India: Elephant blessings

MAR 7

What a beautiful experience to have cried today. Leading up to leaving for India, I felt an overwhelming need to cry several times. But, as I am so great at doing, I stuffed that feeling down and swallowed it whole.

Today in class we were focusing on the heart chakra and were asked to send love to someone not with us and to someone who needs our loving energy. As I did that, the tears were released and afterwards I felt release.

We are wearing the colours of the chakras each day to class. Today I discovered I didn’t being anything green with me, so instead I made a crown of greenery for myself. Creative, no?!

This afternoon we travelled to Pondicherry (or Pondi as the locals refer to it). It’s only a few kilometres from Auroville, but what a difference. It is a loud, noisy, dirty and stinky place. Yet of course a place full of adventure. We visited an ashram where Sri Aurobindo and The Mother (who conceived of Auroville) lived and are buried.

We’re on way to the Ganesh Temple and to see Lakshmi.

Here’s Lakshmi the elephant “blessing” me after I gave her a coin (which she then gives to her master).

Lakshmi the elephant gives me a blessing: Pondicherry India from jennifer hicks on Vimeo.

An afternoon of shopping was followed by a beautiful dinner of curries and seafood at a hotel restaurant.

Then a walk on the promenade to finish the evening.

I am in my own version of paradise.