Mythri Memories!

We meet and befriend many people on our life’s journey.  We make deep connections with many who just come and go after teaching us important life lessons. Every connection we make helps us evolve into better individuals. There are some connections we make with certain people at a deeper level. Such connections are made at moments, which cannot be defined or put to words… they are felt.

I am indeed blessed to have such a beautiful connection with a friend. This deep connection occurred after 7 years of friendship, at a blessed moment. This connection deepened after a retreat which helped us connect with oneself and with each other.

We went for a retreat at Pyramid Valley, peaceful, positive, picturesque and placed in the lap of nature.  It was a 4-day retreat from 11^th to 14^th June. Just to keep a few of these moments alive, here I make memories…by jotting down few of those precious moments.

We were like two carefree souls, on an unplanned journey. We reached Bangalore after a train journey. We just knew the address of the place which was around 40 km away from the railway station. It was drizzling when we reached. It was nice and cool. We walked across to the Majestic bus depot and tried to spot a bus which would take us to our destination. As there was no direct bus. One helpful person who understood our plight helped us into a bus which took us midway. Then we took a shared tempo which dropped us at a main junction which was 2 km away from the pyramid valley. It was 2 in the afternoon, and we were now two hungry and happy souls. There were no vehicles to transport us to Pyramid Valley and so we decided to walk, hoping for a lift. He heard the prayers of two hungry souls and there came a tractor which offered to take us to Pyramid Valley. Excited we jumped on the tractor, alongside the driver and thoroughly enjoyed the bumpy ride. We felt as if we had gone back in time... we were two happy kids.

Pyramid valley was inviting... it was green all round, and meditative music was heard in the air accompanied by the chirps of birds and chitter-chatter of insects. The incessant rain which followed completed the orchestra. We checked into our room, which was our home for the next four days.

We met Master Per who was our guide. His deep eyes spoke volumes, and he bend down to shake hands with each of us greeting and inviting us. His handshake was electrifying and an energy just passed as he looked into our eyes.

The sessions were spaced out in such a way, that it allowed us good time to relax. We connected with ourselves, with nature, with all the flora and fauna around. There were deep conversations, childlike giggles, uninterrupted laughter, taste of unrestricted freedom.  We walked in pouring rain, ran on the untarred roads, danced and sang. We spoke without thinking, and listened without speaking, cried without knowing and laughed out roaring…We meditated in the huge Pyramid, walked to the village temple, tasted oneness in thoughts, words and deeds. Our silences spoke volumes, our smiles bridged gaps in our souls, clasped hands cemented our bond and we knew for sure that we came from the same source… and we were two sides of the same coin. Duality was erased...

After 4 days as the retreat ended, we were to embrace our daily routine again. Before going to our home, we met a few friends, who taught us lessons on joy of giving and joy of loving. It was a trip to remember, a trip which made

us close and opened our hearts.

As I Stare...

As I stare…

“Who are you?” I ask myself, glaring at the mirror on the wall

“Who are you?” I ask myself, combing my hair, letting it fall…

Searching those eyes, I line them black

Probing that face, I deck with MAC

My cell phone blinks, it’s time to go

Gazing , waving , she stares back…

As I stride…

Down the corridor,  in the lane,  on the street…

Some give a passing glance,  some stare,  some smile…

Carefully careless,  amazingly aware less,  mindfully mind less...

She walks by…

As I sit…

Amidst the throng, among the horde, in the crowd…

Greeting, pleasing, exchanging…

I pause awhile, to meet myself…

She smiles, engaging!

As I stand…

To express, to deliver, to translate…

Thoughts, words, deeds drift by…

I am just a channel I realize…

Tune in… and she flows by!

First step towards awareness!

We are Humans. We eat, drink, sleep, and work. All our day to day activities spin around these basic needs. These activities take almost all our time, that all of us have almost forgotten that we are not just humans. We are Human Beings.
I can almost hear most of you thinking (so what??? What is the big deal???)
And if you want my answer ….
“It is a big deal…”
You can exist as humans , but to live you have to be Human beings.
So now how can we be human beings?
We do not have to be we already are. But we have almost forgotten to live the being part.

Do I sound like a preacher? Sorry if I do. I just felt like sharing that that I have enjoyed.

Now without much of lecturing or preaching let us do this simple exercise.
Do not be skeptical. Just give it a try.
Close your eyes and shift your attention to your palm and your feet. Do not think, but feel. In a few minutes you will be able to feel your being in your palm and feet, which you can slowly expand to other parts of your body.

This can be done any time ….just squeeze it in between your busy work schedules. Let us learn to be aware …

I would wish to read what you felt like in the comments section…so please go ahead and try…

"ni" of my Sadhana!

Light diffuses into its myriad colors painting a spectrum....
each hue shining in its might
a rainbow.... a beholder's delight!!

the sight of a rare rainbow sprouts joy, wonder and excitement in almost all of us. Light casts itself into its various colors,with varying frequencies and wavelengths ...!!! each having its individual properties .. yet is only a part of the whole!

We too, in our day to day lives put on various roles...that of a mother , daughter , wife , employee , student and many more....and in the long run start identifying with our roles. We transform ourselves into these roles and just bury our true self, in this role playing.

