To travel is to live

Photos: Rishikesh

alinach — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 02:51:00 GMT

First week of the yoga TTC

alinach — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 02:41:00 GMT

More than a week has gone by already since we started the course. We've learned so much in this short time, now that I see back, and realize how much we've learned in this last week I can understand why I feel so tired.
We learned two mantras already, even if I thought would be very hard, it wasn't as bad! Now I'm trying to remember the third one. Tomorrow I guess we'll have to sing it with out looking at the paper!
This week we started doing the yoga class, I mean we as being the teacher! We had to prepare a 30 min class and just do it with everyone. At the end the teacher will tell us what we did wrong and what needs to be improved... In my case, it was today. I did the class and when I finished I remembered a few things I didn't do.. Things I forgot to show or say. The teacher told me a few things to improve or do different. In two weeks I'll have to do a one hour and a half class between an other girl and me. So I hope that class goes much better! Have two weeks to learn more things!
With the theory classes we are advancing too. This Friday is my turn to start the biology class and remind everyone what we talked about the day before. Let's see how that goes!
Oh what we did this last week that was something interesting and maybe a thing I will hardly forget, was a cleansing proses!
Saturday morning, with our stomachs completely empty, we came to the class. This day we started at 7am so we had almost an extra hour to sleep!
The idea was to drink a lot of salt water, and after drinking two glasses each time, we had to practice a series of asanas (postures) that would move our whole digestive system and eventually we'll feel the need to go to the toilet... Ok maybe this sounds nasty! But this is a complete cleansing of the digestive system.

And what can I say... It really works! Some people got it all cleaned after 10 glasses... Others needed 15 and a lot more of asanas until the body expelled all the salt water! What can I say... There was a moment when just clean water came out!

After the practice we had to rest, lye down, no sleeping, just resting, and letting the body re do itself again. The intestines flora, stomach juices... Don't know! Any way, I felt quite exausted and just wanted to sleep all day even if I wasn't supposed to!
In the afternoon we went for meditation next to the Ganges, at a small and nice beach. Was nice to go out for air, and walk a little.

Sunday they organized us a visit to a Temple, Shiva's temple. We could see the Himalayas from there, but was so cloudy... We didn't see so far. It was beautiful anyway.

Sunday afternoon, we decided to go to the area of Rishikesh where the ashrams are, where I stayed the first night. We went to see the fire celebration next to the Ganges that they do every afternoon in front of Parmath Niketam ashram. It was a very nice experience. People chanting mantras, music, everyone praying... Was beautiful, the sunset and at the end the fire, didn't know how to call it, but they had this sticks like chandeliers with fire that where passing to the people. If you took it, you'll have to move it in circles and then with a hand send the smoke or heat of the fire toward your head, like a gesture... Have to ask the meaning. But what I know is that people got crazy about having it on their hands! Some how I got many passed to me, and then masses of people pressing towards me asking me to give it to them... But more hands that I could count! I had to just get away from there, I think I got in the middle of all this crazy people, funny experience.

And to finish the day and the week... I had pasta with white sauce and mushrooms! Oh so delicious after a whole week eating a lot of curry... Even in breakfast they manage to give us something with curry! I miss the food.. Just normal food, without spices, just normal taste, nothing fancy...

So let's see how this second weeks goes! My body asks for a rest sometimes, but it's still ok! Tomorrow I'll enjoy my breaks a little more, cause today I was preparing for the class. Although now we spend most of the free time studying or practicing.. So now I'll just post this and go to sleep!

We have a dog somewhere in the neighborhood that has been since the last 3 days barking from 10pm until 5am, non stop... And not letting anyone sleep! Which doesn't help if we are a lady tired from the long days! I'm using my plugs though it takes me a while to fall asleep! I just hope someone does something about this dog!

Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh

alinach — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 02:29:00 GMT

Yoga teacher training timetable

6:00 Wake up
6:15 Tea
6:30 Cleansing Shatkarma
7:00-8:45 Mantra, pranayama, asana
9:00-9:30 Breakfast
9:30-11:45 FREE 2H 15M
11:45-12:45 Anatomy
12:45-13:15 Lunch
13:15-14:00 Meditation
14:00-15:00 Philosophy
15:00-16:30 FREE 1H 30M
16:30-18:00 Asana
18:00-19:00 FREE 1H
19:00 Dinner

The cleansing technic was something I've never tried before, we had to pure water into our nose, one nostril at a time, and wait for the water to come out through the other nostril... Strange sensation but was easier than I thought it would be.

The mantra chanting was fun, we where all chanting what ever but not what we where suppose to... We have to learn and memorize all the chanting, that's going to be hard!

The asana classes are nice, Hatha yoga is more relax than ashtanga. We don't move like crazy at least. We take time to do the poses and stay in there for a few breaths. Some are hard, and I can feel it in my muscles, but I think I like it.

The people at school are nice. We are so far 10 students, 4 Americans, a couple, a girl and a boy. A Canadian girl, two Argentinian girls, a girl from Singapore, an other from Sweden and me. We are beginners kind of so its nice we are on the same level.

The teachers are nice too. There are three, we have the morning asana teacher, the anatomy, philosophy and meditation teacher and the director of the course who teaches the afternoon asanas.

The first days have been about getting the strength, I guess more we advance in the course, harder it will get! I'll have to start studying all the Sanskrit words!

At night I get so tired I go to bed very early, around 21 I'm already dreaming!

Today I could finally wash my hair! I woke up this morning before six cause I wanted to shower and wash my hair, so I had all morning to dry... But there was no warm water! Had the water running for 10 minutes and nothing! So I tried again after dinner and yeah.. A lot of hot water came out! I had a long a very warm shower, felt very good. Now I'm on my bed ready to go to sleep. Tomorrow will be an other long day of practicing and learning :)

First days in Rishikesh

alinach — Mon, 9 Mar 2015 02:27:00 GMT

And I finally left Delhi!

The plan first was to come by train, so on Holi festival we went to the train station to try and buy some tickets... Of course it was fully booked!

We decided we could try the local buses next Morning, David had to take his friend to the airport early in the morning so he came to pick me up after that. Buses to Rishikesh during the day, didn't have AC, and it takes around 8 h... So after talking about it we decided to go by taxi and arrive while it was still day time.

The drive was crazy, an experience to see how Indian roads work... How traffic flows and how people drive like crazy but at the same time on a very calm manner. Never aggressive.

It was good we took the taxi, cause instead of arriving Rishikesh around 6 like we would have if taking the bus, we got there around 2pm. It was the end of the international yoga festival, so lots of people where in town.. That ment no hotel, or at least no cheap room avealable in town. After walking around for almost an hour with our suitcases asking for any rooms, we got a nice hotel to stay. Was little expensive because of the festival, but still cheap, around $15

it was only for a night anyway cause the next day my course started and my friend was looking for something cheaper, festival was over so a lot of people where leaving next day, Sunday.

Holi Festival

alinach — Sun, 8 Mar 2015 03:48:00 GMT

Holi Festival in New Delhi

The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair ruptured relationships.

Holi is a free-for-all carnival of colours, where participants play, chase and colour each other with dry powder and coloured water, with some carrying water guns and coloured water-filled balloons for their water fight. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders. All colours are used. Everyone in open areas such as streets and parks are game. Inside homes or at doorways though, only dry powder is used to smear each other's face. People throw colours, and get their targets completely coloured up. It is like a water fight, but where the water is coloured. People take delight in spraying coloured water on each other. By late morning, everyone looks like a canvas of colours. This is why Holi is given the name “Festival of Colours.”

And what a better way of spending my last day in Delhi than celebrating the beginning of spring, celebrating Holi!

I left my hotel after breakfast, they had a taxi rented the whole day, so they where really kind to tell me I could use it cause Holi is a holiday and no metro or taxi was available until 2:30pm.

I was meeting a friend from a friend of mine that had just arrived to Delhi the night before and we where going to meet, so we could travel together to Rishikesh the next day.

