Lucerne and Weggis

Lucerne

The first city where we started our tryst with nature’s abundance. The best way to explore Switzerland is by a combination of boats and trains. We started off with a lake cruise on lake Lucerne. We had absolutely no idea what was in in store for us. When we started,  the lake was inside the city and all we saw was the city and its many buildings (mostly hotels). We saw some really distant sights of mountains in the far beyond. As the journey progressed, the city became a faint memory and all we could see for miles and miles was nature.

Beautiful majestic  mountains, the sun rays peering through the dense vegetation on them, the lake itself seemed to stretch for miles, some sparse  clouds kissing the top of these mountains and the air so clear that you feel a high just being there. It is a very humbling experience. You are reminded of what a small spec you are in the bounty of God’s amazing creations. The sights on the cruise was spellbinding. We just sat there with the wind in our hair and feasting our eyes.

The many sights of Swiss

The lake is a massively gigantic water body and all along its coast (don’t know what it is called for lake) were different villages. It would have taken us 3 hours to go around the entire lake. You’d think it would get boring or monotonous after a while. But NO! The views keep changing on the course, the lake itself turns from blue in parts to green at others , the slopes have interesting houses on them, the mountains converge, the sun plays hide and seek with the clouds- ah  ever so many sights – it never ceases to enthral the onlooker.

Changing langscapes

In Switzerland, you don’t have to work hard to experience something nice. Just wake up and walk down the street to something beautiful or if you are lucky just peep outside your window to be struck by beauty of nature.

In the midst of nature

Weggis

The cruise boat we were on, makes several stops on the lake at different villages along its border(coast/shore). Jay’s spontaneity has to be given credit where it is due. While I was busy taking in the fresh air and feasting my eyes on the water and mountains, he noticed that a lot of people were getting off the cruise boat. He quickly discussed with the cruise crew and charted up a cool cogwheel train ride to Mt Rigi. We quickly hopped off our river cruise and took a Cog Wheel train up the mountain to Mt Rigi. A Cogwheel train works on a cog enabling an ascent up a steep slope without getting derailed. 

Fact: A rack-and-pinion railway (also rack railway, cog railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail. This allows the trains to operate on steep grades. The first mountain rack railway in continental Europe was the Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn on Mount Rigi in Switzerland, which opened in 1871.

That is the one we took. It was quite an experience in itself because the train is inclined and so the person in the seat in front is above you. The views outside were lush green and extremely beautiful. The Cog wheel train is one of the oldest trains and goes pretty slowly. As you go up you are surrounded by such soothing greenery.

We got to the top and after hanging around there for a bit, took a cable car down. As the cable car lowers itself down the mountain the views are gobsmack green. The slopes, the trees on the slopes, the lake in the distance, the sun rays shimmering on the lake the mountains behind the lake- it is an out of the world experience.

Strolling the Swiss streets

After getting off we wandered around the village a bit on our way to the next cruise pier. The roads around the hill were winding up and down the houses were all beautiful and we couldn’t help but wonder how many celebrities, businessman, politicians had vacation homes in that setting? All houses there had beautifully manicured gardens full with flowers bushes and well , each with an interesting story to tell. Of course we sat on every bench on our way just taking it all in and smiling from ear to ear.

Switzerland

Switzerland has mesmerized Indians for years all thanks to Yash Chopra. Everyone wants to go to the places that Shah Rukh and Kajol went in DDLJ, and to be honest, I did too.

Apart from that, it was on my list of places to visit because I had heard so many great things about it. So after a good deal of research and saving up money we planned a visit to Switzerland just at the end of summer this year. Nothing worth having comes easy, and so after 3 trips to London for the visa and a bunch of cancellations and rebooking of flights  and trains we were finally off on our vacation. Once there, Jay and I learnt new meaning for the word beautiful.

We truly experienced what breath-taking meant and were utterly mesmerised by the beauty . God is the painter of the superbly stunning painting that is Switzerland. The place is so amazing that everything is a scenic experience. Walking down the street, taking a bus or a train everything is beautiful.  Every inch of land that the eyes gaze upon will remain with you forever. In Switzerland, you don’t have to work hard to experience something nice. Just wake up and walk down the street to something beautiful or if you are lucky just peep outside your window to be struck by beauty of nature.

