The Shifting Sands

Writing  a post about super foods in India is like talking in the native tongue...there are 22 official languages and almost 400 living languages!  But there are certain foods that are becoming more readily available and are not cost prohibitive that are worthy of special mention. A superfood has to be nutrient dense, readily (seasonably)  available, cleanly produced and singular...not a combination food...so it can be eaten on its own, on the run, or added to other foods to create a healthier choice. I love the idea of super foods and I know Ayurvedic principals have hundreds of ancient and nature available foods and food combinations that sit within the western understanding of super foods. For BREAKFAST right now one cannot go past a Spray Free Alphonso Mango.  Finding Organic in India, truly organic, is not easy, but there are many farmers and co-operatives that manage chemical free ...

I took these photos of this women as she pulled weeds from a patch of dirt next to our tent high above Gupta Kashi in the norther state of UK in India, in the higher hills below the mountains of the Himalaya.   Her name Pavahari, a name from the Bhagavad Gita, she proudly told me...I later found it in chapter 9 verse 30.  I wanted to take her picture and at first she angrily refused, only it seems, long enough to use her scythe to cut some 'weeds' and a small leafy branch from a nearby tree to quickly fashion a wreath of flowers...to then stand proudly so I could take her picture.  Of course I must note that I was 'In Silence' throughout this period.

The trip to Gupta Kashi ( meaning hidden Varanasi, or ancient Varanasi) was typical for this part of the world but exciting and invigorating for us westerners, no matter how long I live in India....Taking a hair pin bend on the outside where the road has fallen away into the deep ravine that meets with Ganga does not constitute an easy drive up the mountains.   On leaving Riushikesh at 5.30am, I took my seat behind the driver so I could telepathically connect with him at every crucial turn and ensure he kept us safe.  He didn't really need me but it was best to be sure.  The six hour drive became eight thanks to landslides, flat tyres, rebuilding of temples ruined by the terrible floods of last year and travelling the 180km with many other pilgrims and locals wanting to arrive in a timely manner!   We arrived to our new paradise overlooking parts of the himlayas in time for a late lunch. En route, a refreshing lemonade. A confluence of the Yamuna and Ga...

Part of the Yoga Teacher Training program I undertook involved five days of silence high above Gupt Kashi in the Himalayan foothills overlooking the peaks of Choucumba and Kedarnath.  The view to Choucumba.  We meditated on her four pillars and imagined applying the simple strategy of bringing our lives into this simple fourfold focus. The things you see when your mind is stilled. In silence I was fascinated by nature.  there were so few other distractions. What the soul gains the active mind loses. Chatter is reduced, concentration is enhanced and recall is smooth and direct. The mind really is the focus, at least for me, as I take leave from the everyday distractions and notice my thoughts one by one.  Over days I seem to be able to group them...judgements of self and others, martyrdom, questioning, amazement, awe, gratitude.  All mixed in like a thick, hearty vegetable soup. The obvious occurs, one notices the birds, the changing ...