I didn’t want to end my trip in Bhagsu…again…for the 4th time in my trips to India.
But that’s the way it ended up.
Usually when the paths in life point in a direction, it’s the space I’m meant to be in. And the signs kept pointing me there.
So I stopped working against the flow of the universe and had faith there was something there for me.
And there was.
Preventing the application of history of experiences and reaction and feelings in perspectives to a present familiar situation and location is a struggle. I realized this and made the choice to determine the offering this time around. It’s the same for me in situations at home: attending Burning Man is a perfect example. My experience will never match previous trips. The people I meet will be different; relationships and friendship as well. So in Bhagsu I followed my heart and impulses and the paths that appealed to me that unfolded in a smooth flow.
Bhagsu offers a shanti (peaceful) vibe that brings me to a relaxed state that makes it possible for me to reflect the lessons and growth from my journey to India this year. Halfway into my stay in the sloping hillside village at the foot of snow topped Himalayan Mountains I witnessed a powerful miracle that helped jerk me into a new reality. As I descended the stairs from my lofty home at the top of the Bhagsu hill I witnessed a woman fall from a 3-story high cliff. I heard a rustle in the brush and looked up to see the onset and full duration as a older English woman took one misstep and fall upright down a rocky and stinging nettle filled 80 degree sloped cliff. I couldn’t believe my eyes and I didn’t know if my heart had stopped or sped up as I felt in that moment that I was about to witness the abrupt and unexpected death of a human life.
The miracle: the woman landed upright on her feet…and stood in shock with emotions I can only barely try to grasp. With a scrape on her arm and pain only from the stinging of the nettles remaining, she was able to walk away and continue her life.
At this moment the appreciation of life and all the amazing aspects of it became powerful. In any moment it can all come to an end in this earthly life. I felt a better understanding of what my final week in India was meant to be, claiming this gratitude and applying it in my daily walk.
Reaching the 4 month mark of my journey I have so many amazing experiences to ponder. As I flip through my photos and recollections from my trip I no longer feel the frustrations and loneliness of what were present in many of my moments of travel. In retrospect I am filled with tingling happy memories of the beautiful sights, connected friendships and powerful expansive experiences that have brought me to where I am and who I am today.
And with this in mind I have better clarity in seeing how I wish to better myself and blossom into. In addition to the natural beauty, amazing people and chill vibe of Bhagsu there are oodles of workshops, activities and classes offering a huge range of personal growth approaches. And the cherry on top of this cake is that they are all available at a fraction of the cost of what is available in any western country. So even though I only had the measly 8 nights in Bhagsu, I relished in various types of readings of personal character. The consistent message of them all was to gain appreciation of what I have. Not just the “things” and relationships I have but more my innate qualities that provide an offering to the world around me and to the people I meet. It rang clear the reminder that when shifting focus from appreciating my own path, characteristics and offerings to the comparison of myself to others’ situations and qualities there is disappointment, dissatisfaction and unrest in my spirit. In short, this reaction to the comparison blocks me.
To shift back on track…MY track…is a relief.
~ * * ~
And now my track is shifting as an end of this chapter as I prepare to return home.
Other than making arrangements for festivals I will be traveling to throughout the summer to sell my 2008 dwanjabi line, I haven’t put much thought into where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing more than one week ahead of me. Here I am in New Delhi with the reality of my return to the USA looming within 2 days. One week in advance of each shift to and fro in my dual India/Portland life I am filled with high emotions as I prepare to swap terrain, culture, friends, lifestyle and stimulation. It has nothing to do with not wanting one or the other; it’s just that the shift is pretty huge for me.
This time though, I feel the emotions are less intense…or I should say: less turbulent. I am really looking forward to coming home, seeing friends, eating my favorite foods, sleeping in my bed, having a home and dancing with joy to my favorite music (of which I have been missing soooo much).
After another day in New Delhi I will arrive to New York City for a few more and finally back to Portland.
Bhagsu photos
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