Swayambhunath at sunset. Kathmandu, Nepal.
Published June 16, 2014, last updated on October 5, 2017 under Voices of DGHI
By Libby MacFarlane, MSc-GH student
Since I arrived in Kathmandu, every morning I rise at 5am and do yoga on the terrace. It’s my time for myself. The birds are just beginning to sing their dawn melody. The air is at its clearest – as the dust has settled from the hustle-bustle from the previous day. There is a cool breeze and warm glow of the beginning sun that illuminates the prayer flags around the garden. Through this practice, I am able to find an oasis and moment of calm – a still point – in both the outside world and the world within.
In an ever-changing environment, rituals like these help ground me in the here and now. Finding my breath and my still point have been particularly important for me while doing research abroad. Not only are my senses stimulated (and sometimes over stimulated) by the dust, heat, beep-beep, beep of the horns, vibrant colors, new faces and places and eats, conducting research in this new place puts my mind on overdrive with so much information to process.
When I travel abroad, I have learned to expect the unexpected - that plans will change, things will fall apart, and (if I am fortunate) most will come back together in some wonderful and unexpected ways. I have learned to be flexible in these situations. And now more than ever, while doing research, my openness to change is important. Finding my still point and being present are ways for me to be malleable. Within this softness, I am able to find humor, perspective, forgiveness, and lessons within these moments of miscommunication, misconceptions or other “mis” -happenings.
In tandem with this fluidity, I also try to be intentional. Setting intentions helps me achieve my research goals while also releasing the expectation of “achieving” anything. Paradoxically in some ways, by slowing down, my plans run more smoothly and the outputs are richer and more genuine. And I enjoy the experiences more.
In our introductory meeting, my research assistant, Renu, and I set individual and group goals as well as made a list of our team norms. They included: having fun, being open and flexible, giving feedback, to name a few. Doing yoga together was also on the list! By setting these expectations and intentions we have already been able to work through communications gaps and grow closer personally and professionally.
And as I finish this blog, I have put my flexibility into practice. It was my intention to post this blog at the end of my time in Kathmandu, but with cancelled flights, we had to hustle to head to Jumla (my field site in rural Mid-western Nepal). And after a few days without Internet or electricity in Jumla, I finally have the opportunity to post. Stay tuned for updates from this beautiful, mountainous edge of the grid!
