In our first session with Susie, our travelling yoga instructor, she said something that really struck me – “We weren’t created to be difficult people.” Before coming to India, I had many fears about the difficulties I would run into and the differences in cultural understandings I would need to navigate. Now I am here in India, these fears have melted away and I have cherished my immersive experience in the vibrant culture. From Chennai, to Pondicherry, to Coimbatore, I have already experienced so many exciting new things in India.
Visit to the Descent of the Ganges Heritage Site.
I have never heard the word “welcome” as much as I have in India. Every person I have talked to goes the extra mile to ensure I know that I am welcome in their home country. On our flight, I was lucky to sit with a wonderful Indian lady who told me to prepare for a lot of noise compared to New Zealand. As we left the Chennai airport, we were greeted by a drumming and dance performance. The noise was all surrounding, my goosebumps were ever-present, and I couldn’t help but feel utterly welcomed. Greeting one another with warm smiles all day long has never come easier; as Susie said, “we weren’t created to be difficult people.”
Big smiles as we were welcomed with drums and dancers at the Chennai airport.
Most of all, I have enjoyed practising graciousness for everything India has offered us so far. Of course, one of the best parts of India is the flavourful food. Not only is it absolutely mouthwatering (with the dosai being a group favourite of the South Indian cuisine), but I have been reminded to cherish the nourishment that I give my body. In our yoga sessions, Susie reminds us to keep smiling as we move our bodies and be thankful for our breath. In our Bollywood dance practice, I feel quite uncoordinated at times. Still, our teacher, Gilles, reminds us to give thanks for our body and its capabilities. As we meditated in silence for 15 minutes at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram under the tree where Sri Aurobindo was buried, I was reminded to give thanks for the beauty and wonder of life itself. Just as I am grateful to experience the beeping of the busy streets of Pondicherry, I am also thankful for the wonderful silent spaces India has to offer. As we all sat in silence to eat dinner tonight at the Isha Yoga Foundation Ashram in Coimbatore, I was reminded to thank God for the beautiful food we were given and the generous hands that made it.
As we walked back to our rooms at the Ashram, once again the locals greeted me with a gentle “Namaskaram” and a sincere curiosity for my home and my purpose in India. As our PMSA cohort makes new connections and friendships with Indian people, I find Susie’s words continuously ring true which brings me great hope for the future of New Zealand-India relations – “We weren’t created to be difficult people.”