A view straight out of a painting

Railways

It is an experience just to take the trains because of what is around.  There are beautiful sights everywhere. You’ll be torn as to which way to look. We eventually got tired of taking pictures because everything is so scenic everywhere. The railway system in Switzerland is really something else. Meandering through the hills, sometimes around it and sometimes through it via tunnels, going around the lakes, along streams, slopes on each side, the stunning views from the train never end. The houses are also quite appealing. In front of the house you will find hay bales, huge cows and very well maintained green grass and manicured gardens with gnomes. The houses have uniform windows that you will see all through Switzerland and are present in lovely colour combinations.  Big glass windows on the trains give us unending spectacular views on both sides of the train and the glass can also be lowered for those wallpaper pictures. There are a lot of expensive tourist trains, but Switzerland is so beautiful that even the normal ones will not disappoint.

The trains themselves are amazing too. The seats are really comfortable and there are maps at tables placed between every 4 chairs. So that helps tourists a lot. They have impeccable timing which is a big plus. The railway system is appreciable because given their mountainous terrain, they have done a good job of setting up a system and maintaining it on time. In some parts it can be frustrating because the trains go relatively slow. That’s because they go in a zig zag fashion due to the mountainous terrain. There are also some double decker trains which are pretty neat too. Then of course there is the cog wheel to go up steep mountains.

Unless it is a big city like Lucerne or Basel, the Swiss people have not bothered building a boundary for the railway station.  The train stops in its tracks right in the middle of the city which is very appealing to the eye. Just next to the platform you will find cars on roads, houses, hotels, shops, and so on. 

Expensive Switzerland?

Yes, everything is expensive, you have to just digest it. If you are a wasabi or chilli lover, you know what I’m talking about. You hate what it does to you, but you love and enjoy it anyway. Swiss is something list that. You hate that everything is expensive, there isn’t much to say about the food, everything Is so touristy but you still want to go there. You know you are paying way too much for the water and cheese and baguette or even to pee. Despite all that, the overall take away from it is magnificent. It will always hold a special place in your heart and all the pictures you can take will not do it justice. You just have to let the eyes , mind and soul take it all in. That’s what will remain with you always. The people (Swiss Germans)  there are very nice and sociable too.

Marriage

Marriage - The coming together of 2 seperate entities to give a new meaning to life.

 I look at marriage as a vehicle. The husband and wife form the wheels of the vehicle travelling together and side by side in the journey called life. Sometimes the ride is bumpy, at other times it is smooth. You can never be certain of there always being fuel but you try your best not to run out. Some days are nice and pleasant giving an enjoable ride, other days one has to drive in the rain or through a thunderstorm. There is some jurisdriction , but  common goal prevails. The goal of successfully carrying the automobile from start to finish. It takes understanding, communication, coordination and support. 

It is never really a marriage of equals and rightly so. It should always be a marriage of likeminded nature, little differences ithstanding. For instance, all 4 wheels can never have full control at a single instance. sometimes the front wheel takes control and the rear wheels follow and at other times the rear wheels are at the helm of power.Each having a different purpse and hence a  time of day.Thee are some things that a husband does best and some are most suited for the wife. Thee are times whenoles reverse but it is impossible for one to do it all. I am not stereoyping the husband as either the front or the back. Based on situations these roles change. Now this seems like I might be calling marriage a compomise. No , I am not.what I am saying is -  In a happy marriage, there are no compromises. In a healthy marriage there are no absence of arguments.  Friction is what keeps the vehicle moving as long as it is in the right amount.

You enjoy it while you can at other times you go through it with the hope that it is meant to be and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Nobody ever gets to choose these moments. These triumps and tribulations they come and go. You have got to live through them, learn life's lesson and better ourself. One has to cherish the bright sunny days and remember the strugle from those dark gloomy times becasue at the end of it all - what matters is that the 4 wheels were always together and moving towards a common goal.

Like the vehicle, the marriage goes on, the roads traversed change, the companions get on and off, the seasons change; but the wheels, they stay together. There pitt stops keep changing constantly like our dreams in life. We chase what we think is right for us at that time. The journey contines as if there is no final destination.


Driving me one evening from work, a taxi driver told me that I reminded him of his wife 39 years ago. Yes he has been married for 39 years! Thats from a time even before my parents met. Lest my words are misconstrued, let me clarify that it was not like he was in love with me, he was just moved by the way I was talking about my husband to him. Jay, the wheels that compliment me in our vehicle called marriage. For me, marriage is being with him.

