Ok, so here we are we’ve finally reached our last few days of what now feels like a whirlwind 4 weeks.
Even though the last 20 minutes of the recent meditations have been spent listening for the crunch of the stones on that bloody hill telling us that the chai man is on his way with biscuits and bananas it’s been worth sitting there every moment.
So, for the last couple of meditations Sudhir has passed the baton over to the other teachers, right up until the very last day I have tried to do the meditation thing and our last 2 were very different.
Henrik, to be honest I might have had a sneaky 40 winks in yours but that was only because you let us lie down.
Rowie, ahh what can I say? Well quite a bit as it happens. So here starts our very last meditation, starts like any other regular morning meditation…sit quietly…focus and look within…then it changed. She said “place your hands in your lap, palms facing up and I’m going to put something in your hands”, as Sam was coughing her guts up next to me, normally due to the burning shit everyday (I do literally mean that, shite, left over food, tyres, pretty much anything they can lay their hands on they burn all day, everyday) this trip hasn’t done her lungs any good. Anyway, I think she was hoping for a cough sweet or some kind of horse tranquilliser just to knock her out once and for all – Alas not so lucky.
We were then told to keep our eyes closed and feel it…she’s given us rabbit shit – all I could think of was where the hell has she found this, I’ve never seen any – unless it’s from the rats or the squirrels? Then she said ” can you feel how dry and wrinkly it is” Seriously, have you been speaking to Blossom and this is her subtle hint to go for that bloody facial again?
Then it twigged – it’s raisins/sultanas, I swear Rowie if you don’t pull out a Dairy Milk and some nuts next out of your bag I’m going to be bitterly disappointed – then taste it – sorry still could get the rat shit out of my brain – then taste another – Rowie I love you, but 1 is more than enough when all you can picture is you picking them up off the side of the road…I know she didn’t but once your brain is there it’s hard to switch it off – Oooooohhhhh Chai Man!
Working progress this meditation thing!
So to the final couple of days and it was our turn to teach each other for one last time, yep glossing over this stage as you’re always tougher on yourself as to how you’ve performed and not great at taking any kind of compliments.
Needless to say the girls in my group were amazing, Armelle – my right leg will never be the same!
And Micha it took all of my powers not to have a little bit of an old lady wee holding my laugh in when you said, in your beautiful Czech accent, “Hold still your focus”, I could have sworn you said “Hold still you Fockers” and then every time you said it I had to clench a little more.
Just one last stage – final test and feedback form, a few more people are leaving with carpal tunnel after filling in the feedback form…you have no idea – it took longer than the test!
Yippee, all done and the last couple of hours on the beach before graduation and home time and just as I was settling down a lovely little dog decided to sit next to me and then had a wee right next to my towel, I swear he even looked at me and smiled.
So, my lasting memories of Agonda beach are beautiful white sand, warm sea and the very present whiff of piss.
Our last evening was graduation (yep I even passed the final exam even though my brain is at saturation point and realised that I can no longer spell the most simplest of words), pictures on the beach, farewell dinner and a few mojitos to say a fond farewell.
So looking back, what will I miss?
The breathtaking sunsets, sharing the beach with cows, dogs, horses and monkeys and thinking that’s normal, sitting on my veranda writing these blogs, the challenge that each day brings and last but not least the friends I have made, we’ve laughed (a lot), cried, rolled our eyes at each other, learnt from each other and been taught by amazing teachers.
What I won’t miss
Mutant mosquitos, power cuts, haggling (completely done with that now), washing my clothes in a bin and lack of pavements even a piece of road without cow shit on would have been good.
So just when you think the madness is all over, as you’re heading home and transiting through Doha airport, Karma gets involved and it was most definitely working in my favour (or so I thought). Arriving at the lounge the lovely lady said “I’m sorry the transit lounge is full would it be ok if you go to the first class lounge instead”, don’t mind if I do!
However, sometimes you live to regret these decisions because within 30 minutes someone had sat opposite me told me that the earth is probably not round, maybe oblong or some other shape, George Bush should be shot, David Ike knew what he was talking about, the pyramids were built with help from people from the future and how you shouldn’t wash your skin just your private bits! That was a lot of information to take in less time than it took me to eat a croissant and have a coffee – Karma can be a bitch sometimes.
I should have stayed with Pudsey and the arsehole slide man! Time to leave!
Bet you thought I’d forgotten – how could I?
As some of you know philosophy and spiritual teaching isn’t really my bag and I can’t even say after a month that has changed, however, that being said the philosophy lessons have been invaluable on a personal level, just to reflect inwards to look at your reactions to situations and the priorities you place on what sometimes are mindless things (I really wanted to say shite but I’m trying to be more mindful).
Finally, to sum up…a quote from our Sudhir:
“Human qualities are more important than knowledge, if you want to be an excellent teacher be an excellent human being”
Who needs Google Guru when we have him.
Sudhir – you have made perfect sense x
For one final time, Namaste x
Middle Seat Passenger 