My journey to India began with an unexpected delay.

After two rounds of de-icing in Toronto, we finally took off only to have the delay ripple into an unplanned overnight stop in Dubai. As I was told more than once, when you fly with Emirates, they take care of you. And they did hotel, meal vouchers, and clear instructions, even if it meant a 3 a.m. flight onward to Bangalore the next morning.

Tired but grateful, I eventually arrived in Bangalore, where I was met by a driver from Casa Cottages, the place I’d be staying. It’s a quiet little oasis in Richmond Town. Its walking distant to MG road and far enough away that the sounds of the city are not really audible in the gardens.

Although I only had about 4 hours in the last 24 of sleep I wanted to avoid going to bed in the morning so I left to find some Mysore sandalwood oil. I didn’t succeed that day, but I did come home with some beautiful Mysore silk.

I eventually found a small chai stall and sat there for nearly an hour doing nothing except watching Bangalore move. This is a city of roughly 14 million people, with a density of about 4000 people per square kilometer. For comparison, Hamilton sits around 510 per square kilometer. The difference is immediate and unmistakable.

Sidewalks are narrow and often uneven. You have to watch for loose stones, missing sections, or sudden drops and scooters and motorcycles use them freely to get around traffic. Crossing the road feels a bit like being dropped into a game of Frogger. Even when crossing at a light, you may have ten seconds to make it across a very wide road.

Crosswalks are more of a suggestion than a rule. And yet, if you step forward with confidence, raise your hand, and walk steadily, traffic responds. It may sound chaotic or dangerous, but somehow it flows. There’s an unspoken agreement, and people move through it calmly.

On my second day, I finally found sandalwood oil, visited Cubbon park with its amazing trees and a quick explore of the Bangalore Palace.

That evening, I met with Prem, one of Jai’s students here in Bangalore, who took over his classes when Jai moved to Canada. Prem shared stories that felt like several lives compressed into one. His family owns one of the oldest bakeries in Bangalore. He travelled to the United States to study industrial baking and nearly ended up on the Olympic team as a sharpshooter, but chose to return rather than give up his Indian citizenship.

We spoke about Jai, about teaching, and about how our experiences studying with Jai shape our teaching styles.

I am now at Atma Darshan Yogashram, a place Jai was instrumental in helping establish after being instructed by his guru to come to Bangalore and support the creation of an ashram here.

My days have been simple study, working in the gardens, sitting, and reflecting. There’s something grounding about being in the same space where Jai once sat.

Photos aren’t allowed within the ashram, so I can’t share images from inside. If you’re curious, there are a few on their website that offer a glimpse.