I read all sorts of books but my go to genre is travel memoirs, of course. I recently picked up the book “Eat, Pray, Love.” Yes, I said recently. It took me awhile to catch on to the phenomena that is now being made into a feature film staring Julia Roberts. I have to say the book was entertaining but saddening in a very unexpected way. I expected to be inspired by the true story of a woman who traveled the world to find balance in her life. Instead, I finished the book with a deep sense of self awareness and consciousness of limitations.  Self awareness and limitations don’t always play nice.

After reading “Eat, Pray, Love,” I too wanted to go on a transformative journey. I admit, I googled India Ashrams and started clicking through my database of Indian contacts to see if I could get a good recommendation. The reality is I would not last a day in an Indian Ashram! I do love to practice yoga but more in a “wow, my calves look great when I do this pose” kind of way, rather than a “come to jesus” kind of way. I guess that is the purpose of living in an Ashram; to learn how to be more spiritual while practicing yoga. I can get onboard with the spirituality aspect, sounds nice, but then I was reminded that you have to be a vegetarian while you are there. I can be a vegetarian, easily. I always order a side of sauteed vegetables along with 10 other items off the menu (100% of which come from animalistic nature.) So as I was closing my Google search, I decided to put my trip to an Indian Ashram on hold and instead find inspiration in my own neighborhood. Then, like fate, I actually did find some inspiration in this book that I thought was more saddening than inspirational. This expert from page 248 of the book “Eat, Pray, Love” reminded me that I am living in what arguably could be the equivalent to a 22.7 square mile Indian Ashram, better known as the island of Manhattan. (more…)