggles, study sessions, lesson preparation and being a support group for each other.  It's become my home ... yes lol even though it wasn't what I expected I have become quite comfortable...especially since my roommate left (she had to go back to work)  I have taken over my room and taken advantage of having my own space.  I am actually in my "loner" mode right now.  I have kind of separated myself but only because I am feeling quiet and getting focused.

I have become close with one of the girls (Julie) - for those of you that follow my SnapChat she is the one that is usually in my stories.  We have a tendency to be in our own world on our days off.  We have met a few people outside of the school on our outings.  Trent from Australia, Joe from the states who has helped us with Philosophy,  Will from my Hatha Yoga class and Surya who is here studying Yoga Philosophy so he has helped us as well.  We met him on Sunday.  One of the teachers I met in Delhi was here so we met up and he was with them .  There were 5 Canadians in total and Julie who is from Norway.  There are so many Canadians here it's amazing lol...not that I am complaining...they are all so polite :).

Sunday when we met Justine (my friend I met in Delhi), one of the guys with her and her friends joined me and Julie to wander the streets and then to get our tattoos...yup I got my fingers done and we have another appointment for this coming Saturday.

After we went to a cafe we went to another one for dinner and met up with Justine and the others which is where we met Surya.  It's been nice meeting people outside of the school, it's refreshing and just a change.

Now I sit at the Tree House Cafe.   A cafe built up around a tree.  The floor shakes when you walk on it but it's bright and sunny.  Everything is bamboo with open walls, cushions around the tables and a chill vibe.  It's my "me day." I am going to have a nice lunch and do some studying as our final exam is on Friday.  I already had my practical on Sunday ( I taught a class.)  I believe Julie is meeting up with me (of course) lol she took some time to go take some pictures.

Well, I know this wasn't over the top exciting but there are many adventures coming I promise and for those of you who don't already... please click my follow button for SnapChat as I snap mostly every day and take my viewers to places such as The Beatles Ashram.

I am feeling calmer and more relaxed though I really do miss Mexico but know this is where I am supposed to be in my life right now and I am okay with this... I need to be here right now.   I am still working on some things but everything takes time - like the confusion I have here and being in a place where others don't respect your personal time and space.  Learning to breath and accepting it.  It's challenging and I am getting better not going off like a fire cracker but  I know I will get there.  I physically (other than being sore) feel great and mentally I am beginning to feel more balanced...the real challenge will be how I feel once I leave and apply what I have learned to my every day life.

Till next time.

                                                                   - My Beautiful Life -

A Way of Life

Namaste,

I think it's starting to kick in that I am in India...maybe not fully but it is definitely kicking in.  When I sit in the studio listening to my amazing teachers talk I look out the windows at the beautiful landscape and think... WOW!  Do you realize where you are?  How long you planned this and looked at this place and the pictures on the internet.  Can you believe you're actually got here?  I'm a little mind blown about the situation.

It took almost 9 hours for me to get here.  The bus was on time but it fell behind in travel time due to bad roads and traffic - which to me,  if they know this because it's always chaotic, they should tell you 7 hours instead of 6.  However I quite enjoyed the journey...I actually really like bus rides.  I pop in my music and look out the window and watch the scenery whiz by me and just take the time  to think and not really talk to others...even if I am with someone; which I was - I was with one of the workers from the hostel (thank goodness) so it made my life easier and not as stressful.  I was already a bit stressed about being late and then getting myself to the ashram.  Badu had been in contact with the ashram and told me not to worry he had made sure they were coming to get me at a meeting point.   I watched the organized chaos rush by me for the whole 7 hour journey,  I watched as men worked in run down garages, children play on dirty pavement.  I saw long, run down concrete buildings with 5 doors along the front...some of them opening into what looked like a concrete room and a bed. More cows, tuk tuks, traffic and so much more ...it's hard to explain.  I tried to wrap my brain around everything but even after 7 hours of watching all of this and taking it all in I still can't make sense of any of it.   The horn of the bus was another thing...I smiled every time the driver used it and in India, they don't use their blinkers, the lines on the roads and they don't have many traffic lights so they just constantly use their horns which just becomes background noise after awhile but the buses horn was something else.  Have you ever heard the horn on a clown car?  That's the best way I can explain it lol...it totally added to the senseless organized chaos surrounding us.

We arrived at the bus terminal just after 8 and we took a tuk tuk to...well I honestly don't know where but Badu knew where we were going.  The traffic seems just as bad or possibly even worse.  For those of you that don't know what a tuk tuk is its a three wheeler with a small cabin on it ...they are motorized but don't go as fast as cars and wouldn't say they are the safest form of transportation.

