We have spent 2 weeks in a small yoga ashram in Rishikesh, a town in the Himalaya mountains close to the source of the Ganges River. The Beatles came here in the 60's and wrote most of their White Album here, hippies and yoga fanatics have been coming here ever since.
We have a strict schedule to follow of yoga, chanting, meditation, blessing ceremonies and breathing exercises. A loud bell is rung at 5am every morning to get us up and there is silence in the ashram from 9pm - 8.30am everyday. We are doing 3.5 hours of yoga a day, often with monkeys skipping across the roof during classes!
All our meals are provided, we all eat together in the ashram at set times, we eat sat cross-legged on the floor. Breakfast we eat in silence! We are following a strict diet of rice, chapattis, fruit and veg. No processed food at all, no dairy, no lactose, no gluten. Meat and alcohol are completely banned in Rishikesh as it is a holy town so you cannot buy it anywhere.
Here is the lovely view from the roof:
We have been and watched a blessing ceremony called aarti where baskets of flowers are set alight and floated down the river to give thanks for the Ganges River. We went to a satsang by a famous holy guru called Sri Prem Baba, we have had private meditation classes and we have had massages to try and revive our aching muscles!
Pete has had a consultation with a Ayurvedic herbal doctor who has given him some advice for healthier living. She believes we are all made up of fire, water and air. She told Pete he has too much air. I could have told him that and saved his 300 rupees!!
We are getting much better at the yoga and can really feel a difference, but will we keep it up when we get home.....???
