My days have been so full that for now....an email update to my family will have to do.....


Hi my precious little tree monkeys!

Last night we went to an ashram and meditated with an 80 year old swami that has taken a five year vow of silence. Can you imagine? He will not utter one single word for 5 long years. We then got to take darshan with him which is when you sit in his presence and ask questions or just soak in the wisdom he offers. He used a computer attached to a large movie screen to communicate with us. He said that in his belief system you are born with so many breaths. And every syllable you speak is a breath so by being silent, you're actually saving breaths and prolonging your life. (We should try this when i return....maybe start with an hour and work our way up.) When we were done, we each took a turn bowing at his feet. I didn't think much of it but when it was my turn, I felt a powerful current running through my entire body when he touched my head. It was certainly an interesting moment for me.

I'm going on day three of not pooping. We aren't supposed to eat any raw fruits or veggies because that's usually the way you pick up parasites and cooties. Most of the group is afflicted by the pooping issue. It's funny that we all know each others bowel issues. In the spa here which is of the Ayurvedic tradition, you can get an oil enema. Surprisingly I haven't tried it but another woman traveling with us has and said it was fantastic!

Yesterday morning we went down to the Ganges river at 6am and meditated as the sun was rising. The wild dogs followed us down and then proceeded to fight with each other as we were in mediation. After my meditation I sprinkled some of aunt Ro's ashes in the river. It was a very beautiful and heart warming experience. I'm carrying her vial with me so she can protect and look after me.

Yesterday morning we took a bus ride to the tippy top of the himalaya's to a temple that is ever so sacred. You could even see Tibet from where we were. The temple itself must have been half as big as our dining room and we all managed to cram inside of it while having a puja ceremony. You have to be very well connected to ever get to do something like this. I am so thankful that I'm on this trip because every single day is full of these sort of experiences. I'm now taking pills for motion sickness because the bus rides have been killing me! The roads are so windy up the mountain. It was a successful ride for me yesterday where my head wasn't spinning.

We've been doing yoga twice a day which is fantastic because my body feels like its starting to now flower. Lots of tightness in my lower back and hips which is starting to dissipate. Govindas is an exceptional human being and yoga instructor. He is a gem of a human being and has a studio sort of near pappa's house. You can only imagine what that means for me!

2 nights ago we held a benefit at the orphanage down the road on the banks of the Ganges to raise money for the kids. That in and of itself was a highlight. These kids are from the poorest of the poor and have been taken in with the belief that if they weren't, there would have been a great chance that they wouldn't have woken up alive in their home life situation. The woman running it was originally from LA and has been operating it for 24 years now. The kids seem very well adjusted, sweet and happy. I was practically in tears the entire time for obvious reasons. They fed us an unbelievable meal....they have an organic garden so most of the meal was prepared from that. The little girls served us and took care of our every need during dinner. We were sure to leave them the biggest tip of their life! Afterwards we had a kirtan concert and many of the locals and travelers passing thru came to and we raised tons of money for the kids. I found out that for $350 a year, we can sponsor a child and put them through school. I was hoping you guys would be interested in having a pen pal and friend on this side of the world to look after. Maybe they could even visit us in the future! Daddy will be happy to know that they have a 501 tax status so it would of course be a write off! Anyhow, it was truly yet another moving experience here in India.

Today we are river rafting down the Ganges. What an experience it should be. It's incredible to see some of the temples along it with such limited access to roads. It makes you wonder how they brought in all the supplies to build them.

So my loves, it's 7am which means yoga time! I can hear all of the temple bells ringing now throughout the town. It's such a beautiful way to wake up. Our mornings start very early here...I'm usually up at 5. Our days are jammed pack and rich with experiences. Tomorrow we take a 10 hour journey to another part of the country. It seems like I've had more precious moments in the past week here than I can even wrap my head around!

Off to yoga! Miss you more than you could ever know. Love you to pieces.

Namaste