'Theese things you can never learn in books!'

The Guru Ji I did my teacher training (and more) with, is an Aghori Sadhu. He told me one time to buy 'Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha' by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Also just called 'the orange book', in Goan beaches. This is a good and simple book, that shows the asanas with pros and cons, and some other useful information about body and mind.

I just love 'The Butterfly Bookstore' in Palolem. I go there all the time to look at the books. Ever since I was like 13 years old, I went to the library in Norway and read everything I could find about Witchcraft. In 2009 when I met an Aghori Sadhu that theaches Kundalini Yoga, I was amazed with the similarities. So I wanted to read all about it, even though my teacher supplied me with good information and showed me a lot of things.


When I was about to finish my teacher training in 2010, I asked him if I should buy any more books. This Guru is a really strickt man some times, intimidating to many, very tall and white sadhu clothing. He was thundering out loud; 'DON'T READ TOO MANY BOOKS, THEESE THINGS YOU CAN NEVER LEARN IN BOOKS!'

Well, sometimes he's right, and sometimes he's wrong. I guess he's right about this really. This acient knowlege is being handed down from human to human. I really think it's quite amazing, and I hope it gets to stay that way. Even though I still find some really cool books sometimes of course, and send them home to keep and enjoy.

My Own Masala Chai Recipe

 

'Chai, chai, chaiiiiiiiiiii'. You know, in India on the trains, the boys comming screaming 'chai, chai, chai'. The train is overful, and still thery're comming to sell chai. Total caos. -and it's not like one time an hour, it's like all the time someone's screaming 'chaaai!'.

 

One thing I love about India, is to sit at some small chai place and drink 5 rupi chai. In this places you get the best chai! When I come home I always miss the chai so much, so after some time and advices, I make my own chai at home, which I think is pretty good. Messurement is kind of on feeling, and of course you have to adapt it according to your own taste. Masala, by the way, means seasoning/spice, and the masala mixes you can buy, is just mixed spices. Garam means hot.

 

Masala Chai

Boil water with black tea, hole cinnamon, black cardemoms, pinch black pepper, pinch garam masala, and a hole lot of fresh ginger that u smash with a hammer or a stone or something. Make it all boil for like 15 minutes or more. The longer time you take to make the chai, the better. Turn down the heat and put a little under half the amount of water with milk. Add sugar and/or vanilla. Make it boil again and turn down one more time. Let it stand like 15 minutes more.

 

Enjoy your chai. I'm drinking it right now. I like it spicy, so I put a lot of ginger!

 

Namaste'.

Kumbh Mela in Allahabad 2013

Finally, in early february, I decided to leave my easy life on the beach in Goa for the Kumbh Mela. With 50 million people comming for taking holy baths in Ganga I didn't really know what to expect, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to find anyone there.

I took the plain from Goa to Delhi, back to the streets in the Pahar Ganj. Before I hated Delhi, now I kinda like it. Everything has it's charm in the end. For a couple of days that is anyway. I was real lucky to get the last ticked on the train. Everything was overbooked due to the festival. I got on an overnight train, and the journey was not bad actually.

First thing that happends in Allahabad, babas are taking me in to their place so I get to relax for an hour or so sitting by his dunhi (fire), doing stuff that babas do. The Baba Ji of this place was a nagar baba. As many of you know, they go naked a lot. Of course he had to do the trick with rolling his 'thing' around a stick and make friends stand on it. I really don't get very impressed. I don't know why he want to destroy his genitals like this, but what do I know. He's in celibat anyway.

Then I was all about finding this Rainbow camp who is for foringers. Maybe after waking like 6 hours, I don't know, I finally find it. The big happy Rainbow family took me in and gave me shelter.

So then I'm all fine and safe in the Kumbh Mela, thinking wow, how in the world am I gonna find my Nath friends here. Well, I got lucky again. Some days after I'm walking with the crowd from the Rainbow camp, and there they are! Not my friends, but som other Nath babas. It's a good thing they have this big rings in their ears, so easy to spot! So I say 'Adesh!', and they are looking at me in shock but smiling. Probably thinking how this blond girl knows this greeting. I'm saying I wanna find my friends, and of course they know, they make a call, and 10 minutes later I'm with my friend on the picture.

Magical things happends in the Kumbh.

And right then I took my first bath in the Ganga.

Om Gange Mata Ji


Khumb at Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJikI8YXZVQ

Taking holy baths in Varanasi

This is before my second bath in the Ganga. One I had in the Khumb Mela in Allahabad. The last and third bath I did in Varanasi at the new moon. It was truly a wonderful experience.

After some beautiful months in the sounth of Goa, it was time to head for the Khumb in Allahabad. The largest gathering of people on earth. That was not why I was going there anyway. It's a wondeful spiritual experience, and chance to meet up with some friends to. I was also lucky to get to know the Rainbow Family who had a Gathering in the Khumb Mela for foringers.
Due to extreme big amount of people, I must say myself I think I did a nice trick. The day before the big newmoon bath I escaped the Khumb and headed for Varanasi. This lead to this wonderful experience of having a new moon bath in the Ganga in Varanasi without the crowds.