Kailash Trip July 31st to August 14, 2018 with Isha

Kailash Trip July 31^st to August 14, 2018 with Isha

I had always wanted to visit Kailash Mansarovar and would plan half heartedly each year and then drop it. This year I decided to make the move more decisively and registered with Isha Sacred Walks. The team in Isha guided us each step of the way – sending us the info required for the visa, the medical check up to be done, the list of medicines to be carried, the checklist of items to be taken were all sent to us. Given my hectic schedule of work, and board meetings I was barely getting time to put all this together. They had also asked us to follow the practices (Isha yoga etc) for at least 2 months prior to prepare ourselves. It was a hectic week packing and collecting all the things in the checklist. The route we were to take was as follows. Dirapuk is at the base of Mt Kailash.

The route to Kailash

30^th July, Monday – Day 0 -  Bangalore to Delhi and Delhi to Kathmandu

Left in the morning with a lot of anxiety particularly about the altitude sickness part having experienced it last year in Leh. I had followed instructions to start Diamox 5 days before travel and drink 3 litres of water everyday. Left early in the morning at 5 am to catch the Delhi flight and then the flight to Kathmandu. Landed on time and went to the Isha counter. We were welcomed with garlands at the airport. Sense of anticipation started building up.

Arriving in Kathmandu  airport

Checked in to the Yak and Yeti hotel – extremely nice and large 5 star hotel. We went for a long walk to Thamel which was filled with shops for trekkers. Stopped at a small place for masala tea and cakes which were extremely good.

31^st July, Tuesday – Day 1 - In Kathmandu; Altitude – 4200 feet

Time difference 15 minutes ahead of India

Woke up at 7 did my sadhana and had a relaxed breakfast and took some pics of the hotel grounds.

Leaving for Lhasa from Kathmandu

Afternoon was spent in collecting duffel bags, back packs, down jackets, medical check-up after lunch. Evening we had a satsang with Sadhguru telling us how to prepare for the trip and to follow the four basic rules 1. Follow your rules 2. Be responsible for everything 3. Whatever is happening at the moment is what is and meant to be 4. I am not the body and I am not the mind.

We converted rupees into Yuans – conversion is 1 yuan = 11.25 rupees.  After dinner packed everything into the duffel bag from the suitcase; had to leave a few things behind.  Meanwhile had met Rachna in the afternoon and we became roomies for the rest of the trip.

1^st August Wed – Day 2 - Kathmandu to Lhasa by flight 1 hour 15 minutes

Kathmandu altitude – 4200 feet; Lhasa – 12000 feet

Had a very light breakfast because I wanted to land in Lhasa on a light stomach.  Lot of confusion and hassle putting our duffel bags into the bus identifying bags, checking in and boarding. Landed in Lhasa and immigration, bag collection took 2 hours for all of us. Lack of knowledge of Chinese made it very difficult. 

Reached the Hotel Lhasa Mansarovar in the evening at 5 and was welcomed with hot  Pakodas and masala tea. On to the room, unpacked and then down for medical check-up and dinner. For some strange reason my watch stopped and I put it away. My worries on the altitude sickness was unfounded and I was a little more relaxed after having landed at Lhasa.

Rachna and I at Kathmandu airport. My roomie for the trip and a good friend now

Kathmandu to Lhasa flight – you can see Mt Everest in the distance

In Lhasa Yak and Yeti hotel

2^nd August Thursday – Day 3 - In Lhasa ; Altitude – 12000 feet

Tine difference – 2.5 hours ahead of India

Wake up call at 6 am followed by practices and breakfast. Masala and cardamom tea was excellent – however only bread or cereal available for breakfast. The nice looking buns were non-veg. Followed by Satsang where Sadhguru spoke about Tibet and Milarepa.

Lhasa

Beautiful infrastructure, excellent clean roads, no litter, not even a wrapper. People are very spiritual. In Jokhang temple where there are huge crowds and shops, we didn’t see any litter anywhere . Saw a lot of people prostrating or praying in the rain. Lot of construction work going on around Lhasa – influence of Chinese perfection everywhere. The temple was extremely crowded with all the various gods, Avalokiteswara, Tsonseng Rampo meditation cave and numerous others almost like our Tamilian Alwars. No rituals like in our temples. Not sure how or what they consecrate in these temples. We must have walked about 1-2 km to see this and then went on to see the summer palace where we had to walk another 3-4 kms. I think the intention was to get us acclimatized. 

