 India was always going to be a place of movement. Where whatever needed to be experienced will be radically revealed, ready or not. The assault on the senses moving through crowds of Shiva festival goers was the welcome we received upon arrival in there northern town of Rishikesh. Set into the mountains in the Ganges at the foothills of the Himalayas. We got to get a lay of the land having been dropped off outside the main town due to the inaccessibility for vehicles due to the festival. So, with full luggage strapped to our backs we trudged through mud and rain and crowds of men who had come from all over india dressed in their orange to give praise and party to Shiva. We had arranged to volunteer at a local establishment to help with their yoga space but when we arrived (mid low season) there was little to do and lots of mould and mildew in the air. Quickly it was clear that plans would have to change to sustain a level of health and well-being. We selected a local hostel (Live Free Rishikesh) and set up house. With multiple levels and common areas with wifi and hammocks, it quickly felt like home. And when you would venture up to the rooftop terrace you suddenly had a 360 degree view of misty mountains. All for around AU$6 a night! Venturing into town we discovered local cafes, Little Buddha, TAT and Shambala. Making a connection with the owner and ashtanga teacher at TAT cafe we spend many days here, eventually becoming part of the furniture (quite literally) assisting with classes, construction and entertainment. Sitting on a grounded, cushioned seat, being served good dairy free coffee and local cuisine, while working on my new online business and watching the mist flow down the mighty river and dissipate into the day, was one of the most beautiful experiences ive had in a long time. It seems so simple. But Ive always love to travel to discover stillness like this. Calm amongst the chaos. When my dear friend decided to leave and move on in her journey and my long distance relationship abruptly and dramatically came to a holt, I knew I was in the best possible place to practise acceptance, forgiveness, self care and begin to detach for the need of a certain outcome. What became the five weeks I spent in this magical town I experienced some huge shifts within myself. I sat on the terrace countless nights and rather than asking the skies and the infinite above me for all the things I thought I needed, I sat ask asked to be used. I asked how to serve, how to use this space ive created within myself, to really kick my idea into high gear. Rather than pleading and begging for conditions to improve an existence that I was so attached to becoming I surrendered to the possibility that it may not look the way I desire it to be but that doesn’t mean I cannot find gratitude for whats been, what is and whats to come and turn all that pain into a purpose that will lift not only my life but all those who come into play. Its one thing to ask but its another to start taking action to move towards the unknown, knowing that the dots will connect but detaching from the how. These moments spend here, in the quaint cafes, in my hammock with the breeze twisting through my hair, on the terrace staring out to the mountains and the river that flows energy down from the heavens themselves, I found my alignment, not only found it, I finally understood it and accepted the challenge to consciously act from my higher self from hence forth. And you could say the rest is history, but maybe thats for a little further down the track.
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 Not the first stop on my Indian adventure but certainly one ill never forget.
