Christmas Day meant a lot to me growing up. December 25th brought carols and decorations and presents and the magnificent Rockefeller Center tree. It’s a time each year to cherish family and community.
This Christmas, I’m a hemisphere away from my family and the winter chill of my New Jersey home. Instead of shoveling snow, I’m swatting away mosquitoes and putting on sunscreen in balmy Mumbai. Things couldn’t be more different!
This fellowship travel focuses on yoga, of course, and on the fundamental principles of leading a conscious life that transcends attachment. Peculiar as it may seem, there is perhaps no greater time for such reflection than Christmas itself.
After being among the thousands in attendance at the outdoor midnight mass at Mumbai’s Holy Name Cathedral, we had a relaxed morning to rest and recharge. Some morning asana and pranayama in the Gopinath temple, followed by a hearty meal at Govinda’s, our favorite lunch spot, soothed body, mind, and soul.
Some of us explored Mumbai’s shopping scene after lunch, looking for last minute Secret Santa gifts as well as souvenirs to bring home. You’ll have to forgive us for still being of the material world – we’re only halfway in our meditative journey!
One of the day’s highlights was seeing our fearless leader Vineet (or Shri Vineet-ji as he was introduced!) deliver a keynote address to an enormous and packed auditorium at St. Xavier’s College. His call for humility and service, decency and community, stirred the crowd.
We finished the day with a meditation gathering at a recent Princeton alum’s apartment in Mumbai. All total, this was a Christmas to remember.
– Kishan Bhatt
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