In my book I write about an unusual friend whom I first met in spirit form months before I met her in person at the nunnery in which I live in India. The woman’s name is Lisa, and she’s a mighty big spirit traveling in a mighty small body.
The day I released my book to the public, which was my birthday, April 7th, I received a card from Lisa with a drawing of two people paragliding on the front, and on the inside the card said, “Come fly with me.” Any activity involving a parachute has always been high on my Hell No Not Ever list, but since this offer came from someone with whom I share a uniquely cosmic bond, I said yes. And because that yes came from a place of supreme trust, it easily turned into four days of experiencing the spiritual magic of India.
Paragliding was just the first stop on our pilgrimage to several sacred sites in northern India, traveling with our friend and fellow nunnery resident, Jampa. We did most of the trip on motorcycles until the routes were too winding or steep, then we continued by car and on foot. I put the highlights of this trip in this fun video so others could come along for the ride at their leisure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjzkYbQKnRQ
A few things to note:
1. The background song was playing when we were being driven up the mountain for paragliding, and since it helped get us ready to jump off into the sky it became our musical anthem for the trip.
2. The village around the lake with the big statue is the small settlement of Tso Pema and is sacred to exiled Tibetan Buddhists as well as Sikhs and Hindus. As you’ll see, it’s a place where man and animal of all different walks of life live together peacefully.
3. The enormous bull is a gentle baby named Sonu and he’s the unofficial mascot of Tso Pema.
4. I loved the poignancy of the crow holding on for dear life atop a sacred flag.
5. The bracelets in the title and closing shots are blessing cords given to us by a seriously adorable elderly Tibetan man at the entrance to the sacred cave.
6. The historical town of Mandi is unusual even by India standards and has 80+ colorful Sikh and Hindu shrines.
As you watch this video, think about that YES that’s waiting for you to trust it – and then go ahead and jump. This is your invitation to fly.
Peace and blessings to all.
The Cloud Herald 