This is my perspective in my first year of mariage. Let's see what I think as time goes by.

Jun 13th - The night i dread the most.

On the eve of the 2nd anniversary of my dearest beloved grandmother, my sweet sweet ajji's attainment of his lotus feet, I am composing this post in remembrance of her.

I miss her warm hug, her gentle touch on my forehead before I would leave home, her kiss on my cheek when i did something that made her happy, her showering of blessings, gifts, praises , her deep understanding of the human mind, her simple love for sweets and most of all her unconditional love for me and Neethu.

I really miss you a lot Ajji, wish you were here to bless me and hug me during these days of triumphs and travails. I wish you were here to give me all your worldly advice, tell me all your secrets and hear all of mine, debate till the sun went down and listen to stories of years gone by. I wish you were here to relish my chapatis which dad claims are just like yours. It is such a pity I din't make them while you were around. I wish you were here to see the little naughty girl neethu all grown up now. I wish you were here..

But you know what, as much as I miss your physical presence, I always know that you are watching over me and turning the little cosmic dials in my favor. I know you are blessing me and showering only the best wishes my way. I know that the lessons you have left behind, all the stories you have told me, all the values you have taught me will always keep a part of you alive in me.

Please continue to be my inspiration and my moral compass. please guide me to be the best I can and always earn lots of hugs and kisses from you. We all love you immensely and can only hope to live by the example you set for us..

Om.

In the pursuit of happiness.

Everyday life is transformed into a continual celebration for a person who is always finding joys in the little things of life. Little things like gardening, cooking, reading and gifting.

Ajji would wait all month to get her paycheck, only to spend it all in a few days. Till the time grandpa was working, Ajji had taken it upon herself to indulge her kids in all the good things she could get her hands on. She put in her heart and soul into her work each day but on pay day, it was time to paint the town red.

Being a social worker at a voluntary organization, at times Ajji would receive her salary once in 3 or 4 months. They would get paid when the related government body would get a grant to fund them. Until the time that she was not the sole earning member of the family, she ensured that her paycheck went toward the fun quotient budget of the family. Ajji splurged on all the good things that she could get accustomed to. She was never fond of jewelery or fancy clothing. She would spend on eating out, cooking and sharing with the neighbors, watching movies and buying books.

Ajji loved taking her kids to dine out and watch good movies. She recalls the fun they had when the went to watch Mackenna's gold. The movie was the rage of the times and was a must watch according to the newspapers. Unfortunately, the movie had not hit the talkies in Mysore yet. So much was her enthusiasm to watch it with her family that she took her 3 kids all the way to Bangalore from Mysore just to watch the new movie! At times when she had to get to work and the kids had to be taken out for a fun evening, she would drop them at the cinema hall, buy them food and return after the show to pick them up.

Food Feast

Stating that Ajji despises fast food does not even scratch the surface of her food likes. She has been a foodie probably even before the word was coined. Ajji loves cooking and she has never been accustomed to cooking in moderation. She always cooks like she were cooking at a community kitchen. Her giant heart of gold loves feeding people and continues to do so.

Ajji loves elaborately cooked dishes, regional specialties, something she learnt form a friend or read in a book. It is only the potato wafers and aerated drinks that she against. When it come to home cooked meals, nothing less than pure ghee, butter and refined oil will do.

Ajji also loves eating out. especially Indian food. She loves the baturas , choley and butter naans with paneer and ice cream for dessert. Ajji recounts many times that back in the days ice cream vendors would always serve a sweet biscuit wafer to be eaten after the icecream. The wafer would bring relief to the cold-numb mouth after the ice cream. Unfortunately this is not the norm these days. For the benefit of her health, she has curtailed eating all this now, but given a chance she still has an appetite of a kid in a candy store.

Food first.

My grandmother has an intensely ingrained contempt for Fast-Food and cringes at its very sight or mention.
She can talk for hours about how people today have given up what is wholesome for a quick fix, even as I sit in front of her fantasizing about deep dish pizzas.
While she disagrees with my unhealthy and often unexciting culinary taste, her beginnings in the cooking world were quite stirring.

Being the oldest of the house and attending to work outside home, she had received little knowledge about cooking from her mother. This was before she got married at 13.
In her new home, she was never required to lift a ladle or keep the kettle. Her mother-in-law took care of all the cooking. Her brothers-in-law and her husband in particular ignored most of this cooking and choose to eat out instead.
Astonished at this and armed with a purpose, my she set out to reverse the trend.