In front of Jokhang temple people prostrating and praying

Jokhang Temple

Evening we went to  see the Potala palace - was the residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising. It is now a museum and World Heritage Site.The palace is named after Mount Potalaka, the mythical abode of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. The building measures 400 metres east-west and 350 metres north-south, with sloping stone walls averaging 3 m. thick, and 5 m. (more than 16 ft) thick at the base, and with copper poured into the foundations to help proof it against earthquakes.Thirteen stories of buildings—containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues. Tradition has it that the three main hills of Lhasa represent the "Three Protectors of Tibet". Chokpori, just to the south of the Potala, is the soul-mountain of Vajrapani, Pongwari that of Manjusri, and Marpori, the hill on which the Potala stands, represents Avalokiteśvara.

In front of Potala Palace

A Tibetan lady dressed up to go for a Puja (P.C. - Anand)

My BP was on the higher side because of the altitude and the doc doubled my usual dose.  I was glad I had Anand and Rachna for company – had the comfort of being with them when I wanted or being on my own when I wanted to.  Thank u guys for being there for me.

August 3^rd, Friday – Day 4 - Lhasa to Shigatse – 6-7 hours bus drive

Shigatse altitude – 12000 feet

Morning wake up call at 6 followed by Guru Puja and Shambhavi. Packed duffel bags and left it out for the Sherpas to take.  Our schedule henceforth would be along these lines – wake up at 5.30, duffel bags out at 6.30, 7 to 8 practices, 8 to 9 breakfast and medical and then leave for the next stop.

Typical daily routine

At this point people started developing issues of altitude sickness. Rachna and  I were  medical volunteers for our bus. On the way we stop every 1.5 hours to stretch our legs , do Sukha Kriya, chant Brahmananda Swaroopa, do the rotation exercise for acclimatization. As we leave for Shigatse my heart is beating with a sense of anticipation and excitement. All like minded people on a spiritual quest – it felt wonderful being in company like this. Beautiful scenery throughout and would be so for the rest of the trip.

Tibet

Thousands of years ago Tibetans were every martial arts oriented people- this was 500 years before Buddha. Then Padmasambhava went there and taught them to be kind, generous, peace loving people. This actually lost them their purpose in life whereas while fighting they had a purpose. This was the Bon religion which lasted about 500 years, Then the Buddha came from India because Hinduism was taking strong roots in India. Buddhism was a combination of being kind generous, loving at the same time with a purpose in life. People took to this very fast. There is  also a school of thought which says that the Bon religion was revived in the 11th century along with the advent of Buddhism. According to a recent Chinese census^, an estimated 10 percent of Tibetans follow Bon and there are 264 active Bon monasteries, convents, and hermitages.

The present spiritual head of the Bon is Lungtok Tenpa'i Nyima (1929–2017), who now presides over Pal Shen-ten Menri Ling in Dolanji in Himachal Pradesh, India, for the abbacy of which monastery he was selected in 1969.

Milarepa

We all know of him as the only person to have climbed Mt Kailash (he actually flew to the top of Mt Kailash). Sadhguru narrated his story. Milarepa was born in a family in which his father died at n early age. He, his sister and his mother therefore lived with his uncle and Milarepa was brought up by his uncle. His uncle used to torture the three of them and treated them very badly. Milarepa could not bear it any longer and ran away and learnt occult practices, When he came back he found his mother and sister dead – this fuelled his hated for his uncle even more. During a marriage function Milarepa used his occult powers to burn down the entire building where the marriage was taking place and more than 500 people died. Milarepa was filled with remorse and went in search f a guru. He hears about Marpa as an enlightened guru and requests him to take him as his disciple.  Marpa makes him do a lot of work for many years but does not teach him anything. Many others would come, get initiated and leave but not Milarepa. 25 years pass by and Milarepa is becoming old. When he is on the verge of committing suicide in despair, Marpa appears and and teaches him all he knows and puts him in a dark chamber to get enlightened – equivalent of Samadhi. – Buried alive in a dark chamber for many days, food is passed down everyday and plate given out every evening. If for 7 days no plate is returned then the person is dead.  Milarepa goes into the dark chamber and on the 3^rd day has a vision of Daikin who tells him he needs to learn some more. Milarepa breaks open the chamber and asks Marpa who himself does not know. They go to a guru in India who teaches both of them and Marpa becomes Milarepa’s disciple. Milarepa is the only person to have ever climbed Mt Kailash – the story goes that he flew to the top of Mt Kailash.

