Page 79 - UpperCrust e-Magazine Third Quarter 2024

WABI SABI PHILOSOPHY | HEALTH & WELLNESS

breathe in… deeply, breathe out fully…slowly crazy memories; like the time a bunch of
open your eyes. It’s peace of a different kind. Iranian boys, students, who followed us, a
Next time you are caught out in the rain, bunch of St. Xavier’s girls, all the way from
don’t run. Don’t try to escape it with your Panchgani to Mahabaleshwar in the hope of
head down. Instead, lift your face upwards, let being ‘just friends’. It was raining heavily
it rain on your face. Then look around slowly, when seven of us spilled out of the big local
it will be an entirely different perspective. If taxi called jhonga, at the Venna Lake, to eat
you are mindful, you will see the world just some roasted corn. There was not a soul
looks different when it rains. Everything around, it was fun and then suddenly from
seems rejuvenated, energised, clean and fresh another jhonga, four of these boys emerged,
and glorious. Rain nourishes not just the surprising us… And what do they do? They
earth but also your body, mind and soul. We coolly walk down the boat club and disengage
actually do take it for granted. Think of those two of the row boats which were all safely
living in places where it never rains. Or in anchored for the monsoons and beckon to
those where it drizzles every day, but never us to join them! I don’t even want to tell you
rains. Ah, the great Indian monsoon, we are what followed, but the enticement was too
truly so fortunate. strong and we were reckless (in hindsight).
As for moi, I enjoy rain in every form. What a time we had. None of us have ever
On days when it is overcast and totally dark, forgotten it.
people say it’s gloomy and depressing. I don’t. And yes, we did become friends and stay
I call it happiness. I feel cheerful. I bunk friends.
office. I make myself hot chocolate, from
scratch, and settle down to listen to music.
Even as I sing along with the sad refrains
from my old-time favourite, Carpenters, I
feel happy. Rainy days and Mondays never
get me down!
Being outdoors during the rains has
always appealed to me. I have spent my youth
trekking in the Sahyadri hills, climbing peaks
like Torna and Harishchandragad and many
others. Spending a cold, wet night at the
temple on the top and then climbing down the
next morning. Don’t know how but we did
it. Wet and cold to the bone, crossing furious
rivers, just clutching on to the thick rope, that
some strong swimmer had first taken across
and tied to a tree! The mountaineering group
at St. Xavier’s was quite notorious.
And I have some other delightful but

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