diet

My meditation is interrupted yet again by a loud pounding on the door. It's the maid who's been instructed to prepare breakfast for me and here she is now, at noon, with freshly made paratha and delicious potatoes. The constant interruptions with cheerfully given cups of chai and needs for things stored in the room are now starting to wear on my practice. Plus there's the practice requirement issues - no pranayam or meditation without first bathing, no yoga until 2 hours after eating. Ideally I'd wake up and do yoga, bathe and meditate. But almost no day actually goes like that.

Oh my goodness. I sat down to write about diet and I find myself complaining. After writing only yesterday about things not disturbing me as they used to. Well, a moment of gratitude that at least I can see this. The real yogic path is a brilliant and scientific method to bring every aspect of one's self closer to God. But what does that really mean? It's an assiduous purification of human nature. Acceptance yes and acceptance no. And here a caveat. The main thing I've learned in India is that I had not one iota of understanding of what yoga really is. Please bear with me as I put together my fledging observations about a profound system that I know less than .00000001% about and yet, even that is filling me with awe and gratitude. Because knowledge is not necessary for experience and the experience is alive for me here in the home of Lord Shiva. How I came directly to this holy place, Haridwar, that I'd never even heard of, still amazes me. Last night Kaushal suddenly stopped his motorbike in the middle of a bridge over the Ganga and we stood at the railing. He pointed out Chanda Devi Temple on a hill to the East and Mansa Devi Temple, at the same height on another hill to the North, with the Ganga flowing between, where we stood. He asked me just to feel the place. Haridwar, Gateway to the Gods, where the Ganga comes down from the Himalayas.

As we get back on the motorbike, I see another person, a young man alone, who's also just stopped his motorbike right on the road and is sitting there, feeling the place. There's energy here. The temples are powerful. Of course not everyone is religious, but those who are sincerely devoted have an energetic interaction with the divine that's not a part of American life. But because I wanted to talk about dhal, I will leave this topic for now - it's not exactly an easy one in all honesty. But it's clear to me that this is why I'm in India, eating this very strange diet.

Not the most elegant of transitions, but only to say I find the diet both bizarre and very effective. I feel great, but I don't really understand. I seem to be living on sugar, caffeine, wheat, white rice, potato and milk products - none of which I wanted in my diet. But I'm on my faithful travel plan - eat what I'm offered with gratitude - and it's working. I hope to write more about the fast and the rituals of Navratra later, but time's up for this post.

Closing with love to any of my friends who are still keeping up with me. By the way, a phone is in the works, though I don't know how long it will take as foreigners are no longer allowed to own phones, due to terrorism! Don't ask me, though I will say I have new insights on Pakistan being over here. Meanwhile, rest assured, I'll be able to get a phone, though not immediately. There's a popular saying here - impossible's not in my vocabulary.