We reached Shigatse in the evening after a 7 hour drive  with excellent lunch in between of puris, rajma, pulao, gulab jamun, apple and juice.  Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet. The quality of the hotel was very good – everything was painted in bright colours including the ceiling and the rooms.

We went for a walk to a nearby park and sat there and chanted the Mrityunjaya mantra. Beautiful play area and a group of women put up a typical Tibetan dance.

A Tibetan/Chinese dance in Shigatse

Colourful interiors of the Hotel in Shigatse – Geysar Hotel

Things to take care of for Altitude sickness

1. Deep inhalation hold for 5 secs and let out slowly through pursed lips. Do 15 times

2. ½ a diamox 125 mg morning and evening everyday starting 5 days before the trip

3. Drink 3 litres of water minimum everyday

4. Continue Diamox till you come back down

5. Sukha kkriya ((Anulom Vilom) every 1.5 hours for 15 minutes

6. Castor oil in the nostril for dryness

7. Smell camphor for better oxygenation (we used Amrutanjan strong)

8. Keep arms parallel to ground and rotate in a clockwise direction slowly 10 to 15 times

        to acclimatize

9. If there is headache Diamox can be increased to one tablet and water intake can be

        increased.

10. Take 3 times your normal BP medicine f you are hypertensive as BP tends to go up 

        and you may need to take additional dosages

August 4^th Saturday – Day 5 - Shigatse to Saga – 500 kms and 11 hours bus drive

Saga altitude – 15000 feet

On the way to Saga today after breakfast and medical check-up. Rooms becoming smaller, weather colder, altitude higher, bathrooms barer, air rarer…….

Did medical check- up for everyone in the bus, Stunning scenery all along- play of clouds, hills, valleys, plains occasionally dotted with yellow dandelions/daffodils – layers and layers of these. No trees at this altitude. Yaks and Sheep grazing precariously on the slopes – can also see wild dogs. Stopped for lunch at a stunning location – hills surrounding us in brown, pink, purple colours with a pristine still lake in front. Lunch was again excellent puri, rajma, cauliflower/potato, pulao, rasagolla, apple, juice. As we move closer to Saga we can see snow capped mountains making their appearance. Drinking lots of water meant many loo breaks – “men on right women on left”” – we stop whenever we find an embankment or a wall for the ladies.  Reached Saga after 11 hours of travel – dinner was Khichdi - comfort food. We had to walk very slowly to conserve our breath. The last one hour was a sudden descent which gave lot of people problems. Went to sleep at 1130 and woke up at 430 for practices at 6. Everything is solar powered here – all vehicles, power, water etc. Probably the last bath we will have in 4 days.

Many people now down with issues of cough, cold, fever, loose motions, insomnia etc. I am getting mentally prepared for the drive to Mansarovar and Kailash and the sense of anticipation and suppressed excitement heightens. I write down a set of instructions to myself.

Instructions to myself

1    1.       No expectations
2.       Don’t keep asking and praying for things to Sadhguru and Sai baba – surrender
3.       Don’t compare with others – this is your journey – not a copy of theirs
4.       Whatever has to happen will happen to you
5.       Leave your heart in Kailash and your body will follow
6.       Relax, stay alert, be receptive
7.       Go within don’t watch without
8.       Let go !
9.       Go as a piece of life
10.     This journey is just you and him and nobody else matters

5^th August Sunday – Day 6 - Saga to Mansarovar 7 hours bus drive

Mansarovar height - 15500 feet

Absolutely stunning scenery, photographs don’t do it justice. Excited ! So far I have been doing well. Hope it lasts. Hills are quite stark now with the same green brown, pink, purple designs. Started putting Isha songs in the bus and the Bho Shambho was very moving – I feel quite teary eyed and keep reminding myself about the “Instructions to Myself “. As we keep stopping for our open loo breaks all inhibitions gone in the pressure of natures call.  We reach the Mansarovar settlement in the evening around 5. It’s  an enclosed space with many rooms and toilets in pits in tents. We are about 30 feet from the lake. We have been told not to touch the water till the process is done and not to go out of the settlement after 8 as there are wild dogs. The lake looks like any other lake. We are 7 in a room, there are 2 huge tents – one for satsang and practices and one for food.  It was cold now probably 4 or 5 degrees and we all had our gear out. Post dinner we were asked to be ready for the process in the morning.

