Deep in the heart of the Keralan backwaters is the traditional village of Chennamkary, and the warm home of Anne, Matthew, Thomas, Maria and Philip, the beautiful family with whom we would spend 4 serene days. It's hard to find the right words to describe our time here as something quite special took place - it was as if time completely melted away from us.
A few days earlier in Fort Cochin, before we reached the backwaters, we visited 'Idiom', a dusty, well stocked bookshop recommended by Edinburgh David. I became well and truly part of the furniture in the yoga and ayurveda section at the back of the shop whereas Klas found himself inspired to read more about India's ever changing portrait. Needless to say we left the shop with additional weight for our poor, already overloaded backpacks.
The days sitting on Anne's wicker clad porch, overlooking the backwaters and palm groves, watching the rice boats drift past, made for phenomenal reading sessions. The books I chose to read spoke powerfully to me about re-connecting with self. I realised that over the past 5/6 years, work, study and life itself had got the better of me - quite literally! - leaving little vital energy for myself. I love the work I do and to socialise with the people I care about, but I was now reflecting on the time I gave myself.
One of the reasons why travel is important to me is to allow time to find that energy again. I'd hoped that on our journey I'd experience true perspective and opportunities to reflect on the last decade of my life - and perhaps acquire some wisdom for the next! I'd even started getting a little impatient - these moments of 'epiphany' hadn't yet happened - I was wondering if I was doing this travelling thing wrong somehow. Instead I discovered, on my 'un-epiphany-ed' travelling path, that it wasn't about 'finding' anything at all, but all about the right time and the right place, 3 and a bit months in (and with the help of a good bookshop).
An an art psychotherapist working in the West I'm familiar with discussing the importance of the connection between the body and the mind, something that is often neglected socially and culturally. Problems which manifest themselves physically can provide us with important clues about what is happening for us psychologically. In addressing the psychological the physical difficulties can therefore also be addressed. During our relatively short time travelling in India I've been really struck by India's interpretation of the body/mind connection. It's more than a philosophy here, it's part of everyday life, it's inherent to the culture.
Yoga (in it's widest sense), Meditation, Ayurveda (the traditional Indian medical science) and the way in which religions are practised in this country recognise that when our body, mind and spirit are in balance/in harmony with one another we feel pretty damn good overall. Within religious practice here it seems not solely about the worship of an external God but about connecting with the divine which is reflected in the self. Namaste.
Some spectacular efforts are made to create environments conducive for this very purpose, some of which we've fortunately been a part of. Spiritual India is slowly beginning to make sense, just in time for our date of departure.
As well as reading, our idyllic little spot on the Keralan backwaters provided us with oodles of time to get to know a lovely family, experience the beautiful village life of the region, practice yoga, sample some of the best Indian home cooking to date, learn about the many uses of the coconut (including the worst alcoholic beverage - Coconut Toddy! YUK!) and most useful of all - perfect our mozzy slaying skills (I also discovered that frogs squeak! Something that happened when I scooped up Mr. Frog from our bedroom floor). If we had any dosh, and the spare time, we'd buy a humble plot of land and return to the backwaters as often as physically possible. I'm not sure anywhere else has ever made such an impression (well maybe Barcelona :).
