Balancing Spiritual and Social Life

Day 20 - February 17, 2009 - Tuesday

After all the regular morning jazz I went to an intermediate yoga class, set up my mat, and got ready for an intense work out. Tina was supposed to meet me but she seemed late - and when she showed up she pulled me out of class saying that Karl was outside and we should all head to the beach. I was reluctant but... it's the beach. Turned out to be an epic beach session with beer, fruit, juice, wrestling in the water and on the sand, shoulder stands, Tina-push-ups, superwoman, flying swan-Tina, and more fun adventures. Afterwards the three of us went over to a ballroom dance class lead by Hannes for some Cha Cha Cha, Waltz, and Rumba practice. I had a great time and there were a lot of cute girls but I'd rather learn the tango. Tina drove me to Denish Special on her way home, then I walked the rest of the way singing loudly.


Day 21 - February 18, 2009 - Wednesday

One day of pleasure leads to one of utter pain. I woke up feeling fine at 6:45am, and standing up from my bed a wave of soreness flooded my limbs. My arms and legs have never felt so sore even after 2-hour weightlifting sessions. Walking to Matrimandir was torturous, but singing the whole way there mitigated the pain by diverting my attention from bodily pain to sweet sounds floating through the air, lifted by the wind like smoke. I told Jonny of my debilitated state and he took me to do wood working anyway - where I made feeble attempts to be useful, read my book, and napped. It was embarrassing and I feel that it was inappropriate for Jonny to take me to the fields for woodworking. Anyway. Later in the day I hitched to Matrimandir and then showed my driver, who was new to Auroville, around the park with my special access privileges. I went home and chilled out for a bit, then Manimaran picked me up for a Pondicherry session where I got a cell phone. I didn't see any friends today, so combined with my soreness this was the worst day yet.


Day 22 - February 19, 2009 - Thursday

I wake feeling happy again, still a little sore but mostly better. At the pump house where all the wood is stored, Manimaran gave me a sim card for my phone. Social boundaries breaking down, I can now call and meet up and hang out with so many more people! After some work at Discipline, a solar kitchen lunch with the krew, Richy's for ice cream, and swimming in the pool with Tina, I went to mixed level yoga under Tatiana. Tina came too. This was my best class yet, and I held sustained visions while performing the asanas. After a Ganesh bakery dinner with Tina and Hue, the lady and I went to Sean and Lukas' for a chill session, followed by Toby's birthday kick it at his house. I had some good philosophical talks with Jan David and Felix, and the drum circle that followed was incredible, although some angry lady shut us down.


Day 23 - February 20, 2009

Spent the morning cutting down and transporting banana trees. They caught some disease so the bananas wouldn't ever be ripe. Karl, Lukas and I moved some granite pillars under their huts to be placed as extra support underneath. In the afternoon I meditated under the banyan tree and thought about what I wanted to spirit journey on, and it hit me: how can I open my heart?

In the journey I walked down to a large redwood, took hold of Matt and Kwame who were sitting underneath, and pulled them down with me to purifying waters below. We sprinkle weed on the water and spin, causing a cyclone of weed-water and ourselves to merge into one. We shoot down the water tunnel and into the underworld, up the large palm tree, and fly off as Bird. I ask my animals to show me how to open my heart, and to help me open it. I turn into Snake, dive down, and split into a second snake that forms a heart shape with the first one for a brief moment before merging back into one. Splitting and merging happens repeatedly, every time forming a heart shape. Then I fly off as Bird but dual-snake heart keeps coming out of me from above and below as I fly. As Bird and Two Snakes, Fish propels me into space. Bird becomes huge, carrying a Snake in each talon, one by the Sun, one by the Moon. The Snakes absorb the corresponding energies and we come back down to earth. A golden ball similar to Matrimandir rises up out of the ground into the air, then settles full size on the ground. Snake examines the ball, taps the sides, and approves. One Snake on the far side, one near, they release their stored Sun & Moon energy upon the golden discs of Matrimandir. Burning bright light shines through the sun-hole on the roof into the crystal ball in the middle, which radiates blinding white light throughout the meditation chamber. A deity appears from above, SUPERMIND, and it caresses me along my chakras and under my chin. I thank my animals and the deity for their wisdom and return rapidly through the water tunnel to the redwood tree, where Matt and Kwame and I dance in a circle.

After the spirit journey and reflecting upon it I kicked it at Kailash for a bit with Karl, Lucas and Laura. Laura opened up to me, before she had seemed shy and refused to speak anything but German around me. It's nice to see her humanity coming out. Toby had another b'day kick it, and I played the cube with him.


Day 24 - February 21, 2009 - Saturday

In the afternoon I went to Tatiana's 2-hour intermediate yoga class. It was difficult and very helpful, I loved every moment. After pizza night at the Youth Center, Sean, Lukas, Tina and I had ice cream at Richy Rich before heading to a Shrima beach party. It was coconut rum night, and it was also Mother's birthday so I decided not to drink until after midnight when her birthday ended. She wasn't too fond of alcohol and I wanted to respect her birthday by not drinking. People were mostly very accepting of my decision. I met Isabella, and Felix, Ben, Johanna, and Karl were there along with the people I came with. We played drinking games like Topics where whoever drank last chooses a topic and u go around in a circle saying something that fits in the topic. Whoever messes up first drinks. After the games we swam in the ocean, which was so beautiful and warm at night. There was a lot of nakedness, which was fun. I was too drunk to find out where we came from to drop off my shorts so I remained clad in swimwear. I slept on the beach with Sean and Lukas.


