I have only arrived in India six days ago and already have a steady routine in place. Every morning I am woken up at 4:30 am by monks chanting to the Divine. Prior to arriving in Rishikesh, I was nervous about not being able to wake up for 6:30 am yoga classes but so far I have not had any problems. I am up before dawn, I sit in my teeny tiny little room and meditate while listening to the monks' enchanting voices. A shower takes place by 5 am which entails short lived hot water and a bucket. By 6 am I am out the door and make the beautiful walk to the Yoga Hall. The route is lined with Hindu Deities and gorgeous gardens.
We have been instructed to wear all white clothing for yoga which is lovely. Mataji, one of our teachers who's name translates to "mother", informs us that white is the color of the divine and that we will be able to tune in with spirit more by wearing it. It is lovely looking around the room at a sea of yogis dressed in white.
Our yoga schedule for the next two weeks is intense. The first class begins with Pranayam(breath work), then Asanas (physical postures) and ends in Meditation. We then break for breakfast in the communal dining hall where silence is mandatory and meals are eaten while sitting on the floor in front of individual little tables. This is very different from my experience at Amma's ashram where the dining hall was very social and gave visiting devotees the opportunity to meet each other. Parmath Niketan encourages more of a relationship to Self and God and less to others which was intially challenging but I am still finding the time and space to make new friends.
After breakfast, we return to the Yoga Hall for Vedic Chanting, Mantras and Prayer. Our teacher, Indu, has the most beautiful voice. The feelings that come up during the chanting are pure bliss. We then move on to Yoga Theory followed by lunch which is usually followed by a walk through town. Afternoon Yoga is more Asana focused.
Rishikesh is intense. The poverty here is extreme and took me a few days to adjust to (although I know I will never fully get used to it). Initially I couldn't imagine ever wanting to leave the confines of the ashram walls in order to avoid the pain that I felt in my heart every time I did. But over the past few days, I have found ways to ease the pain and that is simply by giving back in every way possible. I do so by purchasing fruit (which costs pennies) and hand them out to women and children who beg for anything available and bread and milk for the puppies and dogs (the leftover bread usually ends up in the cows' bellies). I have of course fallen in love with one dog in particular who I have named "Shanti". She is a pathetically scrawny little girl with the sweetest disposition. My struggle is not to scoop her up and cuddle with her but I have educated myself enough about the rabbies epidemic in India to know that that would be plain ignorant. So feeding her twice a day is my pleasure. My intention is to get her nice and healthy over the next couple of months.
Evenings end with Aarti ceremonies on the Ganga River which are beyond magical. Boys and girls (students at Parmath Niketan and disciples of Swami Ji) dressed in traditional Indian garb sit across from each other divided by a fire pit. Devotees and visitors sit on steps which face out on to the Ganga River where a large statue of Shiva sits. A fire Puja takes place followed by chanting. I was called down to participate in the fire Puja at the first Aarti that I attended. It felt like India was welcoming me back home. My spirit has never felt happier.
The friends I have made here are kindred souls who have open hearts and travel spirits. Most are travelling for similar lengths of time as me if not more. I will get into their fascinating tales in my next entry.
Sending love and light from India and Mother Ganga. Om Shanti!
