Transformational Breathing May 27, 2009

Hello all,

 

After doing three workshops and a 1-1 session of Transformational Breathing (TB) with Andria here in Birmingham I feel that I have to share my experience with you.  As most of you are aware I am always searching for ways to increase my energy, heal myself and transform to be a fully conscious human being.  I truly believe that what Andria and her team are doing with ‘Transformational Breathing’ (TB) is a gateway to living happier and healthier.  ‘TB’ brings our breathing to its natural place, watching a baby breathe we can see that it is deep in the body – through the diaphragm.  As we move through our lives we collect emotions, events, thoughts, feelings and habits – good and bad.  These are the things that have made us who we are; they are also the things that have left physical and mental scars with us.  The body is like a map, manifesting in its tissues the sum of our actions.  I believe that ‘TB’ can help to unlock some of these manifestations (fear, anxiety etc) and enable us to start a fresh – breathe new life.

 

My first experience of TB was back in November 2008 at the mind, body and spirit festival in Birmingham.  It was an hour ‘taster’ workshop, we were all seated and instructed on how to breathe – and then the breathing commenced!!  I found myself in a wonderful space where my in-breath flowed into my out-breath forming a continuous moving circle in my mind.  When the session was gently brought to a close I found myself not wanting to leave that space of mindful breathing it was so powerful.

 

I then found Andria doing another taster workshop at the mind, body and spirit festival in Moseley.  I had a similar experience of connection to my breath, which inspired me to go to another one of Andria workshops this time at Birmingham Buddhist Centre.  This third breathing session was more involved, we were able to lye down, make sounds and even thrash our arms and legs to really get the energy moving.  Once again I felt a powerful movement of energy, this time in the form of released emotions, I made very deep mental realisations getting to the root of where and how the energy is blocked in my body. 

 

I went for a 1-1 session with Andria the following week.  Having a 1-1 session of Transformational Breathing gives full attention to the ‘breather’.  The breathing facilitator can locate various points on the body that can help the breather open up their breath to return to their natural deep diaphragmatic breath.  I felt that Andria was in tune with me during the breathing session, saying affirmations which were not only relevant but really helped me to start releasing emotional burdens that I had been holding onto. 

 

It may all sound quite dramatic, but as most of you know I have tried many things and I truly believe that breathing is the key to mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.  Breathing is our life force and if our breathing is restricted or ill functioning we become unwell, not just physically but spiritually.  I am so inspired by Transformational Breathing that I am telling as many people about it as possible.  If you have any questions you can ask me or contact Andria direct.  Below are Andria’s contact details and the dates of the next workshops in the Birmingham area.  You can also go to the Transformational Breathing website:  http://www.transformationalbreath.co.uk

  

Happy breathing!

 

Lucy

 

Local workshop dates

 

24th June, Birmingham
 7.30 – 9.30 pm. Introductory workshop. Centre Aum, Yardley Wood Rd, Moseley B13 0JE
Cost: £15
Details from Andria Falk on 0121 449 7705 or email: andriafalk@blueyonder.co.uk

 

11th and 12th July, Birmingham
‘Connect to your inner creativity’. An inspirational, powerful and fun workshop using Creative Writing and Transformational Breathing with Rachel Sambrooks and Andria Falk. Centre Aum, Yardley Wood Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 0JE. Places limited. Please book early to avoid disappointment.
Cost: £150

Details from Andria Falk on 0121 449 7705 or email: andriafalk@blueyonder.co.uk

 

30th September, Birmingham
7.30 – 9.30 pm. Introductory Workshop. Centre Aum, Yardley Wood Rd, Moseley B13 0JE
Details from Andria Falk on 0121 449 7705 or email: andriafalk@blueyonder.co.uk

Two articles March 11, 2009

Hi all,

 

Below are two old articles.  The first one was written for The Edge magazine in November 2008 and the second one went into the February edition of The Edge, it is different from the previous article I wrote about India.

 

Enjoy the read, please comment…….

Lu

x

 

India part two! March 11, 2009

You don’t choose to go to India, India chooses you! 