Close to the house of a friend that she often visited, was Ram Krishna Asharam. she was well acquainted with the cook there who offered her something to eat whenever she visited. she traded these meals for cooking lessons from the expert.
That's where she started her learning. After perfecting her skill in the ashram's kitchen, she began displaying her new acquired culinary skills at home. Surely enough her husband gave up going to hotels.
" I won his heart with my cooking" she still proudly proclaims with a glint in her eye.

Wedding bells.

sharada at a tender teenage age to Govinda Rao, in 1945. He was a railways employee and a family friend. She consented to the proposal that was kept before her, based solely on a promise made by the groom. No no, not jewelery or real estate but the chance to pursue her studies. She still recounts her thoughts from back then when she had no clue what marriage was and yet got into it willingly only because her husband to be, offered to support her further studies. Such was her dedication towards studies. At a time when SSLC meant 'Stop studying learn cooking' for her friends, she had her mind set on getting a good education and continuing her pursuit of knowledge. Her friends would kindle a joke or two in mirth about being married and yet going to school, but that never stopped her from continuing her studies.

It was in the first year of her marriage that she completed her Class 9. As a young bride, she was very concerned not to let her studies jeopardize her duties at home. She would finish all her homework and studies at college itself, lest her in-laws complain that she was escaping form household duties.

Treading the road less taken.

A brief encounter with her Idol.

As a young girl, all of 5 Sharada encountered a man who mesmerized her with his speech and in conversation, asked her for the pair of bangles she was adorning. When he asked “Maa ko in ki zaroorat hain beta. Kya ye kangan tum desh ke liye de sakti ho? ”, without as much as batting an eyelash, she took those bangles off and handed them to him.

The man she gave her bangles away too was no stranger to her or her family. It was the man whose teachings had inspired her dad and instilled the feeling of selflessness in that little 5 year old. It was the man who later went on to become a Mahatma. It was Gandhiji she met, while he was on tour and was visiting the southern provinces at that time. Sharada's father wanted to give some items to him when he visited mysore, but was touring on business at that time. Her father requested his wife to hand them over in person to Gandhiji and that's when little sharada was taken along to meet Gandhiji.

That incident made Sharada stronger and gave her more conviction for the years soon to come as witnessed him lead India to freedom. she is a witness to a great chapter in our history. She has witnessed what we now have and was once fought for, tooth and nail.
She has modelled her life on his teachings and has passed them on to her children who continue to do the same.

Her Childhood.

Her childhood, punctuated with chores and responsibility of her siblings, was the cornerstone to her hardworking and affable nature. With a penchant for studies, she would look forward to traveling by train everyday from Yellur, where her family resided to her school in Mandya.

One evening, the chat with the teachers after class got prolonged more than expected and unfortunately, she missed her train back home. With no other way out, she started walking along the railway track all by herself. She took off on a brave front, but then started getting the shivers once it began getting dark. There was hardly any light outside the taluk those days. Thankfully, a cart wheel driver passing by recognized her as bambai-sahib’s daughter and offered a ride back to Yellur. She was greeted at home by her dad roaming the streets near the station with his gas light looking for his daughter.

A Humble beginning always leads to an intellectual zenith.

Her unrestricted persona bears deep roots in her upbringing. She was born in Mysore and brought up in a conservative milieu in Yellur, near Mandya, Karnataka.
‘Sharada’ her parents named her and she has remained true to the meaning of her name.
Her dad, was an optician by profession and a staunch follower of Gandhiji in belief. He travelled extensively on business covering the length and breadth of the India then.

Her first family consisted of her Mother who was originally from Andhra, her dad who hailed from saurashtra but left it and moved further south to make a living; a brother and a sister. As the oldest child at home, she had to step up and attend to all the business in the house. She had mails to send, registered posts to receive on her dad’s behalf, cash to send via money order and run errands for her mother. All of this needed to be accomplished on her way to school and back.

She recounts an incident when one of her classmates , tired of seeing her work so hard, wanted to show that doing that sort of work was not all that it was cracked up to be. She thought sending a money order was no big deal, walked up to the post office and nonchalantly, dropped Sharada’s cash along with the money order form into the letter box and assumed that was all! The teachers at school frowned upon that girl, while the others laughed it out.