Day 25 - February 22, 2009 - Sunday

Felix had a super amazing brunch at his place in Buddha Garden. There were 8-10 people, bread, cheese, fruit salad, peanut butter, nutella, cookies, salami, tea, and more. I created the bread-nutella-papaya chunks combo, which was amazing. After preparing in Newlands for a lake outing, 9 ninjas on 5 bikes took an absolutely gorgeous drive to a lake 12km away. We stopped to stock up on drinks and to peep some vampire bats. The lake session was epic: tree climbing, strolls around the perimeter, frisbee, campfire, barbeque. Sean lost the key to his petroleum tank while we were gathering firewood, and he was skeptical about even searching for it, but Tina and I were determined. While Tina asked Tamil natives to help us search, I spotted the key near our campfire location. Good save. A Tamil native helped me gather firewood which was such a beautiful act to me, this boy I did not know spending his time to help a stranger without even being asked. Unfortunately I got a headache in the evening and had to remove myself from the group for a long time, but Hannes ended up healing me with a neck massage.


Day 26 - February 23, 2009 - Monday

My morning banyan tree meditation started the day off right. I forgot sunscreen while doing wood-work so I got burnt out very quickly, and Jonny didn't seem happy with my level of exertion. My skin wasn't very happy, as it turned bright red. But I was happy. Life here is so incredible. Hitching in the evening from a beach session with Tina to La Terrace, I rode with a man named Paul Vincent, a 38-year resident of Auroville. We had an amazing talk about his work with the Auroville Administration, how AV is on the verge of failing and tourists are polluting the atmosphere, how the current AV government is run by "fools" on a power trip, how he's working on a new government structure, and how AV seeks to be without money. He also recommended that I read The Dream by Mother, detailing her vision of utopia. It's incredible to meet such people when riding on the backs of strangers. La Terrace had some live music which was very beautiful and got me very relaxed. Tina, Sean, Lukas, Toby and I went to the field for a chill session. I entered a supercosmic state of mind and had to neglect conversation towards the end. My walk home was deeply meditative and rejuvenating for my soul.


Day 27 - February 24, 2009

There was no work today, so I had breakfast at Town Hall then met up with Laxman to rent a bike. The whole process of renting was smooth and simple, and he gave me a free map of the town. Finally I have my own transportation - a funky little TVS moped that actually goes pretty fast. After getting some petro and a soda in Kuilapalayam I went into CSR, the research center, and had an interview with Min. He wants me to help him work on an eco footprint project where we design a label for eco-friendly products similar to the organic label, and begin pushing eco-friendly, zero-carbon emissions manufacturing throughout the region and even the world. Sounds like a great project for me, I'm very excited. After Lunch with Tom and two boys from Upasana working on fashion design and eco-friendly handbags, I chilled upstairs with Tina and Margaret and discussed genetically modified foods. They were both very against GMO, but I said that the experimentation is a good thing even if widespread GMO has some negative effects. Every technology has good and bas uses, but we shouldn't let the bad aspects prevent us from exploration. They have genetically engineered a goat that produces milk with certain hormones that cure a disease in humans. Where will it go next? And why is genetic manipulation "unnatural?" Technology is part of the evolution of consciousness, and as we humans are part of nature, so are our manifestations. However, I do understand that we pollute Nature and do not live sustainably; that we need to make a change.

A long banyan tree meditation was followed by an attempt at yoga, but the teacher broke her collarbone and thus will be out of commission for at least a week. Tina was supposed to meet up with me at yoga but I was very early so I went to her place to let her know. She was asleep, so I left a note and returned home for a nap. I had broccoli quiche and salad ($2) for dinner at the Visitor Center, then met up with Sean and Tina there. The three of us rode on my TVS (how ironic that the man with no transportation is now transporting the whole crew) back to Sean's place. The ride was hilarious. We made a Tina Sandwich and she talked about how the ride was making her horny, and Sean came in clutch with a comment that made us laugh the rest of the way to his place. Lukas joined us for the chill session.

Day 28 - February 25, 2009 - Wednesday

Lunch with Tomas and Edo at Solar Kitchen was followed by a long banyan tree meditation and plenty of reading. I borrowed Jonny's book by Sri Aurobindo called Thoughts and Aphorisms, which contained some very intense wisdom and radical ideas. Tina, Sean and I sandwiched up again for a ride to the beach, and we stopped along the way so Sean could get his bike, which was fixed after more than two weeks. The beach was very chill, and we followed it up with a lovely dinner at Paradise Pizzeria. We left for La Terrace, I sped ahead and arrived at the destination, but I felt a bad energy and turned around. On the way to LT, I passed a huge truck full of hay and straw, and I recall thinking that it looked like an accident waiting to happen. Driving back I knew that something had gone wrong, I just hoped that Sean's bike failed again. On the tar road there was some hay on the floor, but I kept driving. Sean and Tina passed me in a car looking shaken up, and Tina said they got in an accident. I followed them to the health center. Tina scratched up both ankles pretty bad, and Sean broke a toe. I tried to help Tina with her pain as a nurse cleaned her up, then the three of us got a ride to Pims Hospital for xrays and prescriptions. I got ice cream for the three of us and we ate it in the operating room. I am proud of my friends for having such good energy after their accident.