And Now Amritsar...

Yesterday was a rough day. We took the train from Delhi to Amritsar. Along the way, I began to feel quite ill. Maybe it was motion sickness, or a bit of Delhi Belly. Or maybe it was the seemingly endless displays of poverty along the way: lots of garbage heaps and people digging through them, living in structures made of scraps, families housed under tarps right near the train tracks. It went on and on. That is the reality they live in.

When we arrived at the Amritsar train station, there was a swirl of money needs. The man carrying our bags (two suitcases on his head, no less) needed money, the taxi driver, children selling things, begging children, a girl carrying a baby asking for food money, a man so disfigured that I cannot even describe to you...We gave what we had and it wasn't enough for everyone who came, surrounding us, still grabbing at the car as we drove.

Driving away from the train station, I didn't even feel where I was. I was in a stunned daze and focusing on trying not to cry. I was vaguely aware of crowds of people, rickshaws, bikes, cars all traveling tightly through the narrow roads.

Right when we arrived at the hotel, our taxi got into a little fender bender with another car. While the drivers argued it out, we went inside and got a room.

When we finally set foot at the Golden Temple, the daze still had not lifted. Setting eyes on it, I could no longer hold back the tears. As I bowed on the marble, huge sobs overcame me. Cool marble at my forehead, big heaving sobs through my body.

And so began our time in the holy city of Amritsar.

Today has been less intense. Good food, a visit to Miri Piri Academy (the school that a lot of American Sikh kids go - as well as kids from all over the world), visits to tailors to have suits made. And the processing of the poverty continues.

I have felt this questioning of "How can I accept my cozy life when so many endure such poverty?" And then the back and forth mental processing of "What can be done in such a hugely overwhelming amount of poverty and pain?" Where I am at with it right now is looking towards the elevation of consciousness - a collective shift that is probably the only hope. It is inspiration, consciousness, and compassionate living for lots of people, who then go and share that with others who share with others. We all have to keep on waking up. That is all I can imagine that could do anything for any of the the stuff we face on this planet - a collective shift in how we live and exist.

So now I have a renewed and expanded drive for sharing yoga and meditation - as a tool for elevated consciousness. And as something that can be taught and shared. This has always been the goal with the work we do - to share something that helps people. But now I see it globally as well. It doesn't build homes or give food immediately - but it does change the consciousness of people who can do those things and inspire more to live kindly on this planet. It is one way that I know can change how we act, believe, and live...and ultimately how we treat each other.