In the grip of devotion: Pandhariche Bhoot Mothe!

When devotion reaches its peak, the devotee becomes One with the focus of his devotion!

This is the first thought that arose in my mind as I finished listening to a rendition of a song penned down and sung by the renowned composer-singer saint of Maharastra - Tukaram. Filled with such devotion and depth are the words by this saint that I had goosebumps when the meaning of the words hit me! Known for his soul-stirring compositions, called as abhangs, sung in the praise of Shri Vithall and Devi Rakhumai, Sant Tukaram transcends the mundane and speaks from the realm of the super-natural. The abhang is as follows:

पन्धरिचे भूत मोठे 

आल्या गेल्या झडपी वाटे।

बहु खेचारीच रान 

बह हे वेडे होय मन। 

जाऊ नका कोणी, तिथे जाऊ नका कोणी

जे गेले, नाही आले परतोनी। 

तुका पंधारीसी गेला 

पुन्हा जन्मा नाही आला।

I am no scholar of the Marathi vernacular but I understand enough to have been touched by this magician's music! For the ones who seek that moment which inspired me to write this dedication to Tukaram, the abhang loosely translated in English would be thus:

The forces at Pandhari (The town of Pandharpur) are immense

Anyone travelling through there beware!

The forests there are dangerous

Watch out, the mind will be caught in a frenzy!

Dare not venture there, refrain from setting foot in that land

Whosoever went that way, returned not again!

Your Tukaram went that way

Never again did he see the cycle of birth and death again!

I have never heard anyone pay tributes to a land in such terms. The way Tukaram addresses Pandhari - the implied town of Pandharpur in Maharashtra is pregnant with a meaning so opposite to the one intended that it seems a complete oxymoron! One might be forgiven for having mistaken his callings as a warning. Yes, a warning it indeed is, but that which only seeks attention and not the fear that comes along with it! The sanctity and the atmosphere of Pandharpur, where the ancient temple of Shri Vitthal is, have filled Tukaram with such reverence and awe that he suggest that he has lost all sense of ego through his unflinching devotion!

For the one filled with ego, the need for a sense of separation from the rest of creation is but obvious. A man filled with ego seeks uniqueness whereas Tukaram rose to such heights of humility that he admits he lost all sense of his ego. This miracle, he attributes, to the grace of the Divine which dwells in the holy land of Pandharpur. Hence, we warns anyone who seeks uniqueness to beware of Pandhari! His warning is filled with an inherent soul of appeal to all to see the futility of the oscillating mind. Pandharpur would do to you what you yourself haven't been able to do for yourself - rid yourself of your mind!

He credits the land with a power so alluring that whosoever ventures into its heart seemingly loses his way back into the bickering of the world. He reminds us that it is depository of the Supreme Ego from wherein all minds arise and finally merge into! Setting forth himself as a final example in his argument, this embodiment of devotion confesses that he himself dared to do all that he warns others against. But, what a miracle he witnesses then! The Tukaram who set out to find the Divine found his goal in losing himself! That realization, that sense of union, that Yoga with Providence set him free from the cycle of birth and death, liberating him for once and all!

Somewhere Tukaram comes to my mind as I am reminded of Jesus as he says, 'The poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven'. Yes, indeed, Jesus spoke of the ego when he spoke thus! This miracle is only waiting to happen in your own life the moment you lose yourself. The calls of Tukaram shall ever reach your heart from now on.

Here is that rendition that began it all for me sung by Pt. Sanjeev Jahagirdar - a disciple of Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, simply dissolve!

And you will find a very refreshing take on the same composition sung in the Carnatic style by Ranjani-Gayatri in this video.

Did you ask - How to wake up early?

There are times in one's life when an idea instills itself as a theme of one's thought processes. And having read the posts on this blog in the recent times, you would see that I too have been a man possessed by an idea. The question 'How to wake up early?' assumed importance in my life and I finally decided to work on finding the beginning to the answer. So, after a month of watching my habits, modifying my routines and some more watching of my own routine, I have a few observations that I would like to share with you all.

