Surabhi's Yogalaya

 

Who is the richest person in this “Current” world?

 

What is that which is the most sought-after wealth? Which everyone possesses but only few lucky ones realize its presence and even fewer its importance and rare ones can experience it every moment? And these rare ones are found to be the most attractive by the ones who realize its presence and also the most envied by the ones who are yet oblivious to its existential importance.

It’s all about from where it starts – the first place of action – Mind and the thoughts…and those who are able to go beyond it and not get attached to the endless train of thoughts, are the wealthiest and automatically the happiest, coz they are the “Peace possessors ”…although it would be wrong to use the term possess as everyone owns it already…just a matter of choosing it over other matters! Too Cliché eh?!

When we talk about some expensive/ precious etc. qualities, the great values like TRUST, HAPPINESS, COMPASSION, LOVE etc. etc. pop up to our minds and we get a brief moment of introspection and take a small mental oath to imbibe those qualities within ourselves. But with or without those qualities being showcased in our behaviour, if we just start taking them for granted that they are already present within us and we are perfect just the way we are NOW and not being too hard on ourselves, where do we land mentally ?In a calm, tranquil, still ocean of PEACE, which is Priceless, not bound to any other event and not at all a pursuit, but a pure acceptance of WHAT IS. And then all those qualities start showing up organically. It’s quite tempting right? To run after peace, do all sorts of activities which invokes the inner peace and make it a part of our unconscious “To Do” list…but whilst doing so, it shouldn’t make us restless and rather take us far from it.

Nothing is worth your peace of mind. but isn’t it so that nothing should be able to shake your peace of mind in the first place? Why did we even give permission to something to let it disturb our peace? As you see, the defect lies not in the “thing” but in us being so generous with our inner peace and letting it go. Rather let go of that “thing”. while I say so, I can list down 100s of things that are disturbing my peace of mind. But the moment I decide to be peaceful, I can visualize them all crumpling down. The choice is mine, right? Which has to be chosen every single moment…till it well, becomes my nature which was already once upon a time, Peaceful. Let Peace not be a pursuit. Rather an expression of life and acceptance of what is. Coz what is now, it is perfect. We could be perfecter, but then not peaceful in trying to make it better and then this whole act would make us lose our peace of mind, and even the perfect would not be perfect anymore. So, just be! Coz we are not running behind at the cost of our peace, as though it itself is priceless, but losing it could be a really expensive affair.

 

Some Do's and Dont's for that deep soulful n soundful sleep ...Zzzzz

Sleep time - 8 hrs (10 pm to 6 am, same time will help with the biological clock settings, Circadian rhythm, REM)

To take off into a soothing, relaxing and a peaceful world of natural healing and rejuvenation for your body and mind, you need to ~

#Place your phone on FLIGHT mode! 

#Get away from all electronic devices/ white light/ anything loud for the senses/ fluid consumption one hr prior going to bed.

#Keep a gap of minimum 2 hrs to max 3 hrs between dinner and sleep time. That said, also don't go to bed empty stomach. 

#Dinner should not be very heavy, salad, no curd, a small portion of only one type of grain (either rice /roti), 1 dal and one veg. Can include a small cup of warm Turmeric date milk/ Chamomile tea as per the Prakriti (Body's constitution) one hr before going to bed.

#Keep the last hr of the day for reading some good book, doing some light bedtime exercise, a short 15 min of spiritual practices with cross legged and eyes closed (Nadi shodhan/ Brahmari/ full yogic breath/ Meditation/ Om Chanting) preparing yourself for bed and maybe writing about the day's learning. Mudra breathing for sleep - Shakti Mudra (Also relives back and hip pain due to prolonged sitting).

#Sleep on your back. Not on sides or stomach. With hands at the sides or on stomach, head should be raised up from shoulders to avoid blood accumulation in the head region.

#Take a warm water bath with a light fragrant essential oil or body wash to cleanse all the days dirt and soothe any muscular aches. Could include moisturizing your body as a relaxing massage.

