Jai Hind

Salutations to India!

Today is India's 60th birthday. I feel a unique difference between how India celebrates Independence and how we celebrate the 4th of July. While the feeling of "pride and patriotism" are strong for me as an American during July 4th celebrations - the feeling of "hope and joy" is strong in India today. It's like a child's birthday celebration - with balloons and streamers - only the child is 60. There's a playful, freeing, innocence about it all.

Jai Hind translates as "Salutations India!" - and when you greet anyone in India today with that term they beam like the sun shines right out their mouth. Unlike the "average" American during the 4th of July - the India people I met with today have a personal experience of feeling free. They relish it, are proud of it, and they're excited about it. It is the one day in India where rank, caste and class make no difference - they're all Indian and they're free. It's a pretty cool thing to be here and see it firsthand.

Soon I'll write something about yoga. No class today - even yogi's get a day off. Yet, yesterday I attended two classes with lots of twists, twists, twists. Think about this...can you be in "tadasana" in every twist? Can your shoulders be broad and even? Can your chest be lifted? Can your sides be long and tall in every twist? Try that and let me know what you think. You may be suprised to feel "freedom" and a sense of "independence" in the twist.

Namaste - Jim
Banagalore, India
9:15 a.m. IST - 8/15/07