The PracticalI've been home for a week now. This picture sums up the first few days: socks, wool blankets, hanging out with Pete around the house, passing out on the couch at 8pm, and a snuggly dog who has pretty much not left my side since I got back.
Is it good to be home? Absolutely. Many joyous reunions: husband, dog, Boivin clan, and friends that I missed very much. Do I miss India? I do. It is hard not to experience the environment here as barren, drab, and artificial after the vibrancy of India. And the experience of being so totally immersed in a world that shares my passions is not easy to leave behind. And the food. Oh, the food.
But, my life is here and my life is good. Culture shock has not been too bad: the weirdest thing was that I kept trying to drive on the wrong side of the road for a few days, and I never even drove in India! I am pretty well readjusted by now, though.
I put a bunch of pictures online if you want to browse. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenboivin/
The Practice
It's great to be back at Ashtanga Michigan and practicing with my home community. I was so happy to walk in the door and see everyone, it really is an amazing group that we have and I am so grateful for them. It helps my readjustment, too, that many of them are India veterans as well.
I am easing back into practice, what with the sitting very, very still all day for 10 days before coming home and then a full day and night of travel. I was pretty sore after my first day back, I'm not gonna lie! I have "just" been practicing the primary series for a week after traveling but I'll pick back up with my intermediate postures tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how the whole experience has deepened my practice as things continue to unfold.
The Path
Indian spirituality really resonates with me, and provides a framework for understanding the world and myself speaks to me very deeply. Yoga as a complete system is a practical application of this philosophy, a technology that allows you to gradually make progress toward the goals that are the ultimate aim of every spiritual tradition. I learned so much in India, from reading, from listening, from observing, from practicing, from just being in the presence of people who have obviously made great strides on this path. I hope to be able to keep a lot of that alive here, as I process and integrate the experience and see what happens next.
Peace.