 

I had saved money to go away again for a month over winter and hadn’t decided where to go, I toyed with the idea of Thailand, Spain etc, but somehow I found myself booking a flight to Mumbai.  I have been to India before and explored its beautiful mountain ranges in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.  On this occasion India called me to go to its beautiful beaches and so I arrived in Mumbai on the 22^nd November 2008, it was 30 degrees centigrade and 3am in the morning!  Despite loosing my bag at Mumbai airport, missing my connecting flight and having a fifteen-hour wait for another flight I was filled with joy and excitement.  My first glimpse of Mumbai came with memories of the wonderful heart that Indian people encase within them.  During the situation of ‘the lost bag and missed flight’ I experienced the true nature of Indian people I had gotten to know the last time I was here.  They literally fought to help me in my situation, gave up seats for me and bought me chai.  Indian Chai is the best tasting beverage I have ever had the pleasure to consume, it is not like English tea, it is piping hot, sweet, spicy and milky.  My panic over the lost bag was soon forgotten in a mist of warm smiles and generous hearts. 

 

Having eventually got a connecting flight I arrived in Goa, I took a taxi to the small town of Junas Vadd, Mandrem where I was staying; it was a breath-taking two-hour journey.  Goa is about 400km South of Mumbai, the sun shines everyday, the beaches are lined with coconut groves making them picture perfect and the colours of the landscape look like a painting.  You know when you have arrived in India when your senses are woken up by overwhelming smells, sights and tastes.  Smells change from pace to pace and are so strong they either lure you in or make you walk much faster!  There is the delicate smell of spices, the wonderful aromas of food cooking, the strong smells of dyes used on fabric, the thick smell of cow dung and the choking of rubbish being burnt.  The second sense burst is ‘colourful India’ the eyes don’t know where to look, everything is so brightly coloured – saris, turbans, silk hangings in door ways, fabrics draped everywhere, buses, cars and rickshaws painted with bright colours and symbols, a total explosion to the vision.  And finally the tantalising taste bud experience, Indians are blessed with culinary expertise, the food is full flavoured, full coloured and full of natural ingredients.

 

After spending a few days in a family run guesthouse I learnt that the pace of life is slow, calm and relaxed.  The local village people displayed great love for one another as they compassionately worked together to support each other.  There is no rush in Mandrem, not like in the cities; here there is patience and quiet. 

The greeting of one person to another used all over India says it all “Namaste” literally meaning: I bow with respect to the divine within you, to whom my life is dedicated.  It puts “Hello” to shame!  My favourite of all Indian personality attributes however is the amazing ‘Indian head wiggle’ this quite frankly can mean just about anything!  It is a kind of a nodding, shaking and wiggling that neither looks like a yes or no.  When asking for anything “Is the beach that way?” you get the ‘head wiggle’, it does not really clarify anything, you are still left thinking, “was that a yes or a no?!!”  This wonderful art of body language is used to say hello, show respect, say goodbye, say yes, no, maybe, possibly, no way, absolutely, not in million years, definitely………..etc you get the message!

 

My reason for going to Goa on this occasion was to do a Meditation, Yoga, Pilates and Reiki retreat with ‘Himalayan Yoga Institute’.  I spent four hours in physical practice (Yoga, Pilates, Mandala dancing), two hours in meditation and two hours practicing Reiki each day for a month.  There are retreat centres all over India; I chose this one because I had practiced yoga with them in McLeod Ganj some years earlier.  I wanted to do an extended retreat because as a Pilates instructor it is important for me to keep up with my own practice.  I am passionate about bodywork and the mind to body connection, I am also a strong believer that we learn by doing and as Pattabhi Jois (founder of the Ashtanga Yoga Institute) says “99% practice – 1% theory”.  I put myself through intense practices involving ‘body work’ (Yoga, Pilates, Breathing exercises and Meditation) so I could experience first hand the transformations and benefits.  Using what I learn within my self I can teach my own students from the heart and not from the manual.  I also enjoy being the student in someone else’s class; being able to learn new techniques and styles, full absorption in participation allows me to heighten my senses and develop my practice.  I love my role as a Pilates instructor here in England because it gives me an opportunity to share my passion and experiences with other who are willing to learn and develop like myself. 

 

India for me is always an experience of the heart; a testing of the mind and an excitement to the senses, on this visit it was also an awakening.  During my month on retreat I had an overwhelming healing experience through using body movement.  I am now back in England and sharing what I have learnt with my students, spreading the big hearted, warm smile of India into our English wintertime. 

You are welcome to come and share the sunshine with me my students!

