Shankar Prasad Foundation Gokarna

On a recent perfect train journey from Pune to Gokarna I received dinner served to the berth at lunch time the next day, all for the princely sum of £1.00.  Brilliant!
On the train I got chatting to a local 3rd year medical student, training to be a doctor.
We got chatting about all sorts of things, but what I was moved by was his humility.  We were speaking about new treatments, about cancer, about Amanda.  After I talked in length about the options that were given to Amanda on her diagnosis.  I talked about the lack of efficacy and the alternatives that were currently out there, plus more bespoke conventional approaches.  He was genuinely interested in everything I had to say.  But back to humility.  He said to me, 'You are clearly well read.'  I laughed thinking here I am discussing cancer with a med student whilst lay on a bunk bed in an India train travelling to Goa.  He could see the expression on my face read somewhere along the lines that I thought he thought, having to talk with 'uneducated people who think they know about cancer because they've read a few books, papers and studies' was such a drag.  But what he said really did move and impress me.

'What makes us different?  The fact that I have read 4 books on medicine?  This does not mean I know more about cancer or any other topic of the body or disease that you have decided to personally specialise on through self reading.'

Wow, if only all people working in the medical field could show such respect and humility for those amongst who have an education and can apply their intelligence to learn subjects they learned nothing about in school, and can do so to a specialist level if the desire is there.  Not everyone requires a syllabus, a certificate and an income from what they decide to learn about.  It was nice to be reminded of this fact.  Thank you Tarun.  I hope your break went well, and that your humility and understanding of others guides you through life and your career.

I set the alarm on my old mobile phone to wake me at 3.20pm, expecting to pull alongside Gokarna Road at 3.45pm..... I woke at 2.55pm, gazed out the window for a few seconds.  As my eyes fell in to focus and accustomed to the bright light outside I realised I was staring at a hand painted sign stating 'Gokarna Road'.  Either the sign was moving very slowly, or the train was pulling off from my final destination.  Cool as a cucumber I twisted the combination lock to release my backpack.  I grabbed the small camera pack and legged it!  I wrestled with the door then leapt down on to the platform.  Exciting stuff!  A rickshaw driver approached.  'Bankikodla, Shankar Prasa.' I said a tad out of breath. '250 rupees sir'.  I wasn't up for bartering, so off I followed in hot pursuit of the smartly dressed chequered shirt wearing rickshaw driver.On reaching the Shankar Prasad Foundation I was greeted with a warm hug from Swamiji the lady who runs the Ashram. 'You look exactly the same,' she said beaming. It was lovely to receive such a warm reception. I was pleased I looked 'exactly the same', as it had only been 14 months since we'd been here. I know Amanda's passing has taken it's toll on me, but I'm pleased not suffered some sort of accelerated ageing syndrome.

A couple of hours I'd met the other guests residing at this wonderful old Indian heritage home. Leslie a petite and happy little soul from France. Stav a young lady from Israel, Lucas a late twenties South American from Chille, Marien a wonderfully kind, gentle, smiling lady from Germany, John a lovely guy from Brisbane Australia, Elizabeth a fantastically straight talking woman in her late sixties from Switzerland and Shan Fan a young professional woman from China. You wouldn't be laughed out of the place if after talking to or listening to Elizabeth (the lady from Switzerland) you assumed she was from Yorkshire in the UK, ignoring the accent of course. In the UK, the old farmer style gentry from Yorkshire are said to 'Say what they like, and like what they bloody well say.' Obviously this is in jest, about Yorkshire folks I mean, not about Elizabeth. Elizabeth makes me laugh, she's very blunt.

Lesley gives Lucas a lesson in Fire Spinning....

Flaming Circles.

For 350 rupees I share a huge hall type room upstairs with Lucas. Lesley and Stav sleep outside our room on the veranda.... Sexist? No. A little unfair, maybe, but to be honest I'd be happy on the veranda too. Not because there are two lovely young ladies out there. Just for the light and fresh air. Lucas and I do have our shutters open all night so I can't complain.

