This was the morning I woke up and realized I would have to resign from my job.
With my return to Doha in a few days, my priority would be to help my husband with the whirlwind he was steeped in of getting us out of Qatar within the two weeks given to us.
Leaving my job at the American School of Doha – the best job of my adult life, a dream job at a dream school – didn’t seem real. Using Messenger, I informed my principal and associate principal I was resigning and would not be returning to work after Spring Break as my husband’s contract was not renewed. We had less than two weeks to leave Qatar and I needed to be there during those two weeks to help with the process.
Send.
God decided I needed a little uplift and arranged this surprise for me – a ginormous spider in the toilet!!!
More awake now from the surprise of the spider in the toilet but still in shock that I’d just started the ball rolling of resigning from my job, I walked to morning healing yoga…
Looking up at the flowers when laying on the yoga mat!
Then, a peacock made an appearance at the beach!
After yoga, feeling more at peace and calm…it was time for morning detox tea and my Pitta Vata Vegetarian breakfast! I ate my morning fresh fruit plater and drank the apple, beetroot juice with tender coconut water without taking a picture because my mind was already back to leaving Qatar. The logistics were a nightmare. We couldn’t return to Canada after our two weeks in Qatar were up as we had four upcoming trips booked and paid for – all trips departing from Qatar.
The timeline looks like this:
- Armenia – April 11th – 17th – Booked and paid for months ago.
- Azerbaijan – April 17th – April 20th – Booked and paid for months ago.
- Qatar – April 20th and June 1st – This gap was once filled with working our jobs – but now we had to leave Qatar. Staying in Qatar wasn’t an option for two reasons – we’d be moved out of our once provided housing because my husband’s contract was finished – and staying in Qatar for 6 weeks would be RIDICULOUSLY expensive! Not sure what to do!
- Jordan – June 1st – 9th – Booked and paid for months ago.
- Maldives – June 10th – 14th – Booked and paid for months ago.
- Return to Doha – June 14th
- Depart to Canada – June 15th or 16th
- But where do we stay when we arrive in Canada? The house in Vancouver Island is rented out. Our plans are to eventually settle in Nova Scotia – but we don’t have a home there yet. Where would we live?
Add to that, we’ve a small dog and two cats. We needed someone in Doha to pet sit for two months . As well, our pets needed to be prepared to be exported from Qatar and imported into Canada.
While everything looks nice and neat on the timeline, it’s not because of too many crazy logistics to list! Leaving Qatar isn’t as easy at it sounds……
Exhale…….
It was time to enjoy my Pitta Vata Vegetarian breakfast with fennel seed herbal water!
I returned to my villa motivated to get my mind off Qatar and study Reiki to be prepared for my evening Reiki Master Teacher class with Dr. Raj. My villa was already cleaned and waiting for me with a lovely swan made of towels with fresh flowers on my bed!
Later, I arrived for my 12:00pm scheduled Ayurvedic treatments. My assigned Ayurvedic doctor – Dr. Rejina – decided what daily treatments I received. I would check in with Dr. Rejina before my scheduled treatments to see how I was doing.
Dr. Rejina:
Next, my two AMAZING assigned Ayurvedic body workers for my week stay – Sabeena and Renjini – would take me to my usual treatment room!
Today’s session were Abhyngam Massage, Podikizhi and Pichu.
Abhyangam – Here is the description of an Abhyangam Massage from the resort’s website:
“Abhyangam…the greatest expression of self-love
It is believed that the effects of Abhyangam are similar to those received when one is saturated with love. Abhyanga is infusing the body with ‘prana’ or vital life force. When we infuse all our cells with love, they are revitalised and energised. It involves massaging of the body with warm oil infused with healing herbs and balancing essential oils.
Abhyangam moves ‘Prana’ (vital life force energy) within the body thereby nourishing and revitalizing all body organs. It aids the removal of toxins and stimulates both arterial and lymphatic circulation. It boosts the ability of nutrients to reach starved cells and allows for the removal of stagnant waste.”