 

 

A Breath in Time March 11, 2009

If you are anything like me you probably spend most of your days chasing the ideal of a peaceful and calm lifestyle.  Dreaming blissfully of the state of perfect happiness.  But if you are anything like me you will probably have made the realisation a long time ago that life is not like this!  The bills need paying, the car needs petrol, the stomach needs feeding and everybody wants a piece of your time.  Sometimes life can feel like a wild animal has its claws in you and is dragging you through a hedge backwards. 

 

I have been thinking about time, how there isn’t enough of it, the days aren’t long enough, and there aren’t enough of them in a week and the month’s turn into years too fast.  I can fall into the habit of rushing around from one thing to the next in a frantic battle to complete tasks and stay afloat.

 

I have found a way to combat these rushed feelings and actions, for me it starts and ends with the breath.  Yes – BREATHING, breath is time, time is breath. 

 

It sounds simple, even silly to say “remember to breathe”, but here I have detailed just a few ways in which the breath helps me get more pleasure and appreciation from my day.

 

It only takes 5 minutes to start the day by taking a few deep breaths.  Concentrating on the gentle rise and fall of the abdomen and looking for softness in the muscles of the body.  I can formulate a very basic idea of what I wish to achieve with my day.  Just five minutes first thing in the morning to focus on you really helps put the day into perspective.

 

If I encounter difficulties within my day, weather with others or with work I take a few breaths before responding.  It perhaps takes 20 seconds to take two breaths but by this time I have already had time to assess the situation and respond in a less hasty manner.

 

Eating is a particularly important part of the day for me because I am teaching Pilates classes twice a day and Personal Training I need my energy.  I find however that I don’t gain any benefit from my food if I eat in a non-responsive way, If I eat my food fast or don’t think about my food as I am eating, it almost becomes a chore.  Before I decide what to eat I take a few deep breaths and ask myself “are you hungry?”  If the answer is yes I can ask “what do you want to eat?”  With this simple process I never eat when I am not hungry and always give the body what it needs, because I listen to my body.  It is also good practice to take at least a couple of breaths between each mouthful of food.  This helps slow down the eating so you never eat beyond you are full and it also helps me to enjoy my food more by thinking about the flavours and textures.

 

Then finally before going to bed I can take a few deep breaths, ask myself if I have achieved my objectives for the day and then calm my mind and body down ready for a restful sleep.

 

These ideas may sound ‘New age’ or even obvious but give it a try, breathing exercises to rejuvenate the body have been around since time began.  In the next couple of days pay special attention to your breath and see for yourself how breath is time, time is breath.  I am sure that by setting aside five minutes here and there each day to take a few deep breaths you will start to reap the benefits and feel that you have more time and space in your day.

 

If taking a time out for yourself to take a few deep breaths sounds like your cup of tea, maybe you would enjoy my Pilates classes.  I explain how to get the most from breathing (diaphragmatic and lateral) throughout the class and give basic meditation techniques at the end.  The classes are very gentle and focus on increasing core stability (stomach and pelvic floor muscles), strengthening the spine and postural alignment.  The exercises are flowing and help body co-ordination; with the use of breathing techniques we can look for softness in the body and encourage relaxation.  Pilates is an excellent practise to learn if you are looking to calm your mind and body, relieve tensions, aches, pains and old injuries.  Pilates will help you to understand your own body mechanics increasing your body awareness, therefore aiding prevention of further injuries in the future. 

 

Please feel free to come along and give the classes a try, the first class is half price £2.50, then it is £5 per class there after.  The classes are run on a ‘drop in’ basis, so there is no need to book yourself onto a course, you are free to come and go as you please on whichever days suit you best.

 

Hope to see you there – happy breathing!!

 

 

Earth, Water, Fire, Air or Space??? February 11, 2009

Hi,

I hope you all enjoyed the penumbral (partial) eclipse on Monday, I personally think it is what caused the crazy blizzard we had! 

