Yogarosa Blog

March 8, 2016  International Women’s Day 21 years ago I learned about the International Day of Women. My daughter was born at 11:50, and the midwife announced to me, it’s a girl! And born on International Women’s Day. Her father looked defeated, as this was our third daughter. On this day, as I celebrate her 21 years of spreading joy and love to all who know her, I reflect on the meaning of this day. Why do we even need a day?  The earliest Women’s Day observance was held in 1909, in New York; it was organized by the Socialist Party of America . The International Day of Women, with its beginnings in Europe and Russia, proclaims equal rights for women, including the right to vote, and protection from employment sex discrimination. In 1918, women in Saint Petersburg went on strike for “Bread and Peace" – demanding the end of World War I, an end to Russian food shortages, and the end of czarism. The day was celebrated mostly in communist and socialist count...

Here I am in India. I am not dreaming. It's real. With its sights and smells, this enchanted land rich with history as well as mystery. Where there is a marked difference between opulence and misery. Land of extremes, with mountain tops covered with snow, and steamy beaches all in one. There are mystic and sacred sites, as well as fancy shopping centers. Ultra spicy food, as well as the sweetest of sweets. Palaces with gold trim, and beggars sleeping with dogs in the street. The latest model BMW driving on the same street that a woman and her children call home. But India is real. With all its shocking problems, India is authentic. It doesn't try to please anyone. Perhaps that is the allure that attracts visitors from all over the world. It's dirty, but it has a soul. Noisy, because it has a lot to say. Complicated, because it has so much to teach us about the human condition. Some escape to India to run away from their reality. Some come to fill themselves with ancien...