I was so glad Badu was with me.  I was a bit stressed when we were waiting at the side of the road by a bridge.  People coming up to us and staring at me, I was still just getting my feet wet here and as mentioned earlier wasn't sure how to take everything yet.  The ashram kept calling saying they were sending someone which made me extremely happy, until I saw was my mode of transportation was.  A fucking two wheeler...better known as a motorbike! Are you kidding me?!? I don't want to die before I even arrive to the ashram. Me, my 80 litre backpack, my computer backpack and my purse got as comfortable as we could on the bike and we were off (after I thank Badu of course). We weaved in and out of traffic and people, we zoomed around corners, up a hill, past cows and dogs over broken road...IT WAS FUCKING FUN AS HELL!!! I actually felt more safe on the bike than I did with any other transportation.

It was strange when I walked in.  I was told to sit on the couch by someone who was clearly a teacher of the ahsram - and has become one of my favourites.  "Sit here and relax." Was all he said.  "Drink some water." They brought me a stainless steel cup filled with water.  "Just relax." He repeated.  " I am totally relaxed." was my response but I clearly wasn't.  He had an odd, calm smile on his face and he just kept staring at me.  "He asked if I was hungry."  "Very."  He took me to a big outside area that was covered with a corrugated roof surround by netting (against bugs) and told me to sit (pretty much in the dark) while he prepared me tea, an apple and toast with jam - the jam here is awesome!

The ashram is in an old hotel and it hasn't been updated so it's much different than what it looks like in the nicely filtered pictures on their website.  The room was much smaller and not as bright as it looked online, and the doors have these huge bolts on them which stick if you don't pull strong enough and they make a huge squeaking noise when you are locking and unlocking.  It is so loud I can actually here when the girls on either side of my room are leaving or coming back.   I wouldn't say it's run down, in fact in the past 11 days it's actually become home to me and I love getting into my bed at the end of the night and snuggling in or just talking with my roommate...who is awesome.  She is Indian so she goes over things from philosophy class that I may not have understood and explains Indian history and understands Sanskrit which we are learning...it's not easy.

After two days of being here it already felt like we had been here a few weeks.  We all bonded so well and we had already taken in so much information it felt like I had been in class for 11 days not 2.

The course is great...it's intense, there is a lot of information and the Sanskrit is challenging but I am learning so much.  We have a 13 hour day.  Our first class starts at 6:15am,  Hatha Yoga - which is what I am very keen on and one of the main reasons I chose this school - which is getting much more intense and giving us a challenging work out first thing in the morning.  Our Ashtanga Vinyasa class is very challenging and is pushing me physically.  Our alignment class is also challenging...doing a pose properly is extremely challenging and makes them that much more effective but definitely not as relaxing as I thought many of them were until now.  This class is working me hard and so is the teacher.  He is fantastic, inspiring, smart, brilliant, worldly and caring.  When he talks we surround him and look at him like he is Santa Claus lol we all like him so much.  He was adjusting/aligning me today and tears all of a sudden filled my eyes.   These weren't tears out of pain, or frustration but just from working my ass off, learning what I'm learning, realizing where I am, pushing myself, improving myself mentally and physically and really just the true love I feel for being able to train with such an incredible person.  I have the biggest smile on my face when I see him or when I am in his class.  He also gives us the chance to work in groups and correct, align and teach each other which is fantastic and made me realize that I could do this.  I wasn't sure I would want to teach yoga, I was taking it to have a deeper meaning in it and have a better personal practice but I have realized that I really enjoy teaching others and that I am good at it too.  My friend told me that she thinks I am going to be a really good teacher and that she is learning from me.

Everyone in my class is great and we all bonded very quickly though I have really bonded with Julie (from Norway) we pretty much stick together for everything which includes shopping, eating, sitting next to each other in theory classes, studying sessions at the cafe - there is an awesome cafe on a rooftop the next street over in yoga village (which is where we live) and it's made out of bamboo - and early morning practices.  Well, we have tried early morning practices but the first morning I was late and today Julie slept in so I practiced by myself at 5:30am...back strengthening.  Early yes but we really don't have a lot of time to practice so early morning is the best time.

