Laatste warme dagen...

Lieve Allemaal, Dear all,

I will write in English for my english family, because I think my dutch friends understand my english.

Two weeks ago I typed for 2 hours and on the end there were some problems with publicing and saving, so there was no blog... a pity. I try again today.

It really is the last days of warmth for me.. I have heard about the very cold temperature in the Netherlands!! A difference for me of 45 degrees Celcius!! I wander how my body and mind will cope with that, we see, I am still flecible so... an other ecperience.

the last weeks were terrific, were shall I start: chronological: Mumbai after the attacks.
The atmosphere was not at all terrifing of any kind, friendly towards the group, they were pleased to have tourists. On the new all the day informtion about the investigations (CNN) and also a lot of publication about not be angry with one and another and go on in live, no hate. There were a few documentary's about women who have met eachother in hospital with different religions and they formed a group of friends to help eachother also after the hospital and also do that with other woman whom are injured or frightened after the Mumbai attack.
It was moving to watch that program.
In Mumbai we visited the city: old London like buildings only because of the frequent claxon you know that you are in India, and the riksjah's and the many scooters. The other day we visitid Elephant Island: beautiful Hindu tempels with Boedistic influences cared in caves. Very impressive because of it's bigness.

Bangalore and Puttaparti
Beining a week in P it was learning about how to stay in touch with yourself, because P is very busey and than the first days my room in the hotel was next to a building site that started working at 6.30 with a lot fo noise. In P you can easely fillup your day with nothing: shopping looking around eating, drinking. So I really tried to read regulary, talk with people ( a very nice journalist who knew a lot of everything, so we talked about the attack, the history of India, about relegion etc.) had some Krya Yoga lessongs (Jogananda is one of the people who brought this to the west, a very good men, who wrote a beautiful book: The autobiografy of a Yogi).
And I went on the ashram a few times during the singing and praying. I like the atmosphere and the singing together, altough I do not know the words, I kind of mime the sounds and that pleasures me too.

A Guru
I am not at all opposite about Guru"s: teachers. In INdia it is very common to have one in your life, in the west it is less common. I like it always to listen to and to talk with people with wisdom or knowledge (to know the difference is also important) and also read a lot from them, and I think about their words and ofcours I make my own decesions. That last one is typical for the western mind: to stay independend! Here people easily ask there Guru everything and they follow his or hers advise. If you have such a big belief in you Guru, why not follow his advice?!
It is not in me to follow one Guru, I like to learn from many different people, but I have a very open mind and I enjoy to absorb the atmosphere around the ashrams and pray houses. I can easily think and concentrate in my thinking and meditate within a crowd of people, sounds contradictionary, but I like it.

Santhagiri.
After a week in P we went to the south and I stayed ther for 9 days in the Santhagiri hospital, used as an simple bed and breakfast for Ayurvedical treatments. I pleased myself with several massages and treatment and I loved it. For a vision: 2 girls, young ladies will give you an oil massage for your whole body within one and an half hour: soft and strong and with sining and praying. YOu get a lott of caring attention and I loved it. Laying there naked, slippery by the oil , feeling a little bit marinaded... and they are saying with their few words of english how beautiful I am.... good for my selfesteem! It did make me grin.. (grinneken, van binnen lachen) a lot during these treatments.
And during the afternoon I went to the praying hall and we walked together in a kind of circel movement singing prays. And I also liked the atmosphere here : all those singing voices around you male and female felt a little uplifting (gedragen worden) and again a terrific place for me to easily stay with my own thoughts.

Eating
I like eating with my hands: that is easy if you like it, because in the ashram in S eating is: one methal deep plate and than you can choose what they surve you: rice, and vegetables varities and than you mix it with your hand and eat it with your hand. ... jummy!

I have to stop now, they cloose for the siesta,

if you have questions, ask me!

love ellen