Sabbatical Update!
A year has gone by in the blink of an eye, and I’ve been missing your lovely faces more than you know. Here’s a little update about what’s going on in my life!
Since closing the bento shop, I’ve established a daily yoga and meditation practice. As a lifelong busy body, keeping this commitment to an inward journey — much of it spent in stillness and silence — has been remarkable.
In 2023, I went to @Isha.yoga.centre in Tennessee 3 times to attend their yoga and mediation programs. And to kick off the new year, I hopped on a plane to India so that I could do an 8-day silent meditation retreat with @Sadhguru at the Isha ashram in the Velliangiri Foothills — in the middle of a mountainous jungle in Southern India!
I am actually still in India — volunteering to support the ashram’s day-to-day activities — where I’ve had a different job each week! So far my duties have included:
Taking part in their annual turmeric harvest! In total we harvested more than two TONS of organic turmeric as part of the ashram’s impressive farm-to-table program.
Working at the dairy farm in the center of the ashram; I mostly collected loads of dung which gets used as fertilizer for the vegetable fields.
Stringing fresh flowers together to make malas to adorn all the temples and to use as offerings
Helping serve 2 meals per day to thousands of ashramites in the dining hall — which is WILD. I’ll tell you about what an impressive operation it is in another post soon. 🤗
Funny enough, since the new year began I haven’t done any cooking at all. This is officially the longest span of time I can remember in my adult life where I haven’t cooked a single thing. Needless to say, I’m relishing this opportunity to be immersed in a new culture and learn to do things I’ve never done before!
I have more to share, and I promise I will continue to keep you posted. But I have limited internet/cell service, plus they disallow photography at the ashram as a way to encourage us to be present, so that’s all for now.
PS. On the bento front, I’m also pursuing an opportunity that would allow me to continue sharing my love for cooking and Washoku with you soon, so stay tuned! ❤️