The 350 rupees includes 3 meals a day, intermittent electricity and a cantankerous water supply. When the water fails, there's always the well. For these relatively basic and cheap lodgings we are all expected to 'do our bit'. Here it is classed as 'Karma Yoga'. To most it's known as working... Building up a sweat.... Or working the brain. Due to my efforts to complete a half decent job in everything I'm asked to do I rarely get to rest, or indeed write my blog. This isn't a bad thing. I think it's done me some good to focus on something. Like when I engraved Amanda's bench. I had focus. I concentrated. The effort for that project was generated through love. The Karma Yoga I have to say is not. Though I do enjoy it.

I signed up for the Advanced Yoga Nidra course. Which comprised of five days of varying Yoga Nidra experiences. It's been wonderful. My yoga students on the Isle of Man are in for a treat when I eventually return to The Rock.

Nuts for Shelling.... In the living area of course....

An average day goes something like this.

The bell rings at 6am. Everyone rises to participate in 45 minutes of chanting with Swamiji. Everyone except me that is. It's not laziness, I love to rise early. I've just decided this time around I'd like to relax for that hour, do my own meditation.

At 7.30am I do a yoga session on the school roof.

Sometimes I'm joined by Lesley who want's to learn a little yoga.

Kids in Hammocks....

View from the School Roof....
Amanda's Playground.

8.30am is breakfast.

9am is 'Karma Yoga'. This has usually involved 20 minutes sweeping, then a combination of food preparation for dinner with Sudha, the lovely cook, and hard manually labour. Sudha is one of the smiliest people I have ever had the good fortune to meet. Amanda was very fond of Sudha, and used to spend much time and effort in attempts to achieve a modicum of decent misaligned conversation with her. Sudha speaks no English, but with lots of nodding, head wobbling, head shaking, hand signals etc we do very well. I learnt this technique from Amanda.

Smiley Sudha.

Fresh Veg awaiting my blade.

A couple of days ago I discovered a huge section of old tree trunk. I decided to de-bark, sand and hollow it for the kids playground. So at the moment I'm generally dripping in sweat, covered in chapati dough or swinging my knife around chopping veg or a combination of all three. Yes, I brought my own big kitchen knife. Life is easier with a big kitchen knife and a veg peeler of your own whilst travelling around India.

Beera, the groundsman and general 'Jack of all trades' loves to inspect my work. I usually spot him in the corner of my eye. Initially he stands at a distance, then a combination of curiosity and the need for a laugh brings him closer and closer. The more he sees the more he realises he could be do the job I'm sweating over, whilst standing on his cloth covered head.

Beera..... A Man's Man....

Each time Beera comes over to inspect what I'm up to it generally ends up with him taking the tool I'm currently fighting with, then doing what I'm doing with it. But with Beera there is more wrist strength and far greater accuracy. He never seems to gloat about this which is endearing. I'm quite content with my feeble wrists. If I got arrested I'd be out of any set of hand cuffs in jiffy.... Ahhhh my hands aren't so tiny. So maybe not...

With undeniable accuracy, Beera's old curved machette lodges solidly beneath the heavy grained wood and dark crusty bark. A swift twist of his insanely strong wrist and a second later a saucer sized chunk of thick bark lands in the dust. Nice job Beera. I wrestle the machette from his leathery sun weathered hands (with a smile and nod of course... and another smile... and a 'Yes? OK?') and with a deft swing of my puny arm the machette bounces off the tree trunk. I smile at Beera. He doesn't laugh, he doesn't mock. He just watches. I swing the medieval looking blade again and this time the point buries satisfyingly beneath the bark. A twist of my wrist sees my wrist twist, but my hand remain at the same angle gripped tightly to the handle of the machette. The strength of my 'chop' clearly buried the blade far further than Beera's attempt.... I gripped the wooden handle with two hands, and realised this could be very embarrassing. With all my might I focused at maintaining an expression of total relaxation, effortless poise, whilst simultanesouly every muscle in the top half of my body from my face down went in to overdrive in an attempt to dislodge the thick covering from the tree. Crack.... No not my wrists, a fairly large piece of bark tumbled to ground, landing in a puff of dry earth. I breathed a sweaty sigh of relief and smiled at Beera.

