The year of 2015

Had I not written this, this would have been a No-Blog-Post year :)

When I started this blog, it was to serve as a platform to express myself - my thought processes, my experiences, my longings and at times targeted at a specific audience. Now when I look at it, there's hardly any audience that I wish to cater to.

This post is more as a milestone to chronicle the path traced out so far.

Shakthi and I have been House-Parenting in the Isha Home School for the last 1.5 years. Last year was the 8th - 10th standard girls (Champa) and this year it's the 11th and 12th standard girls (Chamanthi).

Last year had been helping with a few of the Xth kids with their Mathematics and I was so glad when the results came out - they had done well beyond anybody's expectations.

I still do conduct the Inner Engineering classes in the Yoga Center. Conducting the yoga classes for sure is such a profound process - the amount of transformation that happens to people in such a short span of 4 days is truly remarkable and it's an honor and a privilege to be delivering these classes.

But being a house parent is a completely different dimension. Parenting as a feeling was always beyond my grasp, but these 1.5 years has been quite remarkable being with these children. Not always easy to handle, but being with them has been such a rich experience that I can say that this is one of the best things I could have ever done with my life!

Chamanthi

Childlike at times, at times childish

Friendly at times, at times fiendish

Sweet at times, at times sour

Is this a paradox? An oxymoron?

Yes a paradox, if you are in the soup,

But a paradise, if you can taste it!

An oxymoron, if you are just "managing" them

But an intense love affair, if you are one with them!

Not of our own, but very much ours,

These little imps and fairies, 

For sure have lightened our lives

With their love and laughter!

As the buds continue to bloom 

It's a joy watching them blossom

These birds shall soon fly, 

For that's the way of Life!

Those few moments together, a spec in the Cosmic scale

But surely enriching and sweet

Thank you angels, for being a part of who we are

For being us - the Chamanthi!

Happy 2016!

Father's Day

Would it be too cheesy to put your dad's picture on FB and say "Best Dad in the world"? The other day I heard a wise man say the moment you claim to be the best mom in the world, you are no longer a mother, because being a mother is not a competition, it's an offering...

I have never had the habit of wishing people on mother's day, father's day etc... But nonetheless, what I feel for my parents, I don't know whether they will understand it any day at all. If they do, that would be something... As I wrote something on FB today, it felt a little odd that I decided to confine it in this little space...

Appa and Amma, gratitude, love, intensity of emotions: all of these are just words which cannot capture in reality what I feel for you. I have never known parents like you, I have never wanted anybody else like you... I consider it a divine gift, that I was born to you.

I have not made my life the way you dreamed, but let me assure you - I am living a happy, healthy and peaceful life and above all my life is in a certain dimension of experience (which millions may seek, hardly a few taste). I may not be doing things in my life as you wanted, but I will definitely do those things which really matter in terms of life existentially - for you as well as for me. I will do everything needed for both of you to reach the ultimate destination. This small family that you've toiled to build, what I know as THE BEST in terms of existential life, I will offer it to every one of them.

Not just a day, to remember you (both)...

Not just words, to express my gratitude...

Not just love, an attempt to reciprocate would be a failure...

For what I am, for all I am, the source you (both) are.

Indebted through this life, can never be paid back

In gratitude, endless...

My wish for you, your very own wish

That you now can't see, but if you can see

Let me carry you, and set you free...

Life has... its own ways

But I wouldn't want it any other way

I wouldn't want it, any other way!

Happy journey!

As I sit in my new accommodation, listening a song composed half a century ago, my state of mind is something I am unable to get a hold on.

Yesterday was a momentous day, when Ananth got married. When I got married, almost everything was handled by Shakthi. But this time around, at least I got to do a little more than what I did for myself. I am not sure if I will ever own a marriage, taking care of it end to end, may be with my neices down the years, but this was a great opportunity - from the inception to the finale - the marriage happened very beautifully. Once again, Shakthi was in the thick of actions this time around as well...

Coming back to Ananth, I have known him for 15 years now, and that's a long time! For some reason, our lives were always inter-twined, following one way or the other. Now that he embarks on a new journey, a new partner in Shringeri... it feels different! So, here's wishing the couple an uplifting life together!

It was very nice to be chatting around with my college friends - DSP and Parthi... I had always felt my friends were a great asset in my life and it was only a reinforcement yesterday! Had a great dinner in the evening with the whole group alongside Sheki and Shanti who've been like my own family in many ways... (Not getting a good group pic in the current set of pics)

And all along, was Shakthi - just simply sweetness personified!

All in all - a great day it was!

May the Grace rain,
May the Grace reign...

Shiva...

An embodiment of self-less care,
In the form of parents pristine pure...
Born of penance,
The stars of the Blue charmer...

Theism abundant,
Divinity inculcated...
From fear to belief,
Belief to disbelief.
The history of my life!

Gone is the history,
For Divinity is no more
In belief or disbelief
An everyday experience...

