When I let things flow, my heart became clear | The Ganges is flowing today too, woof vol.7
🐶 There are times when you feel unfulfilled, aren't there, woof?
“My job is reasonably fun, and I do it properly every day... yet, something is missing.”
Does that ever happen to you, woof?
My owner (Rina Nomura) seems to have felt that way too in the past. Even though her head knew she was “doing well,” her heart didn't feel like it was keeping up. That was when she dove into a one-month yoga training in Rishikesh, India, woof.
The retreat she went on during that time was at “Vashishta Cave,” located upstream on the Ganges River. White sandy riverbanks surrounded by mountains, clear blue-green water, and yogis meditating quietly...
My owner says she had an unexpected experience in that place.
🛁 Ablution is a ritual to bring your heart back to the “here and now,” woof
What my owner did then was actually “ablution,” entering and exiting the river 108 times!
In India, 108 is a sacred number with many meanings, such as the number of worldly desires or the structure of the universe, woof.
At first, my owner’s mind was in an uproar, thinking, “It’s cold, woof!” and “How many more times!?” But as she continued dozens of times, her thoughts gradually quieted down, and her senses seemed to open up bit by bit.
The coldness of the water, the color of the sky, the sound of the river... Before she knew it, she was wrapped in a strange sensation where “only consciousness existed there.”
🌿 The “boundary between yourself and the world” might be softer than you think, woof
What my owner felt at that time was that the “self” and the “outside world” aren't actually that clearly separated.
We are usually chased by work, social media, and schedules, and tend to be bound by a rigid image of “this is the kind of person I am.” But just by spending a little time becoming one with nature, those outlines soften and unravel, woof.
A new way of feeling, like “maybe I was actually this kind of being,” rises up from the silence, woof.
🧘♀️ “Centering yourself” isn't anything special, woof
You might think, “So, is it impossible unless I go to India?” But that’s not the case, woof!
My owner said it too, but the essence of this experience is something you can feel even in your daily life.
For example,
put down your smartphone and look up at the sky
try focusing a little on your breathing
try taking a deep breath and feeling the scent of greenery
With just little things like that, there are moments when your heart suddenly returns to the 'here and now,' woof.
🐾 Afterword, woof!
The retreat at Vashishta Cave seems to have been a 'heart reset button' for my owner.
The 'stillness' and 'connection' that had been lost amidst the busyness of daily life and the storm of information gradually returned by that riverside. That feeling still lives on somewhere in their heart, and they say it has become an anchor for returning to the 'here and now' whenever it's needed.
If your head feels cluttered right now... why not try taking a deep breath? Perhaps a quiet river might start flowing within you too, woof🐾
📖 Magazine Introduction
I'm compiling memoirs of the yoga study abroad in a magazine below↓
Rina Nomura's imaginary pet 'Rinawan' delivers a philosophical travel essay about yoga training in Rishikesh, India, from a 'tail's-eye view'.
No place to stay! Morning ritual baths! Silent meals...!? But even amidst the chaos, it's full of kindness and realizations. A record of the indescribable 'good days' found by the Ganges River.
If you'd like, I'll be waiting with a wagging tail for your likes, follows, and comments!