#Foods for good sleep - increase food items in your diet which are rich in Magnesium(leafy veg, sweet potato, dates, banana, nuts and seeds), oats, soaked almonds, avoid white sugar, caffeine after 5pm or forever if possible! 

#Feet should be warm naturally. If they are cold, it means low healthy and won't let you have a good sleep. Sleep with a pair of warm socks. 

# Don't cover the face while sleeping, keep the fan at a low speed and windows open enough for well ventilation. 

#Sleep with the head pointing towards the South. If not possible, place it towards the east. Never in the south direction.

#Keep your room clean, neatly arranged and clutter free to have more free space and clean air. You could make use of some light fragrant candles. Avoid using the underneath area of bed as a means of storage. 

#Do not hit the snooze button and try to oversleep. Your body has woken up. Don't let it start controlling the mind first thing in the morning!

#Every place has its purpose and energy. You cannot sleep on the dining table, similarly you should not eat on the bed.

#Don't sleep in the afternoons. Let the afternoon siestas be for old people. Also if you do something very frequently, it loses its charm and doesn't feel exciting when the right (night) time arrives!

#Health is 30% exercise 70% food and 100% sleep.

Good Night, Sleep tight, Don't let the bugs bite, Wake up light :)

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come :)

Common name - Aloe Vera

Scientific name - Aloe barbadensis

Cultivation - I have been nurturing Aloe plants from past four years, transferring and replanting the newer pops that come out so as to avoid over crowding. Have researched a lot and these links might be helpful if you are onto something similar.

For transferring - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soPqKLHhrG0
         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbe2jxc9aVA

Aloe Vera plant - Grown best in full sunlight, little water and a large pot.

Benefits - Very effective as a medicinal applicant on open wounds like cuts and burns, healing without leaving a mark, as a natural skin moisturizer, lengthening the hair and treatment of scalp allergies.

Flowers - And I have been gifted the fruits (read flowers) of my efforts. A rare sight to see the Aloe Vera flowers bloom...that happens so beautifully and meticulously. Not all Aloe Vera bloom, and when it does, it's once in it's lifetime. I have two window full of Aloe Vera plants...And in both the windows during the rains, the flowers bloomed one after another..Maybe pollination?!

Aloe Vera Bird - There is a typical bird which sits and sucks on the Aloe Vera flowers. And upon surfing on the net, I realized that the bird which had come in my window earlier that day was the same one!and the shades of the flower and the bird are the same! it also has long beak to penetrate well into the long narrow tubular petal arrangement of the flowers. So intricately beautifully well planned the nature is!

Below is the little fellow who set my heart aflutter when I saw him hanging upside down drinking nectar from the Aloe Vera flower, on my terrace. I ran for the camera praying he would not fly off. He was there! Not only that day, was he there but every day till the flowers lasted. It is the male Purple Rumped Sunbird. Mark its maroon breast band and yellow belly and the characteristic long curved sunbird beak. 

Fact File: Purple Rumped Sunbird leptocoma (Nectarinia) zeylonica 10cm. 

Resident: Widespread in C and S India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

             

Gel preparation - Pulling off the ripe succulent leaf blades, cleaning with water,Cut off the lower leaf part which oozes out yellow bitter irritant latex sap, removing the thorns by cutting off the edges, peel off the top layer and extract the pulp by scrapping off the skin of the leaf with a sharp spoon. It's a million dollar herb, don't waste it..not even a drop of it: D blend the translucent pulp in a mixer and store in fridge up to 1 week. Transfer in spray bottles for ease of application. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO6EjhFpO9c

A solobackpacking turned solobikepacking ~ North east!