Sunday which was our day off her, Me and Ellen (a Canadian) walked around all day shopping - I did most of the shopping, wandering the streets and having a fabulously delicious lunch at the Beetles Cafe...yes the band...they came to Rishikesh back in the day and stayed at an ashram so this cafe is in honour of that.  It has an amazing view over looking The Ganga...not The Gangee, The Ganga. It's
literally a 5 minute walk from the ashram.  It's pretty awesome here!  Small little streets filled with shops and cafe's...you can literally buy everything here, clothes...amazing clothes, jewelry, food, vitamins, yogic instruments, bags, rugs, pillows, yoga mats and props...it is endless and cheap...it's easy for me to spend...but I have become really good at bartering.  I bought this bag/purse - no I didn't need another one but it said my name when I saw it so I figured it wanted to come live with me - it was originally 2,500 rupees so about $45.  I talked him down to 800 rupees so around $18.  It had a flaw so he had knocked it down to 1,500 rupees but when he opened it the lining was ripped badly, he dropped it down to 100 but I said no way less so he did and I bought and love it very much.

Day by day it's sinking in more and more that I am here.  The more information I get, the deeper my friendships become and the more sore by body becomes sore I am realizing where I am how far I have traveled and the changes I have gone through and am still going through being here.

Physically even though I am sore as hell and can barely move my arms, my back is feeling straighter and more opened in the shoulders, I am feeling healthy and clean...I have actually become a vegetarian as they put us on an ayurvedic diet.  Meet is banned here and so is alcohol so even when we are finished the course and stay we don't have access to these things and to be honest I'm a little afraid to get sick from eating meat and I really don't miss it as the food here is so good and filling.  Plus, the cows are really nice.  Remember I said there are random cows in India, well here they are everywhere they even cause traffic jams on the bridges here.  They are just as friendly and loving as dogs, we make friends with them...well, Julie does,  I tell her she is an animal whisperer. She pets every animal she sees and then they follow her, and me, I get to watch the bonding and then accidentally step in a big pile of cow poop!

There are also monkeys.  They come around the ashram.  They are on our balconies, they run across the roof of the studio and they even come into the studio.  We had one come in during mantra class and our teacher said "they try to get their certificate each month but it's no use."  The other day in alignment class one put both his hands up against the glass and looked in the window, when our teacher told him to go away the monkey pulled back, looked at him and then frowned....lol they are funny but from a distance.

If I have learned anything, its not just the physical classes and mental effect of yoga, it is actually a lifestyle, there is so much more to it than that.  We can heal ourselves, with alignment, adjustment, meditation, and eating techniques...just because you don't have time to go to a class it doesn't mean you don't have time for yoga because it's so much more than that and unfortunately Western Yoga is different than Yoga here but I am hoping to spread some of my knowledge and experience elsewhere. For now though, I am going to sleep, I am extremely sore and tired and tomorrow we are leaving here at 4am to go to a temple on the mountain for sunrise.  Until next time everyone.  Shanti (peace).

                                                        - My Beautiful Life -

A Beautiful Senseless Dereliction in an Organized Chaos!

India!!! What can I say!  I still can't believe I am here!  It's been a week and I don't think it has kicked in yet that I am here.  It has been my dream to come here for as long as I can remember, and I am here but I hesitated about coming here.

During my time in Mexico I couldn't even think about India...I was so stressed out about coming here.  I didn't know what to expect. I pictured heaps of people and craziness happening when I got off the airplane and just being hassled and getting overwhelmed.  I truly thought that India was too big for me...even with all of my years traveling...I knew that India was something in itself...and I was right but wrong at the same time.

Getting There
I was in transit for 42 hours!  A 4 hour flight from Cabo to L.A with a layover which was long and not bad but there was an issue with my bag because I was supposed to take it to the "transfer belt" to get it on to the next flight and they shut it down just before 7pm so there were all these people in transit that had to re-check their bags.  Then I had to walk with all my stuff to the next terminal not really knowing where I was going...ughh ... ahh well, the joys of traveling. Then I had a 15 hour flight to Guangzho (China) with an awful layover.  They were very rude and aggressive; not the best thing at 5am after a 15 hour flight.  Then a 7 hour flight (I think) to Delhi.

I was tired and just wanted to get to my hostel.  The airport was what had been stressing me out before I left for India...I had stressed myself out thinking how overwhelmed everything would be.  However, the hostel I had booked into had offered an airport pick-up! So after an hour of customs and baggage claim - I was getting nervous because it took 40 minutes for my bag to come out.  My heart literally lifted when I saw it come out...LOL losing it would not be fun.