 

On my post about ‘lunar eating’ I have explained that we are made up of the five elements.  A couple of you have asked how to find out which of the five elements is predominantly in you.  Well, I am no expert on this!!  I had a full Ayurvedic consultation in India and the doctor gave me all of the information I needed about myself!  I am in no way able to assess others!  There is lots of information on line about which ‘Dosha’ (body type – mixture of the elements) you may be but it is difficult to discern for yourself.  I was given the teaching the manual on Ayurveda to read before my consultation and I still guessed wrong which was my dosha.  One of my students however has given me this link to a spa in Cheltenham with a fully trained (in India) Ayurvedic practitioner, so maybe you could go for a consultation.  If has helped me so much, eating less fire food has really quietened my mind and improved my meditation practice by 100%.  The Ayurvedic treatments are also amazing, I had a hot herb massage and I also had the hot oils poured up my nose!  The site is:

http://www.chapelspa.co.uk/

 

Doctor Rohit (my practitioner in India) gave me these authors to read further about Ayurvedic medicine:

 

David Frawley (anything from the author)

Robert Svoboda (anything from the author)

Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing by Usha Lad and Vasant Lad

 

I haven’t actually read them yet, but they’re on my reading list!

 

I hope this information helps those of you that asked – see you soon,

Big Love

Lucy

 

 

 

Lunar Eating!! February 2, 2009

Lunar eating!

 

Being a nutrition and weight management specialist I find that many people ask me about my own eating habits.  I think they expect me to say something sensible, so when I respond that I eat in tune with the moon they are often bewildered.  I have tried to give quick explanations to my eating patterns and found them still looking confused, so for those of you that are interested I have decided to detail some of the ways I eat according to the cycle of the moon and how it works for me.  This is not a ‘you should try this’ or ‘a new diet phenomena’ this is just my opinion, it is not scientifically backed up and if you wish to try it that is your own choice.  We have to remember we are all different and what works for me may not work for you. 

 

All beings and foods are made up of the five elements: Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Space.  Each of us contains a mixture of the five elements; this is not usually in balance.  All foods fall into the categories of the five elements as well.  For example my body is mainly Air and Space therefore I need to balance my constitution using more Earth and Water foods.  So my diet is consists mainly of root vegetables and watery fruit – this makes my body happy!!  But say your constitution was mainly Earth and Water you would need to eat more Space and Air foods like bread and beans.  Incidentally if you tend to get a busy mind or struggle with anger and restlessness you could try cuting down on ‘fire’ foods as this can help.  Fire foods are onions, garlic, ginger, chilli and hot spices.  I find that cutting out these foods really helps with my meditation practice. 

 

So to the lunar timetable: after the new moon when the moon starts waxing the body becomes more and more absorbent right up until the full moon when the body holds in as much as it can.  Then, when the moon is on the wane the body starts to give out more and more until the new moon when the body reaches it’s maximum potential for detoxifying.  So, in the two weeks of the waxing moon the body is more likely to retain water, it may feel heavier and weigh more, foods will sit heavy in the stomach and the foods you are used to eating will fill you up quicker than normal.  On the two weeks of the waning moon you may feel more thirsty than normal and sweat more, you may need to eat more food than normal but the body may feel lighter, you may also weigh less.  So if you do have trouble with your weight you may wish to observe your eating patterns when the moon is waxing.

 

During the two weeks of the waxing moon I try to eat quite light, mainly eating soups, smoothies and lots of fruit and vegetables.  During the two weeks of the waning moon I will eat more solid foods like rice, lentils, bread and cereals.  This however may not be the same for you; it may be the other way round; more solids on the waxing moon and more fruit on the waning moon.  We have to learn to be in tune to the way our body responds to the moon.  On both full moon and new moon days I usually observe a ‘fruit only’ day.  Sometimes I will fast; this depends on how much physical exercise I have to do that day (I will usually only fast if new moon or full moon falls on a weekend when I have no classes because I need the energy when I am doing exercise!).  I find it important to observe these ‘fruit only’ days on full moon because the body is at its most absorbent and I wish to provide it with quality natural food and be sure that it is not receiving any ‘bad’ food.  Observing a ‘fruit only’ day on new moon is even more important for me because this is when the body is detoxifying, to get the maximum from this natural process I only give my body gentle food to digest, fruit also helps aid the natural detox. 

 

I think it is important to mention mental attitudes to food and cravings.  The body will tell you what it wants when it wants it we just have to listen.  If the body craves chocolates we obviously need something that is in the chocolate so we should have it.  If we think to ourselves ‘Cake is bad, I shouldn’t eat it, it makes me fat’ then it will have negatives affects on the body and it will make you fat – the mind is a powerful thing.  If we feel the need for cake we should think ‘I fancy cake, I will have it and enjoy it because I like cake’ without the guilt and bad feeling the cake will sit a lot better with the body.  It’s like the saying ‘I only have to look at a cake and I put on weight’ well of course you do because that’s what your telling body to do, it is only following your instruction!