You travel alone so that you find out you don't have to be dependent on others, apart from finding yourself and then slowing finding out that all lives are interdependent...No matter how hard you try( unless you are completely living raw all by yourself like "Into the wild", which didn't have have a happily ever after!). The most enjoyable trip ever, with the best companions ever, constantly changing with the places with loads of spontaneous unexpected adventures :)

Angelina - one of the best companion to the most difficult trek ever! Double Decker which took away my life triple times...once while going and twice while climbing up!

Day 1. 3/5/17 Landed my foot on my 1st north east state Assam ~ Guahati.

My very first Gauhati friends with whom I enjoyed my first turbulence and the extra leg space exit seats 

:D That's Mr. Tai kai, the DC of Arunachal Pradesh on my right (who did give me a smile instead of window seat and will help me get the permits wherever required :P) and Mr. Dhruv, a mechanical engineer by profession and musician by passion! And his young sis has just got her first book whispers of the seashore published. That's the perk of travelling... You get to know so many amazing people.

My breakfast which didn't break my fast, but who's complaining!

NH 6 (Shillong ~ Cherrapunji)

So I'm here! How long this day was awaited... After visiting almost all the states of India, the 7 sisters remained untouched.

Day 2. Stepped on the 2nd state -Meghalaya...Day spent in Shillong - Elephant falls, rented bike followed by Shillong city view point, Mawphlang sacred groove and the heritage village in the Scotland of India.Night spent in Cherrapunji.

The triple layer Elephant falls

Elephant first falls (there are three levels in all) The name was derived by britishers due an elephant shaped rock nearby which was destroyed

during an earthquake

The eerie scared groove trek, which has to be done under the guidance of a guide as people experience weird stuff if they upset the deity.. Like by taking something out of the forest... Though I do not believe in the revenge part, I did not take the rudraksh shaped seeds as a token of respect.. Clockwise from left - the snake lily, entrance of the forest, the stones (monoliths) used by king and his people during meetings.. Didn't look quite comfortable, decorative mushrooms, rudraksh seeds from the rudra tree and ferns used as earnings during the festival of the women cannot afford actual ones.. There were a lot of stones kept specially for bull sacrifices done during 800yrs ago.. I did not click them.. The guides are specifically supposed to be of the #lyngdoh (descendants of the burma tribe) clan and only they get to be the king.. There will be a new king coronated this year...In short, for two hrs, I was in #gameofthrones.. Btw yes, my guide did watch few episodes 😂 #fictioninanonfictionworld or is it the other way round?!

To more beautiful views and faster :)

Convincing the security guy to rent me his bike for few days was unexpectedly easy... Making my connectivity super easy and super scary... Also fulfilling my long long dream of riding on the hills.

Day 3. The day of waterfalls and caves. Seven sister waterfalls, Bangladesh border view from Mot Palong park, Thangkharang park, (had to leave kynrem falls due to super bad rocky roads), Mawsmai caves, eco park, R.K.M museum, Nohkalikai falls, Arwah – Lumshynna cave (which was a sea around 6 crore years ago), Umtynghiang falls, Dainthlen falls.

7 sister falls

On the edge of India and Bangladesh

Mawsmai caves

Noh - ka - likai falls

Arwah caves

NO fence required ? :O

Dainthlen falls

You are not a solo traveler unless you ride your vehicle or else driver counts as a company! 

And though solo travelling appears to be charming, it's equally scary and risky...I was waiting to get a chance to ride my Vespa in the Himalayas.. This was my first intercity( Shillong ~ Cherrapunji) ride on a hilly road which had the best and worst of terrains.

After riding through, Shillong (elephant falls) ~ Shillong peak ~ sacred groove ~ Sohra ~ Cherrapunji, my realization was the more beautiful the mountains appear during daylight, the darker and deeper they appear at night... Zigzag turns, hairpin bends, cornering bikes and the views are fun during the day.. But these same things become life threatening as sun sets, roads become empty, cold sets in and all sources of lights and paths disappear...This was the first and last day I'll be driving on a hilly area after sunset.

