by Ashna

Sanctuary, subtlety & the slow blooming of direction. Listening for what lives between the endless folds. Seeing what the matrix hides in plain sight.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

This page is a quiet refusal. So much of what’s loud in the world feels flat, hollow, restless. But beneath the obvious, the optimized, and the endlessly explained—there is still something tender slowly unfolding. 🧵

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

It’s somehow a constant reminder of the mysterious and friendly healing powers that surround us, and of the radiance that comes from regularly reading and writing as a way of illuminating the mind.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

🧵 Lapis lazuli—the stone of the Medicine Buddha (Sangye Menla in Tibetan Buddhism), linked to healing and wisdom.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

I read that lapis lazuli is a stone of healing and scholarly pursuits, so I keep small pieces of it around my desk, computer, notebooks, and bookshelf. These tiny pieces in a clay diya always sit somewhere on my desk or windowsill when I’m working.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

I plan to save some of the seeds to experiment with sprouting them and maybe even growing them into plants once the monsoon is over (papaya plants need a lot of warmth and sunlight).

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

I read that consuming dried papaya seeds can kill and expel parasites from the gut (a practice that seems to be trending in natural health circles). I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve started collecting and washing seeds for the day I might. 🧵

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

Even just the process of collecting, sun-drying, and storing the seeds has been a beautiful reminder of the life inside the food we eat and the nutritional value of many parts we throw away—often rooted in ancient wisdom, which is amazing to reconnect with.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

Langurs have a distinctly human quality that makes these brief moments of connection feel surprisingly natural.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

Seeing the langurs is one of the top five best things about living in Dharamshala for me. Unlike the brown monkeys, langurs are known to be gentle, sensitive, and generally afraid of humans. They rarely attack, unlike the brown monkeys.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

I once sat next to a langur for almost half an hour on the kora circuit, and we made steady eye contact almost the entire time. It felt as if he was responding to my expressions with his own, like we were having a wordless conversation through our faces alone.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

Luckily there seems not to be a time pressure since they will survive for almost two months and just cuttings, so while they are sitting in the jar, I will try to figure out what they would like and thrive in best, and on what timeline.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

Bought some lemongrass from the market, put them in a large jar of water and they grew roots about two weeks later. I started during the final week of summer, and one week later the monsoon arrived. Encountering mixed opinions on whether to put them in soil right now or not.

[by Ashna @humanwaterfalls]

Both agreed it might not survive very well in the winter, and might stand a chance indoors where the heat is sometimes on.

Further research needed to decide what to do next (feel very clueless).