Ahhhh. As I settle back into working, teaching and the vicissitudes of western life after spending six weeks in India, many things strike me as different. Like the way the mind gets drawn into compulsive planning, like the way computers, Ipads and Iphones encourage multi-tasking and like the way we engage with another when making small transactions like buying some milk.
The patterns of my daily life, that once seemed ‘normal’ now seem ‘foreign’. And I find myself not wanting to revert to a life of constant distractions! Rather than rejecting these feelings, I figure there must be some worthy blog-material in all of this, so let me try to put some words around my experiences and see what learning can emerge… India offers many things – and amongst them – an energy and (mostly) an environment that supports slowing-down, acceptance and connection. Simple everyday tasks often takes many hours. Like posting a parcel. This involves a well-ordered, step-by-step packing, posting and paying process to embark unfolds, so does the opportunity for connection with the post-office clerk, the packing-man and the chai wallah standing nearby.