Having been entrusted with all duties of an office boy, she knew it was no laughing matter. She was familiar with all the post office staff; after all, she paid them a visit every day. Her dad kept an eye on her through his post office friends to ensure she dint go playing around and shirking her responsibilities. Frightened and traumatized by the wrath she would have to put up with if her dad ever came to know of this, she decided she had to fix her friend’s folly. She stayed put that day until the postmaster came and she pleaded with him until he opened the box, reprimanded the little girl and returned the cash - all of ten rupees. Of course, asking that young lady to learn a little something from Sharada.

I call her my friend because there is always an inexplicable bond of friendship between a granddaughter and a grandmother. The fights, the arguments and the funny conversations never cease to amaze me. The way that she grasps the goings on in my life, the way only I (and not even my parents sometimes) can understand few of her musings and the synchrony that we can tune into is completely unique. This is the bond that has provided me with immense learning.

My earliest memories of her are that of her returning form work with a bag full of gifts. Each month like clockwork, she would get me and my sister some new toy in the block, or new clothes. It was a routine she had of never coming home empty handed. Each day there would be some sweets or savories for us in her bag when she returned form work. Me and my childhood playmate Karthik would welcome her at our gate with a salute. It was probably something we had learnt in school and wanted to try out at home.

Speaking of toys, she had her eyes set on getting us a train thingy that went up down zig zag in a fascinating manner. It ran on batteries and had an entire train journey from tunnels to bridges and stations to mountains. I recall it as it was on show at a famous toy store in Mysore back then called ‘Tip-Top’ on Sayaji Rao Road. Somehow we never got around to it. I guess she retired by the time I got that train. Instead, she went on to buy me a bicycle even before i asked for it.

She loves buying stuff for family. she adores it and till today despite all the changes in our lives, that is the one thing she continues to do. As her kids, we enjoy it too! she loves spending to the point that she is often accused of being a spendthrift. She has her little cute idosyncrasies. For instance, I'd never understand the logic behind sorting coins based on their denominations and keeping them in different parts of her little coin purse. She has a fascination for crisp new notes. Sometimes I think she spends money at times just to get rid of the crumpled greasy ones.

But till today she has stayed the same. Her habits may have changed, lifestyle varied but deep down she is still the same person she was when she walked home with gifts for me and neetsy.

Sharada- a symbol of strength and determination.

I now begin to share some endearing stories and learnings that have been passed down to me from my grandmother- Sharada G Shinde. She still continues to do so and I am very grateful for that. In doing this, I am also going to talk about her, her life and the inspiring person she is.

Cheers to ajji!

There is not a single spiritual tangle that the Geetha cannot unravel.
Derive fresh joy and meanings from it each time you read it.
- these are her thoughts on what Mahatma Gandhi had said.

Lessons from my dear friend.

The strength of will power.

If you are having a hot cup of coffee in the open and burn your hands from the heat, there is a high probability that you will drop the damn glass muttering a curse under your breath.

If you are having a cup of hot tea in the most expensive china sitting at marble table over the most exquisite oriental rug, it is highly unlikely that you will drop the glass or mutter under your breath.

No price for advice.

An interesting advertisement of a leading telecom company has got me thinking that 'advise to har koi karta hain yaar'.
Most of the time this is useless advice by virtue of it being either unwarranted, or coming too late. It is just not over there.
You have hell to pay when you have to face the person whose advice you did not pay heed to.

A predicament I faced recently had to do with some advice that I received from someone who had a self-conferred authority.
Just the other day, I was stuck in traffic on a narrow yet two way traffic road. All vehicles were making a criss cross on the road as if forming a complicated puzzle and speaking the language of honks, while the drivers uttered abuses. After all, everyone is in a hurry in our country. So while I was waiting behind a car, a rickshaw driver steers his auto on to my right and starts showering me with advice. He was hell bent on making me take a deviation and get moving.
How did he want me to do that? By performing the remarkable feat of climbing up the pedestrian sidewalk and riding my 100cc two wheeler on it.

Why? Simply because he felt like advising me. Neither was I in a hurry, nor was I in any mood for a automobile gymnastic feat. I was not even in front of him,
My treading the platform on my bike along with my pillion rider would in no way hinder or benefit him or anything on the road. Yet, he was determined to get me over the footpath!