This place is buzzing, thriving and just exploding with the most incredible colours, sounds, smells and sights. From the moment of arrival I felt so comforted. Something about the soft pinks and oranges everywhere (it is called the pink city after all) is so calming amidst the absolute chaos that is, I guess, any city in this wild country. And yet even among the blaring horns, the thousands of cars, tuk tuks, rickshaws, scooters and cows! on the road, I felt so blissfully ate peace. We had the absolute pleasure of staying at a local hostel named Zostel. One of the biggest hostel names in India and they didn't disappoint. The accomodation was clean and adorned with beautiful artworks, incredibly friendly staff and an array of ridiculously cheap activities. We spent our first night wandering the streets and found a little food stand on the side of the road surrounded by locals. We were told that you would just eat what the man handed you until you were full and then simply hand him 10 rupee (just under 20 cents AU) Officially named Patashi, although we are fondly calling them potato puffs. A hollow fried crisp filled with spiced potato and then with a spice infused water and you eat the whole thing in one mouthful. The first few rounds you ask for Pita which is the savoury and the when you are ready to round off you ask for the Meta, a sweeter version. The combination is simply perfection and for anyone on a budget... boo ya! you got yourself a damn fine solution. (general advise though is to go to the ones that are crowded by people, as part of the ingredients is water, you want to choose the popular ones as no one has had a bad experience from them hehe) Keeping with the favourite theme of food, we took a food tour the following evening. For around $5 we were leas around the city on foot. First to the ice-cream stand for the local Kulfi... the most amazing mix of cream, rose, cardamon, saffron and pistachio. We proceeded to three other places in the back streets and underground that we never would have ventured into alone, and had an array of local cuisines. Ending with delicious chai and some sweets. After the hostel lead us through a Bollywood dance lesson which quickly became a great way for everyone to relax and laugh and get to know each other. Huge thanks to both Juniad and Shradha for being so open and friendly to a couple of crazy kiwis abroad. You made us feel at home in a place that is very fast from it. We did a sunset excursion to the fort and watched as the sunset over the whole of the city as the sound of prayers rose up around us. We hung out on the rooftop of the hostel as the boys played rooftop cricked (with a rope attached to the ball so as not to lose it off this roof) and were brought our evening chai complementary every evening at sunset. Every rickshaw and tuk tuk driver we took treated us like daughters, protected us and helped us to get to all the places we needed with calm and caring natures. The hostel provided an amazing buffet breakfast each morning for minimal cost with a huge assortment of foods and the wifi was excellent, which was great for me to be able to spend my mornings working online and being able to called loved ones when needed. To relax in the multiple common areas when the wildness of the day outside had exhausted us. Not too shabby at all for a place that charges a mere $7 a night! There was just something magical about this city and I know that we barely even scraped the surface. Ill defiantly be retuning Jaipur, you were just gorgeous!! Namaste. BINGIN BEACH
 I dance through life fearless Amid sharp rocks and rough seas Although none chose to stay with me I flow on with the breeze Worry not of the danger that you all warn about I’m happy to try and to figure it out For no one I know experiences life quite like this and I’ll cherish each wild moment like a lingering kiss I don’t believe it’s my time to go, not just yet Though this may be the only chance that I get And one day when I finally open at the close I’ll be about to finally rest and let go So allow me to float of into my own world As I’m holding the hand of myself as a girl I’m weird but I’m wonderful And wouldn’t you know I fear nothing no more I’m alive Here I go. KAT BURKE. In just my mid teens a boy chased me down
Treated me like a queen, I believed in my crown I believed he had fallen and wanted to dance but All he wanted was sex thinking id give up at a glance A little more down the track there was one who kept coming back Then return to his girlfriend once he’d had what she lacked Took my caring connection back home to her side leaving me alone with a spring in his stride With another for years who would choose so much over me I couldn’t understand what I was without using sex to keep him The next one burst wildly into my world, showed me all sorts of ways to leave behind little girl But as soon as I fell he leapt, bound, ran away Couldnt handle someone who was so willing to stay The next man I met was daring new start, I was excited and so ready to give in to my heart But it turned out he was giving his heart to so many more. Which I found out with own eyes, my heart swiftly tore. This pattern repeated itself for years to come. I was never enough to be someones only one Then there was one late night when the policeman approached, whispered in my ear and pressed me against the wall His wedding ring pressed my skin as he gripped at my waist asking me to give in and just give him a taste Perhaps I shouldn’t have smiled