Giggling Buddha

SPIRIT TRANSMISSION SOLAR ECLIPSE 21ST DECEMBER 2010 WINTER SOLSTICE

2011-11-06T23:11:00.000-08:00

Channelers intro:

Born of streams of summer light the beings transcend with all their might and came bespoken upon the earth to all who yield their saintly worth. Bright as sun beams beaming down and spread amongst the villages and towns...

The mighty wrath of seeds doth plundered and fields of righteousness surely sundered. Amongst the pain and saintly gains the ruined mirth that wings doth disperse and brighten every living thing with hopes and streams of the loving river’s stream...

Beings transcend this misty smoke,
And manifest around the physical spoke,
And make things right that have been wronged,
Known through our ancient songs,

That being of light must surely might and upon the earth they do disperse,
Balls or orbs of energy a reflection of awareness entity,
Though they only pause for a glimpse of the shroud,
They surely do what makes us proud.

Saints and sinners all repent and channel through me this insightful Lament:

That in this light we all bestow is accessible to all those who know,
To open your heart and open your eyes,
Sit in awareness and watch this disguise,

Beyond the dualist thought is simple calmness,
In the moment support,
And beings dismay without your connection,
As it’s your physical being that makes the projection,
That is why I am here to design an election:

“New things afoot my Lord, I fathom a feast not on earthly desires
Just the soul and all it requires...” speaks the Channeller.

Then the earth can be as it should be,
And to the devil all those who relinquish me,

For I am all I am the light I am your awareness,
Pure awareness the silent witness,
The one that watches all else,
Silently beyond the weft of the loom,
And the ebb and flow of the river,

Beyond All I Am,
Beyond even the Heavens and the Earth,
For I am beyond them and I am you,
All of you and all of everything,

The monk who made his mark beyond all,
The man who created ALL major religions,
I Am One I Am ALL,
I Am One and you are all one,
Live together breath, enjoy,
Love and contentment,

In Me you shall have It,
In Me you shall have ALL,
The divine and beautiful wishes,
That is your FATE.

Come dance with me in eternal Union,
Come Celebrate your divine beauty that you ALL have,

Enjoy each moment and BE good,
If you have friends or a companion,
A house and food - give thanks with great gratitude.

Worship the divine Lord,
Beyond the light and the dark,
I Am both I Am Balance,
I Am you,
I AM beyond that which can be conceived,

Trust and have faith in your connection to the divine,
Cultivate it, nurture it, adore it and connect to it,
You know when you are,
It is here and getting stronger,
A stronger connection with every moment in transcendence...

Anon.

Royal Rajasthan

2011-02-01T04:32:00.000-08:00

Royal Rajasthan

Flying into Delhi peers who have travelled India before had told me about the smell – well I liked it, a hot gust of stifling air greeted us as we got off the plane – it smelt of warm mold like a mountain of over worn socks and the spices of a thousand curries...

Myself and travel partner, Guru Nancy of the Holy Blowing Wind found a black government Taxi jeep to take us to Paraganj the backpackers hostelling area and cheap shopping market of Delhi.

The taxi struggled down the busy street full of shoppers, rubble from continuing building work of the market streets under complete renovation of all their shop fronts strewn everywhere and Indians that hardly get out of the way from much beeping.

Delhi is a mass sprawling city and you have to force your way to get across the road confidently or stand by the side watching vehicles hustle past for eternity. I am glad that I hadn’t travelled on my own as the intensity of traffic and people can be a culture shock if you have no-one to hold your hand.

It is advisable to at least telephone ahead before you travel to secure your air conditioned room for a good price as the temperature out of season (in mid April) was over 40 degrees!

