Being in India is like looking through a kaleidoscope spinning. Images are so striking and changing at every turn.

And much like a kaleidoscope, the dominant or framing shape has been the circle. However different in variation and size; circles have stood out to me, especially when reflecting on this “new” year.

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You see literal circles everywhere in India: In the patterns drawn in flour every morning outside homes, hallowed out bamboo, the red itching welts from mosquito bites all over our bodies, the smiling eyes of the beautiful children, we sit in circles during our seminars, Auroville itself shaped like a spinning universe… I think you get the idea.

But what is more pervasive are the intangible circles; life as a cycle (constant birth death and re-birth), the whole concept of time changes from being linear to circular here, the friendships forming and the experience with the various organizations that we are working with are circular (giving and taking, sharing and learning), many people here speak in circles often converging on the spiritual.  My thoughts have been in a constant spin cycle since we arrived.

There is something about this place that naturally encourages questions and curiosities of what it means to be human.  People here are purposefully playing and juggling their lives to strike a balance.

In this whirling world I have decided to look at this year as last year recycled, with different opportunities based what I value and previous choices. I hope we all find what we are looking for.