 

The trick is to becoming more mindful with food and your response to it, there is no set way to ‘lunar eating’ only your personal observations will benefit you.  Practicing Pilates helps us become more aware of our body movements.  We can take awareness into all aspects of our life.  Before you eat just think about what it is that you want – listen to the body, it is speaking to you no one else.  Try not to eat past hunger and when you have finished eating listen to your body again and see if it is happy, is it too full?  Does it want more?  Does your head ache?  Does the stomach feel bloated?  With this new awareness you can build a repertoire of knowledge about what your body needs and when.  When we take responsibility for our own senses we begin to show ourselves love and compassion.  We eat love, thoughts, feelings and atmosphere.  When we start to attune ourselves to our own pattern we realise that we are showing ourselves care because we are making our body happy (weather eating cake or fruit).  Listening to the body in this way is more important than eating a rushed ready meal from the supermarket without giving the origin or process a second thought.

 

So, this is not a new fad diet and it doesn’t come endorsed or recommended by me, it is more about getting in tune with your own body and responding to what it tells you.  I personally find that it works for me and I find great pleasure in being in tune with the moon.  As a woman I find attuning myself to nature is imperative to my femininity and of great importance to my personal wellbeing.

 

Although I am not an authority on this strange subject if you do have any questions please ask.  Or post comments if you wish.

 

For the current moon phase click:

http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/phasenow.php

 

For a moon calendar visit:

http://www.astrocal.co.uk

 

For a great book on the moon and how it affects us including lunar gardening, lunar living, biorhythms, detoxifying much more read:

Moon Time – The art of harmony with nature and lunar cycles

By Johanna Paungger and Thomas Poppe

 

India January 11, 2009

I’ve just written this to go in a magazine, it’s kind of a condensed version of my experiences on my month retreat in India.

 

You don’t choose to go to India, India chooses you! 

 

I had saved money to go away again for a month over winter and hadn’t decided where to go, I toyed with the idea of Thailand, Spain etc, but somehow I found myself booking a flight to Mumbai.  I have been to India before and explored its beautiful mountain ranges in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.  On this occasion India called me to go to its beautiful beaches and so I arrived in Goa on the 22^nd November 2008, it was 30 degrees centigrade and 3am in the morning!

 

I had booked myself on a Meditation, Pilates, Yoga and Reiki retreat starting the following day at 7am in morning.  My journey getting to Goa had been a long travel; 37 hours in total, but when I arrived for Meditation a little sleepy at 7am on the 23^rd November my journey had only just begun.  I documented my experiences, so I have quoted some of my diary extracts.

 

My retreat timetable:  7-8am – Meditation, 8-10am – Yoga, 12-2pm – Reiki, 3-4 – Meditation, 4-6pm – Pilates or yoga or three hours Mandala dancing.

I had chosen this journey just for me, I wanted to focus on my practise, go deeper within myself, know myself better, and become a whole and complete person. 

 

“Here, in this place, I can achieve the kind of calm, peace and stillness I have been searching for my whole life.”

 

Of course there are retreat centres in England I could have gone to but in Indian it is not just your retreat timetable that teaches you.  India affects your whole timetable of life.  Here are some of the things outside of Meditation and practise that inspired me:

 

The Indian way of life and people

 

The greeting of one person to another says it all “Namaste” literally meaning: I bow with respect to the divine within you, to whom my life is dedicated.  It puts “Hello” to shame!

The pace of life is slow, calm and relaxed.  Indians have a great deal of patience and love they ooze understanding and care.  The D’Souza family who ran the guesthouse where I stayed looked after each other with real compassion.  I was incredibly grateful to them also when I became ill in my first week.  The family dispensed my medicine and told me to knock on their door in the night if I needed anything.  I’m not sure I would get this kind of ‘one of the family’ treatment if I were in an English hotel.

 

Lockies bar in Arambol

 

“Clearly a whole community of hippies landed in Arambol in 1969 and have never left.  All singing songs about enlightenment, meditation, love and opening your heart, I just love it!  Lovely energy, lovely people and lovely vibe.  It feels like a collective consciousness, all people in this little community are searching for inner peace and world peace!”

