It’s 5.30am and the bell rings, it’s dark outside and my body aches. I slept 7 hours though and I feel strong, warm and athletic. I turn over in bed and immediately fall asleep again until someone, I know exactly who, knocks on my door and wakes me up again. A feeling of guilt, more than keen devotion or solid commitment drags me on my feet and under the cold shower. Jaya Ganesha, Jaya Ganesha, Jaya Ganesha Pahimam – a new full day at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta ashram in Kerala, South India is about to start. And like all good starts, it needs to be in the name of Ganesha of course, the god of beginnings, the remover of obstacles.
The yoga hall is filling up and I manage to find a more comfortable seat next to a wall, so to rest my lazy, hurting back. Meditation at dusk, on an empty stomach comes a lot more easily, and I understand why it’s done this way, here and in many other places. Slowly I start feeling a sense of warming at the level of my heart, a change of consciousness, I fall into myself and I love my early morning wake, and the smell of tropical nature. The Spartan, small room I stay in, the hours sitting on my back bone, the long journey to get here, it all makes sense.
Sivananda is a bit like an army camp with love. Like a boot camp with smiley faces and warm eyes if not warm hugs. We’re in ultra conservative India and in a Vedic Ashram after-all and any kind of physical contact is forbidden, in writing and for the better. After 2 hours of pranayama and asanas practice, we eat a very nutritious, strictly vegetarian meal. Time to help out with the ashram chores for Karma Yoga. It’s just mid morning and it feels I accomplished so much already today, it feels like a full day. I’m just about ready for a dip in the water.
The Ashram is situated on the bank of a gorgeous artificial lake called Neyyar Dam, a short cab ride from Trivandrum’s airport, immersed in lush vegetation and next door from a lions’ park – you can hear the beasts roar! The crowd is really international, from all-over the world, and the one month TTC course is just about to start, so the numbers will soon double. I am here for a 2 weeks Yoga vacation and planning to move on to the beaches of Varkala for a couple of days before flying home to old Europe. A few people stay longer, volunteering. The energy of the place is really pure, honest and positive. This is my favourite place for the Vedic practice of Yoga, so much so I am already planning a one week holiday at the French Ashram in the Loire Valley, in a couple of months.
Apart from waking up my ab muscles and recharging my soul, the experience here makes me connect with some really awesome people. Everyone feels very open and connected, we’re doing Yoga all day, every day, how could it be otherwise!? And it brought out the singer in me! It feels a bit cheesy to start with, but if you give it enough time you really connect with the mantras and chants too. It’s about getting out of your comfort zone after-all. Self improvement and rich living requires an open mind. And chanting completes Swami Vishnudevananda’s recipe for radiant health and inner peace:
➧Proper Exercise – Asana
➧Proper Breathing – Pranayama
➧Proper Relaxation – Savasana
➧Proper Diet – Vegetarian
➧Positive Thinking and Meditation – Vedanta and Dhyana