At one point, I am the wife , never ever tired of nagging ...and then I am the mother, always expecting ... then I am a daughter always demanding .....In all this role playing, I have forgotten to shed the roles and just be me. In the previous posts relating to sadhana ... I had revealed a few facts about myself . Today, when I try to come up with yet another fact, I can just say that I am not just a daughter , wife , mother , dancer , student .....I am something more! I am not just the human, I am also the " being"....and it is that something which makes me whole! Like the VIBGYOR colors, which are beautiful expressions of the same white light ... the roles I play are only expressions of my Being! The Ni of my sadhana is that I am some thing more that I think I am ....the taste of which I have experienced .....only in glimpses ...or split seconds when I have shed my egos unknowingly, when I have forgotten to play my roles!

With this post I conclude my long tag! Thanks to my friend Bharathy, for tagging me ...and helping me launch a quest... I thoroughly enjoyed it! ( I am sure she will never ever dare to tag me in future :) )

The "ma" of my Sadhana!

" Om Hari Sri Ganapathayee namaha! " wrote the tiny little fingers on the tray of rice with joy and excitement, squatting on her dad's lap. She used to wait eagerly for this moment every year! The nine day Navaratri festival filled her home with energy and life. Her dad used to walk to every nook and corner of the house with a broom stick threatening the homes of spiders and bugs while her mom used to rearrange the home giving it a new look. The house echoed with the music and chitter chatter of all the students who used to spend long hours in her home practising and preparing for the oncoming cultural events which are routinely held at the famous thrikkakara temple.

The best part was decorating the pooja room for the "pooja vaipu". All the Gods and Goddesses were given a rose water bath. A ritual carried on with reverence and creativity. the small room was transformed in to a temple ....a temple of art and learning! ornate d with musical instruments , dancing bells and books. Each instrument was considered divine , and respected with the offering of new attire ( which later was to be worn by us).
Pooja vaipu is considered a sacred moment ...which is an act of total surrender ....an act of shedding ones egos which are build on learning and wisdom ....an act where one offers all knowledge acquired in this life to the Divine and prepare to be a Zero.

As young kids we were given all the time in the world to play once the pooja vaipu was done. We relished those moments of unhindered luxury when we never ever heard authoritative voices lecturing to us about the importance of reading our books! On the other hand we were asked not to read .... forcing us to break the rules and later put on a face of guilt.

Vijayadashami was on the tenth day . I usually woke up to the rhythmic sound which emanated from the kitchen .......it would be the sweet music born from the voice modulation of the coconut and the chirava(coconut scraper). The artiste would be Appa .. while Amma will be preparing the nivedyam for the day "phovu kalailolo" ( a blend of rice flakes and coconut and jaggery and banana) After bath, all would assemble at the koodi(pooja room) for vidyarambham or new beginning. For infants this day is considered auspicious to begin writing. And for the rest, this symbolizes the necessity of relearning, new beginning and the beauty of remaining a forever student eager to learn and re learn at each and every phase of our lives.

The "ma" of my sadhana is that I am a student forever......(a fact that I never realized during my school and college days). A role which makes life worth living ......I dedicate this post to all my gurus ..Guru means someone who guides you from darkness to light. It is difficult to name each and every one here... so as I visualise them in my inner eye I bow down before them seeking their blessings!

The'ga" of Sadhana

The "Ga" of my Sadhana is that I am a " Chrysalis". Try to recollect what you learnt in your biology class in school. ....
Doesn't Chrysalis sound familiar? An adult butterfly lays eggs , which hatches into a caterpillar. Caterpillar swallows and accepts all the greenery that comes its way ..shedding its skin every now and then. It later transforms into a chrysalis or pupa before evolving into a beautiful butterfly.

I remember learning the life cycle of a butterfly in school, but now, I am relearning it. Today I am not forced to memorize the process of metamorphosis in a butterfly, but I pause to think the powerful message it implies. Metamorphosis is not a process that is characteristic of insects or amphibians alone. Though not physically, we homo sapiens too have the innate capability of metamorphosis. Like a caterpillar we take in with greed all that comes our way. As we tread along towards growth, we shed our, preconceived notions, beliefs and image building egos...changing every moment. Then we enter into yet another new existence ....that of a pupa.....which might seem static, but is actually a dynamic existence.
A state of meditation, awareness .... moments brimming with life.
A state which makes life meaningful and worth living.
A prelude to a celebration....
a state before the flowering of a butterfly.

Like the light in total darkness which guides you find your way, the various retreats and youth programs at the "Oneness University" helped me live each moment of my life. Boredom was erased from my life dictionary, and I started living life with all intensity. Perceptions and attitude changed, and I stepped into the robe of a chrysalis.

Here is a video on metamorphosis!!! Hope all of you will enjoy!


I was delighted when my brother Naveen responded to this post with a beautiful poem.To read this poem click here.

The "Sa" of Sadhana

"sa .. re .. ga .. ma... pa.. dha.. ni...!!!"...............I remember repeating these musical notes after my music teacher when I was a young girl. These are the seven basic " swaras" or sounds called sapta swaras in Indian music. Like we always begin the musical journey with the Musical alphabet "sa".....I venture on with my sadhana.....a sequel to my earlier post.....a tag which I owe to Bharathy of spicy chilly!



