If you’ve been keeping up
a bit here and there with my social media posts you might have picked up that
I’ve been on a bit of a journey recently… and no not one involving trekking to
a mall. Instead I’ve been exploring spirituality and the Krishna Consciousness
movement.
If you'd like to know the very basic meaning, I've found this on the web...
- 'Krishna consciousness, or bhakti-yoga, means how to act in harmony with ultimate reality—the Supreme Person. Bhakti—“devotional service”—is how the bhakta—“devotee”—and Bhagavan—“God, the possessor of all opulences”—relate.
We're all naturally Krishna conscious. In illusion, we think we’re the center of the universe, and our bodies are our real selves. Krishna consciousness means becoming free from that illusion, and experiencing our true blissful, eternal nature. It's a process that works. Anyone can do it.' (http://www.krishna.com/krishna-consciousness)
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| An image of the beautiful deities we had the pleasure of seeing every day |
So as part of this
exploration I was persuaded to attend a spiritual retreat in Radhadesh, Belgium
for 10 days where I would be in the company of student devotees, participate in
workshops, seminars and various activities. As the days began to dwindle down
towards the departure time I began getting more and more anxious. I knew I’d
have to share a room and I knew the whole point of a spiritual retreat is to
get into the ways of simple and minimalist living.
I think it’s fair to say
minimalism and me don’t tend to mix very well. It’s sort of like Jil Sander and
Betsey Johnson collaborating. It just won’t mesh.
I literally dreamt about
having limited wardrobe space, not having enough room for outfits, jewellery or
beauty products. These thoughts flooded my mind over and over again. I knew I’d
be pushed out my comfort zone and in a way this intrigued me because I’ve never
tried to step outside of the sheltered, self-centred life I’ve built for
myself. It was only until the pre-trip BBQ that these thoughts gradually
starting fading away.
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| Radha Krishna & Radha Rani |
I was just so
amazed at how nice everyone was. Like nobody knew me but they seemed so eager
to help, ask me questions, relieve my stress about the trip. It was like I
entered a different universe where everybody let their inhibitions go and just
wanted to spread happiness and joy. No judgement, rudeness, snobbishness,
nothing.
I started to compare the
atmosphere there to the ones I’ve experienced at a couple of fashion events
where I’ve entered alone and felt so nervous and unwelcomed because I was much
younger than the professionals in the room or people just couldn’t suss me out
properly.
Anyway, after a slugglish
couch journey and ferry we eventually drove up to the castle we would be
staying at and everyone suddenly awoke from their zombie-like states and gawked
at this beauty awaiting in front of us.
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| Castle |
As soon as I saw my room I began to
place all my things exactly the way I wanted them with all my pre-packed vanity
cases with compartments ready so I could co-ordinate everything the way I’m
used to. I even brought a light-up mirror. No wonder my suitcase looked
pregnant…
As I gradually integrated
myself into the schedule of the trip and learnt to offer service to Krishna
through the means of serving and preparing food, cleaning dishes and utensils,
painting and gardening, my material woes began to dwindle down to a point where
I was even comfortable with being around everyone with a tad bit of BB cream
and my glasses on. Can you imagine? By the end I was less boho and more hobo…
I started to care less and
less about the little things. Granted I still worried about my appearance,
mainly because I’m not used to wearing Indian outfits but overall I started
realising how meaningless my daily anxieties back home are. Luckily I had some
fab girls in my room to share my thoughts to and I began to realise that I
wasn’t alone with some of the struggles I was facing. In such a materialistic
society, isn’t it psychologically expected that people will succumb to mundane
pressures? (Oh, and thank God there was someone to help me wear my gopi
dresses… thanks Radhika!)
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| Bright gopi outfit |
I actually had a lot of
fun experimenting with bright fuchsias and royal purples in my gopi outfits and
getting gopi dots drawn on my face on the coach. The trip taught me that
spirituality, especially within Krishna Conciousness, is designed to be easy to
follow and applicable to everyday life. It doesn’t force you to give up
anything in life. Nothing at all actually. Everyone has a choice, they are only
there to guide you in the right direction. So learning this has reassured me
that I can live my life the way I instinctively want to whilst making an active
effort to change things in the world in my own way.
At first it was a challenge to push myself to do things like cleaning up which I never usually do… but after a while I got stuck in, not caring less about my outfits getting dirty or what not. I think it really helps when you’re in a group environment and you see others performing duties which such enthusiasm and lack of pride. I’m so thankful I got the chance to attend as it really taught me so much about myself and that I can live without having GHDs on hand or a beautician on standby. More seriously it also made me question fashion a lot and whether it could be compatible with spirituality…
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| Playful Gopi dots |
I’m still working this out
but personally I think that within reason, whatever someone’s passion is, they
can follow it successfully whilst incorporating some sort of ethical or
positive elements. Now I’m not saying my blog is going to become spiritual or
anything of the sort. I’m completely aware that everyone reading is coming from
different backgrounds and believes in different things which is great, I think
that’s one of the beauties of this Earth. However, I’m saying I’m more open to
pushing more positive messages out there with my content, whether it be through
raising awareness of sustainable fashion, body identity issues, child labour in
the industry, or any such problem. I still have a long way to go and I know my
mind will still think about getting new clothes and changing up my look but I
want to give back more and if and when I find opportunities to do so I will take
them. Anyone reading this with an idea or worthy organisation please do get in
touch, I would love to hear from you!
I would encourage
everyone, especially those working with the fashion industry or just diehard
fashionistas to try out a spiritual retreat. If not, take a weekend break away
somewhere rural or more on the remote side and allow yourself to adapt to a
simpler lifestyle. Perhaps only take a few dresses instead of matching co-ords
and a hundred statement necklaces. Maybe turn off your 4G so you can quit
depop-ing your unworn Topshop jeans.
We get so caught up with trends, new
collections, and celebrity styles sometimes that it becomes information
overload and at the end of the day it’s all temporary. That’s why I try
(although I realise now it’s not clear) to tell people this blog is less about
materialism and which brands to wear but more so about making people feel good,
laugh and relax. So why not treat yourself to a getaway… take some time to
think, breathe, relax, meditate and really reflect on yourself and the world
around you. I assure you it will make a world of difference to your life.
