Hollie Gets A Nose Piercing

Nose piercings are as common (probably more common) than earrings here in India. I think Hollie's new nose piercing is really beautiful; the monks, nuns and people here in India think so too. Today was our first day off (Every seven days we get one day off from our yoga training). We took a backwater boat tour into a jungle like environment, which was like stepping into another world. The scenery here is mythically surreal. Sometimes it is almost too much to process. While on the river, we visited an island with three temples, one for Ganesha, one for Vishnu, and one for Shiva. Like many of the temples, we were given food during our visit. (I'll try and upload a few video clips.)In addition to the temples, the island has a Swiss Family Robinson style playground with swinging ladders and lots of trees to climb. I decided to try and wear my saree all day long. This made tree climbing a bit more difficult but, not impossible :). Later in the day, we visited Bhooma's ashram. Apparently, after tree climbing, my saree was in disarray so, several women at the ashram decided to help correct my sorry looking saree. They didn't speak English but I understood the following things: It is inappropriate to gather and lift up the bottom material of my saree while walking up stairs. I should get prettier shoes. I (though this does not apply to everyone) probably need to use safety pins when wrapping my saree. In the evening, Bhooma held a cooking class for our group. He is such a sweet and gentle person, truly dedicated to his faith. In Hinduism, there is a principle called Karma yoga, which simply means doing one's duties without regard for the outcome. Bhooma is a good example of this principle. He tirelessly dedicates himself to service without worrying about a reward or the outcome. Swami G also embodies this principle. They both show patience, love, and dedication in whatever task they engage in. The Bhagavad Gita states that both karma yoga and spiritual pursuits lead to the same outcome. Through selfless, non-attached work one becomes spiritual. Through a pursuit of spirituality one becomes selfless and naturally begins to work and serve others without attaching other agendas.