Mansarovar lake in the evening

6^th August Monday – Day 7 – at Mansarovar

I woke up early in the morning at 2.15 am to try and see the mystical lights over Mansarovar. It was cold, raining – waited for about 15 minutes but could not see anything and went back to sleep. Morning heard that quite a few people who had been awake from 230 to 4 had seen the lights.  Morning we completed our practices and went to the lake for the process. We could not go into the lake for a dip as the Tibetan authorities have forbidden this. We went through a process of chanting -  This process changes the chemistry in your body so that you are able to bear the cold of the water. Water must have been 3 to 4 degrees temp. The lake is supposed to be the meeting place for all astral beings but is not a spiritually energized lake. Sadhguru explained that he has been seeing these beings visit for many years but has not been able to figure out the purpose. He also said while we know about the individual and the universal energy, these beings were cluster of beings which were very different from what he knows. There is also activity within the lake depths that he can see – some of them translucent some of them transparent but always visiting in the mid of night.  After the process we had to pour mugs of the ice cold water from buckets on ourselves. It was so cold that the breath stopped.  The process was beautiful and serene as we chanted Aum Namah Shivaya on the banks of the Mansarovar. I tried to do meditation multiple times sitting on the banks of the lake.

Lake Manasarovar lies at 4,590 m (15,060 ft) above mean sea level, a relatively high elevation for a large freshwater lake. Lake Manasarovar is relatively round in shape with the circumference of 88 km (54.7 mi). Its depth reaches a maximum depth of 90 m (300 ft and its surface area is 320 km² (123.6 sq mi). It is connected to nearby Lake Rakshastal by the natural Ganga Chhu channel. Sadhguru explained that the origins are from the Ocean Titus which flowed back into the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal when the land form currently India joined the main landforms to form the Himalayas. Lake Mansarovar is the remnant of Ocean Titus. In Hinduism, Lake Manasarovar is a personification of purity, and one who drinks water from the lake will go to the abode of Shiva after death. He is believed to be cleansed of all his sins committed over even a hundred lifetimes. It is called "Manasa sarovaram", which is a combination of the Sanskrit words for "mind" and "lake". While Manasarovar remains calm and peaceful and a freshwater lake, Rakshas Tal close by is saline and stormy and dark. Both these lakes represent the good and evil co-existence.

We managed to quickly change after this and went for breakfast.  Satsang, practices, and lunch. 

Mansarovar lake in the morning

7^th August Tuesday – Day 8 - Mansarovar to Darchen; Darchen to Mt Kailash, Dirapuk trek 16 kms

15000 ft to 17000 ft

Woke up at 3 am to see the lights again over Mansarovar – waited for an hour but no luck.  I think it requires a lot of concentration and patience. S1 team had arrived and the toilet pits were now stinkier. After a lot of delays we reached Darchen  by bus. We had to go in groups of 4 with one oxygen cylinder with us. We started the trek at 1230 from Yama Dwar.

Gateway of the God of Death, this is the place of entering the abode of Lord Shiva. Tibetans call 'Tarboche' for Yam Dwar. They believe that Tarboche is the place from where they start circumnambulation of their deity's home. To visit Shiva's home, one must pass through the Yama Dwar. 'Yama' is the lord of death and 'Dwar' means gate. Yama, who brings mortal souls to his haven and make judgment of one's merit & sin, then release for onward cosmic journey, It is said, the real entry from this gate can be made after emancipating the soul from mortal world. 

Yama Dwar – Gateway to Shiva’s abode

Indescribable scenery, hills covered by mist, river gurgling away, sun occasionally coming out. Light drizzle. After every few steps had to take a deep breath. With four layers + down jacket and the raincoat and the backpack the trek was not easy. Kept chanting Shiva Shambho thru the trek. I was conscious of what Sadhguru had said that we are treading on Shiva’s body and should walk accordingly with care and devotion. Half way through we saw the West side of Mt Kailash. I was moved to tears  - the sight was so overwhelming. The trek was beautiful – I took my time and enjoyed it. The thought that we are walking towards Mt Kailash gave a different quality to the trek.  Suddenly the realization dawned on me that like this trek, each one of our life  journeys is different.  In focusing on reaching the destination quickly and comparing progress/ experiences of others we miss out on the beauty of our journey. Each person’s spiritual progress is his/her own and between him/her and Shiva.

