Appreciating American Pharmacies....

A Pokhara Pharmacy closed for the Dassain Holiday....(yes, it is a garage door)



 

And they are about 1/4 the depth of a garage

"The many faces of Nepal......"

 

My Mini Monks I teach English to

Annual Deej Women's Festival  in Sept. where the young girls dance for husbands

Boudhanath-Stupa Boudha in Kathmandu

Bimala applying a Tika to Alex at the Hindu Temple in Kalanki

Swayambhunath ("Monkey") Temple in Kathmandu

 

Durbar Square in Kathmandu

 

And this is why they call it The Monkey Temple...

At Seti River Gorge,Pokahara

Drumming during Chanting at Sadhanna Yoga Retreat

Downtown in the tourist area of Pokhara

Oct. 24, the last day of the Dassain Festival

Downtown Pokhara

 

The closest I've been to a live Cobra when it wasn't behind glass at the

 zoo.  Some Dutch girls came up & asked him if  the "toxins" had been taken

out of the snake. He nodded & said, "Oh yes, the toxins have been removed.

He's harmless. Come sit down."  Guess that's why he's called a "charmer."

 

1) Tourist taunts Oxen.  2)  Tourist gets chased by Oxen.

And, last but not least....he came right up to me...actually

thought he was posing for me.

 



A PIC IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS: PART ii

 (down the street from my Guesthouse)

Fewa Lake in Pokhara, Nepal

 

(one of the cooks at the Yoga Retreat. Not sure if she speaks English)

In case you can't read the T Shirt...it says "Party Naked"

 

A man carrying a baby & a  dead chicken....

Something you don't really see in the Western World

 

At a T Shirt  Store...

May have something to do with why

I haven't seen a McDonald's yet in Nepal? (They do have KFC)

Bamboo tree (I believe) structure for building..

This is the size of a Taxi...

Typical street:  Some tourists, some cars, some oxen with their owners...

Last, but not least.....

 

Morning Ayurvedic Mud Bath at the Yoga Retreat

 

A PIC IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS: PART I

A "City Bus" in Kathmandu. (Significantly smaller than an American SUV).

 

Roadside bathroom on the 8 hr bus ride to Pokhara

 

 

As a woman, the goal of effectively "aiming" was never a feat  I'd aspired  to.  However, it's one I can say I've effectively mastered while in Nepal.  (the bucket if for flushing). I know, TMI.

 

I am not a Foodie who normally takes pics.however this plate of tosadas & chicken parmegian are proof that there is more than Dahl bhat (rice & lentils) in Nepal

 

How do you sell Pashminas/Cashmere here?....

 

Yes, they roam free here too (just like in India, I understand)

 

 

The "Yogi Belly Roll"

Sadhana Yoga Retreat in Sedi Bagar, Day 3:
"The Yogi Belly Roll' which is  to exhale totally & pull your stomach in tightly, then roll from left to right. (Don't quite have this move down as of yet)

Yoga Retreat, Day 1:

The picture is of "fewa lake" in pokhara,  which I overlook.

Today I had my 1^st serious flashback to the movie, “Eat, pray, Love.”     I remembered the scene when Julia Robe3rts wakes up  on her first day in the indian ashram to her alarm clock at 4:30AM for meditation, looks at the clock with disgust, rolls over, & basically pulls the cover over her head

This morning the bell rang at 5:30 for meditation. (see above) J

We did exercises to stretch before beginning the pose we’d keep for an hr,  which I thought was good.  I’ve always considered myself better than the average person when it comes to understanding accents, however, in light of the fact that I am seriously not a morning person, it took every ounce of my be3ing to decipher the direction from the instructor (who made Deepak chopra’s accent seem like nothing)

The 1^st chant was “so-haam” which means something like “I am the supreme consciousness of god”, kind of cool.  Then we broke into “om”ing.  Being a beginning meditator, I fully anticipated my mind wandering & had no intention of beating myself up over internal chatter.  And So it was….. “i really like her yoga pants.  i wonder where she got them.” , “the girl behind me sounds like a sick cat wailing when she om’s.”,  “am i doing this right?”, “ my foot just fell asleep.”  “he’s kind of cute.”

1^ST YOGA CLASS: ASHANGA, THE OWNER & YOGA TEACHER, IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE PURSUEING THEIR PURPOSE IN LIFE.  YOU CAN FEEL IT IN EVERY WORD HE SPEAKS.  HE EXPLAINED THE DETAILS OF WHY WE WERE DOING EACH POSE & BREATH.  BEING IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION, I  THOROUGHLY APPRECIATE THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW WHAT I’M DOING AFFECTS THE BODY, AS WELL AS THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION .  HE SAID THE YOGA EXPLANATION IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE MEDICAL INTERPRETATION.  I LOVE BRIDGING THAT GAP.

