I cleansed my body in the flowing Ganga, continuously for 18 months. And I experienced the power behind habit creation.
I turned this simple act of waking up, brushing my teeth, walking for a few kilometres, crossing the Lakshman jhula (bridge) and preparing myself for the imminent cold water immersion into a daily practice.
I disciplined my body to perform these actions daily, regardless of weather conditions and my emotional feelings.
Monsoon season did not stop me. I adjusted myself to match the ever changing flow. I moved to Ram jhula beach during monsoon season because I was very familiar with what lay below the caramel-coloured water.
Even cold winds could not stop me during the winter time. I walked up the hills to warm up and wore warm woollens immediately after my swim.
I was unstoppable and my faith in the power of the human spirit increased as I learnt that nothing lasts forever. The cold sensations I would feel whilst in the water would not follow me all the way home, they would be replaced my warmer sensations long before I cross the Lakshman jhula (bridge). I did not fall ill, I did not catch a cold or some other water borne diseases. I felt physically fit.
This daily practice transformed into a self-loving act. I learnt how to be more reliable to myself by showing up, even when I didn’t want to. I created boundaries against people who wanted me to prioritise their needs before my own by saying no to activities that interfered with my routine. I learnt to negotiate and compromise, for example, when the police made it difficult for me to continue during lockdown, I started my day before 5 A.M. when most householders were still turning in their beds. I was also fortunate to have opportunities of sharing this joy with people who wished to join in. I made swimming a few laps in cold water look easy and this inspired some people to face their fears.
One kindred spirit, a dear friend of mine, was doing this long before I came along, in another part of the flow. And we would sometimes meet for 5 AM swimming sessions and have coffee and breakfast afterwards.
These simple acts of commitment and discipline, resulted in the refinement and rehabilitation of my mind. Although my daily practice has evolved into regular sitting meditation practice. I feel that the mind’s resilience that percolated during this time period contributed greatly to my ability to sit still and observe the nature of my mind.
I remember a quote that used to appear on my school’s 100% attendance certificates (I guess, I was a dedicated little human too ha-ha) and it read as follows:
“She who can be trusted with the least, can be trusted with much”
And I believe that this is the Law of Nature.