Mt Kailash, Dirapuk – reached the enclosure after 6.5 hours trek. Our room had a direct view of Mt Kailash. The mountain itself was covered by mist and we could see it only partially.  The pillows and sheets were ice cold. Dinner was nice hot Khichdi and Kadi and was amazing. Toilets in Mt Kailash were pits on the ground behind a wall separately for men and women.

Arrangements by Isha

A special note on the wonderful arrangements made by Isha for us. They took care of us with the utmost devotion and in the words of one of our yatris, we were treated like ‘babies’. There are 21 groups of 75 people each coming to Kailash thru Isha this year over the next 2 months.  Isha flies its cooks to be stationed at Lhasa, Shigatse, Saga, Mansarovar, Darchen and Mt Kailash to cook Indian food for us.  Isha also has doctors travelling along with us, with one doctor for each batch supported by station doctors in Lhasa, Shigatse, Saga, Mansarovar and Kailash who stay there for 2 months and help out till the last batch is done. Apart from this the coordination with the Sherpas to pick up and drop  our duffel bags to our rooms and transport, ensuring good food for us, coordination with the bus drivers is unbelievable. Every bus has 20 people with basics like water, oxygen cylinder, one Sherpa and one medical coordinator.

8^th August, Wednesday – Day 9 - Mt Kailash, Dirapuk., 17000 ft

Early morning 4 am wanted to go to the toilet. It was pitch dark and snowing. Every time you had to use the loo you have to get out from under the warm blanket and cover yourself up including water proof gloves, take the torch and find your way to the pit 50 feet away trudging thru snow ad ice cold water balancing tissue paper and wipes in your hand. By the time you are done and back you are panting and need 5 minutes for breath to settle. Early morning 5 am was as usual wake up call, practices, medical check, Satsang and breakfast.  We went to Milarepa’s monastery in the morning. The view of Mt Kailash from here was  awesome.

Mt Kailash as seen from Milarepa’s monastery

Video Credit - Anand

We did a process in front of Mt Kailash in the afternoon. It was magical. As I was gazing at the mountain the snow seemed to stand out in 3 D shape in and out continuously and the surrounding hill seemed to have bright and dark areas. It may well be because I was staring so intensely. Post the process sat and did meditation for sometime.  I am realizing I need to practice meditation more often as my power of concentration and visualization is quite poor. S1 group joined us at night and the battle for the pits continued.

After the group process in front of Mt Kailash

9^th August Thursday – Day 10 - Mt Kailash

I woke up at 5 and did a meditation for 30 minutes in the silence. It was very nice. Early morning is the right time to do it and I resolved I would practice this henceforth. I had been lucky and by the grace of all the divine beings I had less problems compared to many others who had insomnia, cough, cold, headache, fever, loose motions etc. After breakfast and practices we left for the trek back. It was cold, windy, drizzling…..but the landscape was stunning. This trek I resolved to do slowly , alone, taking my time and enjoying every bit. Om Nama Shivaya chant was there automatically on my lips . I felt I was leaving behind something precious – my heart felt full and I was filled with happiness – I didn’t want the trek to end. I kept stopping and looking at the scenery very often and taking the entire trek at the slowest pace possible. One of the best treks ever. The streams have increased, more flowers are blooming and we see some very friendly Marmots on the way as well as very persistent sparrows which wanted some food and would sit on top of our heads till we gave it something.

Reached Darchen and slept for 1.5 hours – had a bath the first after 4 days and then dinner. We wandered around Darchen and bought some trinkets.

10^th August Friday – Day 11 - Darchen to Saga – 14 hours bus drive

16500 ft to 15000 ft

Early morning routine – today no water in the bathroom– had to run around for a mug. Everything got delayed. However all this was taken in the stride with the warm lovely feeling of the visit to Mt Kailash still within us.  Finally we leave at 915 for Saga. On the way there was a truck which had got stuck and we got delayed at this place for 4 hours. But with a bus load of happy people we did not feel the time passing.. Finally an alternative route was found and we had to get off the bus and walk around – the sand was soft and like quicksand – no wonder the truck had got stuck. By the time we reached the hotel it was 11.30 and dark and raining. Sunset in all these places was at 8.30-9 pm only. The drives were fun, with us listening to Mahabaratha or singing songs and handing out snacks or stopping for bathroom breaks. The roads were excellent, clear with undulating hills all around and the Brahmapura following us. Hardly any traffic on the roads except our bus and our driver kept a steady pace throughout. Throughout our journey we were asked not to sleep because of the altitude climb hence we would keep waking each other up.

