Back to the South

After spending an amazing day at the Taj Mahal last week, I arrived back in southern India on Friday for the last segment of my trip. It’s been a challenging month to say the very least. I think if I would have asked anyone who has spent time here to review my itinerary, they would have advised against it.   In  retrospect, that would have probably been good advice.  However, having done it I must say I’m thrilled to have been able to experience so many different aspects of Indian culture. The down side is that it kind of took an emotional and physical toll on me. I don't feel like I can bargain for one more rupee. I’m pooped.  It’s true what they say, that the hardest thing about traveling in India is traveling.

So I’m finally in Mysore in the state of Karnataka not far from where I started out 3 months ago.  No more trains or buses for awhile. Just yoga and relaxation.   I feel so fortunate to have found this wonderful teacher of Ashtanga yoga, and will be studying with him for a month.   Ajay Kumar at www.yogamysore.com if you’re interested.  Ashtanga is  a very vigorous style of yoga that involves lots of movement and lots of sweating. Oh and pain, lots of pain. But good pain as my teacher says while standing on my inner thighs.   In spite of that, I must say I’m really enjoying this lifestyle of early morning meditation, 2 hours of yoga, 2 hours for leisurely breakfast with other students in the class, afternoon naps and reading, optional 2 hour afternoon class, leisurely dinner(again 2-3 hours), and early to bed.  I can’t think of a better way to finish up my time in India.  Actually I can’t think of a better way to live my life.  More on that later. 

It’s really quite wonderful to meet so many people from all over the world who have left corporate jobs and are seeking more spiritual depth in their lives.  Last night at our pizza/movie dinner there were 12 people from 11 different countries.  We laughed when we talked about how different our sense of what normal to us is now versus what it was before we came to India.  

I am so grateful for the series of events that led me to be here.  How often in life do we take an extended amount of time to actually do what we love to do?  That to me, is the greatest sense of fulfillment and an invaluable gift. 

Dharamsala

Once again I find myself in Delhi, with what has become a bit of a refuge and recharging station. I have connected with this wonderful Indian family and have been renting a room from them in between my north Indian travel jaunts . They live conveniently next to the yoga center so I am able to get a bit spiritually recharged as well.

I’m happy to report that I made it to and from Dharamsala safe and sound. More safe than sound actually.   I ‘m exhausted and a bit rattled after 12 hours on a rickety old bus with broken seats.  But happy to have made the journey. I kept thinking about the sweet old Tibetan man sitting next to me. What must he have gone through in his life to be where he is now.  I heard so many stories in the past few days of how people had to eat grass in order to survive the journey into Nepal and finally  into India. They risked everything for freedom. It somehow made the bumps in the road seem not quite as significant. I was also amazed at how he seemed to sleep the entire trip. With what he must have gone through in his life, I’m sure that a bumpy bus ride wouldn’t enter into his consciousness as something uncomfortable.  Also, it was just really nice to be on a bus full of monks and nuns.  Regardless of the bumps.

We actually stayed in Mcleod Gang, where the Dalai Lama resides. Well actually Bhagsu, which is just north of Mcleod, well actually above Bhagsu in a mountain house next to a waterfall.  It was truly spectacular!  However, just a word of advice—when a trekking guide tells you the place you will be staying is rustic,  have an idea of what you think rustic is, and bring it down a few hundred notches.  I must say I bristled a bit when I saw that there was no electricity and no heat. Mind you, we’re about 6000 feet above sea level and I have a light jacket. Fortunately my friend had an extra sleeping bag.  So I put on all the clothes I could, lit some candles,  watched the stars a bit, and had a nice sleep. See! My adjustment time is getting quicker.  Like one of our teachers in the yoga training said, you should always be happy whether or not you are staying in a 5 star hotel or a billion star hotel. 

My friend from the yoga training took me on an all day trek the next day. See the pictures in the blog. I’ve never seen mountains like the Himalayas. They just go on and on and on.  It was a 3000 foot vertical climb, starting at around 6000 feet.  So it definitely pushed my limits.  Nevertheless the beauty, the quiet, the fresh air made it all worthwhile.   I’m continually astonished at all the different facets of this country. I get frustrated sometimes when I think of all the things there are to do and experience here.

My plan now is to head back south for about 3 weeks. I’m taking an Ashtanga yoga course in Mysore to round out my yoga experience. After that, I’m not sure. But at least I can rest from traveling for a bit and stay in one place. That is a nice thought. 

Rishikesh

As usual per my experience in India, Rishikesh and the International Yoga Festival turned out to be something much different than what I expected. Eventually, I hope to learn just not to have expectations and go with the flow. But I still have a ways to go with that one.

My trip in sleeper class from Delhi to Rishikesh is where the adventure started. I knew going in sleeper class(kind of like 4^th class) would be a bit of a challenge. I just didn’t expect to share it with rats and roaches. Oh well, the people were delightful and as have been all my train experiences thus far. And I ended up making friends with everyone in my compartment. The train stopped about 5 miles outside of Rishikesh because the engine died, so I just used the time to get to know my new friends better.

Finally made it to the ashram and the Yoga Festival in stunning Rishikesh. The festival itself was a bit too western and not to my taste, but I met loads of  yoga teachers and was able to get a lot of helpful information about teaching.  The thing I think I loved the most about the week however,  was getting to go to a few orphanages and schools in the area. I was able to visit a school for boys whose parents all had leprosy. It’s still considered a stigma in India, even though it’s not contagious. The boys are not able to attend public schools since their parents are shunned from society.   It was really unimaginable to all of us who spent the day with them. It made me want to get my teaching credentials so I could come back spend more time with them.  Such a powerfully moving experience!

I’m now off to Dharamsala on an overnight 12 hour bus ride. I’ve been told to say a lot of protector mantras for this trip since Indian bus drivers tend to be a bit…shall we say aggressive. I’m going trekking  in the Himalayas with a guide I met during my teacher training.  I’ll be back in Delhi on the 15^th and then off to the Taj Mahal for my birthday on the 16^th. Not a bad way to spend my 48^th I suppose.  

OM TRAYAMBAKAM…(the beginning of the protector mantra