Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world, where the Ganga meets the plains, and prana carried on the Himalayan winds invigorates the land. Every building seems to be an ashram. Every advertising poster is for yoga classes, teacher training, or meditation.
I chose Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram (www.anandprakashashram.com) for a number of reasons. It's a smaller ashram and not in the centre of town, but easy walking distance. Akhanda (indivisible) yoga taught at the ashram, is an holistic blend of asana, pranayama, relaxation and meditation, and aligns with my Vinyasa practice. Reviewing the many available, Anand Prakash offered what I was looking for; because it's all about the yoga, and it would work for both of us. It's also a registered charitable trust focusing on education.
I booked us in for a week, actually sneaking in an extra night, and four weeks into our eight week travel plan, it was exactly the right time to have a break and stay in one place for a while. When the ashram is full, extra rooms in The Hermitage Guesthouse next door are used. We stayed there and could see the yoga hall from our room, plus hear the kirtan and the dinner bell. As for the food; three healthy, sattvic meals a day, served talli style on the floor. A yogi's delight. The only things I needed to know were, when is the next yoga class, what time do we eat and where do I go for massages and cooking classes. With those things taken care of my schedule was complete and I settled into ashram life, for my own quiet experience. First class was at 4 pm ...
Afternoon classes were taken by one of the resident yoga teachers in the downstairs yoga room. These were generally restorative and yin classes, structured in a loosely Vinyasa way. Yogrishi Vishvketu ji teaches in the ashram through the winter, so was in residence for our stay. He made his appearance for the morning classes upstairs, and the Saturday afternoon flash mob style 'Yoga at the Beach' on a white sand bend of the Ganges.
All the classes were breath centred; ujjayi and bhramari (The humming bee, Brian was so fond of.). Definitely more mantra and less asana than classes in Australia, but yoga is union and diversity is for experiencing and embracing. Yes, it's all about the yoga, but all eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga, and this week gave me a chance to delve into some of the less explored. It was also an invitation into the style and delivery of yoga in India, and a window into the yogic practice of the many cultures represented by the ashram guests. And how privileged I feel to be a Being Yoga trained teacher. The value of my life with yoga has been so enhanced and informed, through the power of 'awaken, align, enhance, observe'.
The yoga, the food, the spirit, the world outside the cloistered yoga space, all added to an experience familiar enough for comfort, yet different enough to make my Rishikesh ashram stay everything I could have wanted. All I needed to do was to be in the moment with authentic presence. Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. Noone to please.
Om. Shanti, shanti, shanti.
Namaste.
I chose Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram (www.anandprakashashram.com) for a number of reasons. It's a smaller ashram and not in the centre of town, but easy walking distance. Akhanda (indivisible) yoga taught at the ashram, is an holistic blend of asana, pranayama, relaxation and meditation, and aligns with my Vinyasa practice. Reviewing the many available, Anand Prakash offered what I was looking for; because it's all about the yoga, and it would work for both of us. It's also a registered charitable trust focusing on education.
I booked us in for a week, actually sneaking in an extra night, and four weeks into our eight week travel plan, it was exactly the right time to have a break and stay in one place for a while. When the ashram is full, extra rooms in The Hermitage Guesthouse next door are used. We stayed there and could see the yoga hall from our room, plus hear the kirtan and the dinner bell. As for the food; three healthy, sattvic meals a day, served talli style on the floor. A yogi's delight. The only things I needed to know were, when is the next yoga class, what time do we eat and where do I go for massages and cooking classes. With those things taken care of my schedule was complete and I settled into ashram life, for my own quiet experience. First class was at 4 pm ...
Afternoon classes were taken by one of the resident yoga teachers in the downstairs yoga room. These were generally restorative and yin classes, structured in a loosely Vinyasa way. Yogrishi Vishvketu ji teaches in the ashram through the winter, so was in residence for our stay. He made his appearance for the morning classes upstairs, and the Saturday afternoon flash mob style 'Yoga at the Beach' on a white sand bend of the Ganges.
All the classes were breath centred; ujjayi and bhramari (The humming bee, Brian was so fond of.). Definitely more mantra and less asana than classes in Australia, but yoga is union and diversity is for experiencing and embracing. Yes, it's all about the yoga, but all eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga, and this week gave me a chance to delve into some of the less explored. It was also an invitation into the style and delivery of yoga in India, and a window into the yogic practice of the many cultures represented by the ashram guests. And how privileged I feel to be a Being Yoga trained teacher. The value of my life with yoga has been so enhanced and informed, through the power of 'awaken, align, enhance, observe'.
The yoga, the food, the spirit, the world outside the cloistered yoga space, all added to an experience familiar enough for comfort, yet different enough to make my Rishikesh ashram stay everything I could have wanted. All I needed to do was to be in the moment with authentic presence. Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. Noone to please.
Om. Shanti, shanti, shanti.
Namaste.
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