At a sprawling monastery complex in Oudong, the former capital of Cambodia, a bald, saffron-robed monk showered me and my fellow travelers with lotus and jasmine petals, part of a blessing ceremony. His accompanying chant — soothing and hypnotic — could have lulled me to sleep if I wasn’t so uncomfortable. I sat on the ground, bare feet to the side, my weight on one hip.
For Buddhists in Southeast Asia, this position is as natural as walking, but for non-Buddhist Westerners, at least those who don’t practice yoga, it can induce squirming.
Read the full story: http://www.startribune.com/culture-close-up-on-a-river-cruise-from-cambodia-to-vietnam/495202601/