We lumbered our bags after being hassled (as usual) for the maximum price possible for our taxi and got attention as smart looking unsun kissed westerners. I was followed all the way up to our hostel door by an Indian man wishing to sell me a pair of fake Ray burns. Here patience and assertiveness is the key. It was a relief to be greeted by a welcoming smile from our hostel host who got us to check in and gave us the key to our padlocked room not much bigger than the double bed.
We were thankful for the air conditioning as the temperature didn’t seem to get much cooler at night but I was initially rather concerned about the electrics – poking out wires, wobbly switches and twitchy light bulbs don’t inspire the greatest confidence of assured health and safety. This is something we got used to as our trip progressed though I imagine, should the government wish to upgrade their country to be safer there would be billions of pounds for health and safety practitioners. On the street below thick strands of entangled cables wove their way down the street where would-be electricians riskily tap into the electricity grid for a bit of free power. I was told that in many more remote towns regular power cuts are to make sure electricity is mostly needed and the more cynical Indians tell stories of no electricity in villages where nearby expensive hotels and industrial plants seem to have electricity running all the time...

Money can buy you most things here but not happiness, although being unhappy with plenty of money can be better than being unhappy with no money especially in India. The country being so much based on spirituality most people seem to be more accepting of where they are, every day worshipping some deity and giving thanks helps the wellbeing it seems...

Amongst the higgledy piggledy ques with ticket waving grandmothers, pushing businessmen and suspicious looked be-staffed Police we booked our AC2 class train tickets for Jaipur. It is strongly advised to book your tickets several weeks in advance via Seat61.com to ensure you travel on AC1-3 with your own bunk, aircon and nearby toilet to avoid the crush and the rush should your Delhi belly be adjusting to the diet. Which brings me to another point – be careful where you eat, where other tourists go where the restaurant looks clean and there aren’t too many flies to disturb your dinner.

When Buying water realise that the usual price for tourists is 10-15 Rupees for a litre and 20 Rupees for two and biscuits together with most other foods have the date when it was manufactured on them and stipulate that they can be eaten up to nine months after manufacture.

I had the embarrassing situation where I bought several packets of biscuits on various journeys and looking at the date exclaimed: “Ah Nancy, look at this one its six months out of date, the last one I had was only three months out of date...!”
Always ask your hotel manager or well travelled westerners the price of things such as taxi rates, hotel costs and various other things before you haggle – the seller will usually ask well over the accepted price...

Our train was due to leave at 4.10am and we had a little trouble finding the right train platform and then the train started to leave while I was purchasing my infamous biscuits, luckily they don’t pick up speed quickly, or if at all so I had no problem grabbing the handle by the door and leaping aboard.

We found our bunks very cosy, I slept above and to the left of Guru Nancy of the Holy Blowing Wind, chain was readily available at various stops where we paid 10 Rupees instead of five even though we knew this was too expensive the young boy just kept smiling g at us and asking for the overpriced rate.

Below me was a young man who seemed to keep himself to himself so I had a few biscuits, a little water and snuggled down for a sleep...More soon...

In Search of True Spirit Movie Treatment

2011-01-31T01:22:00.000-08:00

A posse are travelling India in search of true spirit of being and living in the next century. The objective to answer the great question on the lips of many in the world right now: “How can we have abundance inside and out and remain sociologically and environmentally sustainable...?”

Questions about new community living lifestyles are discussed while shots of the multitudinous colours of India’s countryside pass-by...

In this series of three episodes of twenty minute docu-drama programmes philosophical discussions and the incidences of travel form the main body with magical places and interviews with selected outspoken gurus and great thinkers provide some of the highlights. It is also the interaction and conclusions drawn from personal subjective experience together with the wider picture of auspicious moments in beautific surroundings that will make “In Search of True Spirit” unmissable viewing...

Interactions with people and significant historical places like the birth-place of Buddha, home of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, ancient Temples and mineralised mountains associated with spiritual “awakening” or moments of epiphany show scenes of eye catching and thought provoking content capturing the inspiration and imagination of our audience.

This is accompanied with moments of hilarity, discourse and the anal instances spiritual obsession. Expositions of the current state of affairs, questionable debates about the universe and consciousness fire round the group.

