Each time you visit India you cannot avoid being impressed with the overwhelming happiness and smiling faces you meet there despite the relative “poverty” with which a big majority of Indians live. With each visit one can learn more about the art of happy living… The five lessons I learnt in my last visit are so simple:
Humility: As you meet people in south India you can’t help being “hypnotized” by their humbleness. They way they talk, they way they move… just like big children. You feel in the people there the readiness to be oneself and not more or less than oneself. No masks, no arrogance, no “fake it till you make it”, no inflated ego of the west. Something we do miss in our modern society.
Appreciation: The westernized eye can see a lot of poverty in India. A lot of people live there with the basic needs of life barely available. Nevertheless, looking at these people one would realize that they do feel abundance while we, with all the luxuries we have, are the poor ones. People there are happy with the little that they have. Children enjoy simple games, grownups enjoy simple living… and everything around is appreciated and everyone lives with gratitude.
Accepting our Body: People there are friends with their bodies. All body parts are equally appreciated. The foot is no less important than the hand and the tummy is no less important than the head. Form here comes their holistic view towards everything around.
Being part of Nature: In many rural places you can see houses built without cutting a single tree. Coconut trees pass through the roof of the house while their stems serve as its support. The quantity of green spaces even in the cities of south India is comparable to the green areas in our villages and fields. This area of green is the main stress absorber. It is the link that keeps man connected to source of universal energy. The more you connect the healthier you are.
With all the amazing experiences and lovely people I met the fifth lesson I learnt during this trip to India was never to travel without a photo camera!
