Yoga, India, & Unfolding Creatively

This was originally a guest post on Living Life Photographically back in June and since Jodi no longer uses that blog (now Creative Life By Design) I thought I would post it here. This post is referring to a November 2010 trip. Have a wonderful evening!

In November, I was blessed with the opportunity to mark my #1 item off my bucket list - to travel to India. I had dreamed of that journey for so long and was so grateful to make it happen. I set off to Delhi, and then on to Rishikesh, with a group of yogi’s whom I met for the first time when I arrived in Delhi.

I was in much need of a spiritual journey and awakening after recently finalizing a divorce. I had intentions of focusing on me, on my yoga, and exploring a foreign land. I had expectations of spiritual transformation and soul searching from this journey.

Halfway through the two week trip, I came down with some sort of flu and was bedridden for several days. This put a damper on my plans of packing as many sites and experiences in the days as humanly possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip but was thankful to return to my home sweet home. While journaling one night, I wrote about how I felt slighted because I didn’t experience this magical transformation that I expected to take place. I didn’t understand because I went to all these amazing sites, practiced yoga twice a day, and met the most amazing people. How could it be that something remarkable didn’t take place inside me?

As I poured my heart and soul into my journal that night discussing how upset I was with my body for breaking down and allowing sickness to enter, I realized that maybe it was a sign. A sign to slow down, to stop trying to force something to happen, and JUST BE.

It brought me back to a night we went to aarti (Hindu worship) in which my sponsor child (friend) from The Mother Miracle School accompanied me. Manju and I held hands, sang, and clapped through aarti even with our slight language barrier. That didn’t matter. She showed me pure love and an open heart that the oceans that geographically separate us couldn’t stop. I was completely in the moment with her that night.

I was right where I needed to be.

We spend so much time worrying about anything we can worry about that we miss something so obvious that's right in front of us. Although I’m thankful for the trip, I didn’t need to travel around the world to “find myself” because I’m right here X. Everything I need is right inside of me no matter where I am. It’s inside of you too!

You are right where you need to be. JUST BE.