Living and Learning in Amritapuri (Dec 8-13, 2015)

Tai Chi

I’m still dragging. I know part of it is from the heat and part is from having a cold, but I’ve realized that the Tai Chi I am doing is probably the main culprit. I believe, and my Tai Chi teacher confirmed, that the process is releasing toxins that need to move through and out of my body. My body is softening and I can move in ways that I couldn’t do two weeks ago. Tai Chi is meditative and it is allowing me to find that part of myself again. The last two times I’ve gone to meditations with Amma, I have slipped into a meditative state. My mind is so active that I haven’t had that experience for many years. I am so excited!

Chennai

Amma sent rescue workers to Chennai when the flooding first happened. Yesterday there were signs around the ashram asking western residents and visitors to go to Chennai to help with the clean-up effort. Forty left for Chennai last night and I heard that more may go today.

Nature

I share my room with this friend (Hold cursor over pictures to see captions; click on photos to enlarge them.)

On the ceiling

India- on the wall

One day I saw this creature cross the path in front of me. I couldn’t believe the speed it was moving. It certainly wasn’t a worm and I didn’t think a centipede could move that fast. Turns out it was a millipede, or at least that is what I was told.

Among the things I’ve been dealing with this year are termites. That’s not surprising since this is the tropics. Actually, I’m a bit surprised that I’ve had wood furniture for this long without them. Last week, Akshay removed the wood in the shelves above my window. That stopped the droppings that were forming below the shelves so I’m hoping it solved the problem.

Earlier this year I researched and posted information about a variety of ‘pests’, e.g. slugs, ants, and aphids. I learned so much through that process and my respect for those creatures really increased. I think I will write one on termites. I’m very eager to learn more about them.

Play Preparation

I’ve been to several of the play rehearsals. I love it as much as I always do. Chaitanya asks me to edit the script once she finishes it so I know what the story is about but to see it move from words on paper to a play that comes alive always feels miraculous. The music, acting, props, costumes, etc. are so good.

Jani and Sumati have been working on the costumes night and day. I’m beginning to help but am not doing nearly as much as they are. As I feel better I hope to help more.

Sumati

Sheep costumes children will wear

Patience or lack thereof

I had very poor internet connection for the last four days. It has been very frustrating and I haven’t been very patient about it. Yesterday I started the process of getting a new internet stick. (To get cell phone SIM cards and internet sticks you have to have copies of passports, visas, passport photos, fill out applications, and wait through many lines. It is a test of patience in and of itself.) I was able to pick up the new stick and activate it a few minutes ago. So far it feels like SUCCESS. If so, you will more probably hear from me more often!

Sreejit

This morning I bought cinnamon rolls and took them to the place where Sreejit cooks. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SREEJIT!

To see the earlier posts in this series go to: https://livinglearningandlettinggo.wordpress.com/india/

1970: My Summer as a Migrant Farm Laborer (Series)

Migrant worker- me!

One of the most important times of my life was the summer I spent doing migrant farm labor across the United States. It is a treasured experience, one that contributed significantly to making me the person I am today.

During fall of 2015, I was looking through the scrapbook I put together after that summer. It occurred to me that I could share the whole story of that journey, primarily using the words I wrote in 1970.

Below you will find the links to each post in the series.

1970: My Summer as a Migrant Farm Laborer #1 (From Seattle to Florida)

1970: My Summer as a Migrant Farm Laborer #2 (Atlanta International Pop Festival)

1970: My Summer as a Migrant Farm Laborer #3 (Working in Georgia)

1970: My Summer as a Migrant Farm Laborer #4 (Working in South Carolina)

1970: My Summer as a Migrant Farm Laborer #5 (Maryland and New Jersey)

1970: My Summer as a Migrant Farm Laborer #6 Series End (Pennsylvania and Washington State)

I hope you enjoy the series.

Over or Under?

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There was a time earlier this year when I noticed the amount of space devoted to toilet paper in our local supermarket. The toilet paper display had caught my eye in the past but the absurdity of it really struck me on that day. The sight impacted me enough that I wrote a post about it! (Only in America?)

Another toilet paper issue has surfaced in my life. While I was aware of the debate over whether toilet paper should hang over or under the roll, I didn’t realize how much energy people had about it.

I personally side with the under camp, but began to wonder what other people thought. When we were planning some “getting to know you” exercises for a recent therapy activity, the staff decided to place a fun question among the serious ones. We asked the participants if they were unders or overs and had them divide into two groups. I was surprised to discover that in a group of 15 people 12 were overs and 3 were unders. I had no idea that the distribution would be so skewed or that I would be part of the minority.

After a friend sent me the picture I will place at the end of this post, I decided to delve further into the topic. (Sometimes it is fun to investigate a topic that has no particular importance!)

Wikipedia devotes 5445 words to the issue and that number doesn’t include the 132 footnotes, 119 references and 13 recommendations for further reading.

I found these factors mentioned in various sources:

Over keeps the flap further away from the wall, which may contain germs.
Over is the way that hotels do it so it must be right. (Over allows hotel staff to neatly fold back the flap.)
Over makes the pattern on the toilet paper look right.
Over makes it easier to tear off the number of tiles you want
Over makes it easier to find the flap.
The patent on toilet paper displays it in the over position.
Under makes it less likely it will unravel in an RV or during an earthquake
Under keeps children and pets from unrolling it.
Under is neater since the flap can be hidden.
Under creates less kinetic friction

An engineering study found that 70% of the people they studied are overs and 30% are unders. When looking at psychological factors, the researchers found overs to be overachievers who stay organized and take charge, and unders to be laid back, artistic and dependable. The study reported that 50% of people pay attention to the orientation of toilet paper, and that 20% have changed the orientation when they thought it was wrong. The investigators estimated that the average American spends half an hour a year trying to find the end of the toilet paper roll and that endeavor is said to create a $300 million loss in productivity.

