India, My Luggage and I

Delhi.. What a beautiful welcome!

My luggage decided to stay in Istanbul for a bit longer. It wasn’t put onto the plane. No clothes, no toiletries, nothing. Just my rucksack with a couple of items. 🙂 Well, I didn’t expect it to be any less challenging. The Yoga path is not an easy path. It’s the path of key words: surrender, trust, non-attachment and goodbye comfort-zone! And yes, Rishikesh! After 2 days’ journey, separation from my suitcase and non-booked accommodation adventure, I am here and safe. 🙂

I was reunited with my suitcase yesterday. I found that the days without my suitcase were very transformative…

2nd March: Without my suitcase, it was easier to move around in Delhi airport while I was waiting for 9 hours for my next flight. My flight from Delhi to Dehradun was also easier. I didn’t have to wait to collect a huge item from Dehradun airport. I felt lighter. 🙂 I arrived to Rishikesh and I didn’t have to drag a heavy block on the undeveloped roads to take to my room after many days of travelling with my tired body. The first night was tough because of the sweaty clothes and no toiletries. I started using a rubbish-looking small bar of soap in the toilet.

3rd March: I bought a pair of harem trousers, a top and a pair of flip-flops. I thought I would receive my suitcase that day, so didn’t bother to buy so many things. Just basic stuff. After some challenges, eventually I could also buy a toothbrush and toothpaste. Still no suitcase though. I was wearing the same clothes every day and sleeping in them every night.

4th March: I woke up in a very frustrated mood. Everything around me was an annoyance. I was coming to my cycle and I didn’t have a single thing I needed. I was feeling awful. I couldn’t wait anymore. I washed my underclothes in a bucket with soap, and had some sleep. By the evening my attitude had changed. Did I really want my suitcase? Wasn’t it manageable like this? What was the big deal about it? No morning or night ceremony, no confusion, no complication. Everything was fine. It was actually quite simple.

5th March: As I had given up on my suitcase coming anytime soon, I decided it was better to make the best of the situation, so I went out to buy a couple of toiletry items.

And suddenly, there it was. I was reunited with my suitcase! It was there just in front of me. I looked at my suitcase. It looked back at me. “Yes, that’s really it”, I told myself. I stepped around it, and looked at it some more. I said to people, “I am happy”. I was happy because life was magical. It took me some minutes to decide to take my suitcase to my room. It was funny. Hahaha! Like someone was taking myfreedom away and I had to think hard if I wanted it. 🙂 I took it to my room, stayed with it a bit with a sense of gratitude, then I went out again into my life. I even didn’t open it hahaha! I slept at night again with the same clothes.

6th March: 24 hours after receiving my suitcase, apart from one item I still didn’t take a thing out of it. I am still with the same clothes and living with the few toiletries I bought here in Rishikesh. 😉

We don’t realise how possessions in our lives own us, imprison us. We lose the simplicity and lightness in life.

We lose the freedom!

March 2016
Dee Cooke