Reached familiar Saga hotel at 1130  had dinner and went to sleep at 1230. What a difference from on our way up – then we would walk slowly and continue to breath deeply – now we were practically running up and down.

Yellow Daffodils all along the way

Just the straight road and us

11^Th August Saturday – Day 12 - Saga to Shigatse – 8 hour bus drive

15000 ft to 12000 ft

Today we are allowed to sleep on the bus. On the way we got stuck in at least 4 places because of landslides or breakdowns. Brahmapura was in spate and a sight to behold – the brown coloured river was gushing through a level 4 rapid level. Lunch break was at the same place as the way up with the pristine lake and hills purple and pink around.We have been doing the Sadhguru presence at 620 pm everyday. Shigatse we are back to the same hotel – here everything is painted beautifully including the doors to the rooms.

The Brahmaputra in spate

Bus 4 group

12^th August Sunday – Day 13 - Shigatse to Lhasa – 7 hour bus drive

12000 ft to 12000 ft

Today we get an extra hour of sleep. After our morning schedule we leave at 915.  Weather today is quite bright, sun is out and we see a lot of pink flowers on the way. In 4 days a big change – more pink and yellow flowers, more streams, Brahmaputra volume increased, more landslides and breakdowns on the way. On the way to Lhasa we prepare for our skit and also planned to have a Tibetan Dinner out. Reaching the hotel by 5.30 we leave at 7 for the restaurant. Finding the place is a big job by itself – google maps does not work properly, we don’t know the language , flagging down taxis we show a picture of the Chinese translation of the place and finally reach the restaurant. I had spoken to Nam Don the proprietor of the restaurant -  Tibetan Family Kitchen. The ambience looks very ordinary but the food was excellent and we all really enjoyed it. Eggplant salad, Thuppa, momos,  potato fry, curd and peanut, beans fry, fried rice, noodles and vegetables,. Nam Don took good care service was quick, food delicious and she got us cabs to return to the hotel which was 1/3 rd the price we had paid while coming. Reached the hotel and went to sleep at 1130 after packing.

At the Tibetan Family Kitchen Restaurant

13^th August Monday – Day 14 - Lhasa to Kathmandu flight

Wake up at 5 am and the usual routine and leave for airport at 745. Getting bags sorted out and 75 people in line and into the airport took quite some time and we reached the boarding area at 1050 for the flight at 1110. Boarded and left at 1130 and reached Kathmandu but because of poor visibility had to return to Lhasa.  We had to stay in the aircraft while refuelling was done. Spontaneously we started singing songs with claps all around. Some foreigners seeing this also joined the fun with the instruments they had. The pilots, and stewards also joined the fun and took videos. By this time everyone was hungry and they passed around whatever snacks they had brought. After 30 minutes we left again for Kathmandu and landed without any incident. But this cost us 3 hours.  Went through Customs/ Immigration and went to Hotel Annapurna and had a great late lunch with Gulab Jamun and icecream. We boarded the bus again for the Satsang with Sadhguru in the Forest resort 10 kms away. It took us 1.5 hours to reach there – huge traffic, bad roads, huge potholes, slushy ground, rain all added to the delay. I will never again complain about Indian Roads. We had the Satsang with Sadhguru along with the A3 batch. I got up to read the poem I had written but for some reason my voice choked up and I barely got through the reading of the poem.. My heart was thumping and I could not talk – I stumbled through the reading of the poem. 

We took photos with Sadhguru and left back to the hotel. Dinner and to sleep at 11. Sadhguru said that at the end of this there should be at least one thing that we leave behnd and that should be anger. He wanted us to resolve that we will not get angry or if that’s difficult we will not say any angry words. I have resolved that I will not get irritated and If I do I will not show my irritation – I don’t get angry anyway. Also to look at changing my attitude from one of anxiety to looking at the positive side of things only – half full glass. Second  is to get up at 5.30 everyday and follow my practices come what may with added 20 minutes of meditation.

