Today was the first morning that I opened the studio and wasn’t hit with a wall of humidity. It was a cool 24 degrees C. I still had the fans on but slow just to move the air. The mosquito population had almost tripled as the floor looked like a graveyard while sweeping them up after the end of three sessions. While teaching these amazing souls, I started to get a little emotional thinking about how all of this will change soon.
My teaching is becoming more present to the classes that are in front of me rather than the classes that I had planned and duplicated for all three classes. I make modifications for each class given the students but don’t stray far from what we are practicing that particular day. I did do sound therapy for all three sessions this Saturday and they all seemed to enjoy it. I was even asked if I could do this every Saturday. I said, ‘Yes!’
I have a variety of students that come to my sessions. There are students that come to relieve mental illness, knee pain or to recover from surgeries. I love each and every one of my students the same. They share very personal things about their life with me and trust me with their minds and bodies. To say that I am honored and delighted with these opportunities would be an understatement.
With all of this comes the rains. The heavy downpours that wash this very dirty city clean. It also washes our minds as well. So many days here in India are filled with thoughts about the heat and about the perfect amount of water to be consumed. These rainy mornings provide a sort of relief for all of those thoughts. You rest easier and smile more. Maybe it was my intense anticipation for these rains to begin that has provided so my joy.
It goes without saying that many of the commuters here in Mumbai do not enjoy the rain. I can’t blame them either. You have to pack an umbrella, a change of clothes and a long raincoat in addition to your ordinary items that you carry with you. If you look beyond all of that, you see the smile on children’s faces splashing in puddles of rain. You see the normal cricket players anticipating the rain to slow down to get back out on the field. You see a city operating just as it always does but with water falling from the sky - a miracle to say the least.