1. Find a morning routine you love
This could be a great motivator for you to persist with your commitment of waking up early. I love to begin my day with a round of Yoga and meditation and nothing better than the pre-dawn times to spend time with oneself. This I saw took care of the rest of my day!

2. Get enough sleep.
This is perhaps something that is different for each one of us. Yet, most adults would require between 6-8 hours of sleep each night. It is best to stick to the old adage of 'Early to bed and early to rise' rather than trying to cut down on the hours of sleep.

3. Wind down your day
As I have mentioned before, the human body is best suited to work during the day and rest at night. Our lifestyles hardly reflect this rule of nature these days but with a little observation, you'll see that the body begins to subtle signs of wanting to ease down in the evening. Listen to them!
The best way to wake up on time is to sleep on time!

4. No mobile phone beside the bed

This would save you from the temptation of browsing the net through the mobile for that 'last email' or 'urgent text' . If you are worried of 'not being available' for your loved ones, let them know of your changed routine and , believe me, they would understand and support you.

5. One wink at a time
It is wise not to be overambitious and begin waking up, say - two hours earlier than your normal time. It is best to decrease 15 min at a time, sustaining each for a week's duration or so. So, if you were to wake up at 7:00 am then begin with waking up at 6:45 am. That way, you would not feel the vast difference and also by a month's time you'd have learnt to wake up an hour early!

6. Math problem solver Alarm

Nothing like technology to aid in a good habit!
I have come across this Alarm clock for my Android Smart phone which persuades me to solve math problems before I could hit the snooze or dismiss button!


7. Avoid caffeine towards the end of the day.
Just like you notice yourself feeling renewed after a cup of caffeinated coffee, you'd see that it doesn't let you fall asleep immediately after. Hence, it is best to avoid any stimulants an hour or so before bed time.

8. Eat the least for dinner.
According to the ancient Indian 'science of life'- Ayurveda, dinner is supposed to be the least of all the meals.
It is known that a heavy dinner obstructs sound sleep. Therefore, it is best to have dinner at least two hours prior to bed-time.

9. Set something to do early in the morning, that’s important for you(This post is a part of the 'Rising Early series'. You could read the rest of the posts in the series HERE. )
I use this time after my meditation to plan the day ahead. I slot the most demanding tasks at the times that I am the most productive. Yes, this is one way to make sure that your best time of the day is organized to suit the most productive tasks at hand.

10. There is no vacation from a good habit
It might look daunting and almost unnecessary to continue with this early day routine on a holiday. But, just imagine waking up at six on a Monday morning after waking up at nine on the weekends, if not later. That would be a Herculean task for sure!
I am looking at a new way of beginning my day and a renewed way of life. In that scheme of ideas, taking a break from waking early hardly makes any sense.

What do I get out of it?
Apart from the above observations,  I have found the following to be the strong motivators for me to stick to this healthy lifestyle:

1. An opportunity to see the one of the most beautiful phenomenon of Nature played over and over again -the sunrise
2. A good unhurried breakfast
3. A headstart into the day
4. A peaceful beginning to the day
5. Time to plan the day out


However, it has been painful in the beginning and I have failed on many occasions to rise early.
Yet, the commitment persists and I am beginning to reap the befits of my perseverance already. If you would ask me for one last 'sage advice', I'd say thus:

Choose 'Short term pain, Long term gain over Short term gain, long term pain'.

(This post is a part of the 'Rising Early series'. You could read the rest of the posts in the series HERE. )

The duality of sleeping patterns

Ever since I began to wake up at six each morning, I have been observing the subtleties of my own mind. And how the mind loves habits and patterns! This love for patterns has made my 'rise early' resolution both easy and difficult at the same time! Doesn't this duality in our sleeping patterns seems baffling to so many of us?

