I did my first ever meditation

Pondy: I stayed with my Uncle's brother, Madhu Bhai, in the famous Park Guest House. This place usually fills up months in advance, and it's prime location right on the Bay of Bengal makes it highly popular. Whenever I would tell someone that I was staying at the Park Guest House, I savored the look of jealousy that would suddenly come my way. And of course, Madhu Uncle paid for my stay, though I really wanted to contribute something. We spent our time at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, at which he is a great devotee.

I did my first ever meditation...man, is it hard! I would try to clear my thought, but my busy mind didn't allow it. Then, I'd focus on my breathing, but as a psychosomatic thing, my asthma would always kick in. So, I'd start to focus on how I can't cough...and before I know it, thoughts are shooting through my head like mad. Also, at the Samadhi (the shrine), the hundreds of agarbatis (incense sticks) really aggravated my coughing. So, my meditations never lasted for very long.

Still, I discovered a great Ganpati temple, which I started visiting twice a day. I was also caught in my first Indian downpour. At first, the rain felt great...that was until it soaked all the way through me. I went on a few tours, one of which had the goal of selling me anything made by the Ashram. Still, Pondy was very nice. I had fun with Madhu Uncle, though sometimes the amount of spirituality overwhelmed me. Pondy was a good place...just perhaps not fully for me. posted by Sapan Parekh Thursday, January 05, 2006@ 3:35 AM