Upper Bagsu / North India

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With sadness i hiked from the Yoga Shala down to a cab for the airport.  Upper Bagsu was like my personal Shangrila.  A routine of challenging meditation and yoga mixed with home-made village food, then afternoons to walk down to the markets or hike in the hills.  Other than being sick to go home, i have been so relaxed and in peace here.  One could slip into a time warp and spend months in this place, which is exactly what many do.  Thanks to Mike for Thomas Kempis and his writings.  It has given me much to think about during mediations.

I also had the privilege here of doing the prayer walk around the Dali Lama's residence.  There are many prayer wheels to spin and monks to watch.  I posted some pictures on Facebook of a hike i did up and over 10,000 feet.  It was a crazy winding trail up the sides of steep cliffs, with the reward of hot dahl and coke at the top (thanks to entrepreneurial Indians and donkeys).  Thanks to Ron i also tried Momo in the markets here, a Tibetan version of a perogy.  It was also my full transition to eating street food...  
   
I think the best part of this place was in meeting my friend Beemer.  Beemer is the local Indian that cooks for this yoga shack.  He lives in the kitchen here in the summer and then heads south to a city to cook in his brothers restaurant in the winter.  We eat at a picnic table outside the kitchen on a mountain terrace, overlooking the village spread out below.  He looks like an Indian warrior with long hair, beads, bracelets and muscle.   He talks very little, but him and I seem to hit it off.  Others are asking how i got him to talk, but i refuse to share my secret.

We were having a sit listening to a wedding celebration somewhere below that has extended for a couple of nights (some go for weeks).  I asked him what he would do in this life if he could do anything at all.  He thought about it and basically said that it was a question he does not care to think about.  That what he wants in this life is to be happy and fulfilled.  He reports that he is exactly just that.  

Beemer's discipline is impressive.  He lives clean of alcohol, prays at a shrine below my room many times a day including well before dawn (4am to be exact), does his own daily private yoga somewhere in the forest (and i hear he is crazy good) while maintaining a good position in the local village community.  I run into him everywhere and he seems to know everyone.  I realized defining our happiness by what we do in this life is a very Western perspective and a potential trap to avoid if we can.

Last night Beemer and i sat out again under the stars and chatted.  He is from a lower caste and really wants to marry a Indian girl.  From his caste position, his chances are slim and last year he took a British girl home to meet his parents.  They said no.  He has faith that whatever happens it will be what was intended.  So until then, he prays at 4am, cooks for fat Western yogis like me and enjoys his life.  He was a great inspiration to me and we had an emotional goodbye this morning when i left.

There were Hindu temples everywhere in the hills here.  People pray and then often ring a bell, so you hear bells ringing on and off all of the time.  I was greatly impressed with the effort taken to build and visit these shrines.  I watched a young family carry their 2 year old up to 9000 feet to pray at a special shrine.  It took them 3 hours just to get there.  They tell me they come every year, like a pilgramage.  

I had a chance to chat with the Yogi here about Yoga and religion.  He explained that, in his opinion, Yoga is not a religion, but a conduit to God.  A method of prayer through physical activity.  This is also what I like about yoga; that is when i am not struggling to breath because i am wrapped up like a pretzel.

I totally stumbled upon this place and am thankful that it transpired the way that it did.  Certainly God played a part in leading me here.  Now i head for Delhi for the night and then to Kathmandu.  Another major life goal of mine is to see Nepal.  I have 4 days to at least taste a little and then i head to Bombay and home to my girls.  Going home has become a big focus of my thoughts, so i hope the final 6 days is worth staying for!

Thanks for comments on the blog, it has encouraged me and surprised me that anyone would want to read this.  My terrible pictures are posted on Facebook as at is the only place i can get it to work.  Namaste to all.     

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