Why I say this is because, I have seen myself struggle a little in the past to wake up as soon as the alarm bell rings. While I have been trying to overcome the morning blues, I have seen how the habit of the past is putting up a resistance. This resistance is in the form of my body struggling to adapt to the new pattern of waking up at six each morning. On the other hand, my body is also beginning to show signs of slowing down as the time to sleep approaches. Now, this is something so welcome because I haven't had to struggle to fall asleep. That seems to have become internalized now such that it is beginning to aid my resolve of waking up early the next day.

So, this seems to be quite a balancing act which I am managing with increasingly satisfying levels.
One major learning from the past few weeks has been this: SLEEP ON TIME, NO MATTER WHAT!

Yes, as trivial it may seem, this seems to be of major consequence when we go to bed. Studies have showed that adults require anywhere between 6-8 hours of sleep each night. In the light of this, it becomes obvious that if one were to not get enough sleep at night, then waking up early becomes difficult. It is, therefore, vital that you find out the duration of sleep that you require each night to feel refreshed the next morning.

Often, we delay our sleeping times when we are wanting to finish the work at hand - maybe it is that assignment due the next day or that important mail that you have been trying to appropriately reply to. For most of us, the first bodily response is to slow down towards the end of the day. Until unless we introduce stimulants like caffeine, alcohol or even a over-filling dinner, we easily and effortlessly slip into our 'sleep modes'. We see that out productivity wanes by the end of the day and we are struggling to give our 100% to the work at hand. Hence, it would to be more productive to go to bed on time and wake up on time to work on it. Often, this produces a better output as the mind is so fresh after the night's sleep and working at its optimum.

As I am learning these beautiful things about my body, I hope that you are learning from my mistakes as well. I tell you, you need not do them all over again to be learning from them! ;)
Let me leave you with a quick revision of my learning in the past few weeks:

1. Sleep on time to wake up on time.
2. Help yourself ease into the night by staying away from stimulants late in the evening.
3. Notice your own sleeping patterns and determine your own 'healthy sleep duration'.

Happy rising early! ;)

(This post is a part of the 'Rising Early series'. You could read the rest of the posts in the series HERE. )

Pause for a moment, time is passing away..

A few weeks ago, I had this thought about the fleeting nature of time. This thought was inspired from my own observations of how the leaves were changing color quickly. From the range of reds that I saw to the fleeting greens; from the yearning yellows to the burnt out browns, they were all a delight to the eye! And how they contrasted against the blue of the all-encompassing sky! If I was not already in a mood for contemplation, these were enough stimuli for me to pause and look at the fleeting nature of life.

In the pursuit of success and in catching up with the rigors of the daily life, we often get caught up in a routine and begin to take life for granted. Contrary to common understanding, we seem to think of life as perpetual but life is lived in its moments. Looking back, you would only see that each moment was fleeting in its nature, 'Here today, gone tomorrow' seems to be a story of our lives.  

Walking around my apartment, as I took in these sights, I began to see how much there is to life. One need not take a walk, like I did, to come to this understanding. It could simply come to you this very moment! The moment that you realize that each moment is precious and filled with abundance you will truly begin to appreciate life in its entirety. 

Often, this though crosses my mind, 'What if this were my last day alive?'. 

I am not at all depressed by this thought. In fact, if you care to look at your own life with a certain sensitivity, you would see that it is this moment, here and now, that we have with us. The past and the future seem like a dream in this realization. This further leads me to understand that the moment that we truly acknowledge the impermanence of our own lives that we begin to live it fully! The mundane becomes charged with enthusiasm and the unnecessary falls out of lives instantly and naturally. That is how I have begun to Rise Early each morning. Priorities begin to prioritize themselves and naturally our experience of life becomes richer. This is a natural outcome of looking at life as fleeting and hence impermanent. I have seen that the least effort is required for one to come to this understanding and work from this space of ease.

Living with this feeling, I see that even stones come alive and seem to be embracing the sky!

The grass in its green is only awaiting your bare feet to tread on it, even as its bends humbly!