at him through my tears that night, It seems just being myself sends only one message out. Another morning abroad, wandering in intoxicated haze A staff member pulled me into a room in my daze. Before I could make sense of what was actually going on it was forced into my mouth, to weak to fight or be strong But that’s my fault for being so drunk and confused, a clear message that I’m just here to be used Any connection made on any new dating app rendered naked pictured of strangers before barely a brief chat was snapped. And then I get told that I give myself away. That I should hold back my power and not be given my say. Yet my experience has shown me that I’m not respected at all, that they only way I can be seen is without my panties and bra You wonder why I always seem to have sex on my mind, yet it’s how I’ve been conditioned, taught and defined God forbid I then ask anymore love from you, Im only casual fun right? Only good for a screw And they tell me that I’ve gone about this thing all so wrong and this is why I’m alone, taken for granted so long If our men would be men and stand up against this. Show us love and respect, be willing to love and take risks Perhaps there would be far fewer harlets in this world and you wouldn’t judge those who give themselves up, to be loved. So there is my story laid out here before you, I wish I was the only one but theres not just a small few I can’t bare to think that this story could continue so if you hear this call for change, stand with me, I GOT YOU!  Photo: @michaelzedongerado So, a few years ago I was getting sick all the time, with flus and muscle pains, intense fatigue and intense digestion problems. When the doctors had done every other test in the book I finally got told I had Glandular Fever that had morphed its way into Chronic Fatigue and id pretty much enjoy the company of this syndrome for the rest of my life. YAY! Not exactly the thing a twenty something wants to hear, especially when id just come off a year of dealing with a tumour situation in my throat. I had already realised by this stage that all the fun stuff like alcohol, smoking, drugs and late nights just were not going to be possible for me if I wanted to experience a life that I could actually function in. However it took a fair few rebellious years to realise that I really needed to make a commitment to myself to only feed my body with the good stuff (as much as humanly possible) if I was going to be able to have the full life I’ve dreamed of. And I’m not just talking changes to benefit the physical, I mean the mental side as well. But this also meant having to learn to LET GO of things and people and habits. Every time Mr. Chronic hits me, I get sooooooo down. I hate not having energy, let alone not being able to move or function. Especially being single and not having family in the same country, like making food, getting to doctors, the chemist for meds, the bathroom to wash. Its all such a mission on my own and theres all sorts of negativity that comes in to my head when I start to feel my body turn to mush. So, heres a few steps I take from all the many years of playing with different techniques and tools:
I pick and choose where I go to be social, with people who are keen to have mad chats, listen to good music and dance and be silly. This way it doesn’t matter if im not drinking because its not the purpose of the outing. And the best part is, when it gets to a point of the evening or event when im ready to take my introverted ass home, I can just walk out, jump in my amazing adventure-mobile Rosie and drive home! Strangely liberating. (Side note: drinking lots of iced water with lime in an environment where everyone is drunk is actually super energising and I usually end up looking like the drunkest person there!) The other thing I found over the years is a balance of vitamins that help to sustain my energy levels. Its kind of a pain remembering to take them every day but when I don’t I really notice the difference. Magnesium Zink Multi B (I also get regular B12 shots which you can ask your doctor about) Vitimin C Hair, skin and nails (for the girlie in me) These are things that are energy boosting, hormone balancing (a MUST for all of us girls) AND these are vitamins and minerals that we will not get from any foods these days. BECASE ALL OUR FOODS ARE PRETTY MUCH LACKING ALL THE NUTRIENTS BY THE TIME THE REACH OUT MOUTHS!!! So anyway. Thats my little tale. Would love to hear from anyone who may also suffer (I hate the word suffer actually) ……… from anyone who also bosses it with chronic fatigue. Would love to hear your stories, challenges and any questions for me!? :) Peace out! Just a quick stop in to drop a link to my YouTube channel. Couple of new vids have gone up and more to come!
Keep the requests and questions rolling in, loving it! ❤️ https://www.youtube.com/user/katrinaburke27 Step ONE:
Take photos, take screenshots, enjoy things online and outside. Acknowledge it all through a lense of celebration. ➡️ https://youtu.be/gD_1Eh6rqf8 ⬅️ Step TWO: Put the phone/camera/device away and appreciate the moment you are in and the real people around you! ➡️ https://youtu.be/YM521oWNQ5M ⬅️ Enjoy your day lovelies! Jump over to the YouTube channel to see a little diary cam i did about myrecent experience with self love discovery.
https://youtu.be/m2SZXQ9Gq84 Xx Waking up sick for (what seems like) the billionth time and waking up alone almost every morning for over 6 years..... is not a good time.
