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…
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Dunagiri Retreat – Day 2
Today our focus was on the second / sacral chakra, Swadhisthana. The color is orange, the element is water, and the seed sound is “VAM.” This chakra is all about movement, emotions, and creativity. Some of our asanas included hip opening poses, which have a tendency to also open up our…
Dunagiri Retreat – Day 1
What a glorious morning! Despite waking up a little “late” (a bit past 7am, when morning meditation was scheduled to begin), I felt so refreshed and rejuvenated by the restful and much needed sleep on my first night at Dunagiri Retreat. After moving quickly to get dressed and walk over to…
Dunagiri Retreat – First Impressions
By the time we arrived at Dunagiri Retreat, it was well past sunset and dinner time. Our hosts happily greeted us nonetheless, and welcomed us with kind eyes, genuine smiles, and a warm meal. The other friendly staff members organized our luggage and took it up to our rooms with…
From Delhi to Dunagiri
After a nice hot shower and a few hours of waiting at the airport cafe, I was reunited with my group one by one. We each had unique stories to tell, with only one case of lost luggage. We found out that we would be taking a direct bus route…
India – First Impressions
I am now tucked away in a lounge in the Delhi Airport. I have already had a few interesting encounters, from each end of the spectrum. The flight from Newark was wonderful. I originally had a middle seat in the way back. A woman who was traveling with her family…
One Leg Down
A little bit of exhaustion and a little bit of adrenaline and I am overflowing with excitement! The journey begins / continues. In Newark for an overnight stay, gathering thoughts and papers and doing a final bag check. Didn’t sleep very well last night (hotel neighbors were having enough fun…
One More Week
The countdown begins…Only one. More. Week. Then I’ll be on my way to India, where the journey begins / continues. First, I’ll be flying from Denver to Newark, where I will stay overnight and take some time to rest and gather myself. The following evening, I’ll fly directly to New…
Vivian the Great
My grandmother Vivian Geraldine Polito was kindhearted and generous, and a force to be reckoned with. Granted, I only knew her as my loving, nurturing grandmother…but it was fairly apparent to me that she didn’t take shit from anyone. Not even me. Today is her birthday. Her family background is…