For an example the “Double Slit” experiment in Quantum Physics where a beam of Photons is directed through two slits and produces three slits of light on the other side while when this is attempted to be measured using cameras around the slits and on the other slide only two slits appear. Some Quantum Physicists relate this to consciousness it terms of experiences of meditators who go into deep awareness that seem like being in pure awareness itself (with also feelings that this awareness connects with the universe outside, like a universal awareness) but when you become aware of being in this awareness it disappears (just like the “Double Slit” experiment)! However, some Quantum Physicists don’t relate this experiment to human existence, but is not all experience relevant the human condition?

The series is filmed in Digital Video like a “Fly-On-The-Wall” Docu-Drama as the silent witness. Flipping from the witness to the consciousness of the participants so the watcher of the programme is not only the witness but also the first person experiencing the sensations thoughts and feelings of the posse on the journey of discovery in this rich highly cultural and beautiful country.

As our group of travelling Bards explore the highlights and lowlights of India meeting interesting characters on the way the thread of thought carries through scenes with an ultimate crescendo of realisation and resultant action in the final episode...

After the first series has shown great success we shall travel to other remote and exciting parts of the world to grab the view from other Shamans and scientists for a more in-depth world view.

For further information contact the author Caspar K Ingham, email: casparkingham@spa-ark.com or Mobile: +44(0)7805 675910.

A Portrait of a Normal New Years Eve

2011-01-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

We mused on the midnight oil,
And bereft of un-muntification,
Grinned ruefully into the night,
Teeth sordidly reflecting flickering candle light,
Like the flicking of a demonic tongue,
Rasping into the night air and entrancing all who came near...

Kids Vision!

2010-11-19T07:33:00.001-08:00

The children were going to sleep. Sometimes I create a little positive visualisation for them:

"Imagine your Mum is surrounded in beams of white light, and all the people you love are surrounded in a beam of light..."
One child (nine years old)pipes up, "why is it always that colour of light..." "Its because that's the way we percieve loving healing creative light.." I say...

"Can we imagine all our loved ones as super heros...?"

Now thats a good idea!

The above picture was made by Taliesan and Samuel, great stuff!

Poem

2010-11-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

Do I have time to stop to think? To wink and blink?
In the tinkering light of love and beam through the world of dreams,
Succulent in the success of nothing,
And remonstrating the achievements of non-reality and inescapable causality?
Give up start a new art, depart, enact and re-boot the cartwheel of life,
As it rolls off the edge of a knife,
In time in time.

Harvest Moon Celebration.

2010-09-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

Harvest Moon Celebration.
A blue aura round the beautiful full moon on the equinox with Jupiter in direct opposition...
Reading an astrologers view of this recently they said that this moment is the height of vision becoming manifested – the sculptor’s thought creating the object....
Equal day and night – the tipping point between darkness winning over the God of light as autumn sets in...
This is the time of the second harvest of the year, traditional grapes for wine, beer, berries and
herbs. Time to thank nature for providing for us, giving us this harvest, giving thanks to the Green God or God of the trees and to accept the Goddess of darkness approaching for our introversion and self development in readiness to be reborn in the spring where new shoots arise...

It is so good for the soul to have gratitude for what we have – giving great thanks for the gifts from nature, friends and other loved ones, it creates a good feeling within.

Also to ask divine existence and nature for your wishes to be received in terms of your goals for the future and act towards them it helps create a positive vibe, even if it’s just to make you feel better...

Of course surrendering all your wishes and stresses up to divinity (The supreme beingness) or conscious creative energy that pervades all takes a great strain off us all and helps us to flow more effectively...

Create your vision, visualise it clearly and then follow the steps backwards form the achieved goal to see how you need to work to create it, then – manifest it step by step, enjoying the process all the way, flowing...

Vision

2010-09-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

In the heat of the moment have self awareness:

If you start to get angry, tense or really stressed, BE AWARE OF IT and breath! Re-connect with yourself, take some deep breaths and access your love within, take the external thing that is annoying you into your heart and witness it, watching your breath and feeling your heart then respond positively...

Act rather than re-acting...

Make Your Own Meditation in 5 Minutes

2010-09-03T01:19:00.000-07:00

Meditation is good for you, many people have said they don’t know where they would be if it wasn’t for a good “letting go” of what’s on your mind – releasing your thoughts, desires attachments and reconnecting with your feelings and non-judgemental heart.

