Tiruvannamalai

After Chennai, I went to Tiruvannamalai.
There's the holy Arunachala hill.
Sri Ramana Maharishi is from this city.

I arrived there on Tuesday on full moon.
Many pilgrims gather here and walk around the hill on full moon.
It took me 4 hours from 8pm to midnight.

I stayed near Ramana Ashram.
It's a quiet area compared to the center of the city, and there are many good places for meditation, a variety of satsang, bhajan, darshan, deeksha etc.. are happening.


*Concert at Ragini's



There was a Classical Indian music concert at a restaurant called Ragini's.
Vocal(Mariko-san), Bunsuri, Tabla, and some string instrument.
They did Sufi music too.
It was beautiful.


*Darshan at Shiva Shakti Ammayer Ashram

Darshan from a female guru who's never spoken a word in her whole life. She looked at everyone and gave blessings. Very quiet and peaceful.


*Deeksha on Monday and Thursday night at Bharatha's rooftop.

Meditation and transmission of divine energy. It felt so good...


*Darshan with Aum Amma



It is said that om symbol showed up on her forehead.
She was in trance. Her eyes rolled up, and her hands and legs were shaking with music.She gave everyone blessings with flower and touch. She put flower crazily on each one's face and touched her forehead to each one.
Then, threw the flower everywhere... It was very interesting...


* Indian Shiva Dance

I took some lessons of Indian Shiva Dance and chanting from Venkatesh.
Some foot moves and mudras.
Shiva Dance is from South India, and slower than Bharatanatyam.
I enjoyed it.


*Dhrupad Lesson

I learnred Indian classical singig called Dhrupad from Mariko-san.
It was very deep.I really like it. I will continue this sadhana as well.


*Climbing Arunachala



I climbed Arunachala hill and went to Skanda Ashram and 3 caves.
It was a nice walk to Skanda Ashram about 40 minutes.
I meditated there for a while.
Then I climbed rocks and went to Shiva cave and Ramana cave, whiere Ramana Maharishi spent years in meditation.



It was a spectacular view of the city from the top of the moutain cave.




*Arunachaleshwarar Temple



The biggest shiva shakti temple in the world.



It was in 2 day festival. There was a dance performance. She was great.


*Room with Arinachala view



My room in Tiruvannamalai. It was a very nice room with a view of Arunachala.
I practiced meditation, chanting, asanas, etc. facing the mountain.
Very refreshing energy.


Next I am going to Auroville...

Chennai

I spent 9 days in Chennai.

The day I arrived, a festival started. Tamil festival. Happy Pongal!
People were burning things to burn bad spirits.
The whole city was in festival mood. Lots of people were out and just hanging out on the streets.

People draw in front of house...




I went to Marina beach, where a lot of people go during the festival.
I met some cute cheerful kids and played with them for a long time.
We did some games, petit yoga lesson since they asked me, sang and danced.
I laughed a lot, and enjoyed a lot.




I have been taking private yoga and vedic chanting lessons at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram almost everyday.
Krishnamacharya is a legend, who was a teacher of Iyengar, Sri Pattabi Jois, and his son, Deshikachar.
Last Saturday I attended Deshikachar's talk. We discussed about 8 limbs of yoga.
I had a wonderful time at the school.





I went to Ramakrishna Math. It is a beautiful temple. I went to a bhajan, and bought some interesting books. They also have Sanskrit class every week. One day I went to take a class and it was cancelled because of the festival, and I ended up talking to a wise smily old man.

One word from him:

"Subham Bhavathu"
meaning, goodness always be there, let everything be holy, auspicious...


I went to see one dance performance, Bharatanatyam, traditional indian dance from south india, and one classical indian music concert. Male vocal, Pakhawaj(Indian drum), and violin.
At the concert, I happened to meet a friend of mine!! The first Japanese person I met in India was someone I know!! I was so surprised and happy. We can meet up later in Varanasi.


I went to see some other temples too.
Kapaleeswara temple, which worships Shiva, and one small temple near my apartment that worships Ganesh. I just walked in there without thinking anything, and a big ceremony suddenly started with a lond uplifting drum and bell sound. I followd other people and attended the ceremony. Some nice people showed me how to do things. It was magical and sweet.




I am leaving here tomorrow for Tiluvannamalai, where a lot of pilgrims gather on full moon night, and walk around a holy hill.
Tomorrow is full moon...

purnatva

purnatva=fullness.