"Shama jali hai tere liye, tujhko kuch nahi karna hai!"

"The candle is lit for you, you don't have to do anything."

Pause for a moment, time is passing away..

The strength of a promise to oneself

One wonders what is so special about a ‘New year resolution’ that sets it apart from other commitments. While it seems to be working for a few, it has most often than not failed to keep company with the enthusiastic resolution-maker for the length of the year. It is therefore no wonder that we have the adage that ‘resolutions are meant to be broken! ‘But, what about the great resolve with which most of us take up resolutions and vow to stick on with for the rest of the year? It is an enigma for many as to how and why their resolve wanes.

It is important to probe into the nature of ‘resolutions’ before we could ask ourselves if they really work. Most of the resolutions that people take up are firm on an idea but weak on their time of implementation. When the deadline is not fixed in time, then it becomes very easy for one’s own mind to wriggle out of this new stranglehold. For instance, ‘I will not smoke’ or even ‘I will quit smoking’ sounds resolute enough to last long but simply comes apart. The trick lies in making a ‘time-bound’ commitment. A resolution works best when it is tied to a duration of small measurable units of time like a week, a fortnight or a month. Saying, ‘I will not smoke for the next one week’ has proven to work wonders as there is a sense of achievement at the end of the week.

This system of reward and reiteration also increases ones confidence in oneself as well as sets the ball rolling for the new commitment to bear fruits. Just as a pitcher can be filled by a steady flow of minute drops, resolutions can also be strengthened by small time-bound commitments, renewed regularly. Just like one doesn't require to light up the entire road from the beginning to the end for a night-journey but is suffices by the headlights of a car lighting up to a few feet ahead, one can go a long way just by defining short time-bound commitments.

The back-bone of any resolution is the need or urge to bring about a change and to free oneself from binding and energy-draining habits. Stronger the need for this change, stronger is one’s commitment and faster one’s independence from the vices. One may stumble once in a while or even many times on this path, one simply has to renew one’s commitment to one’s cause immediately.

With this much in mind, whatever one’s resolution may be, whenever one might decide to begin, one can very soon be independent of one’s habits and emerge out glowing and basking in the newly gained confidence. I know resolutions work, be it new or not!
Are you willing to resolve now?

(This post is a part of the 'Rising Early series'. You could read the rest of the posts in the series HERE. )

The joys of rising early are many!

(This post is the third in the 'Rising Early series'. You may want to begin reading from the first post and then move on to the second post. )

It has been 12 days since I have been consciously waking up at 6:00 in the morning and I am already beginning to see how beautiful it feels! In the solitude of the early morning times, when the day begins to unfold itself, there is a certain blossoming that happens within each one of us. It is so much easier to be aware of oneself in such a serene atmosphere. I have been using this time to meditate after some stretching yoga and it has been so rewarding!

The first major change that I have seen is that I can now find time to have my breakfast in leisure! Wouldn't it be lovely if you could start your day with the feeling that you are on top of your schedule and have time in hand? Most of us rush through our mornings and see the initial feeling snowballing into the general tendency of catching up with our schedules when one would say 'Oh, no! I am so late again!'. Often, we hurry through our breakfast; at times skipping it altogether! And then by noon when we begin to feel drained, we wonder why. Let me tell you, just this past one week of waking up at 6:00 am has brought about such a change in my routine. Instead of catching up with the rest of the day, I can now look at my day from the vantage point of this ‘extra time’ in the mornings. It is indeed such an empowering feeling!

Though I am still working towards waking up early on a daily basis, it naturally feels difficult once in a while. But, something wonderful happened today – I woke up on my own this morning! And that too, just a few minutes before the alarm bells began to coax me out of the comforts of the warm mattress! Certainly, my body-clock is getting adjusted to the new lifestyle that I have ‘chosen’ for myself. There are a few more things that I am doing consistently in addition to what I mentioned in my last post. I will enlist them as my observations:

1)      Divorce the mobile phone in the bed

Yes, I really mean it! Most of us go to bed with our 'smart' phones and I have seen that it is not really a smart thing to do. Foremost, the radiation that emits from the device has been time and again proven to be affecting our health. Especially while sleeping, when you place your mobile phone close to your head – beside your pillow.

