The Power of Conscious Choice - Mother India's Magic 13

Day 11 - 17th May 2017 

People, Places, Feelings

What's been special about today are the connections, the invisible threads that form reality.

We started the day with a visit to the Birla Temple, a beautiful Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Narayan) the preserver and his consort Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. Once again the Peace, the Respect, the Depth of Isness. It is a huge white marble construction, intricately sculpted and decorated with multicoloured stained glass windows, a place of silence where one can enter only barefoot. Thank you.

After Birla Temple we were taken to the largest observatorium in India - Jantar Mantar, which was built back in the 18th century by the same Maharahajah who built the whole city of Jaipur. His name was Sawai Jai Singh II and that's where this city got its name: Jai for his name and Pur which means city. The precision of these constructions is outstanding and they were used to study both Astronomy and Astrology.

It features the world's largest stone sundial and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We are fortunate that GG knows a lot about Astronomy and Astrology so he gives life to these otherwise unfathomable stone constructions and what might have initially seemed to be an arid site becomes a deeply meaningful incursion. 

Right after that GG had an idea - he took us to a calm and beautiful café inside the City Palace, which is right in front of Jantar Mantar, where we enjoyed exchanging contacts and wisdom and that saved us 1000 rupees (500 each) which we would have had to pay to enter the Palace. We got a general impression of this lavish royal home and enjoyed some moments of rest at a quiet, fresh place.

You know it's quite strange for me to have a chauffeur and so many people, mainly men, serving  me so well, being able to sit back and enjoy taking time to absorb and observe with no other purpose but to experience, with no doingness at all and it is so energizing and regenerating, so much clarity is then allowed. When I chose to receive all of the abundance that is available for me in asmuch as I overflow all that I Am, sharing it breath by breath, I could never have imagined how grandly it would reflect, and yet I know that it is all perfectly aligned with my consciousness. I am very blessed and thankful.

Today Ula has done her first Aspect&Soul Integration session and one of her issues was feeling overwhelmed by masculine presence and attracting abusive situations or living in fear of this possibility. Immediately after the session she accepts the challenge of going down to dinner alone, now allowing the masculine to serve her and be kind to her but not in an abusive or intrusive way. And that is exactly what happens, not because they have changed but because her perception has changed. The same goes on some time later when she goes into a shop to buy some trousers alone - again the masculine is respectful and kind to her, which leads her to realise that she was the one attracting the previous situations and feeling the way she felt. As soon as she integrated the part that felt abused and accepted a new perspective that is what came her way. This is how powerful Integration and Conscious Choice are. I am so happy for her that she will now be able to start walking through life in liberation, step by step. I have won a new lovely friend and a client all in one go and we both are in a win win situation.

Yesterday I mentioned the fact that it is a cultural thing here that everyone expects a tip and honestly if we were to tip absolutely everyone whom we get services from we would need a whole budget just for that. I have found a middle term, discerning when to tip and when it doesn't make sense, though it is my own subjective perception and each person will feel this in a different way.

The power of our perceptions is such that it shapes our entire reality. Fortunately perceptions are mutable and thus reality is changeable. 

There is something I have shared more than once in shops we have been taken to today by our guide and it is that I am not a regular consumer. I do not feel seduced at all by things and I always ask myself before buying anything: "do I really need this?" and also "If I buy this how many times will I use it and if I don't use it much and want to give it away will it be of use to people I usually interact with?" Answering these questions usually gets rid of 99% of any consumption impulses. So that's how I managed to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the handmade persian rugs, hand painted fabrics, sparkling jewels and so many other attractive things we were allowed to view, without feeling the magnetizing pull of having to possess any of it.

The artisans work painstakingly at their looms, tools and other mechanical devices, weaving colours, feelings and skills into an immense array of patterns of precious and semi-precious stones, gold, silver and wool, silk, cotton and leather... So much creative enterprise materialised and ready to serve all tastes. It is the sheer abundance that fascinates me here. It fills and fulfils me in such a way that it is as if it seeps into my pores and becomes part of my cells. Thank you.

Channi Carpets & Textiles PVT. LTD

www.channicarpets.com

www.channiexports.com

Thank you!

Lapidating precious and semiprecious stones

Thank you!

To illustrate this through a clear example, during the Conference more and more ladies started showing up with the most beautiful Saris. They looked really gorgeous in silk and sparkles of all colours. Carla justified this as being respectful towards the culture we are in at the moment. So I cross checked my position towards this. "Am I being disrespectful if I am not wearing a Sari in India, and particularly in this situation?" Honestly no, I don't feel disrespectful in any way and I do not feel that by wearing a Sari I would be more respectful than I am. I truly honour this country and its people and am very thankful for such a warm welcome. I also love and behold all of these magnificent ladies' attire, it is an honour to be amongst such beauty.

The other question I asked myself was "If I do buy a beautiful Sari how often will I wear it?" Once or twice I would say. Other than that it would be a treasured souvenir I keep closed in a closet and which only crosses my eyes once in a blue moon. So, much as I loved these Saris, I did not purchase one. However I remanied completely open to their grace, feeling them in my cells, just as if I was also wearing one!

Pretty simple. It is so liberating to not be caught up in the need to have something, to be able to appreciate the beauty around me without having to own it, to be able to absorb the places I go to without having to get it all on camera. To be free from the attachment to people, places and situations is such a peaceful state.

I am blessed to simply be here.

Thank you GG for shaping our experience in such a joyful way. I'll share with you a little episode that occurred with GG. He shared with us that he had been meaning to start a blog where he shares his wise joy every day. He has a humouristic way of putting things that brings a lighthearted breath of ease to everything. He wanted Ula and I to give him a name for his blog. We insisted that he had to come up with it himself. Today is the last day we are together here in Jaipur and as we were talking about this name issue when he suddenly spills out: Smiling Streams. What an awesome name! 100% expresses what he intends with the blog. We were insistent that the name had to come from him and it did, in the most natural way. 

Fast forward: now I am back in Portugal and GG has sent me a message on Whatsapp with a link to his very first blog post. He sent me this message "Your inspiration has worked some way... I have started the little blog. Now dear professor help me to go further... I wait... and thanks. Hey this is the link of my blog "Smiling Streams". Please do read it and share your thoughts and follow the smile movement: https://smilingstreams.wordpress.com/".

This made me smile in gratitude :) I share GG's contact here with you, in case you would like to visit Jaipur or somewhere else in the Rajasthan area: govindgopal@yahoo.com, his phone is +919829062367. He also holds Yoga retreats, Astrology retreats and is available and interested in coming over to Europe so feel free to contact GG, you will enjoy his deep wisdom and joyful love of life.