 THE MUD BATH WAS AWESOME!!  WE GOT IN BATHING SUITS & SMEARED RED MUD ALL OVER OURSELVES, THEN BAKED LIKE A CLAY POT IN THE SUN UNTIL DRY, & RUBBED(SCRUBBE3D) IT OFF.  the whole thing took about 45 min.  In ayurvedic medicine, it is a detoxifying process (& astringent as well I think). 

Every Monday, ashanga’s wife  does a silent meditation for 24 hours & has for years.  She said it is good to go inside & be in touch with our inner life & inner world.  We are normally so externally focused.

 

I can honestly say, today has been one of the best days of my trip (& it’s only 3pm). I feel like my trip has just begun in a specific respect. in light of the fact that a major reason I’m here is introspection, I feel like in this retreat will make good on that promise I’ve made to myself

 

annie.

 

Rejuvination Time...

 

Hello from beauiful Pokhara! (actually Sedi Bagar)

The picture above is where I am over the course of the next 10 days , nestled in the mountainside (right now with a cool breeze coming in the window & listening to crickets)

It should be interesting. Even though as part of my previous alternative medicine practices, I've done both a five day fast on my own more than once & colonics through my nutritionist, have never combined them,  much less with yoga.

This is my itinerary ....

AM
05:30	Wakeup
05:45	Pre-Meditation practice
06:00	Meditation
07:00	Tea Break
07:15	Neti Kriya (Nasal Cleansing)
07:30	Morning Yoga
08:45	Mountain Hiking
09:45	Breakfast
10:30	Mud or Steam bath
PM
12:00	Pre-Meditation practice
12:15	Meditation (in class or on your own)
1:00	Lunch
3:00	Talk
3:30	Karma Yoga
4:00	Tea Break
4:30	Chanting
5:30	Evening Yoga
7:00	Dinner
8:00	Retiring

7th and 8th day will be fasting and general practice of yoga.
9th day will be total flushing day; Gastro-intestinal cleansing (Shanksprakshalana) and total rest afterward.
10th day will be practice of yoga and breathing exercises to ensure that everything is back to normal.
Morning of 11th day at 8:30 AM is farewell breakfast and departure

Just returned from the "orientation" which was soooo well organized, even got a bound 30 page book on the course. So far I am very impressed. We learned a peace prayer in Sanskrit & had one of the most amazing meals in my 30 days here.

The neti pot nasal cleansing is something I've tried before, & couldn't quite do(since I'm afraid of water, all that water rushing up my nostrils, felt like I was drowning while standing over the bathroom sink...lol) So, another great opportunity to stretch my comfort zone!

Namaste from Nepal...

Annie

When in Rome....Itinerary Detour...

Happy Thursday from Kathmandu...

Since I've been sick for a week now with some respiratory ailment, I believe due to a combo of inhaling Kathmandu soot for a month & almost no protein in my diet, I'm taking a detour. 

When you're in one of the areas in the world which founded yoga,  it just plain makes sense to get better by going to a cleansing yoga retreat.

After a month at the hostel, I'm taking a mini weekend  & treating myself to a nicer hotel in Pokhara, which is 7 hours by bus from Kathmandu, on a lake, for 3 days (& to go in search for some serious meat to eat),

http://www.barahi.com/

(4 star hotel at $60/night)

Then, Oct 15-25, going to the retreat.

http://www.sadhana-asanga-yoga.com/yoga-holiday.html

(Lonely Planet names this place #25 of over 141,000 things to do in the world, not a bad review)

Should be shiny & new to come back to Kathmandu for my last 2 weeks before entering Kopan.

Be well....
Annie

The Nuts & Bolts of theTrip

The Purpose of the Trip:  `

 

From Boardroom to Buddhism, The Nuts & Bolts of it:

From Boardroom:
I had a job where I was in charge of 2 businesses & 33 employees.  I pushed myself to the brink of what is humanly possible, working 12 hr days for up to 30 days straight. I was there on Christmas Eve & Day.  I barely had time to do laundry, pay bills & get groceries.  I thought about it from the time my eyes opened in the morning to the second I fell asleep at night.  I had completely lost any sense of balance in my life.  I felt like I had so much riding on the success of this job, having moved across the country for it & would put every ounce of effort I had to make it work. 

 When I decided to quit & had left, it was like a runaway train coming to a screeching halt.  My body & mind had been constantly functioning at at such an intense speed for 9 months, & now I got up & didn’t have a full time job to go to.  I was in “career detox.,” literally coming down from the grueling pace of life I’d created.

“Career Detox”: The 5 month Transition:

 

·         Luckily, I had kept my foot in the door with my previous job.  I quickly picked up hours at multiple sites, met & worked with so many wonderful people, & had time to contemplate & plan the trip I’m on.

 

·          I took long, meditatiave walks along the ocean where I cleared my mind.

