Upon my midday arrival on Saturday I was greeted by the family who manages the International House. Mom had to put baby down for a nap so 10-year-old daughter gave me a tour of the place :) wow is this spot amazing. Very good vibes. Everything is done in a very eco-conscious way (okay, don't roll your eyes yet, this is extremely progressive for India). Composting toilets, segregated recycling and compost, recycled rainwater, solar energy, all natural building materials... Motivation for replicating these standards for future building projects!
My room is one of 15 in a three story building with a gorgeous open yoga deck on the top. Each floor also had communal hang out space complete with comfy seating and hammocks. Feels like I'm living a dream! Everything is very open so there are breezes and sounds of the jungle flowing through my room and the buildings. Pretty much the closest I can get to sleeping outside without physically laying on dirt.
I immediately met some wonderful humans staying here (more Americans than I expected!). One girl was just leaving that evening, I was actually taking over her room. She gave me some well-timed advice and we connected on a lot of levels. Beyond her being a helpful resource and inspiration to me, I was so grateful to just have a deep conversation with someone who could really relate to my experience after being alone with it for a while here. Sometimes the universe gives us gifts in the form of people, and she was definitely that for me.
She invited me along with some other friends staying here into Pondy for dinner before she had to catch her bus. Seven of us squeezed onto three bikes and rode into the hectic city holiday traffic (Pongal, a national new year holiday is going on all weekend, yay!). Pro-tip: Motorcylcles/mopeds = "bikes" and bicycles = "cycles" here. I have definitely been confusing people. The 7 of us got a big Indian dinner and walked around before eventually sending our friend on her way. Had a beautiful ride back with a new friend on the back of his bike under the full moon. Starting to let the waves of joy wash over me... It is such a beautiful transition back into "being" mode from the constant "doing" mode.
More gifts appeared in the form of a sweet couple staying at the International House who have been in Auroville a while and could offer me some guidance as well. Over breakfast we discussed various volunteer opportunities through farms and schools, which I hope to start up this week. They also told me how to gather certain information and invited me to events, with the wise caution to balance individual time with all the many things constantly going on in and around Auroville (which I'm not great at but definitely need to practice).
Still I went to a workshop that morning at the Unity Pavilion. The second of three series, all on community intelligence through challenging social barriers and being mindful in body and spirit. Uh... what? I had no preconceived notions of what these 3 hours would hold so I just went with it. Nearly 100 of us together slowly moved, walked mindfully, bumped into each other, tickled, rolled on the floor, and noticed our emotional responses. We did some martial arts based activities which helped us learn to absorb forces and trust one another. It was incredible that day one I was challenged to bring awareness to so many different areas of my inner world. I gained some insight for my goals around stepping into vulnerability, trusting forces that are bigger than me, and maintaining my inner work throughout my time here.
That day I went to a small grocery store in Auroville and fueled the fire of stoke around being able to cook my own meals in a full kitchen any time I want! That night I went with a friend to an outdoor restaurant where a Brazilian musician was celebrating his last night in AV with traditional Brazilian dance lessons and live music. I think dance will be an area of growth along my Auroville journey.. So uncoordinated, so inspired, so happy, so fun :)
On Monday I got up before dawn to watch the sunrise with a couple friends. We hopped on a bike and arrived at a beach where we tried to overlook the scattering of garbage to appreciate the beautiful scene behind it all.
After some meditating and journaling, they day went on with breakfast and resting before cycling into a nearby village for a Pongal celebration.
Hundreds of people gathered for watching a noisy colorful procession, chucking bananas across the crowds, cheering, and watching the start of a bull race.
After feeling exhilarated and overstimulated, my friend Kelsey and I find some solace by a lotus pond before cruising back to AV.
I am amazed by the richness of everyday experiences here, as well as by the little community I seem to be orbiting into effortlessly. More to say, more to come ❤️❤️
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