Day 6: Balance of Silence and Fun

I've been to India for 6 days but I haven't visited my favorite place yet.  

So after breakfast, I took a 15 minute bus ride to Pandav Bhawan, the first campus of Brahma Kumaris in Mount Abu.  

I came to the old campus to simply meditate by the Tower of Peace.  

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The vibration here is so pure and peaceful that 

I can sit down here in silence for hours.   

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I broke my solitude to have a fun bonding over lunch with my roommates.  Then, we met with the other students from the Philippines.  Sister Marge arranged a tour for us.  We had a chit-chat by the hotel pool over fruit juice and nuts.  Then, we visited a tower which overlooks the whole Rajasthan.  Finally, we went to a palace by the jungle, also known as Haidee’s place.

Haidee is such a personality!  She dresses in turquoise which brings out the sparkle in her eyes.  She likes to swim by the hotel pool if she's not entertaining guests like ourselves in her house (which has a sun deck that opens, slants & closes with a push of a button).  She parties with the VIPs of India.  She cooks mulberry jams and sun-baked cakes and gives them out freely.  

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She reminded me that I can be my own kind of yogi.  

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For quite awhile, I thought there's a very strict code to being one: wear white, speak less, meditate every single time, don't attend parties or do anything fun.

As if to emphasize the point that yogis could have fun too, the schedule for the afternoon class today was a picnic in the park.  Instead of the usual lecture or collective silence, we listened to live acoustic music, danced to Bhangra (a type of Indian music which combines Punjabi folk traditions with Western pop music), and ate 
fruits.

Today, I had a balance of silence and fun, solitude and family feeling.  

meditation by Release Your Wings

Day 5: Settling in

image from coach.nine.com

Today, I woke up to the sound of Indian music playing over the speakers in the campus.  It was 3:30am.  I smiled as I gently move to stand up and get ready- this is all too familiar to me.  "Time for dawn meditation", I told myself.  

Half the beds in our dorm were already empty when I looked around.  I cleaned myself and changed into a white kurta pajama (our uniform here in the campus).  Then, I leisurely walked for 15 minutes to get to the hall where 500 other yogis from different parts of the globe have gathered.  In the next 45 minutes, we sat in collective silence.

image from facthacker.com

The day was filled with more silence. Every hour a 1 minute song played and everyone stopped whatever they are doing- the ones eating put their utensils down, the yogis walking come to a complete standstill, and even the lecturers pause to give way to sweet golden silence.

We got to talk during the day but not in a careless way.  Gossips didn’t fill the hallway.  We all valued the time here in this academy for transformation.  Conversations centered around growth and spirituality.  Lectures focused on self-development and meditation.  And, everything began and ended with silence.

Silence filled the atmosphere such that it is common to sit down with a group and simply be in comfortable silence.

                       Ahhh… I'm home.   

                                 

                                   meditation by Release Your Wings

Day 4: Meet Ego

                                                                             image from peaceofmindretreat.org

I am now at Gyan Sarovar Academy for a Better World at Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India.


Yesterday night, I flew out of Delhi to go to Ahmedabad.  


Early this morning, I travelled by car for 5 hours to Madhuban (how yogis fondly call the academy).  It was a long journey.  


What I notice is that when I'm tired or stressed, my monsters show up because then I let my guard down and don't pay attention as much.


Today, EGO paid me a visit.

image from fineartamerica.com

The Hall of Mirrors


Madhuban is a magical place for us raja yogis.  This is where we meet with our senior teachers and classmates from all over the world.  The vibration is very powerful because almost everyone in the campus practices meditation and follows the discipline set by the institution- even the security guards and the elevator operators.  There's no strata here.  The guards are given the same high regard as the administrators. 


But, this place also serves as a hall of mirror which reflects back the soul's beauty and beast. 

photo by buzzfeed.com

The Unwanted Visitor


At dusk, ego came during the group meditation with the 500 other international students.


Ego was messing with me.  It is saying "You're better at this alone than with this big crowd."


I had to deliberately let the thought go.  Then I reprimanded ego, "Stop. I can gain something here."


It came again around bedtime- during an encounter with one of my dormmates from Thailand  (I'm sharing a big room with 7 sisters).  She asked me if she can sit on my bed to do some work because the light by her bed is busted."


In my head I was saying, "Hey, I just got here and you are already invading my space!" (I'm grouchy when I'm tired.)


I kept my thoughts to myself though and said ok even when a slight irritation is brewing inside.