I'm so glad I got a driver to pick me up...it made my life soo much easier and I was barely stressed.

To be honest ... it wasn't anything I expecting!  Other than the wild traffic and random cows it was nothing like I pictured.  It was a little disappointing. I don't know what I was picturing but this wasn't really it.

Feeling at Home
I met someone literally the minute I arrived at the hostel.  It was a great place and an easy place to meet people ...probably one of the best hostels.  It's nothing like the hostels in Mexico...cheap resort...this was average looking dorm rooms, a rooftop patio with chairs around a table, a grassed area where people sat and patio lanterns.  Writing on the walls and a small social area in the main area.  It was honestly a breath of fresh air.  Don't get me wrong I love hostels in Mexico but this one was how I think hostels should be.  The people I met were awesome.  They are so different on this side of the world, they travel differently, they have a different air about them.  Some took out guitars and started singing, very hippie and there were so many TEFL teachers!!! I couldn't believe it!!! I felt right at home!  The guys I hung out with were all TEFL teachers...I have never met so many in one spot...however many TEFL teachers are on this side of the world because not only is it great over hear but it's cheap to live in Asia.  It was great to talk about work and work experiences and expand my network!!!  I felt right at home and knew very quickly coming to India was the right decision.

Angels - Little Women with Wings
Even though I was jet lagged like crazy I decided that leaving for the Taj Mahal at 5am the next morning with the guys after beers all night was a smart ideal.  Front desk did have to wake me up but I made it ( a half our late.)

There were 8 of us so the guys and I grabbed one cab and the others grabbed one for them.  Our first stop was a chaiwalla (I think that's the spelling).  This is the best place in the world, but first let me explain.

Here in India Chai (masala) is tea with spices and hot milk, and tea is black tea with a tea bag. Chai does mean tea but you need to specify because if you ask for a chai tea you are being redundant.  You are literally asking for tea tea.  Back home chai tea is more of a flavour where as here it's a whole process in how they make it.

Chaiwalla is basically a small little .... hut, I guess you could say...where they make and sell chai for like 20 cents.  This one was on the side of the road.

I took a sip of Jose's and it was like the sky opened and rays of sunshine started pouring into my life.  It was to die for!!! I looked over at the little woman selling it and I swear big huge angel wings started sprouting from her back because what she was serving us was juice from the angels.  This has literally become one of my favourite things  in India... I call it my angel drink!  We even learned how to make it today in our cooking class at the ashram.  Seriously ... this stuff makes me so happy!

The Driving
I want to explain something to you.  It makes no sense here.  I have tried to make sense of things but I literally can not wrap my brain around  how it works here.  Three lanes of traffic can become six, they don't use the lines, pay attention to speed limits or use flashers.  They honk to show they are coming or if someone is getting to close.  People walk along the highway, even children coming home from school.  There are cows crossing the street and tuk tuks on the highway. Cars have scratches and dents,  there are families of 4 on their motorbikes with only the driver wearing a helmet.  The women sit side-saddle on the back of bikes and the kids barely hold on to the adults while they are weaving in and out of traffic.  You drive through areas covered in garbage and doors of run down buildings that are front doors to I think one room houses.  Men and children are outside doing ... I'm not sure...while you barely see any women.  However, everything runs smoothly without a question,  it's an organized chaos that holds the oddest most senseless dereliction as no matter what the area looked like everyone was clean, nicely dressed with smartphones in their hands.  It seriously makes no sense to me.  When we got into Agra there was every type of transportation on road you could think of.  Taxi's, trucks, tuk tuks, horse and carriage, bicycles...I can't wrap my brain around it...it's so confusing and fascinating at the same time!!!

The Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal.  I know you're probably waiting for something big here.  It was beautiful, I can't lie about that, it's definitely a beautiful sight and I am very happy I went but... it was very underwhelming.  There was nothing WOW about it.  I said wow because I was there...it was super cool that I was there but honestly I was disappointed.  I think it's because I had high hopes and had bigged it up in my head.  Having expectations can really create disappointment and unfortunately the Taj Mahal was one of them.
I did enjoy sitting outside of it with the crowd and just hanging out in the sun for a bit and taking it all in.  It still hadn't kicked in that I was in India and I was still lack of sleep.
There was a family sitting close to us and the mother looked at my tattoos and said something to her husband so he looked over.  Then their little girl started waving at us...she was super cute.  When we got up and walked away she started crying and following us...the grandmother was smiling at us and the little one was just looking at us with tears...the parents looked confused lol.