Confined to bed, already feeling depleted and down and then the fingers find their way to the phone the phone leads you into social media land and next minute your looking at pictures of the men who didn’t choose you back, and the women they chose instead. It’s a downward spiral of toxic comparison. You dont even know if the images tell any truth but they are all you have in these million moments of solitude. And all they draw out of the mind is that voice that whispers “you weren’t good enough”. This pain is an ache in my heart that, at times, I cannot see a way through. For no matter which way i have approached these situations over the years i always yield the exact same result. Leading to the conclusion in my mind that there is just something wrong with me. People tell you to stop going online, stop looking for this trouble of comparison. But its like i am a drug addict with the very drug in the palm of my hand, that has alga rhythms that feed me the latest updates to my destruction as soon as i log in. “Then block them” they say. Sure, its dramatic and painful and it works temporarily.... but give me enough nights and mornings alone and i can just log in and unblock them, if only to feel some kind of connection to what was, to remember that it happened. Especially when there is still no other connections in sight. “Go out and meet people” they say. Cool, when? With working full time and building a business, with chronic fatigue rearing its ugly head whenever i start to feel energised again. Especially when I don’t like to drink and put myself in those environments. So aside someone walking into work or flagging down people in the street (which doesn’t get a good response) I’m out of options. Online dating? Forget it. I don’t know if its just been my experience but I’ve had closer things to what we would call dates with the few men that inspired this article, than any of the conversations i had on online dating platforms. Instead i just get late night messages asking “what’s doing” and inappropriate pictures sent before general information has even been exchanged! We have lost the tools of how to communicate and treat each other with respect in these arenas and so very rarely will you come across connection that is acknowledged and lasting. It is so easy to ghost yourself from a situation when you’re done, whether you don’t feel the connection or you get scared of commitment. Providing no closure for the other person and no problem with doing so because there’s soooo many other possible options out there (so it would seem) I hold myself solely responsible for my own happiness always. However i am realising that perhaps I’ve had to have this long, confusing and incredibly exhausting experience to bring to light this problem in our society, this disconnection of responsibility to one another. Of all the people I’ve come across in my life experience so far, i have never heard of anyone being alone for this length of time. No lasting dalliances, no one i could call boyfriend, or even be able to say I’m seeing someone (To be fair I’ve thought i was seeing people from time to time, just turned out they weren’t seeing me) Im not looking for pity AT ALL! It’s just become quite of a bafflement to me. At the root of it all i know it comes down to a lack of self worth and with the introduction of a social media addiction its something I’m having to fumble my way through. People tell you to seek therapy, yet no therapist has ever been able to appreciate the social media affect, feeding on our generations anxiety and triggers. I always say i don’t want to vilify social media or even the people I’ve felt pain around because of it. But we are all seemingly unaware that on the other end of the phone there is a real person, changing their work schedule because you said you wanted to hang out. Closing themselves off to other interested parties because you had a connection and are still in contact. Shes on the other end, thinking of you and how excited you make her ... only to find out you haven’t given her a second thought (asking for a mate.........lol) COMMUNICATION is so important! I have been more fortunate with recent connections that (i presume because i have presented my true self as much as possible) i warranted a closure message or explanation for the ending at least. Ten years ago, ending it with someone over text message was the worst move you could possibly pull, yet now its actually really appreciated because the alternative is no contact. And anytime a photo is ‘liked’ or a picture is posted, you think..... ‘maybe there’s still something’, ‘maybe they will message me soon’ until you see pictures of them dating someone else and realise it was all in your head. Our perceptions are poisoning us through this endless feed and, yes, the solution is within us. But we need to acknowledge the process and give each other the tools to let go and move on .... to hopefully stop us from falling down the rabbit hole? I don’t want to make this a doom and gloom issue. Social media has so many incredible positives. It’s US that have become the problem. We have become so lazy, scared and sometimes, disrespectful that the quality of our relationships has begun to mirror just that. Call to action will probably only resonate with those who are aware that this is a thing in their lives. But wouldn’t it be so much nicer if we were more there for each other, supportive, excited, fearless, interactive? Can’t get there from here. Somethings gotta change & thats us. |