The Tree Trunk...

Sanding Smooth...... ish....

Dusty work....

Very dusty!!!

Side access for elves....

He took his machette from my hand, slotted it in to the sheath positioned in the small of his back, a strolled off in his 'skirt'. Any man who carries a machette and can wield it with such skill can carry a skirt off. He quickly returned and spent the next few minutes hacking away. He seemed very pleased to help, an escape no doubt from his standard daily routine. I stood sweating buckets in the morning sun, holding the tree trunk in an upright position, whilst Beera happily chopped away. His brow remained dry.

Beera eventually left me to my own devices, returning briefly with a very bloody heavy, rust stained iron pole. Something like a crowbar, but with a twisted finish to allow for the perfect formation of throbbing dirt filled blisters. Thanks again Beera.

The Grain... A River Runs Through it....

I was extremely please with what was revealed underneath the heavy bark coating. The grain of the wood is truly wonderful. Like a river flowing down the tree. If it was at home I'd have taken it to Graham & Simon's wood working shop in Grenaby. It will be lovely for kids to clamber over and crawl through, but it would also have made a beautiful natural sculpture..... Maybe the next time I come to Gokarna I'll return with my chisels! I wish I'd brought them with me this time, as I'd have liked to engrave some words in memory of Amanda. After all the playground and part of the school was funded from money raised at Amanda's funeral. Swami-ji agreed this would be a nice thing to do. It will be nice to do this one day.

11am - Everyone else participates in a 'Chakra Opening' class.

I continue with Karma Yoga, preparing great Indian fare for the masses with Sudha.

2pm If I get the opportunity I usually relax for an hour.

3pm is the Yoga Nidra course. This is a wonderful time where I get to lose myself in deep meditation and visualisation. I take myself to meet Amanda. She is either the subject of my meditation or my protector and guide during it.

You can read more at www.mywifeslump.blogspot.com

4.30pm we are free-ish for a couple of hours or so. This is a good time to head to Gokarna to see the sights.

Sweetcorn Sellers.

She was pleased that I wanted to take pictures rather than purchasing veg....
You can see it in her eyes....

The Spice Man

All things India.

Tiny Barber Shop....
Perfect.

Sunset Gokarna Boat Race....

7pm everyone (except me, chanting is not doing it for me this year) goes for an hour of chanting.

This is a good time for my shower..... Or doing a few more little jobs, or maybe even getting to update the blog.

8pm is evening snack time..... Then after that? Silence, kind of.

Then we begin again....

The days do vary a little, and sometimes we'll do different things in the evening.

Or, like this morning where we rose early, and headed out with Swami-ji to meditate at first light, then watched the sunrise.... This morning I decided I would join the group on their early outing..... This morning I think I was tricked in to chanting! Actually I enjoyed it. I'm just not one for a repetitive regime. The people here are lovely, and Swami-ji is keen to teach... and keen to have people working. The Bihar School of Yoga, where Swami-ji studied was obviously keen on Karma Yoga, no one sitting around socialising. This has carried through in her daily plan. Swami-ji is beginning to realise that some folks just want a bit of down time now and again though. This is a good realisation.

Swami-ji is currently suffering very bad back pains. At night before she sleeps I give her 20 minute gentle Thai style massage with Ayurvedic oil. She says it's wonderful. She said it was the first time in weeks that she had actually felt her back as such. I'm pleased it's helping.

In a couple of days I'll take a bus to Hampi. A place of old temple ruins and large rocks. It should be interesting for photography. Apparently Hampi gets hot. Very hot. I'm assuming the 9 hour bus journey will be a back breaker too! But maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!

A word to myself.... Keep going Mark....

Thanks for following, hope you are all well, and love to you all.