I believe I now know enough about toilet paper orientation, so to end this post I will share the picture I mentioned above. My friend found this toilet paper dispenser in a “pizza joint” in Kenmore, Washington!

toilet paper

Weekly Photo Challenge: Treat

As I filled this jack-o-lantern with candy for the trick or treaters who will soon be coming, I realized I had the object for this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge. My son, Sreejit, made this beautiful piece of art when he was five-years-old. It has held treats on Halloween for the last 35 years!

Family (Echo Poem)

On Thursday, Sreejit announced that this week’s Dungeon Prompt will be the last of the year due to his upcoming Walking with Intention event. He proposed that we write about Family.

Around the same time I read an echo poem written by Oliana on Traces of the Soul. I decided to see if I could create a poem using that style.

Oliana stated that in an echo poem “the last syllable or two of a main line is repeated, perhaps with different spelling or meaning, as if an echo; usually this echo will be indented to a point under or beyond the syllable it mimics and will function as an independent line of one or two syllables.”

Here is my beginner’s attempt!

FAMILY

left home at seventeen, did not look back
unpack
life unfolds- study, marry, children arrive
strive
challenges occur- divorce and illness
suppress
families of choice materialize
ties
ancient wounds healing, become whole again
when
belonging and connection do abound
love found

Becoming Me in 111 Words

Army brat in a critical household

My heart full of anger

Alone and lonely

Why bother?

Conservative college student, trapped again

Rebel by school’s end

Discovering new worlds

Finding life!

Migrant farm laborer

From Florida to Washington State

Seeing racism up close

Ready to make a difference.

Married Al and had two beautiful babies

– was unprepared and overwhelmed,

divorce and chronic fatigue left me

feeling empty, alone, beaten down.

Enter Jean, Elaine and Pam

Learned to parent myself and my children

Mentors’ teachings will last forever

I am whole.

Enter Amma

In her music I find Joy

In her arms I find Home

In her mission I find Purpose.

Written for Dungeon Prompts: Becoming You in 111 Words

Live to Work or Work to Live?

“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

~Marc Anthony

While there are days when I am tired or discouraged that I may think that I work in order to be able to buy the things I need to live, I know that isn’t really true. I have no doubt that I live to work. I have been a psychotherapist since 1987. My primary modality is group therapy based on a developmental model that includes the concept of “inner children.” I believe that one of the most important elements in healing is for clients to learn how to parent those vulnerable “children” inside of themselves.

Most people start therapy because they are depressed and/or anxious. They may have learned to cover their pain with addictive behaviors such over-working, over-thinking, eating disorders or substance abuse. They frequently have trouble in relationships and often feel alone and lonely. Past traumas may cause them to experience flashbacks. They often have poor self esteem and think they are unworthy and will never be good enough. They may be very critical of themselves and others.

Continue reading “Live to Work or Work to Live?” →

Weekly Photo Challenge: Boundaries

The shed in my backyard provides boundaries for all of the tools and gardening paraphernalia that I use. I also store the jars I use for canning there. But the shed was not always a shed. Until three years ago it was a 7′ x 7′ tree house!

Tree house

I had the tree house built in the mid 90’s and slept in it from April to October for five years. The boundaries of the tree house protected me from wildlife and the rain. Even though it had walls, there was also a skylight. That gave me a sense of being part of the tree, the sky and nature in general. Returning to the main house for autumn and winter months sometimes gave me a sense of being imprisoned. My cells yearned to be outside and feel free again.

I was always a little nervous walking to the tree house at night. After all, I live in the inner city and there could be intruders in the backyard. The lock on the door provided a boundary that helped me feel safe once I was inside.

One day, when I walked to the tree house at bedtime, two very large raccoons were standing upright on their back legs, in-between the tree house ladder and me. There was no boundary between us. I turned around and walked back to the main house.

I generally don’t have problems with fear keeping me from doing the things I want to do, but knowing there was no way to create a protective barrier between those big raccoons and me put an end to my sleeping in the tree house.

Written for Weekly Photo Challenge: Boundaries

My 70 Day Wellness Challenge

fresh fruits and vegetables isolated on white background — Picture Credit: Wikimedia

Yesterday, the first post I read was SeasonedSistah2’s My 70 Day Challenge to Wellness. Her post really grabbed my attention. I have been trying to change some health sabotaging behaviors for some time but making agreements with myself hasn’t worked. In particular, I continually give in to my desire for chocolate, donuts and cookies. I know from my own personal experience and in my experience as a psychotherapist that I will be more likely to succeed if I make a public commitment. Continue reading “My 70 Day Wellness Challenge” →

Comfort Food

This morning I canned 4 pints of sugarless applesauce and this afternoon I canned 6 more. There are at least enough apples left to make another 6 pints! I decided to leave it slightly chunky and to add cinnamon!

So the jars of applesauce are now added to the jars of unsweetened canned peaches, pears and blueberry jam. While part of this endeavor has been about reconnecting to activities I enjoyed doing forty years ago, I’m realizing what I have also done is provide myself with some healthy comfort foods. Hopefully they will replace the cookies, donuts, ice cream and chocolate anything that I all too often indulge in!