Our Driver
When we got dropped off, our driver told us we had 2 hours.  So we had honestly felt that we had been ripped off as we felt rushed and didn't see the other things on the grounds.  When we got back to the car we headed straight back the hostel as he had even refused to take us to the view point.
The guy was an idiot.  First off, on our way back, he wasn't paying attention and he hit a man and a woman on a bike (thank goodness it wasn't the highway).  When we did get to the highway however he was doing 150KM an hour, he was passing everyone.  When we went over a pothole it sounded like we hit something  we were driving so fast.  The guys were even freaked out and asked him to slow down.  I even had to ask him to get off his phone and drive properly.  Then, when we got off the highway he was driving like an asshole in the crazy Delhi traffic.  It's crazy enough as it is and he almost hit 3 other cars.
Later that night we found out the other group toured around and saw other places.  The didn't get back till 8pm ...we got back at 3pm.  I spoke to the hostel about it.  They were quite upset. Apparently, we were supposed to have the cab for the day.  If we wanted to go somewhere he was supposed to take us and limiting us to 2 hours at Taj Mahal was not supposed to happen, we could've spent 4 hours there if we wanted.  When they called the cab driver he lied and said "when they got in the cab they just wanted to go back to the hostel."  "No" I told them "he refused to take us where we wanted when we asked him and he only gave us two hours...we were pissed off.  He wouldn't take us anywhere so where were we supposed to go.  Plus he hit someone and drove 150KM."  He got fired.

Old Delhi
After our day trip to the Taj Mahal the guys wanted to go to Old Delhi the next day.  "We want to see your face on the tuk tuk going through traffic!"  I had sat in the front seat in the cab to the Taj Mahal.  I was white knuckled and grabbing at things to hold on to and gave a play by play as my life flashed before my eyes so they wanted to see me stress in a tuk tuk...but we took the metro instead.

"Emmie,  I want you to be the first to walk out of the station.  I want to see the look on your face when you see the city for your first time." Jose said to me.  I looked at all of them. "Why, am I going to freak out or something?"  "Just go first."

I walked up the stairs out of the metro station. The first thing I saw was a homeless guy on the upper part of the stairs missing an arm...a sight I was prepared for as I had been told this is something I would see in India.

I kept walking and focused on the street that was beginning to come into view.  I got to the top of the stairs and stood still in amazement.  It was everything and more I had imagined India to be!  It had crazy traffic like everywhere was but maybe more.  Small alley ways had motorbikes driving through them and honking almost running people over.  There was delicious street food, stores that I can't explain what they were, people walking, driving, sitting, smoking and staring...I'm so glad I was covered...the stares I got were very different to what I am used to and I am so glad I was with a group of guys.

I wish there were words to describe Old Delhi...It was a complete sensory overload and I actually teared up a little bit.  I was so emotionally overwhelmed with everything. So many sounds to listen to while trying to weave our way in and out of the streets and traffic, trying not to get run over everything enveloped by smells.  One underlying smell with a layer of food, pollution and human, goat and cow excrement. It was dirty and dingy with broken down buildings covered in a black lining of dirt that seemed to be permanent yet the colour of clean tasty street food popped out at you.  It had a darkness to it yet it was colourful and bright.  It had character to it a lot of it coming from the years of power lines that lined every street.  90% of them do not work, but whenever they need new ones they just put them up not taking the old ones down...I guess they don't know which ones are the good ones anymore.  The only words I have to describe it is "a beautiful senseless dereliction  in and organized chaos"...and I seriously thought it was beautiful.  I know there are so many things I am forgetting to tell you but it was honestly so much to take in...so much so that after about two hours it was time to go.  I was exhausted from all my senses and emotions being aware and the pollution was getting to me.

Adjusting
There are some things I am trying to adjust to...and it's not just the organized chaos.  It's having to be in a separate line from the guys where ever I go, the staring here is weird and can be creepy, how everyone has a smartphone even in less fortunate places and the food.  Everything is spicy but so tasty...yup I'm eating spicy food...I actually don't have much of a choice because the food at the ashram is all spicy and I am adjusting to it quite well and I have definitely adjust to life here in Rishikesh.

I have only been here a week and I am so in love with India even though it hasn't hit me that I am here yet.  Even though I am at the ashram now I still don't think it has all kicked in.

I know you are waiting to hear how my yoga training is going but I am going to leave that for the next blog.  It's India, you have to get your feet wet first,  I don't want you to get to overwhelmed.

                                                      - My Beautiful Life -