India: Travel Notes
- Carmen Maya Posta
- Feb 17
- 9 min read
Updated: Feb 19
After 16 years of waiting, Saturday marks the departure for India 🐘
For an indefinite time, as long as needed, because the journey is internal, yet the encounters and experiences in the external world help us evolve in the right direction 🪷
The material reality serves as a stimulus, a mirror 🪞 reflecting what we need to discover within ourselves.
There is excitement, there is fear, there is a mix of emotions that is hard to define right now, but it is essential to explore them to embrace this choice with awareness and presence.
May India be a great catalyst for spiritual elevation, guiding a transformation that allows us to see beyond the illusions we create with our minds.
Arriving in India to realize the illusion our mind lives in—and creates 🪄
To see how we tend to idealize everything, everything beyond our sight and reach.
We imagine a nonexistent world where places are perfect, just like the people who inhabit them.
The truth is, places feel better only about how we feel within ourselves. And imperfection is the foundation of existence. The areas we perceive are a reflection of our inner state—if we are unwell inside, we won't be able to find beauty in the outside world, and vice versa 👀
Traveling serves this purpose too, beyond exploration and opening the mind. It helps unveil the extent of our internal conditioning. It makes us appreciate everything we have always had, which in other places is a luxury. It brings out different sides of our personality, survival instincts, ways of socializing, limits, prejudices, fears… It reveals everything without filters, especially what we would rather not see about ourselves, laying it bare before the gaze of the ego.
When we reach this point, we observe ourselves, laugh at ourselves, and all that's left is surrendering to the Whole. To the infinite, expansive Universe that is our true nature.
Only then do we allow ourselves to flow, following the heart instead of the mind.
We make space for creation to surprise us with every moment’s gift because life is a wonderful game—a path to walk in both the material and the subtle worlds. A journey we have mapped out but no longer remember.
Let yourselves be amazed, stay curious, and play—beyond every fear. Because you have already chosen this.
Yesterday, a student asked me how I meditate, as she was worried she was doing it “wrong” due to a lack of concentration.
The truth is, that meditation is more challenging than practicing asanas (yoga postures). Yoga itself serves as preparation for meditation.
No one, without prolonged and proper training, can maintain focus for long periods during meditation 🧘🏻♀️
Why? Because the nature of our mind is to wander from one thought to another. In Eastern traditions, the mind is often called a "restless monkey" 🙊 for this very reason.
So, it’s completely normal to struggle with maintaining attention for long—or even just a few—seconds, especially at the beginning. This is simply the nature of the mind—it’s what the mind does.
When we meditate, the practice itself is about becoming aware of this tendency and gently bringing our focus back to an internal or external object of concentration (breath, mantra, candle, etc.).
With patience and consistency, the time we can remain focused will gradually increase.
Meditation is not about keeping the mind empty for an hour, nor does the presence of thoughts mean we are doing it wrong. Instead, it’s about recognizing those thoughts and continuously returning to the present moment.
Practice with dedication and lightness 🪷 without self-judgment. Be curious, eager to learn and understand, but also kind to your process of growth.
Everything takes time, and that’s perfectly okay—because we are here for this.
One way to connect with your deepest self is through nature 🌸
Untouched by corruption, nature simply is—and in this simple yet magnificent truth, it teaches us to be who we truly are, to reconnect with our purest essence.
"Who am I? And what is my purpose in this existence?"
This is the first and most important question in yogic practice. Often, it is the spark that leads us to seek tools that help us uncover the real answers—answers only we can give ourselves.
Through philosophy (darśana), the practice of postures (āsana), breathwork (prāṇāyāma), sacred sounds that reshape our thought patterns (mantra), and the highest form of meditative contemplation (dhyāna), a path unfolds before us.
These five tools guide us through the intricate web of Māyā, beyond illusion, to awaken and rediscover the only truth: "We are all One. I am One with the Whole." For we all originate from the same divine source, the sacred energy that has given life to the Universe—to us.
Do not fear death, the mundane, or the unknown—fear itself is what creates separation and distorts the self.
Be One. Be Love. Vibrate with the entire Cosmos, and remember that you are energy, and energy is you. Cultivate yourself, and allow yourself to grow in alignment with your true essence (prakṛti).
The tools are within our reach—you only need to find the right path for you (yoga is one, but there are many others). Explore, experiment, and discover that you are infinite and that the only limits are those created by our limited perception. 🙏🏼
✨Om Asato Mā Sad-Gamaya / Lead us from the unreal to the real
Tamaso Mā Jyotir-Gamaya / Lead us from darkness to light
Mṛtyor Mā Amṛtaṁ Gamaya / Lead us from death to immortality
Om Shāntiḥ Shāntiḥ Shāntiḥ / Om Peace, Peace, Peace ✨
New beginnings, new paths—or perhaps not so new, as my first yoga class was 15 years ago… But time isn’t the point, no, because deep down, I feel this has belonged to me for millennia. What truly matters is the profound desire to be here.
To find oneself aligned exactly where the soul, body, and mind long to be. An eternal sense of gratitude and bliss for having tuned in to these desires and made them a reality.
After all, in this long yet fleeting journey that is life, there is no greater joy than having a single certainty: that deep sense of well-being and absolute centeredness that only comes from knowing you are doing what you came here to do. ✨🙏🏼🥹
Sankalpa Shakti—the power of intention—sets the foundation for this intense month unfolding before me, with the beginning of my 300-hour YTT. A time to cultivate awareness, deepen my sense of self and finally find myself without losing my way again. So that I may remain awake in my truth—my absolute reality, the answer to Who am I? My conscious, true nature.