Meditation –the word meaning: “medi” root is the middle, like median, the intermediate and mediation, to intervene between opposing parties (also medium, connecting with the spirit world and Mediterranean lying between lands or even medication...) “Tion” root meaning is “act of” or “ state of” or “result of”.

So “meditation” meaning derived from the root meanings of the Medi and tion parts means the act of finding the middle, joining things up or the result of connecting parts... Just like the Buddhists say finding the middle way...
Practicing every daily helps relieve stress, improves focus and can develop compassion for ones’ self and others – relaxed concentration creates good brain wave patterns, more Alfa waves associated with a relaxed state of mind.
Exercise for the day
Draw a circle on a piece of white paper and paint or colour in the circle in blue and put it on the wall opposite somewhere you can sit comfortably. Shamans in South America would search their space for “their spot”, a place where their energy instinctively gravitates towards, so you too can find your spot, where the vibe is best for you.

Simply sit with your back straight, neck straight with your legs crossed or just upright on a decent chair sitting normally with your hands resting on the top of your thighs if this is more comfortable for you and with your shoulders resting down just be aware of the cool air coming in through your nose as you breath in and your stomach expanding and your stomach receding as you feel the warm air naturally coming out as you breath out through your mouth.

Feel your body resting on the chair as you continue to sit upright and gaze in a relaxed but focused manner at the blue spot on the wall simply keep your poise and look at the spot keeping your eyebrows and forehead relaxed.

Any thoughts that come to mind just acknowledge them, witness them and let them go, let your thoughts flow, don’t get too involved in them – just let them flow like air bubbles floating up from the depths of the ocean, dissipating as they reach the surface of the water, the surface of your mind.

Gently guide your mind back to the blue spot, just watching it, looking in a relaxed way at the blue spot and let go of your thoughts...

Finding balance and the centre between relaxation and concentration is where peace and contentment is found, letting all your thoughts go is a great release for all of you, especially your mind. Getting in control of your mind consciously yourself is also very empowering and will help you in many ways of your life.

The important thing is not to try just allow your mind really gently to focus and relax, relaxed concentration and just allowing all thoughts to flow, and then they gradually slow down and then finally almost stop in peace all by themselves...You just need to allow it, allow yourself and relax into it.

Don’t worry if you feel you can’t do it just keep re-committing to give it a go, see what happens, relax and let yourself flow...

Could we create something better?

2010-08-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

The hustle and bustle of life, extra pressure of things costing more, people earning less and seemly less jobs on the market, financial turmoil, political unrest and added stress of challenging relationships...
“So what...?”

Is there a new way to live...? To develop closer community ties when most of us are on the computer all the time staring at an inhuman screen? When we cram onto commuter trains while the top executives of banks and major corporations who can control the markets through big advertising budgets and crushing the small competitors lounge in luxurious decadence...?

This tirade of what life can be viewed as will over spill eventually and I will transform it into a positive accepting view of the world... Accepting and challenging the status Quo to be better, based on gross domestic happiness rather than gross profit as the Dalai Lama recently said and how Bhutan runs their country (they have banned smoking and television by the way, as they found it contributed to their people being less happy...)

There is the rub – how can we create a new community based on better values, based on community and support rather than capital and currency...
We need more community values, this is happening, how about this:
Communities of people, single people, couples, families sharing work, skills and love unconditionally, being ecological, sustainable, growing their own crops on land, living locally supporting each other. Working towards improving their wellbeing and contentment and most importantly celebrating existence....

I don’t mean a beer and a fag and believe me I’ve learnt this too, we don’t REALLY need anything to celebrate life just life itself is enough to celebrate, the beauty of nature, people, the shape of the clouds and SPA-ARKLE of reflected light...
How are we going to do this...?

Answers on a postcard to GOD...Or Supreme Beingness (Or just send me some ideas...)