I arrived in Chennai, India.
My new life is starting here.

I look back my life in Japan last year.
The year of a big change.
Not everything was easy.
But now I can see everything as full and perfect.
I don't say I did everything I wanted to do.
But what needed to be done is done.
I did my best.

I want to say thank you to everyone who supported me in my life in Japan.
With deeeeep bow.
I realized I received so much love.

Before my trip to India,
as if showing another big change approaching,
Time speeded up, many things happened.
Many miracles...
I felt like I was dreaming, waking up...

Deep gratitude to my beautiful life in Japan.
Infinite awe to all the miracles given to me.

Now I am starting a new adventure.
stepping into the unknown...
So excited!
I can't stop smiling...

茶道、由比ケ浜

お友達二人が鎌倉に遊びにきてくれた。
まずはうちでお茶。
抹茶と羊羹。
おすましで♪



そのあとビーチへ。
空は澄み渡り、雲一つない快晴！
海はキラキラ輝いて、富士山がきれいに見えました。



ランチは由比ケ浜の麻心で。
麻の実とレンズ豆のベジタブルカレーをいただきました。
美味。昇天しました☆



もう一度ビーチへ。
マントラを唱えました。
それぞれが知っているマントラを披露し合って、そのあと全員でアヌサラヨガのInvocationとガヤトリマントラを唱えました。

あ〜Blissfulな１日でした。

百歳の祖母

きのう百歳になる祖母のお見舞いに行った。
今は、ほとんどの時間眠っていて、耳はなんとか聞こえて少し声が出せる程度。

１年ぶりに会った。さらにしわしわになっているかと思いきや、お肌が特にほっぺが、ぴんぴんのつるつるでびっくりした。
元気そうで何より。

自分の名前を大きな声で言って、手を握りながら、一方的に話しかけていた。
ヨガを教えていることや、インドにもうすぐいってくることなど。

ああちゃま（小さい頃、おばあちゃまが言えなく、以来そう呼んでいます）
みているだけで涙が出てきた。なんでだろう。
今までとてもかわいがってくれたことへの感謝、そして、その存在感に圧倒された。
生命力、静けさ、限りなく魂に近いところにいる人の平和。


そのあといとこの家へ新年の挨拶に行った。
いとこのところには最高にかわいい、９歳、８歳、４歳の三人娘がいる。
三人はいつも私が来ると、みてみて！ヨガ！といろいろ披露してくれて、これまためちゃくちゃかわいい。
４人で、有志の大人を含め、ヨガごっこをした。とっても楽しかった。
インドに行くと言ったら、３つパワーストーンをくれた。恋愛運、仕事運、健康運らしい。
あと、末っ子の子はかわいいイラスト入りの絆創膏をくれた。
最初は１こあげる、好きなの選んで、と言っていたのに、２こあげる、これもあげる、とどんどん増えていって、最後には５こくれた。
あーかわいかった。

親戚に優しく見送られ、インドに発つ前にまた日本をありがたく感じられた。

初詣

早朝のヨガクラスのあと、鶴岡八幡宮に初詣に行った。
絵馬を書いて、おみくじを引いた。

世の中は動き続けるが、いつも自分の信念を貫くこと。まことを貫けば、神の救いの手が差し伸べられる。
願望は、何でも思い通りになる、慎んで待て、とのこと。
縁談は成功、でも仲人に注意。交際は、遊べば失敗する、とのこと。
事業は、一つの力を集中せよ。病気は、長くは続かぬ、安心。

そのあと湖のほとりでお餅を食べて鳥たちを見てた。
友人キャメロンと話していたこと。

“Ducks do what ducks do."
"Cameron does what Cameron does.”
“Yuki does what Yuki does."

あひるがあひるのすべきことをして幸せであるように、
私たちも自分のすべきことをして幸せになる。

そのあと材木座海岸にいった。
空は青く透き通っていて、富士山がきれいに見えた。

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

去年は変化と成長の素晴らしい年だった。
私を支えてくれたまわりの全てに感謝！

年越しは鎌倉由比ケ浜の麻心で友人たちと過ごした。
海で見た初日の出がとても眩しくて心洗われました。
その輝きに向かってガヤトリマントラを唱えました。

今年はさらに良い年になる☆