That’s right folks. The big group showed up on
Saturday and was eating only green food for the entire
week. This is a special fast designed by Yogi Bhajan
to help you alkalize your body. (In yogic terms an
alkaline body pH is healthier than an acid one). And
just so you know, a week is rather extreme for this
diet you could try it for 3 days, or even one day, or
just start with one green meal and build up from
there. SSK made some really amazing food so it
doesn’t all have to be lettuce and steamed zucchini.
(Oh yea! You are also allowed to have garlic, onion,
ginger, organic olive oil and nuts. And you can, of
course, drink water and Yogi tea. (but no the yogi tea
brand…like the bulk recipe you make yourself))
Preparing food for 12 people (15 including us) 3 times
a day is a big enough job…but on this particular diet
it is especially challenging because all of the food
is rather labor intensive. You can’t just boil up
some pasta and toss it with some oil and garlic. So,
basically Sada Sat Kaur and I were in the kitchen from
8-15 hours a day preparing food. (I washed more
lettuce and sliced more cucumber than I think in my
whole life previous combined)
Now, I am enjoying learning to cook with SSK and
recording her recipes and all of that. But this week
was a blessing for me in that it showed me that this
is really not something I would enjoy doing all of the
time. So we can eliminate cook, waitress, chef,
anything to do with a restaurant basically as well as
full time homemaker or mother of a small army from the
infinite list of possible next steps for me.
Because there were so many people in the group I had
to move out of my room and to the trailer at the back
of the property for the week. This wasn’t so bad
because Agnes (the dog) came out and slept with me
there each night. But the trailer was in a spot that
didn’t get much breeze and it was a hot week. I mean,
HOT. I was near 40 degrees Celsius everyday (that is
around 104 Fahrenheit). So we didn’t so much sleep,
as roast in the trailer. And, of course try to avoid
the bugs since there is a small (read: large) ant
problem. But I’m not complaining…. well, ok, maybe I
am a bit.
The group did Sadhana every morning in the meadow and
a bunch of other YOGA classes outdoors. They also did
some painting exercises, took a trip to a pool and a
day trip to Assisi. So all in all it was a busy week
for them. So busy in fact that very few of them got
massages form me…which made me sad because I would
have liked to give more massage…plus it would’ve meant
less time in the kitchen. Oh well, all according to
God’s plan.
The other fun (read: challenging) part about the group
being here was all the stairs. The kitchen is on the
2nd floor and the large dining room is in the
basement. So we were up and down stairs many, many
times for each meal. At least I didn’t feel like I
needed to go to the gym afterwards!
One of the group leaders was from Holland and everyone
else was from Germany. It was certainly interesting
to see the difference between these guests and the
Italian and American guests we have had here before.
Let me preface this by saying: this is commentary
totally in broad strokes and was just my general
observation of the individuals I have had the
opportunity to meet. No more than that. I found the
Germans to be a bit more private and serious than our
other guests. It wasn’t until late in the week that
many of them opened up to each other or to us at all.
I think it was Thursday before we heard laughter
coming from the dinner table. And, Hariang (the Dutch
leader) commented that a German group really likes
order, they want to know the schedule and they want to
know the “right” way to do things…and you bet they are
gonna do ‘em just the way you tell ‘em to.
Interesting….no?
The group left Saturday morning and the three of us
spent the rest of Saturday in a slightly vegetative
state. It was not to last however, because Sunday was
a rush of packing for the Sada Sats. They left Monday
to go to the European Yoga Festival. They run the
children’s camp there so they had another huge chunk
of work cut out for them. They will be gone two weeks
and it will be just me up here on the mountain.
Sometimes I am excited about two weeks to myself to
really do anything I want and to keep directing that
focus inward so I can hear when God calls out that
next step for me. And other times two weeks up here
just seems down right lonely. But I will go into town
a lot and am planning a couple of day trips etc…so
never fear. (Although I’d love some emails to respond
to…)
OK. I think that’s it for now. Next time: My 23rd
birthday! (Am I really that old? Am I really that
young?) And other activities since the SS’s departure.
Hope all is well for you,
Sat Nam and Blessings,
KNL
No comments:
Post a Comment