Entering the astral sphere...

Am I ever happy I'm not in Rajastan right now! Thank you to my Delhi hostel receptionist for convincing me not to go through with it. Life in Rishikesh continues to get more wonderful every day. But it has its little kinks, of course. Here are a few things you should know about my little town. First of all, it pretty much shuts down at 8pm. I was the last one in the internet shop last night writing my blog after yoga. I walked home in the dark (my new guesthouse is in a quainter, quieter, darker part of town) and I didn't have my headlamp with me (thanks Chrystal for another great purchase suggestion the day before I left!). I couldn't see the road very well, and was paranoid I'd step in one of the many huge piles of cow dung that grace the streets. Yup, that's the biggest of my worries these days! Another thing about Rishikesh is that because it's a holy town, there is not a drop of alcohol. Not on the menus, not in the shops. So the evenings are calm and quiet, no chance of running into obnoxious drunkards. Also, at any given moment of the day, if you look around you you are sure to spot at least one monkey, cow, cat and dog within meters. Even the animals are calm and peaceful here. And oh, the smells... all sorts of good, all sorts of bad, but somehow, when all mixed together, they seem lovely: street vendors with their chai (tea), roasting peanuts, popping corn, chapati (flatbread) cooking; incense burning; animal poop fuming; smokey fires burning; spices cooking; outhouses, well, stinking. And not just outhouse bathrooms... the one in my guesthouse room generously spreads its odors throughout the room when door and windows are closed. I try to air out the room as much as possible during the day, but at night temperatures fall to almost freezing, so I have to close up. By morning, the stench is pretty intense. But besides that, I'm thrilled with Sudesh, my new guesthouse. The room is plain but I've made it cozy; there is a large yoga hall on the fifth floor (I'm on the third), and a fabulous, open rooftop on the 7th. I went up there this afternoon to catch a few seconds of sun when it came through the grey sky, but the wind made it too cold to stay. There is also a communal kitchen, so I can make my own tea and food (though the cafes are so delicious and cheap that I'm sure I'll mostly eat out). Another great yoga session this morning. A new teacher started it off, the handsome dread-locked Kristof from (?), giving theory on the sublimation of energy (transferring energy from one to chakra to another in order to create balance and harmony between them). Fascinating once again. Then angelic Angela took over for the asana (posture) portion of the class. During the final relaxation, I felt a very strong sensation in my body that is difficult to express, but I'll try. We are laying down on our backs, legs outstretched, arms resting alongside our body. Imagine that my body is a pencil and that you hold it in the middle with your thumb and index and make small, quick movements with your fingers... the line remains straight but shifts in small movements from side to side, clockwise and counterclockwise. Then, it begins spinning in almost full circles. The body feels light and disconnected from the ground. (Hmmm, the sensation actually felt less strange than this description. Actually, it's not the first time I've felt this. I've had this sensation many times while just laying in bed, but never thought much about it nor questioned why it was happening. Or questioned it maybe, but didn't seek an answer or explanation. This time, however, the sensation was significantly stronger than it had ever been, and it was almost difficult to come out of it when it was time to stretch and sit up. When I did, I felt dizzy and nauseous). So I stayed after class to talk to Angela about it, and her eyes widened as she slowly said, "Woooww". She explained to me that it was a sign of me fully letting go of my physical body and entering the astral sphere. Yikes! Where will I be in a month? She gave me recommendations for how to shift my focus to prevent the nausea I was feeling; I thanked her and went on with my day. Which was lunch at Oasis cafe, just a few steps from my guesthouse. Had my first dahl soup (delicious mixture of brown and yellow lentils with coriander) and chapati. It's just about time for today's evening session. More fascinating yogic adventures to come!