Obviously Busy...

This picture is a clue for later!

     Hello Readers! So, I'm back in school after thanksgiving break. I can't honestly say I feel rested, or relaxed, to be honest I just feel like the stress continuous to build and pile up. More on this later, for now please enjoy quick snippets of IA tales. As you can tell I was quite busy, and although I never finished, please make note of the Seattle Girls comment. Will come up later.  

 

Wednesday December 3, 2009 5:45 am

    Second day of Inner Awakening! Only 19 days left to go. Yesterday we started on Life Bliss Program level 1. Not much happened in the actual program, but... well we moved to Raja Sabha to accommodate all the people. It had only been (mostly) constructed that morning, by mostly I mean there were no tiles yet on the floor, the bathrooms were not completed, and well, when they opened the curtains to reveal Swamiji in a golden throne, only one spread. So finally Swamiji just walked out and sat in front of us on a footstool. Then as he sat there one of the fans above his head, whirling around caught the decorations in it hanging from the ceiling. (By the way, all the while this was happening Swamiji is giving a very funny commentary which I have not had the time to record.) OK I'll say this, after that incident Swamiji looks up and says "So many things above my head, I pray it does not fall down, I hope!" 

Thursday December 4, 2009 9:40 am

    Third day of IA! OK right now let me get all my annoyence out on paper and be rid of it! There are five girls from Seattle who [...]

Late Morning

    We started out second program NSP, the point: to get rid of engrams. So far we have spent the morning listening to Swamiji talk about death. Now we are [...]

Thanks Giving and Friends.

Happy be later thanksgiving my dearest readers! As usual I along with my close family am staying with my relit gee in Michigan for the thanksgiving holiday. Although thanksgiving in Michigan was same old, see family, bake pie, eat, watch TV, this year a thanksgiving event occurred that changed my perspective of the holiday. Of course I love the overall concept of giving thanks and a day to do it, but within my family it's not exactly a holiday I look forward to. This year though my lunch table at school all agreed to celebrate together in a small way the last day before school. At the lunches prior to it we planned a balanced menu, decreed who would contribute what, including table cloths and plates. It was the kinda thing I get super excited about as a rule and throw myself into, while the others roll their eyes at my over enthusiasm at the matter. I knew a majority of the people at my table decently well, but was both surprised and pleased at their enthusiasm for our upcoming event as well. When the Tuesday finally came I was exhausted from multiple previous events, and simply woke up pulled on one of my not best dresses, slipped the cheesecake I had stayed up till midnight baking into a basket and went to school. When I got there I was still tired and felt non-chalet about the whole thing but immediately my lunch table friends outside and in of first period got me excited again. They were so hyped, so of course I got hyped as well. Every class was one of excitement people peering into my secretive basket, wondering about the contents. Then finally lunch came. I leaped up from my seat in English and rushed to the lunch room a couple other people were already there and with there help and started to organize and decorate the table. More people arrived with excited squeals and comments as they saw the beautiful table. Upon white and maroon cloths lay piled more dishes then even our bunch of hungry teens could eat. Finally everyone arrived pictures where taken, exclamations exchanged.
Sitting there with my school friends passing plastic containing of stuffing, and mashed potatoes around the table. Having people from other tables stand up and walk over jaws dropped at what we had created. And we say, and talked, and ate, reveling in out creation and friendship. I think out of every thanksgiving meal I have ever been to, or participated in that was the most special. Coming together with a group I choose to be with, throwing my heart and soul into it instead of just riding along in the backseat of the car to get there. That is what thanksgiving is supposed to be about. I know this is late, but on this thanksgiving I want to give thanks for friends. Those at my lunch table, and those I have all around the world. You all mean so much to me. Thank you.

In which we come home, move, and IA starts

Life continues to ebb and flow after my last post, which was ages ago! School seemed to suddenly get intense, and the past week I had an attack of girl hormones. If any of my friends are currently reading this, I appreciate the fact your still my friends, I hope. :) in anycase, I'm back and... with a new entry.

Sunday November 30, 2009 7:30 am

    We are driving on a nicely paved road, and along it are many monkeys jumping in thr trees, eating fruits, and grooming each other, and just exploring and hunting for more food. OK, last night when we opened our eyes after an intense meditation we gazed upon, what else do you call him? God. Swamiji was seated on a golden chair with maroon cushions, his hair down and flowing. He was dressed in a beautiful outfit that was an off white color and a garland of lotus flowers around his neck. 