This time, ego made me feel that I don't quite measure up to this particular dormmate that I can forego my comfort for her convenience.


I could have used the yes-no strategy on her.  I could have told her, "Yes, I want to help you but (no) it's been a long day for me.  I need to rest early."


Ego is like a pendulum.  It swings from one end to the other.  At one point it makes me arrogant- thinking I am better than others.  At other times, it makes me feel less than the next person.

image from plus.google.com

How to burn ego


Today, I saw that I still have traces of ego which I have to burn in my meditation.


You see, aside from constantly checking in with the self and then changing, an easy way to transform is to burn your monsters in the fire of yoga.  


The soul is originally perfect and pure like gold but it has collected alloys (anger, greed, lust, attachment & ego) which made it heavy and impure over the years.


Intense yoga works like a fire that melts the impurities, allowing the soul to return to its innocence.   

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Intense yoga- this is what I will focus 

on this retreat. 
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How about you? Have you figured out what your monsters are?  (If not, this list might help you.)

meditation by Release Your Wings

Day 3: The art of perfection

My one word for India is RICH.  Being one of the oldest civilizations in the world, it boasts of a grand culture- history, architecture, craftsmanship, art, music, fashion and food.

It's so hard to find anything plain in this country.  Almost everything is multicolored, embellished or intricately crafted.  

As such, it is not surprising that India has the most magnificent architecture in the world.

Today, I went around Delhi to visit more sites.  What I realized is, this fine eye for detail of the people of India did not happen overnight.  The architecture for one, built on each other.

Allow me to illustrate. 

photo by Nory San Juan

This is Humayun's tomb which was built in 1570.  According 
to UNESCO,  "it inspired several major architectural 
innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal."

photo by Nory San Juan

After 80 years, The Taj Mahal followed Humayun's tomb's "monumental scale, grandeur of design and garden setting", affirmed UNESCO World Heritage.

photo from akshardham.com

In 2005, Akshardham, the largest Hindu temple in the world was inaugurated.  Trip Advisor hailed it as the number 1 must-see site in Delhi while its reviewers called it a modern day Taj Mahal.

photo from akshardham.com

The Akshardham temple "consists of 234 intricately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled spires and 20,000 statues of India's Hinduism's spiritual personalities".

photo from akshardham.com

Like the Taj Mahal, Akshardham has a beautiful landscape and ornate gardens.

The evolution of these Indian architecture teaches me to simply keep on moving forward. 
 Then, progress is inevitable.

  

meditation by Release Your Wings

Day 2: The Taj & I

photo by Nory San Juan

I've been to India eight times but I've never been to Taj Mahal- until this day.

It stands tall and magnificent under the noon sky- it's pristine white marble coating glimmering in the sun.

This masterpiece of a building was Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's grand gesture to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.  

It looks like a majestic palace in every way but it is a mausoleum.  I'm thinking, "It would have been more sensible if the emperor built a palace for his queen when she was still alive."   (But then again, I don't know Emperor Shah Jahan or his culture.)

I don't want to research his reasons though.  What the Taj Mahal inspires me to do is to build a grand monument for myself as well- one that is spiritual so it can last forever.

I will take Taj Mahal's best practices in this feat:

photo by Nory San Juan

1.  Build on solid ground

The Taj Mahal is an architectural wonder because it has stood through 365 years despite the fact that it lies near a river.  The riverbank sand was stabilized by a well foundation.  According to Archihunger, "It is built on mahogany post foundations sunk into wells fed by the Yamuna River".  

Now, I ask myself how strong is my foundation and how firmly do I stand on my truth?   

photo by Nory San Juan

2.  Space, space and more space

The Taj Mahal is situated in a vast Mughal garden that encompasses nearly 17 hectares, according to UNESCO.  It is considered an architectural beauty because of the "rhythmic combination of solids and voids, concave and convex, and light and shadow."

This leads me to ask, "Do I create spaces for stillness and growth? Is there a rhythmic balance in my life?"   
  

photo by Nory San Juan

3.  Adorn it with precious stones

According to History.com, "the mausoleum was constructed of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones forming intricate designs in a technique known as pietra dura."

My Teacher in meditation always reminds me to play with jewels of knowledge and be like a mythical swan who only picks up pearls (goodness of others).  So I ask myself,  "How many spiritual jewels have I collected?"


How about you?  Is there any place or piece of art which has a spiritual significance for you?

meditation by Release Your Wings