Jet Lagged

Before I came back to Uganda from my trip home my friend Rachel suggested that we attend a Yoga workshop in Entebbe the Saturday after I got back (that being yesterday). Although I had only truly done yoga once before and only having a moderate interest in it I agreed since I'm trying to find a few more interesting experiences in Uganda before time runs out in March.

After a 1 hour drive from Kampala including a nauseating 20 minutes down an unpaved rural road we arrived at the Ugandan Buddhist Centre. Yes I was also surprised to learn that Uganda has a Buddhist Centre, and it also has one Ugandan Monk, although he was not present at the retreat.

The grounds of the Centre are located in a relatively poor community and so it includes a public well with safe drinking water which is a luxury that is afforded to few communities in Uganda. It is located on a small hill from which you can see other rolling hills which are common to Uganda and you also have a view of Lake Victoria if the smog is not too dense. The inside of the Centre has white tile floors, white walls and a light coloured wood ceiling. At the centre of the mid sized room is a Buddha surrounded by gold decorations. Half way through the day the Buddha was decorated with flowers and candles by some visiting SriLankan Buddhists who also brought food for the local children.

The Yoga and meditation which were part of the retreat were led by a man who was admittedly not a buddhist but a practionner of African Yoga and meditation. I have to say his skilled introduction made my first experience with meditation relatively easy, although at one point I couldn't stop thinking about Neopolitain cupcakes made by Susie's Cupcakes in Halifax (someone was kind enough to tell me later that that was a sign of a novice medidtater) (whatever). The yoga went swimmingly and had a major dance component and I was pleased because the instructor never had to correct my positioning, which was surprising given my inexperience. In the afternoon there was more yoga and then meditation.

Unfortunately the previous night I had woken up at 3:30 in the morning partially due to jet lag and partially due to barking dogs and had not been able to go back to sleep. During the second meditation while the instructor led us through the steps of feeling "the energy in our hands, the energy in arms, etc. etc., I was fighting back sleep. All of a sudden I was annoyed to be woken up by chiming, which was the instructor signaling the end of the session. Embarrassed I sat up. I had the opportunity to explain myself when the instructor asked for comments from each of the participants but I was still a bit disappointed with myself.