Each new task is begun after offering salutations of Lord Ganesha.....dispeller of all obstacles!....in Hindu tradition. I invoke Ganesha (the elephant headed god).....
I remember a very inspiring story about Ganesha!
" One day sage Narada visited Kailasa , abode of Lord Shiva and his Shiva Kudumbam ( his family consisting of Parvati , His divine consort and His two sons Ganesha and Subramania). Narada offered Lord Shiva , a golden fruit during his visit.Shiva called his two sons, Ganesha and Subramania and said,
"I will give this divine fruit to only one of you. Whoever circumvents the whole universe thrice and comes to me first will be given this fruit!"
Those were not days of formula cars ....and the two sons had to rely on their "vahanas".Subramania's vahana or means of transport was a peacock....and Ganesha's vahana was a rat. As soon as the rules were laid for begetting the fruit , Subramania sped on his Peacock. What would poor Ganesha do? He was in a dilemma! He knew well that he would lose if he traveled on his mooshika vahana or his rat!....but Ganesha knew exactly what to do.He went straight to his parents ....circumvented them thrice and asked for the reward!
"To me the whole Universe is my parents!....I have circumvented my Universe thrice and I am eligible for the golden fruit!"

Thus Ganesha won the race!!!"

We see this whole wide world around us through our parents ! from the moment we are born .....though the umbilical chord is cut as we are welcomed in to this world the bond persists for ever! the first bond , the first relationship...of pure love...!!!

The "Sa"of my Sadhana is that I am a daughter....blessed to be born to two wonderful people....and like to echo the words of Ganesha !!! I dedicate this post to my parents , to whom I owe my life.


I was fortunate to be born to an artistic mother and loving father ....who helped me make a blue print of my life in childhood , which I am living today!
I wish I could relive those days ....with my parents ....
life without any stress or responsibilities...
a life where you could just relax and swim with the current....
a life where you travel like a passenger fully aware that the driver will take you where you ought to go...unperturbed by the route you might take .....
a life where you could take your parents for granted and still bask in the warmth of their affection and security....

I have been honored by my dear friends...,
Mishmash is a creative artiste , who surprises me with her innovative presentations and mouth watering recipes....
Bharathy , a wonderful friend, I am happy I stumbled upon her in this blogsphere, who delights me with her day to day recipes and equally good shots!
Thanks to both of you for the awards!...I am truly flattered!





I have passed on "rocking blogger award" to someone who is very dear to me. She is my grandmother , who started blogging at the ripe young age of seventy five. You can read more about her at her blog - khayals.
I have also love visiting Krystyna's blog...I have passed on this award to this inspiring blogger too.

"Power of schmooze" award is being conferred to
1. Mathew whose blog is rightly named spark , for he never fails to kindle sparks which glow with sense of humor and satire.
2.Maddy whose varied interests and knowledge on umpteen areas , cannot go unnoticed.
3.Naveen , whom I am proud to call my brother , whose perspectives and values are reflected in his posts. And I truly admire his writing skills.


I pass on the "Thinking blogger award" to
1. Kalyan , who has a passion for photography and travel. I love visiting his blog , "heaven's garden"
2.Dharma, whose posts portray simple day today events pondering into it with the depth of a philosopher!
I am not sure whether these awards have already been conferred to you!....if yes! I am not surprised!

Here is a video of a musical instrument... listen to it , friends! Can you guess what this instrument is just by listening to it? All the sounds are produced from a single instrument!

Sadhana!

"Sadhana" in Sanskrit means quest or practice. First of all I would like to thank my fellow blogger Bharathy of Spicy Chilly for having tagged me into launching on this Sadhana. You may wonder how can tagging you with "seven random facts about yourself ! " , be a Sadhana? .When I was tagged by my friend , I thought and thought and thought .....and couldn't come up with seven random facts...!!! Seven facts about yourself does not seem a simple task to me .......mainly because I would like to give a deeper meaning to the word " yourself" in the tag!.....So when I came up with a fact that I was short tempered !, something in me spoke that I was not the short temper....it was just an emotion that passes! So I did not want to attribute such passing and changing mind games that frequent me to the "ME". And thus I decided to venture on this quest or Sadhana....

I would like to climb down the ladder from where I am now .....an introspection!!!......a quest!!!....there fore I would like to stretch this tag beyond this post....as my quest has just begun. This Sadhana might not be very interesting to my readers ... but I would consider it a small inward journey which I wish to undertake!

As I close my eyes , relaxing my whole body.....drifting into the alpha beta and gamma waves .....silence speaks!!!....I pause at the number "7". Seven seems to be a very powerful number.....
the 7 scales of music ,
the 7 chakras or energy centers in our bodies
the 7 colors of the rainbow
the 7 days in a weeks
the 7 wonders of the world
the 7 seas
the 7 .....many more.......and here I should come up with 7 random facts about "myself"....

.........and here my quest begins......let me be patient with this "Sapta Sadhana!!!!!!!"