He was staying next to the train station, on a street full of hotels... Actually when I got to the area I thought this was better place to stay than where I was, and it turn out to be much cheaper. Yeah it's a backpackers area... But when traveling alone I think it's better to stay in a place where there's a lot of people to meet. My guesthouse was nice, like a home, but there was no one there I could meet.

So we stayed and celebrated Holi around the hotel! Was lots of fun... On the streets there where Indians and tourists all mixed together. When I say Indians I mean only males, women, the few a saw, where not playing the color game... So as you can imagine the Indian guys where very happy to be able to celebrate with the western women. Some times getting to close to crossing the line... But hey, they where just trying, why not? I guess for them all western girls are easy, and ok to touch, compared to Indian women they actually respect.

But besides the few annoying, too happy maybe drunk young guys... It was a nice party to celebrate. People would walk around the streets, with little plastic bags on their hands full with some color powder. When meeting some on the the street the idea was to aprouch, say happy Holi, and put some of the color in their faces, the other person would answer the same way. Then they would hug you or give hands, try maybe to take a picture with the girls and then keep walking their way!

Some times walking along the street you would get all cover with water... Colored water! People from the rooftops with water balloons or just buckets will throw water on you! And that was ok! Cause it's part of the celebration!

So why not... After getting wet many times buy the people from the building next to us... We decided to get payback! And so we bought water balloons and went to a window in the second floor of the hotel! From there we starting throwing balloons and water to people passing by, even to the motorcycles carrying not 2, but up to 4 people in the same moto!

Was a fun party, and a good way of spending a day in Delhi, a city I didnt like so much the day I arrived, didn't felt safe walking around, didn't want to leave my hotel at all... If it wasn't for the Holi festival I think I would have left to Rishikesh that same day.

But I'm happy I stayed, and happy I had the chance to meet a few locals and had some laugh with them!

Photos: Holi Festival

alinach — Sat, 7 Mar 2015 03:53:00 GMT

Holi Festival in New Delhi

Stop over... Dubai

alinach — Fri, 6 Mar 2015 12:46:00 GMT

And here I am, at Dubai airport! Waiting for my connection flight to New Delhi...
I'm sitting on the floor, next to a plug I found charging my phone. I had to buy an adaptor, UK plugs in here. I bought a belt for storing money and passports and a backpack so I can put all my stuffs there, don't have so many hand luggage but I do have the planes pillow :)

There is free internet at the airport, just 30min of it. I already chatted with Kai and I'm waiting to be the hour we said to meet again so I could talk with colin. While waiting, I'm charging my phone.

It was an almost 15h flight, I slept almost all the way. I'm sad and miss colin a lot... First time I feel this way. Guess knowing I'll be away for so long makes me miss him even more.

Arriving to this airport was an experience... People from all over the world walk through the airport, but the most exotic ones are the ones from this side of the world.
The police are dress in white and long dresses, with turbants on their head! They look like princes from a novel.

Women are all covered and dressed from black to all sorts of colors.
The most funny or interesting experience was using the toilet! Women from here don't respect the line... Don't know if it's cause it's not on their tradition.. Or because they just don't respect western women! Any way, the woman working at the toilet was screaming at them telling them to get on the line! And when they where going to enter the toilet she will scream at them telling them not to pee on the floor! And not to spil water on the floor ether. Was a funny and interesting thing to witness.

I have to make pictures of all this! The duty free shops are amazing, luxury and it's all here! Like an European mall and more than that!

Areas with green, and areas for kids to play, sofas to rest and relying chairs... You name it, it's here. They even had showers at the toilet! Can't imagine how the city is! Must be luxury at its highest...

It's time to connect to Internet now, they should be getting on line soon :)

Just talked to them.. They connected a little late, but we had enough time to chat a little, colin got really sad but then they call again and we said good bye, hope he is fine now. I'm sad but happy I could talk to him at least for 10 min

Now I still have 3hours... So I guess I'll go for a walk around to see all the amazing things they have here! First a visit to the exotic toilets ;)

Photos: Dubai airport

alinach — Fri, 6 Mar 2015 04:23:00 GMT