Karma Yoga

Berlin Gay Pride Parade, 22 June, 2013.

Yoga isn't just about tricky poses.

I'm sitting on a train from Stuttgart to Ulm in the south of Germany reflecting on my travel experiences thus far.  The people I've met along the way, both yogis and non-yogis, have by far been the most memorable parts of this trip, with the touristy bits being secondary. Like most travel I reckon. It's the memories of the people that really shape your experiences. I am sitting here right now, finally finishing this post exactly one week later at a Starbucks in Berlin watching the Gay Pride Parade go past. It's amazing. Such unexpected surprises like these are the joys of travelling! Huh, I do believe that was as double negative. It wouldn't be called a surprise if it was expected! Idiot. 

Much like I didn't expect the previous "getting kicked out of yoga" episode to occur, nor did I expect it to have such a profound effect on me.  My aim to do a yoga class each day is slowly waning.  Some days it's actually impossible to achieve this because I am catching up with friends and doing touristy things. This week in particular, I spent much of my time sitting on trains, trying to speak German, horse riding, eating too much, not drinking enough, walking through cross country ski trails, swimming in lakes and having regular Kneipp baths. It's a form of water therapy, invented by Sebastian Kneipp, which involves walking in freezing water that comes from the springs of the mountains, then on a series of rocks or wood and repeating. As my feet were in so much pain, it really worked a treat. Something can really be said for these ancient remedies, which is why I love yoga too!

Trying a Kneippbath, a popular form of hydrotherapy
in the south of Germany. 

 Having now thought about what happened, including not doing yoga for several days by choice and emotionally eating my way through my own bodyweight in carbs (those Germans really know their bread...and cheese...and Schnapps...and chocolate...) I am now REALLY thinking about whether this path is for me.  I've never been a skinny person, how am I supposed to be a role model for yoga students if I'm not?  That's another thing about travel, the soul searching involved.   Every time I travel I discover something more about myself, you know, like strengths, weaknesses, reactions under stress and where my excess body fat is normally deposited once I gain weight quickly, namely stomach and arms. You know, the usual stuff.  Getting kicked out of yoga class by the small gay man because I don't exactly look like a yogi is something which has now made me stronger I believe.  Oh and for the record, I love the gays! Most of my friends are in fact, GAY! Check out these pictures! How could you not love them?  It was just that yoga teacher from London was a particularly unkind PERSON, gay or otherwise. 

So, yoga is not just about the asanas (poses) is it?  Here are some examples of some karma yoga that I believe I've experienced thus far:

Brisbane to LAX:
On my flight from Brisbane to LA, I met George, this fabulous Flight Attendant who was also a Kendo and Shaolin Instructor and Writer! Kind of a kindred spirit I guess. Anyway, we ended up discussing yoga and martial arts and travel and life in the wee hours of the morning. He then lent me the book he was currently reading, Vitalogy for the rest of the flight! Anyway, I will write a separate bit about this book, because it has many parallels to the Bhagvad Gita so stay tuned. He was just one of those nice, cool people that I could relate to. 


Pulizter Fountain, NYC:
Met a lovely group of ladies who were waiting for their tour guide to take them on the Sex and the City Tour! My friend, Sammie and I had been a few days earlier so we ended up telling them how fabulous it was. Anyway, we were trying to take a selfie (self photo) of ourselves in front of the fountain, clearly struggling, when the ladies offered to take it. They took a few with both our cameras and then we returned the favour. It really is nice going on a yoga inspired trip and watching karma at its best. Is that karma? Doing something in return for someone else? Or is it purely doing something without the premise of any gain whatsoever?  I just think it's nice when people do nice things for you.  I think I will always offer to take people's photos from now on. I would normally just walk past and not get involved, but there is definitely a nice feeling you get from helping others.  There are plenty of people in this world who just turn a blind eye, wear blinkers, look the other way and any other idioms you can think of involving NOT acknowledging the world around us and being in the moment. That's yoga. 

Flight from NYC to Paris:
Out of all the people in all the land, I ended up sitting next to a hot, Ralph Lauren, male model. If that's not karma I don't know what is. I remember actually seeing him in the line for Customs. I found myself sorta staring at the beautiful man, who was even more beautiful close up. Do you know those types? Like some people look hotter from a distance, I have been told by a not so nice person that I was one of those people. How lovely. Other people are just really beautiful close up. he was one of those. I thought to myself, gosh, wouldn't that be nice to sit next to on my flight to Paris. Lo and behold, after we finally boarded our flight, along he came and sat right next to me. 


He ended up striking up a conversation with me actually, because I laughed at his sister, whom he was travelling with, who kept talking about how scary the French flight attendants were.  One of them had just had a massive argument with a passenger in crazy, angry French!  So, the beautiful guy asked me straight away where I was from, what I was doing etc and then he proceeded to tell me how he used to live in Australia and really wanted to talk about it and asked about where I live and where I've travelled etc.   I am not overly comfortable talking about those things, especially with beautiful strangers. Oh and also because the last time I spoke to a guy on a plane, it ended really badly!  So, he told me that he was going to Paris for 3 months because he usually does that each year. I replied with: "What, are you like a model or something?" He sort of paused and was all like, "Yeah". He was actually almost embarrassed about it. Internally I was all like, "OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG...holy SHIIIIIIT!!! THis guy is a friggin model!!! I thought he looked familiar...like from a Rolex magazine advertisement or maybe Breitling, no wait, Ralph Lauren, yes! Yes! Also catwalk stuff, he definitely has that catwalk look which is why he goes to Paris every year I guess.  He has perfect blue eyes, tanned skin, chiselled jaw, the body...stop looking, act normal, stop staring at the beautiful man.." Meanwhile, on the outside, I was all cool and aloof and was all like, "Yeah, you 
are a beautiful man..." Cue awkward silence and him turning red.  I then completely regressed into idiot Kate and basically just shut down, giving him one word answers, not wanting to be all like you're amazing and stuff, I'm sure he gets that all the time.  Anyway, turns out he was actually really nice and down to earth, despite so clearly being a model.  So if anything, it put my faith back in superficial people (especially after my experience in London!) 