Soaked in Grace,
The mountains, the being, the non-being,
Invaded from nowhere,
Enslaving everywhere,
Resonating in every conscious breath,
Shiva - an experiential reality
Blessed!

Singapore...

I had made a mention in my previous entry about a list of projects coming my way for which I wasn't prepared for. As I was trying to find my balance in the first of those projects, there came a surprise in the form of project 2, which is what I am handling right now, in Singapore!

If you are curious about what the program is, check out https://www.ishayoga.sg

Sadhguru is coming for a big event in Singapore - Mystic Eye: a one day program with Sadhguru which will be an opportunity to explore the deepest questions in life and empower oneself with powerful practices that will ultimately open the doors to a blissful living.

Coming back to the context of this post, for the first time I traveled in Singapore today. I took the MRT (metro trains). Switched twice to reach my destination. This is what I got to observe today

• The metro trains are awesome. Got a hold of their map. There are single-bogey trains called LRT which run in localized routes which act as an accessory to the bigger coverage of MRTs. The awesome factor of this system is - it is COMPLETELY AUTOMATED. No drivers and everything operates on time. Doors open and shut automatically. It was amazing!
• Shorts seem to be the national attire :) Not sure if it was because of Saturday and people were chilling off, but everybody loves wearing shorts. And mind it, these shorts are really really short. My boxers are twice as big as the shorts most women wear here :D
• Though I could notice distinct features in each (native Singaporean) face, still all put together it seems like a haze when it comes to remembering the random faces. Wonder if they'll find it the same way with Indian faces.
• Almost everyone's hair is soft and silky texture! Or is there that level of maintenance? I doubt it is the latter
• Hair in rest of the body is too minimal. The Indians are just at the other end of the spectrum :)
• The whole population is drowned in smartphones I should say. In my hour and a half's travel, 95% of the population was just pre-occupied with their phones while the remaining 5% were the elderly :)
• I liked this that everyone was just minding their own business (of course except for the few Tamil youth who were happily "bird-watching")
• Singapore is almost near the equator. With so much sun, I am wondering how their skin is wheatish white and not tan.
• This I must admit, I am totally amazed by how people have maintained their body. More than 95% of the people I saw today were quite fit - lithe figure, nimble and active! Quite a heartening sight in times when obesity is the most common disease
• After work, before getting on to the train, got to go into a local market, Was quite amusing. All kinds of animals were being cut and fried and offered as a delicacy. They thought putting the names in English would help (like Kaa Phoo Pai), but for an ignorant like me, what can I make out of it. Being a veggie, the smell was a little nauseating but it was nice to look at the people, the different colored drinks they sold... next time I want to go and inquire (though I can't eat any of that)... an interesting delicacy I saw today was the "Tea Egg" - Eggs were being boiled in a huge pan of what looked like tea :) [Yes, I made it up - Kaa Phoo Pai :D]
• Even the bakery shops had a lot of stuff but everything seemed to have some animal content in it. Was happy to see from the windows :D

I've always loved to travel and that too to other nations and cultures. Let's see what else Singapore holds!

-Excited!

Year in review...

As I came across this blog on a casual visit, I realized the year is almost coming to an end and only two posts this year :) Guess FB has become an easier way to share things...

When it comes to this year, probably I'll write one closer towards the end of this month... but I can remember a few things quite distinctly. The most important of things is about repetitionof cycles. Sadhguru mentioned in a few Sathsangs as to how everything goes in cycles including human life, where life presents you with situations very similar to what has happened before and this cycle repeats itself with a certain rhythm depending on the person's accumulations... It was so strikingly true for me, when I realized my life was just going thru the same twists and turns very similar to what was 10 years ago but in a very fast forward way - cannot explain it, but experiantially it was a whirlwind, life moving ten times its pace and am so glad I could experience such things... I went through such bouts of intense anger, poor thing, shakthi had to bear the brunt of it... But I was so much like 10 years ago - my emtions, thought processes, why even my body and its shape went back 10 years in time. Weird and fantastic...

The Classical Hata Yoga Asanas are super awesome. Ever since I started doing them, my system has a new vibrance all the time :) Feeling elated about it.

It has been mentally heavy work these last few weeks. Wrote this on FB:

Very interesting few months ahead... Really big projects, huge challenges, no prior experiences, heavy multitasking... more than everything, an immense litmus test I give for myself... to my inner stability... Now I understand the possibility in every situation life puts you in... As He would put it "Whatever situation life throws at you, how you respond to it is what makes you who you are..." Soaked in Grace, let me be a conduit to flood the place with the same... — feeling amused.

Right now am quite amused as to what is going to come next...

And for a few of my dear friends, a lot has been happening in their lifes these past few years. I hope the coming months have loads of fortune on their way and that Life works out wonderfully for them :)

And last but never the least.... Shakthiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii kutttiiiiieeeeeeeeeee :)