India Part 7: I’m a Believer

View from U-turn

[Preface] After our jam packed previous 2 weeks of travel through the South and North of India, we decided to take rest in the city of Pushkar, what seemed to be a smaller, cleaner, friendlier Varanasi.  A shoppers haven and Hindus holy place.  Two days turned into four and one scarf turned into ten.  The streets were filled with journals, jewelry, bangles and bongos.  We checked into The Seventh Dream, but don’t be fooled by the name.  It was no dream, but more like a nightmare.  A night was all we could handle due to the flush-less toilet in the bathroom paired with the creaky, squeaky iron door that was obnoxiously loud even with the slightest touch.  Not to mention the irritatingly uncomfortable, cardboard, discolored mattress we had to snuggle up on.

Seventh Heaven rooftop

The next morning we switched to U-turn hostel, which matched in griminess, but was slightly more tolerable due to the bright colors and rooftop cafe. After one night here, we were determined to find a hotel, even if it was not on the one dollar budget list.  We were moving up, to the two dollar signs, if it meant a hot shower, bugless bathroom and maleable matress.  Melissa frantically called every hotel after searching all morning down sidestreets and alleys.  Someone had just canceled so we were confirmed miraculously with a double room at the Inn Seventh Heaven, which had been booked up over 3 months in advance!  The clouds parted and the angels sounded their trumpets.  We left hell and as we opened the two castle  like doors, and entered heaven.  Literally.  Upon entering the hundred year old haveli, or mansion, a courtyard welcomed us with a fountain and two fruit trees in the center.  Wooden vines climbed up to the third floor to a radiant rooftop restaurant, with open air windows looking out over the city.  The rooms are based around the courtyard, and each room was different in terms of décor, style and space. With their logo being “Meditate, leviate and vegitate,” we fully followed their orders. Two nights in this diamond in the ruff was a certainly a blessing. [Preface ends]

"This is so not Sex & the City"

After two more days of shopping, mixed in with a camel ride in the sunset, a trek to the Brahma temple, a stroll around the holy lake, and three hour cooking class with Shivani, I still needed a break and some time away from it all. I steered my way into a reiki doctors “office,” which was a courtyard filled with yellow daisies.  Reiki is a spiritual practice developed by a Japanese Buddhist which involves energy healing through the palms of your hands and something that always interested me.  Rei which means “God’s Wisdom” and Ki which is “life force energy” basically all means “spiritually guided life force energy.”  He introduced himself as Doctor Mathur and assured me that he had been practicing reiki for over 15 years.  After chatting with him, I trusted who he was and what he did, as I was warned of the plethora of fake yogis and holistic healers.  The Doc distressed that I not tell him a word about my ailments and physical concerns.

Hike to the Brahma Temple

My session was standard until a powerful buzzing sensation entered the area between my stomach and the doctors hands.  My eyes were closed the entire hour. I didn’t see what was actually happening, I just could gauge it all by my feelings.  The tips of my fingers tingling and my toes twitching, the energy expanded and became more intense, heating up my entire chilled body.  After the session, I had the urge to run to the bathroom to pee.  I did not tell the doctor about my severe UTI’s that I had been suffering with, nor my inevitable intestinal issues, which is an issue for almost everyone traveling in India.  Korean doctors prescribed me packets of a rainbow colored antibiotics week after week in hopes to cure my misery for almost 6 months.  Sadly, I didn’t have a choice, or it lead to the conclusion that I was greatly ignorant to other methods of treatment. I was astonished and astounded as I walked around the courtyard feeling as light as a feather from not only the mind, but internal cleanse (and to this day UTI free.)

The Streets of Pushkar

We sat and swapped stories for the next hour.  We talked about everything from marriages to poverty to education in India, contrasting each reality and opinion of his with my outlook and knowledge about the U.S. of A and world.  As I expressed my appreciation for both his work and time, he then went on to explain that not everyone will have an experience when they walk away from a treatment, but if you believe, then anything is possible.  It is said to heal everything from cancer to depression, although depending on the seriousness of the disease, it must be accompanied with professional medical help.   The over prescribed patients and people in the U.S. constantly drives me up the wall and leaves a knot in my stomach just thinking about the powerful, prevailing, **cked up pharmaceutical companies.  If more people would put down the pill, make a change to their lifestyle naturally, and not succumb to the laziness, lies and slander that our government radiates upon our society and each new generation, maybe people would be healthier, if not happier!

Anyhow, my interest is now greatly enhanced after my experience with Doctor Mathur and now, I guess you could say, I’m a believer!  I hope to find and use this ancient art of healing again wherever I am in the world when a problem persists and encourage you to give it a try too!  I’m overjoyed to have stumbled into his office, which made for a great finale of my fabulous four days in Pushkar.

Colorful Canvas

 “Dreams are like the paints of a great artist. Your dreams are your paints, the world is your canvas. Believing is the brush that converts your dreams into a masterpiece of reality.”

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