And important to our goal, the closer the mobile to you as an alarm, the better the chances that you’ll snooze it! Keeping the alarm/mobile phone farthest from the bed goes a long way in waking you up as well.

2)      Ease into the ‘sleep mode’

Another thing that we are prone to doing is to go to bed immediately after spending hours in front of the computer/TV. In this case, the mind is still buzzing with the various thins that kept you occupied for so long. This is when you’d notice that you are unable to fall asleep for long after you have gone to bed! I have seen that reading a book or listening to soothing music just before going to bed helps falling asleep the moment you hit the bed.

3)      Don’t use your favorite tune as your alarm ringtone!

You might be allured into thinking that you’d want to wake up to that beautiful tune. But, more often than not, you’d find yourself admiring that tune in your dreams!

I hope you have been seeing this change in your own life as you have pursued your own dream routines. If you are still waiting to begin with one at the right time, let me check the time now…. Oh, yes! It says – It is the RIGHT TIME now!

An update: How to see the sun rise in your life

(This post is the second in the 'Rising Early series'. You may want to begin reading from the first post and then move on to the third post. )

Now that I am a week into cultivating this long-cherished habit of waking up early in the morning, I have a few observations to share. For those of you who began your own efforts towards ‘waking up early’ or any other habit that you might want to see blossom ion your life, I think this would be particularly helpful. In the past one week, I have failed just once to rise at 6:00am. I think I have understood why that happened and will share it at an appropriate moment. There are certain patterns that our bodies follow and I am beginning to see it in close proximity like the time one begins to feel sleepy for the first time during the course of an evening, the amount of sleep that an individual requires (it might differ for individuals) and the sleep-waking pattern amongst a few more.

Having completed a week let me share three things that I seem to be doing right. They are:
1. Sleeping on time, no matter what
The most important things for me seem to have cropped up just close to bedtime and looking back I see that they certainly could wait until the following morning.
2. Have dinner at least two hours prior to bedtime.
Going to bed after a feast certainly is troublesome! A gap of two hours seems sufficient for the abdominal activity to settle enough to not interfere with one’s ability to sleep well.
3. Sticking to my commitment
Seems so obvious but having dined and slept on time, one still needs to wake up on time!
It certainly is a good idea to implement a good idea, isn’t it? :)

Having shared these three points, I hope they help you to understand your own patterns and evolve out of them. I know this may seem increasingly painful and difficult to begin with but the fruits of perseverance and commitment shall be sweet!
All the very best to you!

Life is just a play

Waiting at the bus stop for a bus to take me home after a long day, I witness such beauty in the seemingly ordinary phenomenon of the sunset! Even as I witness myself as an observer in this beautiful play of Nature, I ponder about how much we take life for granted. What is ever so transient seems irrevocably stuck in our limited vision and we begin to live restricted lives. Yet, all that it requires is a moment of sincere observation to see how much life is evolving. Life is a flux; as if the only thing that will remain constant is this perpetual life cycle itself!

Let us accept this ever-changing nature of life and take life as it comes. Each moment is heavily pregnant with  opportunities to feel grateful for all that we have received in life. A simple acknowledgement of this grace in life fills us with a sense of abundance so renewing that life becomes a joy ride! Let go of all your guilt and regrets from the past as well as the anxieties about the future to see how fulfilled you are, as you are!

What follows is a poem that came to me as I was looking at the setting sun at the bus-stop.

In your golden radiance you inspire me to write,

Your brilliance revolving to create the play of day and night.

How you light up the evening sky this bright! 

Life too needs such an inspiration,

To move from the darkness of despair and desperation,

Onto to the embracing warmth of inner satisfaction.