Before me, my higher self reveals itself in all its radiance, showing me the infinite, expansive universe of which I am a part. The infinite universe within me. The infinite universe that I am.
The lotus flower 𓆸 is a powerful symbol in the East, considered one of the most noble sacred plants in various religious, philosophical, and esoteric traditions.
Its meaning is deeply tied to its journey—from the muddy waters it emerges, its roots anchored in the murky depths, yet it rises above, unfolding petal by petal. 𓆹
No matter the environment in which it is rooted, the lotus transcends it all, blossoming in its full radiance, always reaching for the sun. ☼
This is an invitation to rise beyond the circumstances that surround us, to turn inward and nurture self-awareness, so that we may manifest our highest self—just as the lotus does.
Care for yourself in body, spirit, and mind, as you prepare to bloom, bathed in the luminous rays of the morning light.
☉ Be the lotus. Rise. Become your most sublime self. ☉
Kamala Jot - कमल जोत - is the spiritual name that my teacher has channeled for my journey.
"Kamala" means lotus, and "Jot" means light. I am ready for the TRANSFORMATION that this name brings with it.
I am honored to become part of the ancient yogic tradition of the Himalayan Nath lineage, learning the roots of Ancient Hatha Yoga, embracing grounding. 🌱
I have always seen myself as a plant, and here I am, in its most divine manifestation: the lotus flower. 🪷
Blessed. ✨
One of my favorite words in Sanskrit ✨
Ahiṃsā is non-violence, which means living our relationship with the whole through a principle of harmony, cooperation, and respect.
It arises from a deep understanding of life itself, of the aspect that connects us with the five elements of the Cosmos and the dimensions they partake in. 🪐
This non-violence is physical but also more subtle. Harmony manifests through relationships, actions, decisions, movements, thoughts, words, and every expression of the self.
When this understanding occurs at a profound level, omitting violence from one's existence naturally becomes the only possible choice. 🐄
A few days ago, during the Agni Hotra 🔥, my master said something important:
"One of the most painful experiences for a human being is to perceive themselves negatively."
The spiral 🌀 we enter when we are overly critical, hold negative impressions of ourselves, and reinforce those beliefs is one of the darkest moments in a person's life.
It is essential to become kind and loving towards ourselves, to cultivate and nourish our being. Our energy flows where our mind focuses.
So… let's shift our attention toward the light, finding answers to the question: "What do I love about myself?"
Feel the beauty within you, because you are that beauty. 🪷✨
Modern society, with its frenzy, has set aside some traditions that form an important part of our daily lives.
Eating is one of the ways to recharge our body with vital energy (prana), which is why the ancient practice of reciting before meals is still, and will always be, essential.
We are what we eat (and how we eat it).
In less than a minute, we can focus on what we are about to eat, tuning in to ourselves, the sensations, the environment around us, and the people we are about to share the meal with; bringing a mindful approach to dining.
Bring your hands to your chest in namaskar mudra, and chant, whisper, or silently repeat before every meal 🍲
Flow 🎐
Your body is largely made of water, just like this river 🛶
Keep moving, for movement is your nature, and transform in every passing moment, just like your cells.
Do not be static. Do not be stone. Be living change, a dynamic body of water in expansive motion 🌌
What is Jīvanmukti?
Finding self-realization is the true form of liberation; understanding that we are all one; seeing reality beyond the veil of Maya with a state of pure consciousness; not being disturbed by external causes; maintaining constant inner balance; not reacting but acting with kindness and compassion; being gentle and respectful towards all forms of life; creating a stable connection with the higher Self; acquiring infinite knowledge because one is connected with buddhi-rupena, the collective memory, the source of energy from which we all come.
🙏🏼 I wish for myself, for all of you, for every living being to find this freedom 🙏🏼
We often don’t realize the transformation while it is happening within us; the realization of our change occurs only when we are already inside it when it has already taken place. And just like waking up from a deep sleep, we begin to observe once again with the eyes of our soul our true Self.
At that point, we can see the fears we built around us, the ones that unconsciously held us back, generating the suffering within, with the awareness that all this inner world, the outer world, and our way of perceiving things is created by us.
The key has always been within us. Awakening is like this; it’s disjointed, it comes in phases, we fall asleep and wake up, but we keep moving in a direction, following our intuition because we sense there’s something more to discover, something true, deep, and essential for our realization in every sense.
After years of meditation, yoga, and introspection, it seems like all of this comes from nowhere. But it doesn’t come from the void; it’s a path, sometimes confusing, and vague. It’s like looking at a blurry image through glass, until the crystal that separates us from that image disappears, and we become one with it, finally understanding it.
One of the many awakenings, thank you, thank you, thank you for each of these rays of light that adds a piece to the understanding of my expansive spirit.
Teaching Yoga is for me a great act of service; it is learning something new every day about myself, and the students, receiving from books, people, and experiences; it is a great journey that never ends and that forces me to go beyond the discomfort I sometimes feel in my physical body, in my emotions, in my mind, and my energy.
It is realizing that we must be humble every day anew and that if there is a way to grow and evolve, it is only the path we can walk together, within a community. I am grateful for all the people I have met on this journey and for the many others who will come. It is a blessing to see in me and you the reflection of the Divine.
Hari Om Tat Sat 🙏🏼
📝 Thank you for reading me! The original language of this diary is Italian. If you want to read it in Italian and its Spanish translation, follow these links:
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