Om mani padme hung

Had a great day around the many monasteries around the Stupa and doing 'kora' around the Stupa. Kora is a complete clockwise walk around the Stupa and you should do at least 3. Bons go anti clockwise. Each kora takes around 5 minutes and we managed 11 in between our visits to the other monasteries .The most magical time is in the evening when there are very few tourists and but lots of Tibetans and Nepalese. The Stupa is one of the largest in the world and is a World Heritage site, it was built in the 5 th century by a woman who had four husbands. It is said to contain the relics of the first Buddha and was blessed by Bodhisattva ,s ,  enlightened beings who have declined Nirvana until every sentient being has gained enlightenment, and that the heavens sang when it was completed. Since 1950's it has become the focal point of exciled Tibetans and is a point of pilgrimage and considered one of the holist sites outside Tibet. In the early evening the atmosphere becomes almost electric as Buddhists of every age do Kora. They hold their Mala,s - prayer beads, in their hands and chant Om mani padme hung as they circumanbulate, some walking quickly others taking their time, the most devout doing prostrations every three steps.  Some have travelled a long way and if they are poor a lot will have been on foot. It's very humbling to realise this as we do our little bit. We think that our travels are tiring, but we just have jet lag and have a nice comfy warm hotel to go back to. These people have nothing but a small plastic bag of their belongings and a great desire to fulfil a lifetimes wish to visit this holy place. There are a lot of old women sitting by themselves on the ground chanting and giving thanks. Thier skin is heavily lined and wrinkled, the colour of Mahogany. On their faces are bueatific smiles. In the UK they would be in old peoples homes, tired and lonely. Here they have nothing but the warmth of their faith and empty belly's, but they are so happy. If you smile at them you are rewarded with a huge grin and a nod. A knowing that we are all sharing the same feelings and experience in this moment of time. Even the street dogs do Kora, one past me three times trotting along as if in a hurry. This afternoon they all started barking at a man, it took us a few seconds to realise that he was going anti clockwise, which very few attempt, and it was as if the dogs were trying to tell him to turn around, it was quite amusing. By 8 pm it goes very quiet, the rush is over, just a few latecomers and by 9pm that's it. All that's left are a few people who have have no where to go and therefore just bed down for the night in one of the worlds most peaceful and sacred places.

 

Kathmandu

We have arrived!!! We had a few problems at Delhi airport where Indian red tape meant that they sold our Kathmandu flights as we were 5 minutes late in checking in, due to Indian red tape. This aroused the Deva in me and she somehow managed to get us back on the flight!! So here we are recovering from a jet lag massage on the roof terrace of our hotel which is definately yet the best hotel in Kathmandu, with a glorious view of the Stupa, I say recovering because although we were fully clothed it was a fantastic massage. The therapists who probably weigh half as much as me, climbed on top of us and manipulated our bodies into positions not achieved in several years. The result is we both feel great! I got the giggles at the sounds coming from the other bed as Den is not quite as supple as me so a very light first morning. Kathmandu air however is starting to work on my lungs and it won't be too long before I am coughing and spluttering, but I am so glad to be back. We are having a quiet first day which means we shall be doing Kora round the Stupa and then visiting the various monastery's and having our lunch at the Szcheun monastery which serves delicious vegetarian food, washed down with Everest beer. Tomorrow morning I have my first Chod session with Llama Tenpa in the hotels meditation room. Only in Kathmandu would a hotel devote a whole room to meditation!!

Anyhow the sun is shining and is a pleasant 23c, so we are setting off on our first adventure., Om mani padme hum

So excited

Am getting so excited, countdown to Nepal has started, I'm trying to organise what we need to take and Dennis is organising dollars and airport hotels. Can't believe that this time next week we shall be in the thrill of it all at Bouda stupa, doing Kora with the Tibetan refugees, chanting Om mani padme hum as we walk. It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it. And I have the added bonus of spending time with Tempa Dukte Lama for Chod practice. We shall also re visit the Ayra Tara School and spend time with the young nuns. An afternoon in the hippie center Thamel chillin around the shops and bars and then into India to watch the sunrise on the Ganges and witness and hopefully participate in sacred bathing in mother Ganges along with the Hindu faithful.  We shall attend the sunset ceremony which is reported to be beautiful. And then to Sarnath where Buddha first taught his disciples and then to Buodhgaya where Buddha gained enlightenment. We shall wander around the many temples that have been built by countries all over the world and each will show its origins in its unique  architecture I guess like at Lumbini. Anyhow I shall look forward to blogging all our experiences and sharing them with you. Namaste 

I'm back

I have decided to start blogging again as reading my old blogs has made me realise what I am missing! 

since my last blog I have got a little Dog, a Chihuahua. Yes I know that I blogged I would never get a dog, but this one is so cute and such a good boy that I think the Universe brought us together.  He is really good company and has got me out walking most days which I have really enjoyed. And because of his size he is completely portable, so he gets to go all over. So far he doesn't bark or whine, he is now house trained and I can trust him all around the house. He has of course been on the receiving end of Reiki nearly every day so I believe that has played its part. I have called him Mindu after a lovely huge Tibetan dog I met the first time I was in Nepal. When I left him I told him that I would have a dog one day and that I would name him after him.....

I am also off on my travels once again. Very soon we are returning back to Nepal where I am spending some time with a Llama to explore Chod practice and then we are going to Varanasi and Boudhgaya in India. Varanasi is the most sacred place for Hindus and upto 66 thousand bathe in the Ganges there everyday. I intend to be the 66001, and then to Boudhgaya where Buddha gained enlightenment. So once again a very spiritual journey and one which has got me back into Blogging, so keep reading and I will keep you updated with my adventures. In the meantime meet Mindu...

