Rishikesh; May 20

Photo of my desk, with electrolytes and meds... and yoga sutras.

This was a sick day... my second bout during the trip. I got some intestinal bug that took off pretty quickly... started with diarrhea and a general feeling of being sick. After meditation I went to get something light for breakfast, but just couldn't face the idea of eating anything. I did get some juice and force myself to eat a few crackers. My weight was still down a bit from the mountain trip and I didn't want to lose more ground there.

I have been reading The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, as interpreted and translated by Alistair Shearer. I find this to be a very easy to read/understand book. As with all translations, his interpretation differs a bit from others I've read, including that in BKS Iyengar's Light on Yoga; but these are subtle differences in how each interprets some of the Sanskrit (e.g. Niyama - Svadhyaya). I have been reading this book for a while (several months) and continued to read it while I was sick at the Ashram. I continue to find new gems of truth/wisdom in there. I have also been looking for the similarities between the precepts of buddhism and the eight limbs (e.g lay precepts and Yama/Niyama). I am not very analytical about this... by choice... I just enjoy seeing similarities and following the limbs to the same roots.
But, I did get sick enough that all I could do was lie in bed. By the afternoon I was running a fever and feeling a bit delirious. I could not eat or drink anything without getting sick... so I just tried to wait it out in my room, lying there and trying to read. I knew I was dehydrating from the diarrhea... and felt pretty weak. Finally I stumbled my way out to the reception desk and told them I needed to see a doctor. Lo and behold, they make house-calls! So, I went back to my room and sure enough, my Ayurvedic doc showed up. I don't remember all of this but he did check out vital signs, etc. He gave me some anti-emetic so that I could get some antibiotic and fluid into my system. He also gave me a good electrolyte powder and told me to force myself to get a couple of liters down within a few hours.

That evening, I was running out of the electrolytes so I went up front to see if one of the guys there could find some for me. I gave them money and went back to bed. A while later I responded to a knock at the door... and next thing i knew I was back in bed after passing out and being helped into bed by the kid with the electrolytes... and the Doc returned to scold me for getting up. They were all very compassionate and kind. I went back to bed and weathered the rest of the worst of it. I sat and did some chanting... eventually did fall asleep for several hours.



This day was just as good as any other in India. It was a day of practicing patience and just staying present for this part of the trip.