Thursday, July 8, 2010

Yoga and Tea--Bringing People Together

Never have I ever been to a yoga class as inspiring as the one this morning. Waking up at 5:30 a.m. sucked, but the second I walked through the door to see rows of brightly colored yoga mats, more like quilts actually, I knew I was at the right place. Chanting, breathing and listening to the sounds of the instructor was so serene--practicing yoga in the place where it originated, hearing the sounds of Aum's quietly whirling through the breeze filled Indian air. Except the interruption of a dime-sized bug that was flicked at me by Rennie, the entire hour was simply... peaceful.

Immediately following yoga, we would embark on our first corporate visit to none other than...du du du dummmm, Wagh Bakri Tea. Upon arrival, our entire group was welcomed proudly with open arms and escorted into the factory where the most popular brand of Gujarat tea is actually sifted and packaged. Boring, you think? ABSOLUTELY NOT. It was AMAZING! Sadly, I couldn't take any pictures inside the factory but you'd be surprised how interesting the machines and laborers are at work. You could sense the pride and appreciation that goes into each and every bag. 

Later, we went to the corporate Wagh Bakri Tea corporate headquarters, where we were welcomed with that same universal appreciation. Flowers, engraved pens, complimentary tea and even lunch was provided to welcome SMU to the international company. Believe it or not, the chairman of the tea company himself actually dropped in on our visit. Scented anything (shampoo, deodorant, hand sanitizers) were strictly forbidden inside headquarters because we were also invited to view the tasting center. Rows of teas labeled with tiny numbers were laid out in perfect lines across two tables. We watched as each tea was prepped for tasters to come in, where they then would choose which farmer's tea would be chosen for the next season's brew. (Click for Pics)

New fav--Indian Masala Chai, a wonderful spiced tea.

Shopping. Scarves. Shoes. More scarves. Dinner. Hand sanitizer. 

To the "coexistence of one and all."
--Wagh Bakri's philosophy

3 comments:

Mary Beth said...

Hi Sarah,

Sounds like you are having a wonderful time and seeing many new and exciting places and things. Your pictures are great. Are you getting acclimated to the heat? It's actually cooled down in Dallas some - 92, and not 100! Kevin and I really enjoyed Beaver Creek, but now we are back at home and back to our routine. I'm glad I'm getting to see and experience some of India through you because I think it will be a long, long, time before I would be able to go there!!!!!

Sarah said...

Hi! The past few days, after getting adjusted to being so far from home, have been absolutely breathtaking. It's amazing how vastly different everything is--and I mean everything. The heat just is something you have to get used to--you sweat, the ppl around you sweat and you don't even notice. Other than the heat, bugs and humidity, I'm really having a wonderful time. I'm so happy I was able to push myself to the limit and just do it. :) See you soon.

Patsy said...

I wish I could actually be there and do yoga with you...we have so much fun when we P90X yoga together. Stay AWAY from the monkey! Thinking about you all day long. Love, Mama