I am in a group with 11 other people from all over the world including Canada, New Zealand, France, Spain, China, Latvia, and even a local girl from Rishikesh. Our first day was a bit relaxed since we were still adjusting to the time change. There was no morning yoga so my roommate and another girl and I decided to sneak out and walk down to another ashram for a 6am Kundalini yoga class, which only cost 200 Indian Rupees or around $3.25 USD! This was actually my first Kundalini experience, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to try and I’m so glad I did because it was very different from any of the yoga classes I’ve taken before. The teacher explained each of the seven chakras in detail and we then did postures, breathing exercises and chanted mantras to activate each of the chakras. There are tons of ashrams around town with cheap yoga classes going on at all hours of the day so I plan to hit up as many as I can on my off days.
After breakfast, we were welcomed into yoga school with a lovely ceremony called Agnihotra. Agnihotra is the process that originated from ancient Veda knowledge of purifying the atmosphere through a specially prepared fire. They burned the fire in the middle of our circle throwing ghee (purified butter) into the fire while chanting beautiful mantras and performing rituals. Definitely an incredible way to be welcomed into the school while getting a taste of true Indian culture.
Our daily schedule is pretty full, beginning at 6:30am with meditation, followed by two daily yoga classes, lectures, and mantra chanting. We have time to rest and study in the afternoon and evening and Sundays off to explore the town. The morning meditation class has easily been my favorite part of the day so far. We haven’t done traditional meditation yet, we have only done Dynamic (or active) meditation, which has several parts including pranayama breathing exercises, jumping, dancing, yelling, laughing, and / or even crying. It is incredibly invigorating and almost like being on hallucinogenic drugs, but without the hangover afterward. I am also really enjoying the mantra chanting. They are difficult to learn and require a lot of practice, but are so beautiful. The yoga classes are a bit different from what I am used to; teachers with calming voices who give gentle adjustments and massages as they guide you through a choreographed flow of poses. The classes here are much more systematic and the teaching style and adjustments more forceful and abrupt. I have quickly realized that I have never really taken a true Ashtanga Vinyasa class in the states, which should actually be a set series of postures, and many are actually quite advanced and difficult. I am questioning everything I’ve learned up until this point because I am finding that I have been doing many of the basic postures incorrectly for years, and a lot of the teachers in that states are not teaching or adjusting these postures correctly. I feel fortunate to be learning the correct way which will be that much better of a teacher!
I can’t believe a week has already gone by since I left home. I have already learned so much and I am ecstatic that I decided to do my training here. Tomorrow is our first off day and I am ready to explore the town and try out some different yoga classes. Please check back soon for more updates!
Daily Schedule:
6:30am-7:45am – Meditation / Pranayama Breathing
7:45am-8:00am – Tea
8:00am-9:30am – Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
9:45am-11:00am – Breakfast
11:00am-12:30pm – Lecture / Mantra Chanting / Teaching Practice
12:45pm-3:30pm – Lunch / Rest / Karma Yoga
3:30pm-4:30pm – Lecture – Philosophy, Asana
5:00pm-6:30pm – Hatha Yoga
6:45pm-10:00pm – Dinner / Self Study
10:00pm – Lights Out
