So, this is funny. And interesting!

Yesterday, I left the house in a hurry to catch my train to New York City. I reached the platform just as the train was pulling up. Realizing I would not have time to use the ticket machine on the platform, I thought “no prob, I will just use the app on my phone”. The train doors opened and as I was reaching into my pocket for my phone I… panicked! It was not in any of my pockets! I had my wallet, and could have managed the ticket onboard paying a small penalty, but panic had already set in. I stepped back from the train, the doors closed, and my mind raced at a million TPS (thoughts-per-second). OMG, how will I survive without my PHONE? Funny enough, this was my number one concern: how would I survive. A million more thoughts raced through my brain before I centered myself, and after a deep breath, realized i was going to be FINE. I will survive! Breathing, breathing. Long story short, I reached Manhattan on the next train, phone-less, but actually strangely content not having a phone somewhere on my body to distract me.

My primary reason for visiting the city was to attend the meditation dinner evening at Padma NYC. It was the second time the center offered this and again, it was a home run. Meera and Yoko, our two chefs, knocked it out of the park with an delicious array of home-cooked Japanese cuisine. To start, we the guests sat in silence and were treated to a “sound bath” of temple gongs and bells. Simple exercises and playful awareness games shared by Arpana added to the heightened sensory experience. By the time food began coming out, everyone was so relaxed and ready to enjoy each delightful mouthful that ensued. All in all, it was a super evening made all the more intriguing without the constant urge to check my phone. Mind you, reaching home later that evening and finding my phone just where I had left it gave me the contented sleep of a baby.

According to Meera and Arpana, these meditation dinners are going to be happening twice a month with different themes and cuisines. The next will be an Indian Wedding theme: a festive, colorful and of course, tasty, five star dining experience in the great city that is New York. Check out www.padmanyc.com.