Honoring Life
I had an amazing experience today, actually the both of us, had an amazing experience. For the first time, since discovering chocolate, I realized something. I am truly honored that I get to have this life, that I get a chance to live and to be a human being.
We had another student information/orienation session. We also invited two people to come back to meet us so we could interview them for the training.
Sushil, who I introduced before in the First Orientation post, came for the interview. He brought his brother who was also interested in the training. With a bright and shiny face, Sushil eagerly told Rob (Sushil told me earlier in the week that Narayan couldn’t come this Saturday) the plight of Narayan. He’s down on his luck, has no support network, except for his Guardian Angel Sushil.
Just to remind you, Sushil, Narayan and Sushil’s brother are blind.
When Rob told me had an interested candidate who was also blind, rob wanted to know what I thought about it. Well, I only thought that they’d be the best candidates for sure, because a blind person uses their hands to see the world. So, it would be a perfect fit, because all of there senses are alert, including the most important one: intuition.
The moment I laid on eyes on Sushil and Narayan, I immediately like them. Sushil’s smile is so beautiful. He has this amazing smile when he talks. I think we should all try that, smile when we talk, because it really changes the person’s energy that is talking, as well as the recipient. Wow.
Sushil and his brother’s energy, as well as Narayan, is really pleasant. You would want to get a healing from them because they are so soothing, and genuine. And they are so intelligent and fast learners.
Sushil (his brother speaks a little English) said this he has some Japanese friends that are also blind. They are also massage therapists in Japan and encouraged Sushil to pursue this training. And so he is. He is such a great ambassador of his friends. He wasn’t there to promote himself, he only spoke of Narayan’s plight the whole time, not asking for anything, but just telling his story.
Rob was so impressed with their memory and comprehension. We haven’t had an interaction like this with any of our potential students. He and his brother heard our interview over the radio, and the small things we forgot we said in the interview and last week, they didn’t. They picked up on it, and fully understand what we are doing in Nepal.
And it is here, this is where we teach and learn compassion. It is in small moments like this that have the biggest impact on everyone’s lives.
Sushil asked me if they need to have qualifications for this training. And I replied, “Actually, the both of you have the advantage. Your senses are heightened, your hearing is sharper, and especially your sense of touch is also really good. That also means your intuition is also sharp.” I asked Rob how to say intuition in Nepali, he translated it to both of them, and they understood.
I sat next to Sushil, and let me tell you, he was communicating with me, and I could see what he was feeling and see his future. I suddenly got this impression of how he is seeing us, that he is experiencing beautiful energy is us, and I’m not gloating. That’s how he sees, and I could feel that from him. It was as if I was Sushil, he was sharing himself with me. I could hear my voice through his ears, and how he really likes Rob, he looks at him like a mentor. I could see that Sushil would one day, very soon, do something really, really big, and have a huge impact on people’s lives in a graceful and loving way. He’s getting his inspiration from Rob. He’s learning from Rob, from the both of us, how he can make a difference in Nepal.
I also saw him being interested in the studies I will pursue, somatic psychology and how he would be really good at it, a natural.
We did our small demonstrations, the hand massage. So I massaged Sushil’s hand, and Rob worked on his brother. I keep saying his brother, because I forgot his name!
When it came time to switch, I was delighted that he used the same movements of that I used. He used the same pressure, and I asked him, because of the way he was touching my hand, if he could read my hands. I could see that as he was massaging my hand, he was also learning about my life, through my hands. He said, no, he couldn’t, but his brother learned how to read palms. They said they’d take us to the place where he learned a little, and I’m thinking, man, you sure are holding back. Because I’ve got a feeling that they both are very intuitive.
Rob said that he asked Sushil’s brother how long it takes them to learn how to get from one place to another, like if they had to come back to Rob’s hotel to meet us again. He said, only once.
What is so interesting about them is they are so open, so confident and do not seek, ask or are in defense for sympathy. They just present themselves naturally—here I am! I’m here to learn, so teach me!
They have learned to be open and interdependent, because they have no problem with asking to be shown the way. It’s so refreshing to be around people like that. I can learn so much from them.
I also learned that Sushil will not take the training now, he will do it next year when he passes his School Leaving Certificate, meaning, he finishes what is equivalent to high school. Yes, he’s only 18. His brother is 22.
They wanted to take turns in the training, that way they could help each other out. And since Narayan lives outside of Kathmandu, and does not have any money to live in Kathmandu, we will give his brother a scholarship and he is our first official student.
We are also going to find out about this spa in Japan, where blind massage therapists are working. There is a Japanese friend of theirs, who told them about this place in Japan, she works at a non-governmental organization here in Kathmandu. So I asked Sushil, if he would be our ambassador and have him arrange a meeting with her. They told us that she is also interested in meeting us as well, as synergy would have it!
This makes everything we have done so far, absolutely, 100 times over, worth while. I mean, not that is hasn’t been, but to see the face of our first student who is sincere, compassionate, open, and passionate, AND is a perfect fit to be a healer, it just doesn’t get any better than this. If we only had him as a student all year, that would be the best accomplishment I could ever make at this point in my life.
This is where the pay it forward, ripple in the pond phrases come in…because we are giving this opportunity, he’s going to take it and run with it, and do something for someone else. That’s what I saw, sitting next to Sushil. He is learning how to help empower others in a big way that what he is already doing now. Giving his brother this chance, will allow him to provide for their family. And it just grows infinitely larger from there.
This is what we came here to do, and it’s starting. I felt so proud to be a part of this; I thanked Rob for providing the space to do it. He feels like he isn’t doing enough, and I am always convincing him, that this is enough, who you are, is enough. You can only do so much. One man cannot move a mountain; you need the support network to do so. And that’s what we are building here.
We all have to look out for each other, we have to care about each other; otherwise, it falls to pieces. Sushil relentlessly and selflessly put Narayan before himself. He is already set his goals, and is helping Narayan to set some goals; he is helping put Narayan on a new path. Just as we are doing, providing another path to go down, that will lead to a brighter future.
I have never felt so rich before, I have never felt so proud to be a human being with this amazing gift called life. I am truly honored to be here in the world right now. We are going to have a great first term with our students. This is the best job to have; I am gaining inspiration every day in so many different ways, I get to work with people in a healing environment. And I get to be here in Nepal, with Rob to do all of this.
I have never felt so grateful. Thank you.
Tags: Kathmandu, Kathmandu Work
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