The Heart of Wellbeing Book Launch in London

2010-08-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

The balance between practical action and creative imagination is how Craig Brown Chairman of the British Holistic Medicine Association describes Jan Alcoe, creator of “The Heart of Wellbeing – Seven Tools for Surviving and Thriving” practical wellbeing improvement book.

What is different between this and the myriad of other wellbeing and self help books is that it is a working product – 7 guided meditations on two CD’s for each of the 7 steps of improvement practices drawn from research and many years personal experience...

The publication is short and to the point with easy to read snippets of information with extensive actionable material.

The publication is the collaboration between the Janki Foundation; a Charitable trust that supports health practitioners especially with spiritual awareness and training to help cultivate the energy to heal and The British Holistic Medical Association; a leading body promoting holistic health in healthcare in the UK. After the gathering of many years research into what “wellbeing” actually is the group found that Wellbeing is really the subjective feeling and awareness we have inside us that makes us feel – well; even people seriously ill can experience wellbeing, essentially the feeling of connection, community, compassion and contentment – all possible for us to achieve.

Based on this research into wellbeing and many therapists personal experience they found that wellness was very much influenced by the areas shown in the diagram above (courtesy of The Heart of Wellbeing Book Publishers).

The book launched today gives us 7 tools for improving these areas of our lives:

1. Relax & Tune in.

2. Imagination

3. Thinking Positive

4. Be Creative

5. Lighten Up

6. Value Yourself

7. Discover Peace

Each of the 7 tools has a guided meditation or visualisation on the audio CD to give you some practice help to improving these areas.

Whether you are a practitioner looking to sustain your healing practice, someone who considers themselves happy, really in need of wellbeing support or someone feeling a little under the weather – there is always room for improvement.

The author of The Heart of Wellbeing, Jan Alcoe is a hypnotherapist and holistic health trainer, in the audio CD’s supplied with The Heart of Well-being there are really relaxing, focusing and empowering practices that I have been using to great benefit as I go through the publication.

The publication also references “Human Givens” – early research in the results of this therapy has found rapid success for many different mental health issues – Human Givens helps us to understand our basic needs and provides quick transformative tools to help meet them. This helps people to understand once they have met their “Human Givens” – their basic needs, they can be content and progress forward from this.

Wellbeing is a continual work-in-progress and I am looking forward to utilising this book and it’s CD’s to improve my life in many ways on a daily basis...

I invite you to give it a go....

For further information contact go to:

http://www.jankifoundation.org/heart_of_well_being/purchase_the_book.jsp

Cockney Krishna

2010-05-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

Met this great bloke from India who can do the best Cockney accent around. It was like the East End of Bombay with a dash of rhyming slang.

Morgan speaks over ten languages, I'm not sure if he includes Cockney in this but I get the feeling he knows how to do things right. A self made man in India, Morgan runs Out of The Blue, a beautific oceanic restaurant amongst the heat and spirituality of pushkar (near Jaipur) Rajastahn, india.

I met him as I swaggered back from Mcleod Ganj in search of nothing, just walking back from somewhere towards somewhere else after melting on a magnificent pine forest mountain meander...

And so I popped into where Morgan is at now, Trek and Dine on the hills of the Himalayas, and had a cup of Masala Chai and plain rice steamed vegetables (gentle on the tummy at the moment, ahem)...

When your next inn pushkar on a sabbatical or camel trekking pop into this award winning new ITALIAN and chat some Cockney with an Indian...

`

2010-04-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Golly! A 19 hour bus ride, lucky we had an AC Deluxe sleeper! The journey should of taken 12 hours from Jaipur to Haridwar but we happened to arrive at the Kumbh Mela the day of the great bathing, where 15 million people take to the holy waters of the river Gang due to the belief that at this time and place the holy nectar to be received from the bathing will be good for you. There was also "The word of God" Puja in the evenings at a great gathering!

This is a picture of the Pujas Gathering the evening after this most special day at the largest Mela ever!

We were lucky enough to be very well looked after by eight Sadhus who fed us and gave our own Puja, we returned the compliment by buying a Pineapple to share and Almond biscuits!