It was not one of those edges where the platform boundaries form a slide like at building entrances. This is usually where two wheeler drivers hop onto the sidewalk and start driving on them. The place I was waiting was not one of those places, it was one where the platform was at steep height of a good 15 cm steep height from the road. It is bad enough that some dumb people ride their bikes on it at their own risk, as per their will, but why force someone else to do the same? It is dangerous, unwanted and do not even get me started on the legal aspect. But no, my advisor was determined.

First it started with general a mention that I should go on the foot path, then it became a request. Before I could comprehend the absurdity that he was expecting of me, it had turned into a command and I was ordered to do what his over-ambitions mind was dictating. I did what I do best in these situations- ignore unwarranted detractions. The consequence of that was just round the corner - sour grapes dove in. His comments did not stop at my ignorance. It turned to innuendoes 'Ah forget it, you can't do it, You're not capable of that! Bah'
Sheeesh.
I had half a mind to turn around and ask him what his real problem was? Was he running short on his 'advise strangers' target for the day? Was he a lonely insomniac who drove around advising people? Would he not sleep at night if i do not climb the platform? Or is he just one of those people who fulfill their whims and fancies by asking others to do it....
I'll never know, cos i never asked. But what i do know is that there is no end to free advice.

High heels- the metaphor.
When women got out of the kitchen, they traded the ladle for high heels. it was time to move on and they would not move on to anything less powerful. The ladle symbolises the control that they had over the house. The ladle is not a mere object of utility but one that unites women worldwide in their triumph over maintaining adn sustaining the household for centuries. Once they left the kitchen, they picked high heels as a symbol of independance and a dignified stance. It was meant to say 'despite treading on something that looks dangerous, i am totally in control of my life'. This is the dictum that most powerful women live their lives by.

Traffic- the game
A lot of people speak of the wonderful animation games that they play on different computers. Large conglomerates spend a considerable amount of time and money trying to better the gaming products currently in the market.

BUT, I can cay with utmost certainty that the game that i get to play day after day is among the best games ever created. It is a game with the best 3-D effects ever. The game is created by us, but the almighty gives the effects. This game requires some warranty seals, some papers saying you are willing to play it . A government regulatory body has to certifies that you are capable of playing it. To play the game, you have to abide by its rules and if you break any of them, there might be hell to pay. Start off with wearing your safety equipment from headgear to rear gear. Once you are all strapped up, you are ready to go.

You can go anywhere that you wish to be transported to, You can choose any means of transportation, but rest assured that the ride will be eventful regardless of what means of transportation you choose. Start be hitting the accelerator and use the brakes to stop. use the horn whenever you feel like whether there is a necessity or not. Slow down at trafffic signals once you spot a yellow light, stop on red and start again on green. Take the shortest and fastest distance from one point to another.

Things to watch out for.
*Honking: The horn sounds mean so many different things, all in one sound. It can me - 'give me way', it can mean 'get out of my way', it can even mean 'do not backfire', , it can mean 'move front', it can mean 'move to the side', it can mean 'emergency'- It is a language in itself and it is quite common for a novice to get misled and lost in this language.
*Pedestrians: These are the players who play the game, but without any automobile.They seldom walk on the paths made for them and have the desire to run across the streets as when they like.
*Cows/bulls/Dogs-Lesser said the better because we worship the first one and the last one is man's best friend.

Occasionally the game gets hard when the skies start pouring down water. This release version is called 'traffic in the rain'. This is a real challenge and is not meant for the week hearted. A more advanced version with more difficulty is available and is called 'traffic -after the rain'

Initially it is a bit jittery, You break too hard, sometimes you go too close to other players, but soon enough, it will make you a regular and before you know it, you'll be enjoying this game. After all, we've made it for ourself, haven't we?

relax..
breathe..
I have heard people use this phrase 'relax,breathe' often. I have used it casually, many times too.
Just as a cursory thing, like its essence is in merely saying it. never once , before this week have i ecperienced what the phrase entails. It really means sit, forget everything and i mean everything and only focus on breathing. Yes, that thing we do every living moment of every living day, that.
just doing a deep breathe-in breathe-out makes me realize how complex and elaborate the action is and how deep its consequences are. we just take it for granted in our obnoxious ways and belittle the importance of a breath.

A sense of detachment, a feeling of independence, a breath of fresh air! a secret smile, a sense of pride at having mysteriously conquered your biggest pressures and the yearning for more...
strange as it sounds thats the state of mind and what else it brings with it is something none is preparred for.