 

A quote from John, a Lockies regular who sang and played guitar;  “If you have a room full of darkness and you throw a bucket of that darkness out of the door, you will still have a dark room.  To make the room not dark, you have to fill it with light”.  That is what we need to be – the light in the rooms of darkness. 

 

Mandrem Beach

 

“Everything is so organic here, the whole town is taken down during the monsoon season and rebuilt ready for the six month ‘tourist’ season (November – April).  Most bars, restaurants, beach huts, sun beds/shelters etc are built from basic materials, wooden cross-hatching supported by palm trees, bamboo bridges etc.  I wake up and walk to the Yoga shala and a new hut has been built, so quick and so well done – incredible.” 

 

Going deeper

 

Days turned into nights and each day held a new surprise for me.  I had thought that I was quite aware, my energy flowing freely and my meditation practise good, but the further I delved I realised that there was much work to be done. 

 

Acknowledging pain

 

Realising that emotional events from the past, if not dealt with can manifest within the physical body as aches and pains.  Feeling a need to find the true source, the real reason for holding on to pain in my body.  My Reiki master said to me: ‘The past gives us a better present and the present gives us a better future’.  I go in search of the mysteries behind my aches and pains……..

 

The most important physical practise for me was dancing.  The act of being free within my body to express myself was better than heaven!  Through dancing for three hours a day I realised that the movements of the body say everything about our personality and characteristics. 

For example, the left side of the body relates to feminine attributes, the self, receiving (mainly of love) and has the characteristics of moon.  The right side of the body relates to male attributes, others (friends, family etc), giving (mainly of love) and has the characteristics of the sun.

Movements – trouble moving the body forwards can symbolise a difficulty in placing your thoughts and plans in the future, worry, anxiety and fear of the future and what it holds for you.  On the other hand, trouble moving the body backwards can symbolise difficulty in acknowledging the past, problems in the past that haven’t been dealt with etc.

 

My main focus became balancing my body through movement, making figure of eight shapes forward and back, left and right.  Moving both sides of my body equally, breathing evenly through both nostrils (with the help of special breathing techniques) and sleeping on my right side, which subdues the busy side of the brain and aids rest.  So you could say I danced my way to freedom within my body! 

 

“My body is wonderful, amazing, I love my body because it shelters my soul, it is my vehicle in this lifetime.”

 

Thoughts on training the body too hard;

 

“Rather a healthy pain-free body than torturing my body to make it beautiful.”

 

Breathing

 

Going deeper in meditation I realised how the way I breathe affects everything in my body, the tension and pain I have manifested over time is held in place by incorrect breathing.  I practise Pranayama (breathing exercises) and start to enjoy and love my breath. 

 

“Continuous flow and harmonious breathing = peaceful, clear mind.”

 

Like for like

 

“Our body has an energy field, our aura.  Our thoughts, feelings and emotions all stay within this energy field which is much bigger than we are.  Those thoughts and feelings in the aura will reach people before our physical body does, this attracts a like response.  If I carry positivity within my aura (positive thoughts and feelings), only like can return.”

 

I know now that my thoughts and feelings manifest, my past is what I am now, my present what I am tomorrow.  I am learning the power of positive affirmation because after all;

 

“My mind is calm and silent”  “Life is brilliant and I am happy”.

 

Practise makes perfect.

 

“A person who has read many books on flying can do a talk or write a book about flying, but put him in a plane and he can’t fly it!” 

I have read many books on Yoga, Pilates and Meditation but without standing on my mat or sitting on my meditation cushion my mind becomes busy and hectic and I loose the connection to my body – my freedom.

 

“If you desire something, you need to make an effort to achieve it”

 

Leaving

 

So I sit and watch the sliding door at the airport waiting for my connecting flight, it makes me aware of every second that I am getting further away from my special place – India.  I feel like I have left a part of myself behind, I feel heartbroken.  It wasn’t just the place it was the sum of everything that was my experience; the practise, the dance, the freedom, the sun, the sea, the bhajan (devotional songs), the music, but most all it was the people.  They popped up at this point in my life and rescued me, taught me, believed in me, supported me, trusted me, loved me, and directed me.  The people I met on my journey opened my heart.

 

“Mother India is a piece of heaven on Earth.”

 

“It is officially the end of this travel, but it is only the start of the rest of my journey.”

 

“Never forget how far I have already come on my life journey.”

 

“I must continue working towards being a fully conscious human being.”