Thank you to all at the Kumbh Mela, to God and all in India for being such a wonderful place, the only place in the world where 15 million people get together for a spiritual and religious experience and dedication!

This is a picture from our bus on the way there!

Amber Fort In Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

2010-04-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

We had a mo to go and see a big fort that was pink, very nice, they had a great little Hamman with medieval hot tub! Any of those who can spot Nan-See, Blower of the Holy Wind in the picture of the Amber Fort Entrance will win a free floatation tank experience in London UK....

Pictures of Savista Spa & Retreat

2010-04-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

What a lovely day, this is the view of Savista from the tennis court:

And from the Veranda of our beautiful room pictured above looking out to the gardens:

Savista Spa Retreat Jaipur Rajasthan...

2010-04-19T05:23:00.000-07:00

An oasis 12km south of Jaipur, Savista is one of the most idyllic, tranquil and yet grounding spa retreats the SPA-ARK Retreat & Spa team have visited.

With over 200 species of birds ( we saw many including a Kingfisher by the pond), a variety of herbal trees and sweet smelling flowers like Champa, Jasmine and Neem. Savista is so relaxing - the apex of a Maharajahs lifestyle...

The building is the family home of it's owner, Bhanwar and it's draped with beautiful and historic family heir looms from generations of Indian art and crafts. Bhanwar converted his family home to give something back to the community, share knowledge and help cultivate peace and wellbeing for many walks of life.

The spa in an adjacent building has separate quarters for men and women with adjourning sauna. It looks and feels cool away from the dusty malaise of the bustling city beyond. Here there is a nice little bar, again with beautifully stunning hand made arts and crafts but this time from indigenous tribes from around the world. The kitchen here in the spa is very clean with also a barbecue grill - you can imagine nights after a good trek or shopping in Jaipur and a relaxing massage and sauna to be chilling out on the lawn outside the spa having a beer or tea eagerly awaiting a Delicious evening meal...

We had a wonderful evening meal, fresh tomato soup with near ripe tomatoes picked that morning and mild chicken curry that was very tender. The finale was the sweet, like Victoria sponge in the UK but dripped in syrup and absolutely exquisite, each bite endued with the feeling of a thousand mantras such was the intention of the great food.

The small palace of Savista has rooms following carefully selected designs and subtly colour co-ordinated themes. The specially made camel pottery lampshades and homely but luxuriant on-suite bathrooms topped-off the most natural, inspired and rurally royal rooms I had ever seen...

A large swimming pool the centre piece of the cool courtyard within shaded by Date trees and a billowing fabric from the ramparts above perfect for reclining after a yoga class, block printing session or musical muse in the wonderful reception room.

Many of the guest rooms have their own balconies to give privacy and yet a sense of community from the subtle adjourning paths between each balcony. It is the perfect spot to enjoy the stars at night or the countryside and beautifully kept gardens during the day. At the back of the Maharajah's home is a long broad and stately staircase leading to an amphitheater, great steps to sit and watch a musical event or evening play.

Sitting there I can see many musical events under the cloak of night punctured by scintillating stars, let alone the peaceful air and eminent staff make Savista a place not to be missed...

Thank you to all at Savista By Giggling Buddha

Lakshmi Temple in Jaipur

2010-04-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

We traveled on AC1 first class with aircon sleeper to Jaipur from Delhi, a very comfortable ride in such heat and met an off duty railway Police Officer who was in the sleeper next to us. He bought us lunch in Jaipur Train station, a very clean restaurant with enjoyable Tali. Our off duty Indian Police Officer had an interesting story but more of that later....

Even hotter than Delhi, Jaipur was full off action and bustle, after our Officer friend left us outside the train station we chilled in the sweltering heat waiting for the best deal to visit our next destination, The tranquil and beautiful SAVISTA Retreat & Spa. The Taxi driver drove a hard bargain so we stalled for time, meanwhile a small crowd of about 30 people gathered to heckle our negotiations.

We decided to go the the amazing Lakshmi Temple completely made of marble and spend 40 minutes paying our respects to Lakshmi and deep meditation looking into the God's eyes...