After all, this is just a perpetual cycle,

Even in your dimming, may your spirit remain unsinkable,

Like the force of a tide, unstoppable! 

Rise again, moving through this dark night,

Knowing that you have the will and the might.

Life is just a play, be like a feather and float light! 

How to see the sun rise in your life?

(This post is the first in the 'Rising Early series'. You could read the rest of the posts in the series HERE  )

'Mahatma' Gandhi - An inspiration for generations to come

Just as the world was celebrating the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi - a great son of India, I was thinking of why would someone be given a title of 'Mahatma' or a 'great soul'. Apart from the historically obvious reasons, I was looking at the personality that was worthy of being called a 'great soul'; at the values that went into the making of a Mahatma. More than anything else, it was the discipline and selfless service that the man - Mohandas Gandhi devoted himself to that elevated him to the status of a Mahatma.

I will narrate an anecdote here to highlight how discipline was integral to Gandhiji's approach to life. Once, Gandhiji was to have a 'more than normal' busy day. Looking at the forthcoming schedule, Gandhiji told his secretary that he 'would have to do more of his spiritual practices' for the day. The secretary obviously perplexed by this additional devotion of time asked back 'But, don't you require to create more free time in your schedule today. You seem to be doing just the contrary!'. Gandhiji patiently replied back,'Yes, that is exactly why I need to do more of my spiritual practices, I need to be more efficient today!'

A stunning cosmic light show that I witnessed recently, here in Boone!

Reflecting on this incident and looking at my own life, I see that it is time that I brought a certain discipline in my own life. I have been for so long wanting to begin my day earlier than I normally do, i.e. before sunrise.  There are numerous advantages that I see to waking up early and that is how I have wanted my life to be.

For reasons ranging from laziness to lack of enough commitment, I have so far been unable to do so. But, I know it is time, once again, for me to persevere in my efforts towards creating this new lifestyle. I have been studying the psychology of habits as a student of psychology in an attempt to understand how I could best form a positive life changing habit. Also, I have come across so many others who want to introduce a life-transforming habit into their own lives. And it has now let me beyond wondering, to act on how I could best bring about this positive change in my life as well of those around me.

The first thing that I will begin by doing is to 'practice before I preach'. Yes, it is important that I bring about a change in my own life before I could begin to share more on this. So, this is how I will go about it:

1. Begin with waking up at 6:00 am from the 9th of October,2012.
2. Practice this uninterrupted for a month.
3. Share my experience on the 10th of November.

It is my intention to share my month-long experience with each one of you so that you may see such transformation possible in your own lives. And then even as I continue to persist with my own efforts, I'd share certain insights into how you could begin to inculcate one good habit in your own lives.

This is an attempt to transform my amazing life into extraordinary just by doing ordinary things CONSISTENTLY. I am on with my plan to see the sun rise in my life, are you?

In the depths of your being, I will be

An early morning sight in a place aptly named as the ' Heavenly Mountains'!

Even as the night shyly embraces the light,
I eagerly await the time
When the sun appears golden to my sight,
When the birds begin to sing and rhyme.

The dew drops sparkle,
There is still a nip in the air,
The bees begin to buzz and mumble,
And love birds celebrate in a pair!

Surrounded by unspoilt natural beauty
I feel so fresh, so alive and so content.
The joys of life now seem like infinity,
Full of enthusiasm, blessed with fulfillment.

In such bliss my heart reaches out to you,
An abundance that it wants to share.
Like a prayer receive this love anew
Like a blessing seldom so rare.

In your acceptance, you shall find me
As a part of your existence, I shall discover myself
In the depths of your being, I will be
Your love for me having found itself!

If I were a flower..

If I were a flower then you'd be

The sweet nectar within my heart.

If I were the raindrop then you'd be

The blissful witness-my charm.

If I were a smile then you'd be

The warmth within the heart.

If I were with you then you'd be

The world that you mean to me now!

