"Aura With a G"

There isn't enough people who understand the virtue of humility. To be grounded by the simple actions that strip us back from material goods. It's not everyday we have the blessing of freedom on our side, when exchanging time with another person.

I accepted the request to host my second ever couch surfer! We spoke over the phone the day before and I knew sharing my home with this being would bring joy into the space. Gaura called me when he arrived at my front step, the modern day knock. I opened my door and my eyes wide , to a humble man with a mini crock pot in hand. 

He sat comfortably on my couch, we had our small talk welcome and he broke the ice with the question "what challenges you"..

Gaura traveled from his home outside of Toronto to do volunteer work up until Christmas. He is a monk, a yoga instructor, a musician and a speaker on topics of Religion and Personal Growth. 

Knowing someone for 15 minutes and finding an answer to as flexible of a question as what my challenges are , sure limbered my mind enough to truly stop and think about my response. I think I said staying focused on where I am and where I want to be. 

I thought of alot of big or small challenges I face and decided that answer is mostly encompassing to the root of like aaalll things.. Gaura proceeded to thank me for sharing and offer some wisdom.

"All we need is love (Krishna) .. The Gita indicates that in goodness, the senses become illuminated with knowledge. This enables us to observe and evaluate which desires to let into our consciousness and which to keep out. With a calmness and clarity coming from goodness, we can differentiate between our authentic needs and our artificially induced cravings...There will always be enough for man's need but never man's greed." 

The first night Gaura surfed my couch , we talked for hours about his journeys thus far. In the physical and spiritual world. He always spoke with understanding, Beatles references and the knowledge of Krishna! 

Despite the oddity perceived by most people, at the thought of having a stranger stay in your home...let alone on your couch...two of my favourite peoples met Gaura and experienced his aura with an open mind. It made the second day more comfortable and he enjoyed some more intellectually seasoned company.

Gaura spent his days connecting with people in health shops, gas stations and finding local institutions to host his talks. At work I thought about what other challenges provoke distractions to what I need to focus on. Hourly, daily, situational..ly.  

By the end of the week, we had woken up at 5:30 together every morning, shared meals and daily challenges. I never expected the amount of love and understanding Gaura would bring into my atmosphere and a spicy inspiration to my chai tea recipe! Aaannd believe it or not I ate a pomegranate for the first time.  

There is beauty in the freedom of sharing nothing more than time and expecting nothing more than presence. As multi dimensional as that can be , it starts with the simplest extension of a hand. Opening a door, answering a phone, greeting someone with whatever you posses ,from the effort of those two important limbs.

Until next time, stay warm!!! Wear mittens ,scarves , boots and be kind <3 <3 

..ps. I have a futon now for the future of comfortable surfers

Poetic Interlude

Te Amo

I knew I loved you when you:

Brought me natures gifts,

and nurtured me with your own

Imagined with me.

Said you need more of my time,

but didn't give me enough of yours

Took me for milkshakes,

they gave you two cups instead of mixed flavours

Let me interrupt you and said  "I don't like talking anyways"

Called me spastic,

I told my sister she said "well that's good!"

Put your head on my shoulder,

and said you needed healing,

Purse your lips in puzzlement or discontent

Said my pancakes "looked like baseball gloves"

and that you liked yours crispy anyways.

Call me on my bullshit,

Complimented me for folding socks,

Said I was in your dreams when you wanted me there..

...

too be continued .