Khasi hills

OMG that's a lot to ride over 

The road where I rode

Day 4.The day of waterfalls, metal, bamboo and live root brides...and yeah 6000 steps! Tyrna village – Nongriat, single live root bridge, Sacred groove, doubledecker root bridge, rainbow falls. (The most strenuous trek I've ever done...6k steps up and down, a week later and the legs were still sore!)

I was happy initially until the steps seemed never ending!

On the way to Single root bridge!

Coz #yogaeverydamnday

Bridges and more

Double - Decker root bridge

Nope it wasn't raining. It was the waterfall's spray :D

Awesome M.K. 7Star homestay peeps @ Cherrapunji :)

My trek mate

 Till now, the only info I had from my Geo txbk about Cherrapunji was it was the most highest rainfall receiving area.. Today I actually saw the unpredictable weather here, sunny, at one moment and sudden windy slanting heavy rains and it dries again!Guess I'll just have to ride in the rains

Day 5. The day of clearest river, Asia's cleanest village and rode till the Bangladesh borders..Also the day I gladly returned the bike. NH 40 – The roads filled with the most beautiful, coldest, continuous scary sharp hairpin bends and twist and get the darkest at night. With so much cornering, I'm a mountain rider now!).
Dawki, Tamabil to meet the army at Bangladesh border, Umngot river, Shenopdeng in Jaintia hills, single live root bridge, tree house, Khasmar river waterfalls in Nohwet village, Mawlynnong – Shillong – police bazaar - Guwahati.

Dawki

Meghalaya

Bangladesh border

In Shneopdeng - Asia's cleanest village

Tree houses

Standing live on living Roots!

Day 6. The day I traveled through 3 states, crossed the Bhramaputra river via NH 52 - touched the Bhutan border and stepped on my 3rd state, Arunachal Pradesh (without an ilp!) via NH 13. Night spent in Dirang in a Tibetian house of my first newly Buddhist friend :P

Thinley's tibetian house :)

Day 7. Dirang to Tawang via NH 13, Sela pass, Nuranang waterfalls, light show at war memorial, 6th Dalai lama birth place.

Over Sela pass

Tawang

Momomia

The entrance of the Monastery

Outside Monastery

North India Finally !

Thukpa

Bhutanese petrol pump

Glaciers

On buddha Purnima ~ 10 May '17

Some weird tasting thenthuk

The clouds

On the way to Tawang

Betel and stuff I despise :(

Salty buttery tea

Panipuris!

Mountain fluffy dogs

Tawang Monastery - Asia's 3rd largest

Day 8. The day I touched the 3rd border, China at Bumla pass, Tawang monastery (largest in India and 2nd largest in Asia) and lit candle on occasion of Buddha Poornima, Bumla pass, Madhuri lake, PengaTeng Tso lake, Bap Tent Kang waterfalls, Zeminthang lake.

Day 9. Tawang ~ Bomdila ~ tezpur ~ Guwahati. 

Day 10. 12/5 Back to Guwahati, visited Kamhaya temple, Art of Living temple, Guwahati ~ Delhi, Delhi ~ Rishikesh, Night spent in a Vikram (Don't ask !) ;D

Art of Living, Guwahati

My 5th Art of Living ashram... The feeling of doing one's sadhana and chanting followed by ashram's healthy breakfast - pasta, sprouts and the herbal tea in this sweet safe place cannot be compared to anything! I'm glad I came here and met swami Arpitji and Krisanu.. So many judgments and prejudices needed to be broken :) and I'm so happy for all the AOL work happening here

Day 11. Woke up after a cold windy night in Vikram, caught the 4.30 bus from Rishikesh ~ Uttarkashi, Reached the Sivananda Kutir at 12.00, which was going to be my heavenly abode for one whole month! (Lot of #himalayas and #ganges Tags :D )

Day 12. Yoga TTC commences

3 states, 3 borders... After compressing a month long trip into a week and still being able to experience the taste of North East, it was hard to bid adieu to one of the most scenic, wild and beautiful place...