Goa

Goa
Now I’m in Goa and have been here for a couple weeks, a very welcome change. Beginning to settle is helping me have the stability of concentration to attend to my inner knots. Other things that are helping: spending a couple wonderful days with Benj who was here to visit; the beautiful weather, walking around barefoot, living in a hut on the beach, eating well, Ayurvedic herbs that I bought after an insightful consultation with a doctor on the side of the road, having a schedule/doing Tai Chi, meditation, and Chi Kung(like pranayama, or breathing exercises) and especially the numerous friends I’ve made here or especially a number of friends from earlier in the trip who also happened to show up here such that I actually feel a bit of a sense of sociality, have some external affirmation and outlets for sharing, laughing, learning, and listening. These are almost all Israelis, incidentally. And it’s been noted that being in India has improved my Hebrew. whereas I think my English might have ‘turned straight’ or something.
I’m leaving Goa today and it’s been wonderful. Great people here, even enough friends to have a sense of sociality, and bump into friends in the road. to get to be me the way I like- listening, sharing, laughing, joking. the night before last I even got to facilitate a chabura/some Torah learning with some Israeli friends- we had a really great evening exploring themes of Shabbat, Intimacy, and Spiritual meaning of home. I’m feeling open and good.
I also ran into Adi, who I’d traveled with for a few days towards the beginning of my trip, and having a good long catch up with her really helped me realize that I’ve made some good progress along my journey and moved forward with some of the issues I was grappling with a few months back. yayy.