nine-ish am

    Sorry I just stopped writing before I got to the good part. We stopped for breakfast, I had a nice crispy dosa. Alright so Swamiji, dressed like a prince, seated in his chair made of gold. Behind him from one side of the stage to another stretched a black cloth and it was painted with stars and some intricate blue clouds. Then there were sculpted out of foam and painted, some planets. Right above Swamiji was the sun, , it shined and flashed when the light hit it. It was one of the most beautiful sites in the world. He simply sat there, palms together, head slightly bowed, 3,000 people in amazement. We just gazed at him. Then as graceful as only a god can be, he lowered his hands, placed them on his knees, raised his hand, opened his eyes and smiled. He then gestured for darshan to start. 15 minutes passed and a fast beat song was turned on, people stood up and started to dance. After a few minutes (dancing as we did) we stacked up most of the chairs in our section, collected the head phones we had become partly attached to and partly despised. (they were used for our English translation process) and placed all our bags in a pile. Then we danced and danced to all sorts of different songs. Maybe after two hours Swamiji stood up, walked down the steps [of the stage] and started to dance. It was great, except there were around 1,000 people that grouped around him and I could not see. Me and Amrita clasped hands so as not to loose one another. First we tried to push our way in, then she picked me up, even though she is smaller so I could see for a few seconds. (he was gorgeous!) The next, I think ten minutes, was was utter chaos for us. At one point he seemed to hear our silent plees to see him because he climbed back on the stage and danced for ten to 15 more minutes. It was even more beautiful then him then him just sitting, there was one point where he totally was dancing Bollywood style. The rest of the night was amazing as well. We got darshan in a privet hall. At about 12:00 am we piled into a building [just a random college building] and slept all over the floor (guys downstairs, girls upstairs). 

    We were supposed to meet at 4:30 am, but no one set an alarm, so at five am Ma came running in the room, not quite screaming, but quietly yelling at us to wake up. We all simply pulled on sine clothes and a few people ran to the bathroom first, and we all piled back onto the bus. 

Monday December 1, 2009 1:30 pm 

    I have quite a lot to tell, and almost no time to write, so I'll make an attempt to make this quick. When we got back yesterday to the ashram it was about 1:00 pm. We all went to our rooms, bathed, washed clothes, etc. Then we went to lunch. There I discovered a handful of IA (Inner Awakening) people were herem but none I knew. [There were a few Ohioans coming.] OK so then they made the announcment that we all needed to have our stuff packed and ready as we were all being moved to a resort. OK I don't feel like writing much (I am in a talkitive mood, not writing). So long story short I was sad to leave the ashram, but it turned out... 

Tuesday December 2, 2009 5:50 am

    OK so where did I leave off yesterday? Oh yes told me I had to leave the ashram at night sleep in a resort. Well I got a little annoyed, but got over it in about ten minutes and then just wjen all my stuff was packed and ready to load on the buses taking going to the resort, they announced a group of people were actually staying in the new half completed dorm. In the dorm there are four rooms (A, B, C, D) A and B are the two woman's dorms and C and D are the men's dorms. Really the dorms are pretty nice, more later. 

1:15 pm

    Well Inner Awakening has started! There are maybe 500 people? I did not get the exact count. We hav moved to the Raja Sabha to his word, all the LBE people are at the very back of the hall. Interestingly there are quite a few "younger" people here. So far I have met a 13 year old who does not really want to be here.

Life Update

Dear Readers,
   So my friend mentioned to me the other day that I haven't written about my current life in a while. Like really written. So I decided to provide. Marching band season is offically over. The band banquet hasn't happened yet, but no more performances, practices, or football games. As a matter of fact right now it is exactly one week since we got our one at states and the season ended. I thought the past week (and the weeks to come) would leave me with endless time to catch up on things, and while I do feel like I have a bit more time, somehow the workload has magically increased, or school has gotten harder. To be honest I think its my mind, I knew I only would have so much time and energy and so I forced myself to work with it, but now I have more time, so I let myself freak out? I don't know if that makes sense. It does, sorta, in my mind. So school, suddenly this huge weight upon my shoulders, now that I don't have band, I should be doing amazing, but to be honest its harder. Moving on, with the end of band my social life is crushed. I don't say that in the typical sense, but when your in band you are always with people your own age. People that you spend so much time with you finish each other's sentences (a feat my friends and I perform often) then suddenly band is over, you barely see those people and you feel so alone in the world. OK well at least I and the people I talk to do. So figuring out that whole thing,

  So here's what's happening now. my family, specifically my sister, pictures above, is hosting a Japanese exchange student for a week. She's in middle school (and has the same birthday as me!) which is why the time period is so short. I'll admit I was dreading her coming, a week of running around shopping and taking pictures, and such hullabaloo, (OMG! it's says that's a word!) but she is super sweet (and adorable!) and on our first day together (today) it's been super fun. We went to the zoo, and the noodles and co for lunch, and ended our day at a shopping spree at the mall where she helped me pick out an adorable blue hat. So that's fun, tomorrow the schedual is a potluck and the Columbus art museum... we'll see what I, and my homework load, can handle. But more updates on her later.
  Well that's all for now! Check in for more India updates! Also I changed my blog setting, so now ANYONE can comment. So no more excuses! Tell me how you like the new layout and background! I 'm willing to change.

