In the last stretch, we trudged in our saris through Yoga poses for anxiety ankle-deep waters crowded with bathers, some praying quietly while others washed, bathed, Yoga poses for anxiety or played, until we reached an area deep enough to submerge ourselves completely. This was the sacred place where this myth originated Ganga and Yamuna, conjoined with the mythical Saraswati. Three divine life sources flowing gently together as millions of pilgrims did the same. When it was my turn to dunk, I thought back to the adult baptism I had witnessed when I was confirmed as a Catholic. At that moment I marveled at this man’s conscious choice to awaken his spirituality and commitment of faith.
So I plunged into the murky waters three times, as I had the previous year in Haridwar, and I prayed for the people in Gujarat, my loved ones at home, and peace for the world. When I came up, I thanked God for this opportunity to experience life through this pilgrimage and for the reminder that I am awake, I am alive, and that I have the freedom to choose a spiritual path at the convergence of East and West. Matsyasana Matsya means fish.