14^th August Tuesday – Day 15 - Kathmandu

Morning we started our session at 630. People shared their experiences post which we enacted our skits. It was great fun with everyone taking off on the Diamox effect. We concluded with Guru pooja – I was in tears at the end of this – moving experience. Danced to Alai alai song and hugged everyone – emotional and sad that this had come to an end – such wonderful people and what a wonderful trip. The Isha volunteers, Pooja Akka, the coordinators, the doctors, the station doctors, the Sherpas, the drivers all worked very hard to make this a success for us - Big Pranams to all of them. To Sadguru for making this happen and making it a wonderful experience for me. It is a miracle that I did not have any of the issues that others had which I would normally have had and have a tendency to get.

I don’t know in what way Kailash has touched me but for sure the trip was great and the friends I made worth it. It was easy for me and grateful to Sai baba and Sadhguru and all the gurus who made it easy for me. Seeing everyone and hearing their personal stories I feel so blessed and grateful for all that the gods have showered on me. While I would like to visit Kailash again and do the Parikrama doing just Kailash with Isha was special. Goodbye and I hope I carry a part of Kailash and HIS energy in my heart forever.

Three poems that I wrote and would like to share.

Shiva

Shiva is the most amazing
Is he a Person ? animal? Thing?
He is that which is not
Therefore I know him not

We know he is formless
We know he is voiceless
We know he is bodiless
We know he is nothingness

We know he is here
We know he is there
We know he is everywhere
We know he is nowhere

He can be joyous
He can be furious
He is in the breath
He is in the death

Blessed are those
Who have experienced so
Blessed are those
Who KNOW this is so

I yearn to get a glimpse
A drop of that experience
Personified as the  linga
Oh shiva shiva mahadeva

The Divine

There is a sense of wonderment
At the beauty of the present
Everything is perfect
Everything is exact

The blooming of the flower
The fragrance in the bower
Millions of insects in the garden
Teeming with life in abandon

The fluffy white clouds floating
A pattern that gets you guessing
This moment it is something
And the next moment nothing

The trees, clouds just are
So intensely aware
A sense of deep stillness
Just remaining a witness.

The mystery of the universe
With stars and galaxies so diverse
Forming, evolving, creating
Expanding, Bursting, dissolving

The complexity of the human body
Something we cannot grasp fully
The miracle of human evolution
The mystery of human dissolution

The divine in every atom and cell
The divine in each dust particle
The divine in the vastness of the universe
The divine in all the empty spaces

The divine in the blooming flower
The divine in the monsoon shower
The divine in the whispering breeze
The divine in the dancing leaves

The divine in the sunrise and sunset

The divine in every single breath

The divine here and everywhere

The divine that is there and nowhere

A  longing to know your presence

And experience the essence

To know the rapturous ecstasy

Which so far has only been a fantasy.

The mystical magic of his presence

Absolute stillness being the essence
When this moment is a tremendous possibility

Let your grace be upon me.

The Journey to Kailash

Our hearts filled with excitement

Anticipation the uppermost sentiment

Bustling around making friends

Packing, repacking bacpacks and duffel bags.

The journey to Kailash is 1500 kms

Every stop reached after long drives

Breathtaking scenery all around

Makes our hearts with joy rebound

As we drive towards our ultimate goal

And watch the stunning scenery unfold

Miles  of undulating hills

Indescribable beauty with no frills

As sickness overtakes some

Discomfort makes the drives tiresome

While the body tries to cope

The spriit comes to the fore

Rains, mist, wind chills

Slowly walking with multiple rests

The mind is fixed unwavering

Bodily travails minimizing

The hills  a mute witness

Playing hide and seek with the clouds

Shadow spangled play on their sides

With ice and snow glistening patterns

The stream gurgles along merrily

Yellow flowers swaying happily

Look upon the lot of travellers wearily

Giving them succour in their journey

Walking into the heavenly abode

The first sight lightens the load

Fills the heart and mind with energy

Pulsating waves surround gently

The heart and soul melts

And dissolve into copious tears

The spiritual yearning strengthens

And the sleeping giant awakens.

Dawning of the realization

That the journey is the destination

Everyone at their own pace

According to Shivas design and grace

What has to happen will happen

As per Shiva's will and lesson

Life, an unbreakable bond between two

Actors are just, HIM ad you.

My heart is suddenly filled

With happiness and everything good

I return with lightness and a new start

A part of Kailash in my heart.

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Aum Namah Shivaya !