Podikizhi – Here is a description of Podikizhi from the resort’s website:
“This is a type of Swedana Chikitsa (fomentation) wherein medicated powders are made into poultice and used for giving fomentation. Drugs like vacha, sarshapam, jatamamsi etc. are made into fine powder, fried and tied in cloth pieces in the form of boluses. These are made hot frequently throughout the procedure. Elakizhi “Patram”and “illa”mean leaf. ‘Kizhi’ means ‘bundle’. or Patrasweda’ is kind of sudation theraphy using herbal leaves. Leaves of Arka (calotropisgigatea) Karanja (pongamiaglabra) Dhatura (dutura metel) and so on are chopped and mixed with grated coconut mustard and rock salt. The proportion of the ingredients varies according to the symptoms of the disease. The mixture is warmed in a pan smeared with coconut oil and then tied up in linen.”
Pichu – This was to help with my lower back issue that was healing. Pichu is a palliative treatment for ailments of the head and spine. During this treatment, a long, thick layer of cotton wool soaked with warm medicated oil is applied over the affected area. The oil is replaced periodically to keep it warm and therapeutic. Pichu, one of the Purvakarma therapies, is considered an effective treatment for diseases of the cranial nerves arising from Vata disorder. This therapy is very effective for degenerative and painful spinal problems.
It was during these sessions – in a state of absolute relaxation – that I remembered a conversation Michael and I had last year about buying an RV as our home base in Nova Scotia. This would be where we would live when we visited Nova Scotia instead of renting an Airbnb and when we did decide to settle in Nova Scotia, the RV would be where we would live while we built our home.
That was it!!!! An RV!!! We would buy an RV to live in when we get to Canada!
I messaged Michael with this idea – and he totally agreed! Our solution for us to have a place to live in Nova Scotia would be an RV!
Well, with this excitement, I completely forgot to take pictures of lunch! My Pitta Vata Vegetarian lunch was vegetable dumplings in lemon grass soup, raw papaya salad, roasted sweet potatoes with olives and pimentos with olive toast, and sweet kozhukkattai for desert!
I returned to my villa to study Reiki for the afternoon before evening yoga and my evening Reiki Master Teacher class with Dr. Raj.
Always early for everything and settling in for evening yoga:
Resident Yoga instructor – Gopal warms up before class:
After yoga, on my way to my Reiki class, the peacock made another appearance!
During my Reiki class with Dr. Raj, the idea of continuing my studies with him seemed to be necessary because of his breadth and depth of Reiki, yoga psychology and yoga philosophy knowledge. But how could I do that if Michael and I were leaving Qatar?
Wait!!
We had 6 weeks – from April 20th to June 1st – to stay in a country other than Qatar because Qatar is too expensive. A country that would be close to Qatar, Jordan and the Maldives!!
INDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMGAWD!!!! Everything started to make sense…..
We would return to Cherthala, because I know this area already. India is affordable. Cherthala would be where we would have 6 weeks to decompress from all this leaving Qatar stress. Cherthala would be where we would have the downtime to decide how our future and Canada would unfold. We can’t stay too long in Canada because we’re non-residents. What country would we go to? Would we work? Or volunteer? We needed to financially keep moving forward – not start falling behind. As well, while in Cherthala, I could continue my studies with Dr. Raj. This training would be unique in my Reiki Master Teacher attunement in that I’m certified in India along with intensive training with a famous Indian Yogi. Dr. Raj. is known in European corporate circles as the yoga/stress reduction guru. This I know first hand from Andrei – a very successful business owner from Moscow – also staying at Carnoustie – who told me this himself.
Here is Dr. Raj’s website:
As well, Dr. Raj works for Carnoustie – one of the best Ayurvedic spas in all of India!
I messaged Michael with this idea….he agreed!
Cherthala would be our destination for April 20th – June 1st!
Next would be to talk to Dr. Raj to make arrangements for us to continue my studies when I returned to Cherthala mid April.
Then contact my travel agent to make returning to Cherthala possible!
Contacting my travel agent would be my priority when I returned to Doha!
Exhale….time for my evening detox tea and Pitta Vata vegetarian dinner!
The amazing servers of Carnoustie’s Ida Restaurant:
Feeling happily full, healthy, relaxed and excited with a plan starting to fall into place….I returned to my villa….checking the toilet first for spiders…..then went to bed!!!
S, <3 <3 <3