Still to lazy to write..

But not too lazy to post a video.

Oh so Lazy

I am sure that something worth telling has happened, but the last week has been a bit rainy and hazy and so have I! But enjoy a few pics of a wedding and our class with Mark.

Beauty 2

Here she is. A little (lot) more subtle than the last one. Kind of makes me sad. I enjoyed my flashy period. Well, we all have to go through our phases.
Anyone have a name for her?

Three posts in one day! Can you believe??
Who is reading this thing anyway?

Vedic wedding California style.

Attending a wedding at the main ghat in Varanasi perched over the Ganges in the company of Aghori Babas, Naga Babas, esteemed pandits, cultural creatives (from California) and various other characters certainly made for an exciting evening!

The groom attempted to ride to the wedding on an elephant, only to be foiled by the local police ( I think the wedding party did not fully understand the concept of a “fat bribe.” This is India after all and UP no less!). Other than that minor glitch the wedding went off beautifully! Everyone had such light, lively energy and the couple was very happy and very regal. The pandits performing the ceremony elevated the whole space with the power of mantra, such a strong solid energy evoked! It was easy to get lost in the rhythm of the chanting and to feel why the Vedic wedding ceremony is such a powerful binding ritual.

While I did not take many snaps, here is a little video just to give you an idea of the crowd and the energy. Also, I had to have a photo of me and Baba dressed up in our “drama” (as he likes to say). Cute couple huh? JOKING!!!

Yoga!

For the last week I have had the privilege of teaching some wonderful folks yoga! First there was Natasha and Erika from Canada and then Matt and Cheryl from Holland (via Australia and Ireland). Natasha and Erika joined me for an early morning, very cold yoga session watching the sunrise over the Ganges and Matt and Cheryl worked with me for a few days on another rooftop at a warmer time of day! All four of these lovely people were wonderful to work with, such good energy and openness to the wild reality that they encounter here in Varanasi. It is a wonderful place to explore your practice of yoga. Daily experiences really push your buttons and force your reality to expand so it is very powerful to step into a yoga practice and re-center with a fresh perspective.

While working with Matt and Cheryl, the "real yogis" from the Ashram next door, stopped their daily work to just stand and watch us! It was pretty amusing! I'll have to post a picture of these guys. (long matted hair, yellow dhotis and elaborate Vaishnavaite tikas on their head (i.e. lines of sandal paste and sindur)

Sun is back!

After a week of rain and fog, the sun has finally come back out! It is much more enjoyable to ride around on streets that are not covered in a nutella like spread (especially when you know it is mostly cow and bufalo poop). Icky!

Life is rolling along as usually, studying, running around and cleaning. I am constantly amazed how long it takes to keep my house up. Today I spent most of the morning bucket washing sheets and then sweeping and wet-ragging my floor. If you do not do that daily a thick film of dust will coat the whole place. Ugh! After all my cleaning endeavors, my hands and feet felt like ice cubes but the house feels really homey and happy. Nothing like a clean space to make you feel good!

Tonight is a big wedding down on the main ghat of the city. Should be a spectacle. The couple to be married is from California (of course!) and the groom will be riding in on an elephant. My friends from the ashram are arranging and overseeing everything, so I better be there. Baba (the one from the previous pictures) is going to dress up in full mala and wants me to walk around with him (in full sari of course!). Looking forward to a drama filled evening. Hope I do not freeze.

Oh yes, I have been told that I have some sort of Saturnal astrological affliction. Sounds bad. I believe it after my week of item stealing chaos.

Up above, are a few random shots from the ghats.
xo

The not so daily update!

I guess Ravyn is right, these are really not daily updates. I can dream right?

The last few days have been really cold and rainy. It is beautiful if dreary. All the plants have lost their dust coating and are shining a green that has not been seen since monsoon season ended. Must be nice for them to breath again.

After a few weeks of total overload, I have found a more enjoyable rhythm to life and am able to pay a little more attention to my practice. It is amazing what a difference it has made to my feelings of sanity and finding center. Honestly, I might not have been practicing as much except I actually have student after student popping in. There is nothing like having to teach to keep you motivated to do your own practice. Anytime I sit to meditate, I always ask why I do not do it more often. It feels so good! Om.... please do...

Below is a random video of a little bike ride from Guruji's house. Enjoy and do not get motion sick.