The End of Salem

It's been a long week, but it's nearly over. You'd think things would perk up with marching band being over, like having more time after school to do extra things like homework. Instead each day is a drawn out vortex of sadness that the goal I have lived since June is over. Everything comes to an end though, my India trip did, but before it did there were many more stories.

2:50 pm

    God! Looking at my handwriting from this morning on the bus ride you would think I was in second grade! Well when we got to Maha College of Engineering where the program is taking place we had a quick breakfast and then went to the hall. I mean tent. There we had a morning session with Swamjii, then a quick break, then a talk all about the second energy layer of the body (the pranic layer) and did an intense meditation. After the meditation to let our bodies settle back down we were told not to talk for an hour which makes trying to find the resting building [it had mats laid out for people to sleep], and other such things slightly frustrating, but even that in itself is a good practice. Now me, Amrita, and Eduarda, and others, are laying or sitting on colorful cushions placed about the floor. This is normally a lecture room, but for the program is being used as a resting room for the woman. Below it is one for the guys. 

Friday November 28, 2009 7:15 am

    OK, I know my handwriting is terrible, but this might be all the time I have. Driving the hour and a half to the venue. This morning after an ice cold bath I got dressed, braided my hair into one thick plait, applied my kum kum to my Anya chakra (the place directly between my eyebrows), packed my things into my large backpack, then ran (literlly) downstairs and drank a small cup of chai, then hung out for a while, mostly taking pictures, and at one point a small white and tan dog showed up that I played with. Now they [our bus in general] are playing the dance song Vita Lay and many people and clapping and dancing as we rumble through the Indian countryside. Tonight there is supposed to be an all night meditation, and we will end up leaving from the college, so all our bags are packed and jammed into the bus. Because of this it feels like we are leaving Salem now, even though we have two more days of the program. 

8:00 am

    I just remmebered something I would really like to tell about, but I want to tell my friends through email, so I shall flip this paper to the back and write it in a letter format. 

    Some of you might have gone to a large gathering before, but I assume it was a festival, or fair, or concert. So I ask you to imagine: 3,000 people all together in a simple, yet large tent. All of them on their feet, waiting, waiting, waiting, no not for a celebrity, but for an Enlightened master, a guru. A man whose goal for the world is to find bliss, Nirvana, enlightenment, whatever you call it. Suddenly there he is! Dressed in a orange robe he seems to glide across the stage and with a divine smile seats himself in a large white chair. Swamiji, then he picks up a large stack of papers next to him, and sitting erect on his chair, legs crossed [Indian style] starts looking at every single paper. There must be about 800, every paper a question from a devotee. The man controlling the sound system knows this will take a while and turns on is me music, just the background music though because after a few minutes a man starts to sing into the mic. Everyone in the hall has a least heard of him, once a famous singer in India, he devoted his very life to Swamiji, saying from now on the only music coming from his throat will be Nithyananda. Suddenly at least 2000 people are up on their feet dancing. People dance at some concerts I'm sure, but 2000 people dancing out of pure devotion to Swamiji, to god, to spirituality) That is phenomenon. So first song ended, the people who controlled the sound system are actually quite smart, with regular circumstances.  but these were not regular circumstances. He tried to play a slow, quiet song as a signal to get people to sit down, but they just danced slowly. When that song was over and as we stood on the green mats covering the earth, said to Amrita wouldn't it be funny if they put on Enepenlava. It one of the main dance songs in the Nithyananda world. Then to our surprise they put on Thaga thaga thaga, the second most popular, it was madness, it was insane., it was amazing. Everyone was in ecstasy. When the song was over Swamiji got onto the mic and said

     "OK, you guys had your show, now let me have mine." Everyone simply cheered. 

    Alright I mentioned that I am in Salem, when I am currently living in Bangalore. Why? [OK so here I went mental and start blabbing the whole Salem story, obviously forgetting that I already wrote about it. So that's all for this entry.]

11:45 pm

    Swamiji is sitting in his chair, a table in front of him, signing thousands of books. The rest of the people are on the floor below. Some on chairs, some on the floor, sitting,  most are dancing to the popular Tamil song playing. In a few minutes we will all enter into what Swamiji calls an alchemy process, but what most of us all call torture. An all night meditation. Actually as he explains it, it doesn't sound that bad, he will be sitting with us all night so that will help. I really hope they play dynamic music though or I will be ...ZZZZZZZZZ. God! The song playing! A person can barely concentrate!