Home and missing India

Me and Ujwala. Photo taken by Valerie Boisson,

It has been a week since I have been home and I am missing India; the people, the warmth, chai tea and even the nutty traffic.

It has taken all week to get over my jet lag and certainly have been feeling my age.  I think my son, Tenzin thinks that I am like an old woman, waking up at five in the morning and falling asleep at eight at night.  So different from my schedule before.  I was pondering why I didn't feel the jet lag there in India, but perhaps I was so busy I didn't have time to feel it.  Or the daily hot sun made it easier to reset my internal clock.

As it is though, I am feeling impatient to get the word out there about my trip.  Many of you have asked for updates and I apologize for having taken so long.  My brain was literally in a fog all week...  My father (a very seasoned traveler) warned me.

There is so much to share that it is really overwhelming. 

First I have to thank all the people who were part of my trip.  They were so kind and accommodating that my trip would not have been possible without them.  It did not take long for me to feel at home there in such a foreign country.  I will introduce the people properly in my next post which is already half put together...

It has been hard for me to think of much else but my trip for the past week.  Aside from the obvious things such as daily sunlight and 85 degree weather which we are sorely lacking here in Michigan, there are many little things when added up, make for something tremendous. 

My trip has changed me in many ways. It deepened my appreciation for people in general and all our struggles for meaning.  How much more we need each other to bring wholeness in our lives.  With the Barefoot Acupuncturists project I saw firsthand the enormousness of the impact of our actions, merely because we take the time to care, I was brought to tears with every moment that I was so fortunate to be a part of. 

Below is a clip of what I wrote on Nourishingdestiny.com. I reposted it here as it really summed up well much of what I observed and miss about India.

 

What I realized with the people that I met in India, in the clinic and outside was that there was very little prevalence of depression or anxiety.  I asked Walter who runs the organization and the head acupuncturist, if he sees many cases for stress and emotional issues, and he said “no”.  Even with all the cause for distress with the poverty and cultural limitations, these people are rooted in a deep abiding happiness. They take life as it comes and do what they need to do to survive. What I have noticed in our country, even with all the freedom and fortunate circumstance, that we have this deep dissatisfaction and depression with our lives.  It’s a stark contrast!!

I feel that the very basic value for human connection is lost here.  We get caught up in the minute details of what makes us better critical thinkers but lose heart in much of the basics.  How can we heal gender conditioning if we can’t even make the most basic connections with each other and emphasize maintaining it? 

India certainly is not a perfect place.  But they value community and relationships. 

I realized that if something were to happen to me, that it might be days before someone decides to do something about my absence.  Perhaps my boyfriend would call and make inquiries, or my children would wonder why I haven’t called them, or my patients would be upset that I am not there for their appointments.  But I know my neighbors wouldn’t come over to check on me or my friends would just think I am busy.  But in India, if something happens to anyone, everybody in the community knows and something is immediately done. We are lacking that here.  We don’t look out for each other and in fact with all the capabilities of connection with the internet and smart phones we are still an incredibly isolated culture.

 I walked away from my experience in India in awe of the power of Chinese medicine.  How we can use this as a vehicle for healing in ways that allows for seamlessly bridging culture and timeless values with actual results.  What a perfect medium to use in the remote villages as well as the bustle of city life.  And how as a vehicle we are able to make connections with the people in such a way that allows them to truly feel cared for, and respected amidst their customs.  I walked away with tremendously renewed faith in our abilities as Chinese medicine practitioners and what we are trained to do.  The versatility with which we are able to adapt the medicine to suit what is needed.  

And finally to get the whiff of something truly divine in the pure act of selfless work.  To know that we are a part of something that is way bigger than our individual selves is priceless.   

 

Please watch for the following blog posts.  My next post will introduce the people who are part of the organization.  After that I will be putting together posts about each of the four individual clinics.  It is only fair that they are done separately as each one is very different.  You'll see....  I am in love with this project and this country and after awhile I hope you will understand why.  

 

Walter, I know that our journey has just begun. You are a tremendous person with an incredible vision. I am honored to be welcomed into your life and to be asked to share this vision. I look forward to returning soon.