Living in a forest on a mountain in Uttarakhand, forest bathing, and spiritual practices to help to cope with Covid lockdown in India.
....I visit the ancient temple town of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh to explore the ghats, bathe in the sacred Narmada river, see the Ahilyabhai Fort and Palace, and some of the best hand-loomed textiles in India. And meet yogis.
....Shambala Guesthouse becomes my sanctuary as the world becomes more confusing. I take solace in friends and animals, contemplate the impermanence of life and register my moral compass towards a Covid truth.
....Living in a 400-year old Portuguese house during monsoon in Assagao, feeding stray dogs as yoga seva, falling in love with Rajita, and strategies to cope with Covid lockdown in Goa.
...Leaving London, studying at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute in Pune, cancelling the Goa TTC as Covid-19 becomes a global pandemic, sunsets and strategies to cope with lockdown in India.
...She is in an absolute rage. Eyes are red with intoxication. Hair is disheveled. Small fangs protrude out of her mouth, and her tongue is lolling, dripping with blood.
...The Navadurgas, or the nine manifested forms of Goddess Durga, are venerated during the festival of Navaratri. In the Chandi Path, the Navadurgas are known as the Relievers of Difficulty and each Devi is endowed with unique powers and characteristics.
....Khecheopalri Lake is one of the most revered Buddhist pilgrimage sites and is believed to be an emanation of the goddess Tara. It’s shape looks like her footprint. Magically, the surface of the lake remains clean in spite of it being surrounded by the thick forest.
....I meet the boys for a local cocktail. We settle into the plastic chairs alongside the dirt road and order a ‘tsonga,’ made from fermented millet, served in a fat bamboo glass and drunk through a wooden straw. The fried yak cheese momos and Sikkimese noodle soup are delicious.
....My travels take me along the Ganga, to Manikarnika burning Ghat, the Aghori ashram, and along the Panchakroshi pilgrimage circuit to undercover a sacred city in the shape of a comic mandala.
