Just showing up
Path friend,
It’s been a while!
On my last letter I was about to go to Picos de Europa, and what a journey that’s been!
Picos revived my soul. I’m still assimilating all that happened on that trip, the beauty of the mountains, the joy of finding a place that fills me up so much, in Europe! I usually travel far to find that kind of feeling, that kind of landscape, that unique experience of mountains when they turn arid and so special. Picos offered that in such easily accessible ways that I could hardly believe!
Then there was the quebrantahuesos, the bearded vulture. Meeting them was life changing! The messages they brought were rich and beautiful. I continued to follow their guidance well into the mystery, and found myself in new places, with new worldviews. It’s only fitting, that a bird brings new ways of seeing things. They are so inspiring! One of their lessons, was a simple reminder to be completely comfortable with my own unique ways of adapting to the environment (which they did in such remarkable ways!). They also told me to write less and look at the sky more.
In Picos I also met people who touched my heart, who in small or big ways changed my life. Picos was a true delight! And so was Bilbao - a city I wish to go back to very soon, to do more things and to see a friend. Life gets better with friendship, and so did my Picos trip! Forever grateful!
I went back to Portugal after that, and had a deep and rich time integrating it all, reconnecting with my yoga practice, and dealing with a lot of life stuff that needed my full presence. Very chop wood, carry water. Very important things that I’m happy to have been there for. I was very happy to get to do my Psychotherapy & Astrology work too. My home needed a little bit of care as well. I kept not having enough time to meet all the friends I wanted to see. But to my great joy, they will be there when I return, and they love me in my pre-travel busyness too. I’m always grateful.
Now, I’m back in India! Sitting at a café in Rishikesh, waiting for my scrambled tofu and turmeric soy milk to arrive. There are monkeys jumping from the roof to the big trees by the window, and I am so very happy to be back here, where I’ve been so many times before.
Today I start my 300h yoga training course. When I did the 200h course in 2012, I never imagined i’d do any other such course. But here I am. I want to study specifically with my old teacher Surinder Singh. He’s always present in my practice, but recently he was even more so. On the day that Jupiter entered the sign of Cancer, I started my yoga practice, and I felt his presence strong and clear. By the end of that morning’s practice, I knew I wanted to come back to see him. It doesn’t take much when the listening is on and the heart is open. I just took care of practicalities, and here I am.
I don’t need to know what it really is about either. I just follow the guidance, take care of things, and show up. Fully trusting.
This trip started with plenty of miracles already. It started by boarding the flight from Lisbon and sitting next to a woman who was also coming to Rishikesh! Then meeting two Nepalis and sharing mountain stories. Then being completely embraced by a woman from Bihar with the most beautiful henna drawings on her hands and arms. Then meeting a man on my last flight who told me of the importance of making one’s marriage vows in Sanskrit. To finally arrive at Dehradun’s airport and find Vaibhav Raj waiting for me, ready to drive me to the ashram. His gentle smile and the way he blessed the car time and time again as we drove towards Rishikesh were a sweet balm after the long journey from Cascais. When we first saw the Ganga river goddess, we saluted her out loud, saying hello and thank you and I love you divine friend.
Everything here is special. Rishikesh is so sacred, you can feel it in every step. It’s one of those places where the spiritual path is so explicit, so externally visible and so inwardly felt. In your dreams too. It’s ever present.
There’s a ceremony that happens every day in Rishikesh, right as the sun comes down. It’s called the Ganga Aarti, when fire is offered to the goddess river, the one who gives life. I’ve joined this ceremony dozens of times. I love it. And last night’s aarti was so special. I shared it with a new friend, and she got us amazing seats. We got to be right in front of the big Shiva statue, sitting on a platform above the river, and, much to my surprise, we got to hold the fire and circle it in offering and prayer, as we chanted the Vedic mantras. It was so beautiful. We faced the quarter moon in Aries in the sky, and the atmosphere was holy through and through. I almost cried in joy of places like this and ceremonies like this and devotion like this and the shared experience of being there and creating something so sacred together.
I had been looking for an image of Shjva all day. Somehow I never found one that I liked. On my path home after the Ganga Aarti, I bumped into a street vendor I know from previous trips here. We gave each other life updates and when I told him I’m starting my Yoga course with Surinder Sing, he offered me a necklace with the stone of Shiva, and a paper with a beautiful image of Lord Shiva. Isn’t that perfect? It’s now hanging in my bedroom. In this miracle filled place.
I hope this letter finds you at the start of a beautiful week, where your heart gets touched by the sacred, and life flows gently, caringly, and joyfully.
With love from Rishikesh,
Rita
