Hanuman Comes Visiting

Today, a monkey strolled into my yogi cottage. And when I advanced towards him, shooing him away, HE advanced towards ME, and bared his teeth. I backed off and watched as he made his way to the kitchen shelves and started to pick things up and toss them across the room, while I tried my negotiation skills. “Not the carrot cake, PLEASE, not the carrot cake”!

He grabbed a container of moong dal, sauntered out, sat on my balcony, ripped the Tupperware open and nonchalantly ate his way through most of it, occasionally looking at me as if to say, “Look, you can spare a tub of lentils, and at least I didn’t take the carrot cake”. And then when he’d eaten his full, he tossed the remaining lentils and container over the balcony and walked off.

Cheeky monkey. Reminds me of the stories of Hanuman, the Monkey deity renowned for his courage, power and faithful, selfless service. He makes frequent and often impudent appearances in yoga mythology, and the yoga splits, Hanumanasana, are named after him.

The monkeys are certainly naughty and bold here, but will leave you alone if you leave them alone (and share your lentils with them). They only tend to get nasty if you come between them and their young, or if you show your teeth, as they see that as a sign of aggression. If you find them amusing, remember no grinning when they’re up close and personal with you!

We see monkey families on our walks and the babies are irresistibly cute. Tiny little fingers, wizened faces, with bright and clever eyes peering out from under their wrinkled brow. And how adorable is this albino monkey in his little white fur coat?

I’m ready for any future uninvited monkey visits, armed with a broom in the kitchen and a mental note not to show my teeth.