“Just like a sunbeam can’t separate itself from the sun,
and a wave can’t separate itself from the ocean,
we can’t separate ourselves from one another.
We are all part of a vast sea of love, one indivisible divine mind.”
~ Marianne Williamson
In January 2020 I journeyed on an amazing Yoga pilgrimage to India. For 14 glorious days with 7 glorious women I was immersed in a totally different and foreign world.
Upon my return everyone has been curious about my experience—what was it like?
The food? The crowding? The poverty? The people? The garbage? The dogs? The cows? The weather? The culture?
Oh my goodness… so much to discuss about each one of these factors, but upon reflection it is none of these things specifically that has left the biggest impression on me.
It is a small world after all!
The thing that struck me the most during the whole experience is that the world is delightfully small and people are far more alike than they are different. While we are separated by vast oceans and thousands of kilometres, speak different languages, have different kinds of shelters and eat different foods, ultimately at the core we are all connected in our humanness.
I could feel the kindred spirit of unity while travelling around southern India.
It seems to me that we all crave the same things. We all want to be loved and to love, to have a safe place to live, and adequate food on our table. We want our children to have a better, easier and more successful (however you define that) life than perhaps we had.
Our group was definitely a curiosity for the locals and other seekers. We were clearly a group of foreign women travelling to some of the most auspicious and sacred temples and ashrams of India. We were not hard to miss! However, instead of being made to feel that we were interlopers in these revered spaces we were welcomed as honoured guests. We were met with infectious smiles and open hearts. We ended up being in a lot of family pictures and the subjects of many, many, many selfies. The people we had the honour to meet were full of fun and joy. They so appreciated our efforts to understand their lives and the respect we showed to their beliefs and culture.
The Yoga of Humanity!
I came away from this trip with a sense of wonderment and joy at the realization that we all are truly connected. We are like the waves of the ocean; we are all different and yet part of something much bigger. We cannot separate ourselves from one another. We need only be open to the experience of others to realize that although there are differences, the commonalities are much more significant. The world is small!
Learn more about joining an AT THE CORE Pilgrimage or Retreat here >
Cathy has always had a keen interest in the subtle energy of the world. And particularly its relationship to physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellness. Following that passion she became a Healing Touch practitioner in 2016. The further journey into the healing properties of Nature led her to Yoga and Ayurveda where she received the designation of Yoga and Ayurveda Wellness Consultant in 2018 from The American Institute of Vedic Studies and AT THE CORE. Cathy continues to be an active participant and student in both of these communities.
Cathy is a skilled and compassionate practitioner who intuitively integrates her skills and knowledge to provide the best treatment possible for your health and wellness.
