Taste of India

Hello my friends!  Lately people have been asking all about my trip, my experiences in India, what I learned and if I was going to post any pictures.  Truthfully I wasn't planning on talking much about the trip.  Not because I don't have anything to say but because this is not a travel blog and I didn't want to bore anyone with trip photos.  Yet what I realized is that folks really are interested in my travels. I also realized that this is an experience that needs to be shared since so many of you have invested your time, energy, and money in me- it's only right that I give back.  So please sit back and enjoy my taste of India.

 This is Saji my teacher.  He is what you would call a bonefide yogi.  He has been practicing yoga since his early teens and it shows.  Not only is it amazing to watch the ways in which he can move and hold his yoga asanas but just being in his presence you can sense the light that shines from his being.  He received his Bachelor of Yoga Science in India and now he runs International Vasishta Yoga Research Foundation in which he teaches Yoga Teacher Training, Advanced Teacher Training, and Yoga Therapy Training courses.  Right now he rents space from the Chinmaya International Foundation ashram in southern India. Eventually he and his friend will have their own ashram to run these courses.

You can check out his website at vasishtayoga.org

 This is the yoga hall.  Every morning we would wake at 5:30am and meet here to meditate until 7:00am.  Then we would have a yoga practice until breakfast time at 9:15am.  Then we would come back here at 11:00 am for lecture until 1:30pm.  Then meet back here for more lecture at 4:00pm.  After evening lecture we would have another yoga practice until dinner at 8:00pm and then some nights we would meet back here again after dinner for an evening meditation.  So yes, the majority of my time was spent in this wonderful space.

My room at the ashram.

My roommate :) At least for a short while.

This is Durgana.  The day I took this picture it was her 85th Birthday.  She is from South Africa and one of the students in my course.  A true testimony to the fact that you are never too old to do yoga. 

This was a typical meal at the ashram, all vegetarian of course.  It was a special meal because of Dugana's birthday so we were served on a banana leaf. Very eco-friendly!

On this evening there was a local spiritual Shiva celebration.  Here all the local women gathered and stand waiting to transfer " light" from the men's temple on the ashram grounds to a nearby local temple.

Indian traffic.

Yep that's right- he's talking on his cell phone riding an elephant.  A perfect example of India today.  Ancient and modern harmoniously clash.

Our last practice was partner yoga fun...

This is me getting my certificate at our graduation ceremony.

And this is the group on the last day after the graduation ceremony.

So that is a small visual taste of my experience in India.  Over the next few weeks, months and probably years I will continue to share all that I learned from this delicious experience.  Bon apetite!