On our third full day at Dunagiri Retreat, I woke up before sunrise and captured a few still moments out on the patio. With plenty of time to spare before morning meditation, I decided to give the bucket shower a try.
After waiting 20-30 minutes for the water tank to heat up, I filled the over-sized buckets with scalding hot water, then a touch of cool water to the first bucket so I could use it right away. The idea is to fill the small pitcher with water from the first bucket and use it to first warm up the planked seating area, then as an initial warm overall body rinse. The trick is to pour quickly, as the actual temperature of the bathroom at this time of day is probably close to 40°F. The manual rinsing continues through lathering and washing, until the giant bucket can be lifted and used alone. This process can be repeated with the second giant bucket of scalding hot water, which at this point may be just right. With plenty leftover in the second bucket, I finished up my “shower” with a long cascade of hot water directly overhead. The instruction manual wasn’t kidding. This experience was truly DIVINE!
Exiting the bathroom, I stopped in my tracks as I saw the first light glowing so brilliantly through my bedroom windows. I don’t know if I was able to capture the essence, but the sunlight added such a soft, beautiful, warm shade of gold to everything in my room. I smiled, ready to enjoy all that was in store.
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Today we focus on the third / solar plexus chakra – Manipura. The color is yellow, the element is fire, and the seed sound is “RAM.” This chakra houses our energy core, our will, our strength, our self-esteem. During several meditations, I have seen my third chakra as a giant, bad-ass fire dragon. Not only does this dragon give me fuel and inspiration to accomplish my goals, it also protects me when I feel vulnerable…which may manifest itself as a very stubborn, determined and slightly pissed-off version of myself, with that “don’t fuck with me” vibe. I’ve also heard this described as “resting bitch face”.
So, despite feeling slightly vulnerable from yesterday’s awkward encounter with the sacral chakra, I was on a mission to move forward and focus on the positive. On my walk to our meditation temple, I captured a few more moments of peaceful silence.
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After meditation, I opted to write and take some pictures (back to the creative side)…
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Later in the day, we made our way down the mountain again, this time to visit the Dunagiri Temple. This was one of the coolest places I had ever seen. So. Many. Stairs. Each level had three bells across, some with different tones. The walk up was beautiful, colorful, and a little magical.
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After reaching what I thought was the top, there was instead a brightly colored platform with an opportunity to remove your shoes and/or purchase souvenirs. After going through the next path with yet more stairs, there was another platform, this time with places to remove your shoes and/or wash your feet. After this was done, you could then ascend the final set of stairs. Along the path were small temples (housing 3-4 people at most) and shrines dedicated so specific deities, such as Shiva, Krishna and Durga. The larger temple at the very top was dedicated to specific rituals. Inside, you could participate in a puja ceremony performed by a priest and receive a bindi or tilak and a small offering such as rice or grain, which you could eat or redistribute as an offering to one of the smaller temples. This experience was truly fascinating and I felt very connected to this sacred space. I saw a variety of people traveling up and down the steps – couples and families, some laughing and smiling, some contemplative and silent – and not one person gave us a strange or disapproving glance. In fact, I felt very safe, welcome, and honored to be able to worship with these people, just as though I had been there many times before. It was easy to appreciate and admire the dedication involved in this practice, which some people perform every day. It was easy to feel humble and reverent.
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