Catch Up

A good friend pointed out to me last evening that I have not posted on this site since March !! Time has flown and many things have happened since my last blog so here goes an attempt to bring you up to speed. I didn't get my Op in July, I postponed it and it will now happen in January 2014.   I returned to Bali and had a quite different experience from last time. On my first night back at the Ashram with Ebu I had some sort of entity enter me and I was vaguely aware of healing a Balinese man who had arrived at the Ashram, brought by his family for healing.  It was an amazing experience as this spirit bent me over double and made my hands go all wibbly, my breathing came in raspy hissing breathes. Once I gave up trying to hold it back and let it come through it felt much easier. When it finished with me I ended up on the floor and when they helped me to the side to get some air I was on fire and felt quite sick. I do often feel sick with energy so I knew it would pass, which it did.  Ebu said it was some kind of Earth spirit who had wanted to heal the Balinese man. It was also my Birthday so I felt it was a gift from spirit for me. I also received a lot of healing from the various healers and had other weird experiences all of which I believe helped me immensely. I came back differently than before. Much calmer and settled and that feeling has continued. I also feel my energy has changed and this is showing in my healing too.  I have no wish to return back to Bali, but I will always treasure the many memories I have and I feel there will always be a little bit of Bali left in me. I got on very well with the American ladies and we all keep in touch via Facebook, our joint experiences create a link that distance can no longer bar thanks to the internet.
I have become a volunteer for Breast Cancer Care UK. I am a one to one telephone support worker, which basically means I speak to other ladies going through similar treatment to my own in an effort to help them face their fears. Its very rewarding work and I enjoy it, although of course it does mean I am continuously re living my own experiences. However I'm OK with that as it means I can help someone else.
Before I went to Bali I created a Ganeshe garden, with the help of my friends which I am very happy with and enjoy the view from my shed, although no the weather is changing I guess there wont be many more days out there this year.
And lastly we have a new edition to our family, A Chihuahua I have called Mindu in honour of the beautiful Tibetan Mastiff I spent time with at the Hotel at the End of the Universe in Nagakot on my first visit to Nepal. He is quite a character and at only 10 weeks old quite a challenge with regard to his training!!
Well I hope that has brought you up to speed. I will endeavour to re start my postings and not leave such long gaps. Oh and I guess I should finish by saying I am still in remission and feeling good !!

Ops

Crikey time is moving on, its been ages since my last post. In that time we have booked a week in Gran Canaria and I have been back to see the consultant that did my reconstruction. He  said I can have as much work done on my reconstruction as I want. I have decided I dont want a fake nipple- why would you ? And will instead have a tittoo, however there is a ridge of skin that is a bit proud and he can work on that which I think would be better. We also discussed lifting the other one. Now I would not bother with this other than the practicalities. Having one much lower than the other makes bra wearing quite uncomfortable. My main concern about all this is that I am not looking forward to another stay in hospitable and another aneasthetic. However he said this work would be done as a day patient and that if I really did not want aneasthetic he could do the surgery using local only. This brings other issues as I would be fully aware of what was going on and he could not guarantee that I would not feel anything, there may be some sensation. Gosh ! What do I do? We have decided this op would be carried out in July so as not to interfer with my Bali plans. I have an appointment with him in May and by then I should have decided what I want done. So more operations !!
In the meantime I am restarting my therapies next week and hoping to be able to restart my life. Of course the old mind fuck thing clicks in ( what if it comes back) but I hear that everytime I arrange something. I have to just shut that out of my mind and get on with it. What other choice do we have? When you live on planet C this is a regular occurance. I am not the only one. There are milllions of us, all living on this planet, with our insecurities to keep us company. Its quite a lonely planet but we get used to it.  However we make the most of it as usual and carry on

Has much is that doggy........

What an interesting week. I am halfway through looking after Kieran's dog whilst he and Graham are on a cruise. And what a lot this little dog has taught me. For months, actually more like 3 years,  I have been saying I want a dog. Not any more !! Not Bell'es fault as she is a gentle cutie, but she brings out the worst in me. Like I cant bear the fact that my lovely cream floor in my kitchen is dirty all the time. Its bringing on OCD !! I can bear the ' doggy' smell that she exudes and the doggy farts that hang permantly in the atmosphere. I am burning incense constantly to try and mask the noxious fumes that make me gag ! So bless her she has done me a huge favour and taught me a very valuable lesson. Having said that I love taking her for walks and we had a really good time at the beach. So what I really need is to find an older person with a dog that they can no longer walk. I could walk it for them and we would all benefit. So thank you Belle and I know you are looking forward to your daddy coming home next week, we will part as good friends and both probably wiser for the experience!! I am a confirmed cat person and it appears I always will be.
Went to see the consultant that did my reconstruction this week. We have agreed to meet again in May when I can confirm if I want a nipple and a brown tattoo, an uplift on the left side to match  my pert reconstruction and a bit of a touch up on my new breast. I have tentativly agreed on an uplift as its a rreal juggling act to get my left side as high as my right. And as I have to shorted the bra strap to achieve this it cuts ointo my shoulder so not the best in comfort. I have agreed to this only if he can operate on me without going through aneasthesia as I can face another mash up like the last time. So he said he could give me a local aneasthetic but I have to accept I may feel some pain and of course will be fully aware of the procedure which will be messy. To me this is preferable to the alternative. He did admit he has never performed this with the patient still present but he was game for it if I was. If we do decide on this I will have the Op in July when I return from Bali. It will take about 1 1/2 hours and  I can come home on the day, so no overnight stay. So it looks as though I will go for this but wont bother with any more surgery. I shall look for a suitable Tittoo design in Bali and have a Tittoo rather than a false nipple and tattoo. Much more me !