Lela Becker authored this letter following her return from a yoga journey to India:
A Letter to Ma India:
I took a wrong turn and stumbled down an alley. Narrow, cobblestone streets weaved their way deep into Delhi’s belly. Living was alive on these back streets.
Neighbors help neighbors. Kids play, while mothers cook. Laundry hanging out to dry, makes a canopy strung from one broken building to the next. I am transported into a thick haze of Indian spices, and smiles of bright-teeth, wrapped in bronze faces.
Large Ganesha statues stand proud at every corner and I, join a swarm of colors, riding the backs of strong Indian women, as we pray.
Oh India. A life of spontaneous song and prayer drips from your lips. I carry a heavy basket of contemplation for the hopes of bliss and blessings in my heart. Constantly walking a path of divinity and devotion for my soul. India,
You have held my hand as I walked your dusty roads. You took my breath away at the feet of the Himalayas and washed away my sins in ma ganga in the North.
You turned up the heat as I walked with fire, lit by ghee lamps, into the heart of temples in the south. I studied your science of life and the knowledge of ayurveda pumps in my veins and now I preach your teachings of ‘let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
I hiked through the jungles of your west coast and sat with your babas, under their banyan trees. You introduced me to naked Kali. Naked because this is how you see me, nothing to hide, my true self standing in front of you. I learned to live from that true self and chase after my dreams….. instead of only dreaming about them.
India. You may not have given me what i wanted, but you will always give me what i need. I came to India seeking something, heart wide open to receive, and I have found. I have lived a thousand golden lives here.
I give gratitude for the opportunity to absorb the energy of friendship, explorer, warrior, dreamer and doer. I step boldly into the role of confidant, teacher, student, lover and yogi.
I….am blessed……I…am lucky……And so are you.
When we walk towards our dreams, our dreams come true. We live the life we want. So what do you want? What is your dream? How can we make that come true?
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