Fast forward to me tripping over my words, despite them being few and far between and looking like a fool when I tried to continue to speak to him, knowing that he was a model and moreso because I was so close to his beautiful face.  You know those economy seats are getting smaller I swear! Lo and behold, I will forever be intimidated by men, beautiful or not.  It is why I think I'm eternally single. I blame my parents for sending me to all girls' schools and still being socially inept around those of the opposite sex. Anyhoo, the whole story would have panned out differently had I stuck it out. There happened to be a spare row in front of us and a 7 hour flight ahead, so as soon as I could, I jumped up, claimed my new seat away from the beautiful man and spent the remainder of the red eye trying to sleep whilst looking glamorous sans drool just in case he walked past to go to the toilet. You never know. I actually kinda wished I'd stayed. Alas, it was karma to sit next to someone so gorgeous, inside and out. So yeah, some sort of karma I guess. 

Tube to Heathrow, London:

Dog on the Tube on my way to Heathrow!

As I lugged my suitcase, backpack and handbag onto the tube, a nice man across from me offered to help. This was right after another nice man carried my whole suitcase for me down three flights of stairs! I swear to God this whole yoga business is bringing good karma my way. I don't remember any other trips I've done where peoplel have been so helpful.   Usually my travel stories are one disaster after the next!   Maybe it's that mindfulness thing, just being aware of the world around you. Maybe it's because I'm a bit more at ease with myself now that I've found a bit of direction in my life with this whole yoga thing. 

SO, the nice man on the tube ended up being an Aussie and a really fascinating guy. Originally from Bangladesh, but now living in Perth, Australia, he is the CEO of a Diamond Mining Company that he owns and operates out of Sierra Leone in West Africa.  He was on his way to fly to Brussels, Belgium where the head office is. Amazing. We got chatting and he started talking about karma. It was just so weird. He says he believes in karma and said that he makes so much money that he really wants to set up an orphanage back in Bangledesh and also in the country his diamond mine is in.  Amazing.   Just casually dropping in to the conversation that you own a diamond mine, no biggie.  He said he doesn't want to keep any of his money and what makes him happy would be to give it to others. He then insisted on carrying my bags, to which I replied, "Mate, you should know that Australian women don't need any help from a man!" To which he just laughed. He then walked me to the check in area at the Airpot and helped me with my check in, for no apparent reason.  He also dropped that he's friends with the Dalai Lama and should I ever want to meet with him, just give him a call. He then gave me his business card and said, email or call anytime. I then joked about him getting me a discount on some diamonds, to which he laughed and said, "A discount? I can give you one for free!"  I just stood there gobsmacked.  We then said our goodbyes and I reached out and shook his hand, just like my Dad taught me, nice and firm, and off he went. Amazing.


Train station somewhere in Germany:
I had absolutely no idea what train I had to catch and where I had to go, despite a detailed description from my cousin. I knew I had to catch 3 trains to get to the end of the line where my cousin was going to pick me up. It was about 8pm on a Saturday night. I was exhausted. I approached a lady who was also looking at the train timetable with the same confused look as me and asked her if she spoke English. Thankfully she did. She was so interesting, more on that in a minute. Another couple, who were locals, then came over to us and also helped us and together we all figured out where we needed to go. I think the last time I travelled, I really didn't have any confidence. I don't ever remember people being so helpful. Really puts your faith back in humanity.

Anyway, the lady who helped me was amazing. She is an Occupational Therapist who works with people who suffer from leprosy and other disabilities in the Congo, Africa. AMAZING! She was on her way home to visit family and proceeded to tell me all about her job. We got on the train and she told me to come and sit with her and we just chatted the whole way. She was an incredible woman. Telling me how a colleague had just been kidnapped at gunpoint and made his way back to the town where she lived safely like it was a normal day at work.  She was a truly beautiful woman and such a free spirit.  Not married with kids or anything so I could really relate to her. She was probably in her 50s and her name was Angelika (the 'g' is pronounced short, as in 'golf'). She really was an angel to me! Especially since we got to the first train station and she walked me to the ticket machine, figured out exactly where I wanted to go, helped me buy a ticket and even offered to ring my cousin on her phone. What a legend!  Just as quickly as we had met on that first train platform, we parted ways off to our travel lives again. 

These are the people I will remember. I am forever grateful to the good people in the world and the existence of yoga karma.

NOTE: It hasn't all been roses. I did get my boob groped on the Metro in Paris, got a blood nose on another train in Germany and pretty sure I saw a dead guy in the park in Berlin today on my morning run.  But that's not what this blog is about :-) Email to my A-List to come...