Sensitivity and warmth

Even as I arrived here in the United States with an open mind, I found that there was a attribute about the people here that I was not so prepared for. It is the sensitivity of the people here! The way one acknowledges another is something that came as a pleasant surprise! I have been a firm believer in the goodness of people irrespective of their origins, yet this was such a huge serving of goodness that I wasn't so prepared for!

A familiar scene in Boone:  Students waiting for the AppalCart

Let me begin with a very touching experience to illustrate my observation. The town of Boone like many other towns in USA has a FREE bus service within the town for everyone. Yes, FREE bus service! That might be surprising to quite a few of you but that certainly is not what I intend to elaborate here. It is about the experience that I had with one of the bus drivers.

A lady well over her 50's was the driver on this particular bus that I took after a indulgent shopping session. Laden with a multitude of shopping bags, as I boarded the bus, I said a customary good evening to the lady driver and moved ahead into the alley towards an empty seat. As I began to settle down the bags, I realized that the bus wasn't moving. Just turning around to see what was happening, I saw the lady driver looking at me through the rear view mirror. And guess what, she was waiting for me to settle down all that while! I was so struck by this act that I mumbled a 'Thank you so much!' and sat down She simply smiled back that said so much more.

After an indulgent shopping experience!

Even as the bus charted through its regular route, my mind was on its way to this post!
How was it that a person who could be so bogged down by the mundane nature of her job was so sensitive to others'needs? If you might think this to be a one-off incident, I am only glad to say that it wasn't. It is almost a ritual, albeit a refreshing one, to be greeted and o greet back each one of the bus drivers in this town. Also, this warmth is not restricted to the bus drivers alone. Walking on the streets, I have been so often greeted by strangers. And that's all that takes to make one feel elated and welcome!

This certainly is something that makes me reflect on the nature of sensitivity that each one of us harbors within ourselves. Certainly one need not hold such external behavior as a parameter of sensitivity, yet it provides a strong indication of the state of the mind of the person. All it takes for one to share a smile with a stranger is an acknowledgement of the inherent goodness within each one of us. The moment you feel good about your own self, a smile blossoms through your presence!

I am glad I am here amidst such warm-hearted people, like I was back in India. I will leave you with your share of similar experiences that might have rushed to your mind now. And, here I am once again to find what is 'A musing in Boone'.

A thirst unknown..

With a thirst to quench, I ventured

Into many a field unknown;

Wanting to soothe my parched soul,

I searched for a drop of life

That I could call my own!

Waiting in many a land

For a time so unmeasured,

I grew so wanting for more;

Taking the least from myself,

I still craved for the unknown!

Finding a stream, I found my dawn

In the awakening of a realization.

It was in my thirst that I found,

A reason for my find,

Now, that I had so beautifully got!

As it was in my thirst that I found,

It was in my finding that I felt

An immeasurable thirst unknown.

What miracle of nature could quench

My thirst is a saga untold!

Through the smile of a beloved

I realize all my dreams!

Quenching the thirst of my soul,

Now, I crave for even more;

For the joy that may fill her soul!

Let us first ask: What is 'A musing'?

The beauty of the valley just before the onset of Fall from atop Grandfather Mountain

Lfe has been a constant celebration for me and I have found myself growing richer each time that I have acknowledged this experience.

Having arrived in the Appalachian Mountains, I have been fortunate to reside in the scenic town of  Boone for a while now. The intrinsic beauty of this place is such that it could silence the mind even as it fills one with deep joy. I have been amazed at the seemingly ' smallest of things' here. Be it waiting for a bus as I watch the sun chart its course across the expansive skies or even hearing the insects chirp at night to create a systematic-chaos!

For me, it has been a constant journey of being amazed, musing over the experience and being lost in the beauty of it. I consider 'A musing' to be both a feeling of being amazed as well as that moment of reflection that we simultaneously engage in.This space is thus an extension of that experience, which I share with you now.

Come, join me in this experience as we together discover what is
'A Musing in Boone'.