I love travel memoirs, and this book, Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert, was that and more. It's also about her spiritual and emotional journey following a difficult divorce and finding herself again. It's an interesting perspective coming from a person who is only five months older than me. I like reading about people who are my age; to find where their lives have taken them and what sort of experiences they have had. Elizabeth Gilbert is one of those people I instantly like and her book reads nearly like a blog, but more poetic and descriptive, which I LOVE since I'm such a visual person.
Upon visiting her website (linked above), I learned that she follows the yogic path that my best friend has followed for over a decade. I've never heard anyone's diffiuculties or breakthroughs when following this spiritual path, so when I personally had some doubts with some of the aspects of this yoga, I had no perspective or anyone to talk to about them and thus lost interest.
Somehow, by reading Gilbert's stories of her experiences, my interest in this yoga has been renewed. I need to hear others' perspectives and experiences with this practice and share what we go through - that's how I feel more connected. I cannot go through such a journey alone.
So last Saturday, my friend and I attended the local Oakland Ashram for the weekly satsang. This was my first visit in over five years! It felt different this time because before I had felt a disconnect that I did not understand. Somehow, by simply having another person share her experience with me the way a good friend would over a cup of coffee, I was connected at last and felt more ready to pursue this practice in my own way.
It was a lovely visit with my best friend and I hope to make it a monthly event with her. I'd go more often on my own but I don't want to burden Golf with baby duties too much. It's simply a lot of work to handle when babies are so little - till they are like 3 1/2 or so. It is getting easier to leave Golf with Aidan guilt-free, to take more personal time for myself but I'm not quite there yet.
I want to add that Elizabeth Gilbert's account of her travels in Italy and Indonesia were also quite good. I especially liked Indonesia. She's such a good and kind person. Anyway, I highly recommend this beautiful book!
1 comment:
Lance brought me this book when I was in the hospital getting ready to have Jackson. That was in February, and I still have not had a chance to read it :)
Cheryl
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