Sense of gratitude.

Allowing myself this time out has been great. We don’t give ourselves enough time out to reflect and just be anymore. There are 2 popular t-shirts in India just now that says Human Being  and Being Human, small words but packed full or meaning.

 Anyway as the days pass I often watch the villagers in their daily routine and can’t help compare it to suits in Washington DC. The people in the village get up with the sun, do chores and feed the cows, have breakfast then rest. After that they may work in the house or the fields but always at a leisurely pace, often with a tea break and always with some chatter. After lunch comes a wee nap till until the heat of the day passes then back to work until sunset, again at a leisurely pace with a tea break. Dinner is  around 9pm then bed around 10pm. People walk slower, stop to chat on the streets and always say Namaste as you pass. I just feel so gratefull to be able to stop and be for a while and realize just how crazy fast passed, stressed out and lonely many people’s lives are. This deep sense of gratitude increases as the days pass and with it come a sense of contentment and a lessening of scattered thinking. At times I am just grateful for the clean water, air and healthy the food. Grateful to be of somewhat sound mind and healthy body. So grateful to be in a beautiful and peaceful place with the freedom to go where I please without restriction from an oppressive government, army or even husband for that matter. Grateful to have a good family and friends and very grateful to have the financial means which to be allow me to be here. So many things to appreciate and be thankful for; all I needed was the time out to see it.

Day 15 of 23 in Panchakarma

The panchakarma treatments are going well. Since this process began I have had hot oil placed on or poured over my forehead and heart chakra and had a series of 4 hand pounding massages. This is when herbs are rolled up in cloth, placed in hot oil and then pounded on every part of the body.  I have been told these treatments help the blood circulation, stimulate the nervous and lymph systems and takes toxin out of the muscles and joints. Whatever it does it feels great. Today the course of 4 oil baths started. Not really a bath per say but the two girls pouring medicated hot oil all over the body for about 1 hour. This treatment helps to cleanse the liver and surprise surprise is good for the skin. Tonight will be a treatment for the joints and a massage that helps to reduce fat. What is interesting is that as I began to relax I became even more exhausted and could sleep 8 hours straight no problem. I am told it is the body working to excrete toxin and adjusting to no medications. I think the walks in the hills and fresh air has a lot to do with better sleep. However, and I never thought I would say this, receiving all this treatments and massages is great but 23 days is long enough. I will enjoy these last 7 days with gusto and when the time come to head up to Kashmir I will be revived and ready to go.