Day 71: From Chaos to Calm: A Journey Through Jaipur
Embracing the Lessons of the Yoga Sutras in India
Reminder: Online Yoga Sutra Study starts March 23/26.
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Today marked our final day of chaos before stepping into calm. Jaipur, the vibrant and historic Pink City of India, was our playground—one last adventure before our 4:30 AM departure to the serene beaches of Goa.
The day began with what I think was the highlight for everyone: the Pink City Rickshaw Tour, an initiative by an NGO dedicated to empowering women through employment. The women who drove us were incredible - radiating joy, humor, and resilience. Even with limited English, they communicated so much through their energy, smiles, and laughter. They took us through the bustling preparations for Holi, colours waiting to explode the next day. We wove through fruit and vegetable markets, smelled the marigolds at the flower market, and paused for roadside chai before returning to our hotel. The entire experience was a reminder of the Yoga Sutras' teachings on Seva (selfless service) and connection—how true joy is found in shared humanity.
Afterward, we immersed ourselves in Jaipur’s royal past. The women in our group were so excited to see an elephant, its face covered with paint. We toured the Amber Fort, perched on a hilltop, its courtyards and mirror work. Hawa Mahal, with its iconic honeycombed windows, represented Jaipur’s artistry and history, a place where the women of the royal court once watched life unfolding on the streets below.
One of the things that made me happiest today was the ease with which everyone followed their own rhythm. One woman rested at the hotel, another booked a session with an Ayurvedic doctor, and another chose extra sleep over the morning tour. There was a beautiful independence in this - each person honoring their needs, embodying the essence of Svadhyaya (self-study) from the Yoga Sutras.
After lunch, while the others shopped, I took a moment for myself and meditated in the restaurant. It was one of the deepest meditations in a long time. Sitting in stillness, reflecting on the past five days, I realized how much had shifted within me. This time last year, I was overwhelmed, exhausted, eager for the retreat to end. Today, I felt grounded and at peace. What had changed?
I realized it was my meditation practice. Vedic meditation has become my anchor. It’s a tool I turn to in moments of discomfort, a practice that helps me differentiate between Purusha (the eternal, unchanging self) and Prakriti (the ever-changing external world). The Yoga Sutras teach us that suffering comes from mistaking the two - identifying too much with the fluctuations of the mind. But today, as I stepped away to meditate in the middle of lunch, I saw the power of detachment. My thoughts settled, my energy shifted, and I returned to the table lighter, more present.
There was a small moment of emotional turbulence today - something insignificant in hindsight, yet it triggered me. Instead of spiraling, I stepped aside, meditated, and later laughed at how trivial it was. And that was a beautiful realization: I have small problems again. My mind isn’t consumed by last month’s trauma; I’m not lost in cycles of grief or pain. I’m healing.
At lunch, overlooking Hawa Mahal, someone took a picture of me. I hadn’t taken many photos of myself this trip - I just hadn’t felt inspired to. But today, in my new outfit, adorned with a flower necklace and bindi, I looked at the picture and thought, Wow. I look like me again. I look happy. And then, like a mantra arising inside of me, the words surfaced: India has put my soul back in my body.
I realized this afternoon that I haven’t seen a butterfly in days - the symbol I had been following, representing pieces of my soul returning. The last ones I can remember were in Delhi, which was two stops ago. But I’d forgotten about butterflies. And maybe, just maybe, that’s because all the pieces have finally come home.
One of my favourite moments today was a small but golden interaction with a boy working in a shop, acting like a miniature businessman.
“Miss, buy some earrings.”
“How old are you?” I asked.
“Eleven.” He grinned. “Miss, I give you discount. What you like? No problem.”
I laughed. “Why aren’t you in school?”
The whole shop chuckled.
He explained to me that he was off school for Holi and the shop belonged to his older brother. I couldn’t not buy something from him.
In the end, I bought the earrings - big, dazzling ones that swung wildly as I walked. And in true Taylor Swift fashion, I danced down the street, singing, “Best believe I’m still bejeweled, when I walk in the room, I can still make the whole place shimmer.”
In my sobriety, I had stopped dressing up, stopped embracing my femininity. But today, wearing my new jewelry, draped in joy, I felt like a new/old version of myself. I felt alive. I felt whole.
And just as I thought this day couldn’t get any better, three people signed up for my Yoga Sutra Study course. Only a few spots remain, and the early bird discount ends tonight. If you feel called to explore these teachings with me, sign up here.
The Lunar Eclipse: A Cosmic Shift
My counsellor and many friends have mentioned to me that tonight there will be a lunar eclipse - something I’d forgotten about, until a retreat guest mentioned it tonight. Across spiritual traditions, lunar eclipses symbolize release, renewal, and deep introspection. The moon governs our emotions, intuition, and subconscious. As it disappears in Earth's shadow, we are invited to surrender, to let go of what no longer serves us.
The Spiritual Significance of This Lunar Eclipse:
Shadow Work & Inner Reflection: Hidden emotions surface, offering an opportunity for deep self-inquiry.
Endings & New Beginnings: This marks the closing of a cycle, making way for something new.
Heightened Intuition & Spiritual Downloads: A time to connect with higher wisdom.
Releasing Emotional Baggage: Old wounds resurface for closure and healing.
The cycle that is completing for me? I hope it’s the chaos. The disruption. The emotional turbulence that marked 2025 so far. And I am ready—so ready—to step into the next chapter.
Tonight, under the eclipse, I release the old. And tomorrow, I wake up to the dawn of something new.
The Yoga Sutras Course starts soon! If you've been thinking about joining, now is the time! This journey will help you integrate yoga philosophy into your daily life, deepen your practice, and connect with a like-minded community. Two group options are available: Thursdays at 6:30pm EST or Wednesdays at 5:00pm Bali Time. Don’t miss this opportunity to study one of yoga’s most profound texts in a way that’s engaging, accessible, and transformational. Sign up now before doors close!