The walls were covered in carvings of the Vedic stories and the whole of the outside was carved with Gods, notable religious personalities and inscirptions...

Such an amazing peaceful vibe, a direct channel for inspiration and connection to spirit...

Lakshmi God of Wealth and luck...

First Day in Delhi

2010-04-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

We had a busy first day here, arriving at 10.30am, tired and rather warm, changed our cash to Rupees and my co-pilot met someone right there in the airport they'd chilled with over 12 years ago at a ski resort in Austria - what a small world!

We booked our taxi for our first business meeting of the morning and our train ticket to Jaipur for the next day negoitatited badly to buy some water (the Snapple was the same price as the UK!) and stuffed our bags into the little black jeepa and bounced down the road.

The driver didn't know quite where he was going but had the general direction and I had the exact address. We drove down outer town high ways, ramshackle dusty streets and eventually found the road or should a I say dirt track to the Kairali Ayurveda Treatment Centre and offices.

It was the nicest building in the area, though we still missed it, almost ending up in a tented field full of goats and their tird.

The great staff looked after us there and were really lovely, feeding us filtered water regularly and great green herbal tea Director Abishek rightly mentioned was a much better alternative to normality tea and coffee in the UK. It was very stimulating like tea and coffee but due to nice organic natural herbs rather than caffeine, much more pleasent and good for you but also stimulating! Tasted really good too...

We weere shown round the treatment rooms which were really earthy and scented of medication time in a natural way. Steam chairs and the traditional wooden table tops for a good rub down.

Kairali have a well known retreat on OM beach south of Goa and a fantastic 50 acres and 30 cottages surrounded by paddy fields, coconut tress and other plants in Cochin. They grow ALL their own crops for their Ayurvedic herbs and food, 100% natural and non chenical treated!

The techniques and tradition of Ayurvedic medicine have been handed down from their Great great Grandfather and their Grandfather and father are highly qualified in the scientific study of this ancient practice.

Thier grandfather has been making their medicine since 1948 and their retreats have won awards for the best wellness retreat in India from National Geographic magazine. More news about this soon from: www.spa-ark.co.uk

The attached pictures are of the hallway to the four treatment rooms and pictures in the hall at the Kairali centre at D-120, Anderia Mdh. New Delhi - 110 074 India Tel: +91 26804879. Pop in for a consultation and treatment, please mention SPA-ARK when making enquiries, they may give you even more special treatment!

Tipple Topping

2010-04-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Top Tips:

When you arrive somewhere, if you have booked a hotel arrange for them to pick you up
After a few days, when you have worked out how much things usually cost ( water, food, jewellery, textiles, etc) then you can start bartering. If you don't have much time ask someone at the hotel you are staying in, preferably a westerner and get several opinions.
Keep you money in you wallet when the beggers come, if you give them anything it will attract unwanted attention, give to a proper charity if you wish to help or take part in helping the community in other ways.
Don't even think about walking about if it is above 35-40 Degrees C from 12-4pm it's madness and can really give a sore head at the least, keep your head covered and drink at least 3 litres of water a day.
Make the most of each moment and be compassionate to all around, even when pestered, as a westerner you are seen to have much more money than most in India and you probably do, be understanding...

The attached image is of a Lotus flower, just beginning to open at 8am in the gardens of the Savista Spa we visited just outside of Jaipur, India. The gardens are very well kept and boast over 50 species of birds (we spotted a Kingfisher by the pond), a variety of herbal plants and beautiful scented flowers. We had breakfast in the gardens in front of the spa, one of the most enjoyable breakfasts...

2010-04-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

Slight embarrassment at Heathrow by including germaloid cream exposed in our clear plastic bags through security and passport control. A sweet journey with Kingfisher Airlines, very nice little bag of goodies (eye sleeper muffs, little bag for camera, which I needed, a tooth brush, face wipes) and we felt truly spoilt on our flight, even though it wasn’t business class.

The cabin crew said it was 37 degrees when we arrived, Hot hot! Later in the day it was actually 40 degrees...