 

·         A handful of times, I attended meditation & lectures at a Buddhist temple.

 To Buddhism

·         Compassion: After the 9 month job, not only did inner peace & tranquility sound good, but compassion as well.  I’m in the health care field & I think it takes someone with a certain amount of innate compassion to enter such a career.  I’m talking about inner compassion for oneself as well.

·         Happiness: I’m looking forward to learning what the Buddhists consider happiness & seeing the good in situations without the denial of your circumstances. 

…And Beyond:

·         Every work place has a boatload of different personalities to deal with, some more challenging than others. There are bosses, peers, employees, & in my case, patients.

·         And today, just about every job comes with an amount of stress.  You may not be able to take the stress out of the job, but you can change the way it affects you & the way you react to it.

·         I would like to think I can not only utilize the tools I plan to learn in studying Buddhism for my own benefit, but intend for it to spill over into my professional life, & to take Buddha to work with me daily in my management style. 

·         Part of the “Code of Ethics” of my company is to “Take care of the employee.”  I hope to return  & incorporate  a whole new aspect of that concept through more patience, empathy, & compassion.

 

 

The Road to Buddhism: Take One

 

 

 

..The Road to Buddhism, “Take One”:

When you make a decision to do something,shift (shit) happens:

I may not know much about Buddhism at this point, but I think I’ve heard somewhere that patience plays into the philosophy. I’ve certainly had loads of opportunity to practice patience:

 Patience, Numero Uno :

·         As part of my volunteer package to teach Buddhist monks English, the organization said you would be able to meditate, chant, & learn Buddhism from the monks.

·         We met the 1^st day at 7:00AM at a specific place near the monkey temple monastery where it was supposed to take place at 7:00AM.  We were told the chanting happened at 9:00AM & to come back at that time.

·         My fellow volunteer went at 9:00AM. It turned out there were no monks chanting, but she attended a great yoga class. 

·         The next day was the same, yoga, no monks.

·          The 4^th day we spoke w/ our monk contact in Swayambhu Monastery & got the final verdict that the monks meditate in their temple (stupa) at 5:00AM daily.

·         There is no way for me to get there that early daily so I will go once/week.

·         Due to this twist of events, I will be taking my initial journey into Buddhism into my own hands.

Baby Step #1:

Buying Books on Buddhism:

Kopan Monastery (where I will be spending the last 50 of my 100 days in Nepal in retreats & what I’m calling “Buddha Boot Camp”) provided me an extensive (100 or so) reading list of books.  I’m starting with 2 books written by The Dalai Lama, “The Heart of the Buddha’s Path” & “All you ever wanted to know from his Holiness The Dalai Lama on Happiness, Life, Living, & Much More.”

 

Baby Step #2:

Visiting Kopan Monastery:

I have a decision to make on where to spend the free time I will have when my volunteer commitment ends at the end of Oct.  My retreat in Kopan Monastery begins on  Nov. 11, but I can begin my stay as early as Nov. 5.  I needed to check out my next digs to see how badly I need to go to Italy for pizza for a week or Sweden for a spa (I am in serious “Foodie” withdrawl & a spa sounds heavenly)

 So I took an hr. cab ride (the driver had to ask for directions 5 times & I finally called Kopan & put a monk on the phone to talk him in). It is serene & gorgeous with gardens, far above the city, removed from the dusty streets of Kalanki. The contrast will make me all that more grateful when I arrive.

 

MUSIC MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND III:

As we sat on the road to Chitwan, a Nepali teenager next to my fellow volunteer was listening to music on her I phone. The volunteer saw it was Adele & commented on it. They had a great conversation on Adele & her music & the Nepali girl let her listen to her I phone for a while.

 Bonus opportunities for practicing Patience:

·         My “Mini Monks”: In light of the fact that I grew up an only child, have never babysat a day in my life, & have no children of my own, my experience in being around children is basically nil.  Teaching 12 children ages 5-12  is a whole new ball game for me. I’ve found out that just because they’re monks, they aren’t born zen’d out.  They punch, stab with pens, run around, & have a miniscule attention span. I do really love them & am enjoying the experience getting to know their individual personalities.

 

·         ATM’s: I’ve just accepted that getting money out in Kalanki is not one errand, but many.  Usually, by the 4^th ATM, I’ll find one that’s working.

 

·          Living w/ 18 people:  I remember when I visited my friend in New Zealand & her family a few years back. It took me about a week to pinpoint why I felt so out of sorts & strange in the house. It was all the people (7) & the constant conversation & noise I simply wasn’t used to having lived  by myself for 26 years.  This round in the hostel, it’s still an adjustment, but an easier transition.  

 Old World Meets New World, Take II:

Even though women really do not leave the house (overall), must cover up in how they dress, can’t smoke in public, & there are arranged marriages,there is a “Nepali Idol” fashioned after “American Idol” TV show.