After flying for an hour from New Delhi to Dehradun, a taxi picked me up and drove the 16 kms to Anand Prakash Ashram in Tapovan area. An hour later I was settled into my room and off to my first yoga class in the Ashram. Yogrishi Vishvketu is the guru here known also in Edmonton for his teacher training at Prana studio. He and the Ashram have a good reputation and I like the Akhanda yoga style.
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| The Ashram in Tapovan, Rishikesh |
There is a nice schedule here - a 5:00 am bell, meditation 5:20 to 6am then the first yoga class 6 - 7:45, fire puja at 8, breakfast at 8:30, lunch at 12:30pm, yoga class at 4pm and dinner at 6pm. Meals are all vegetarian, tasty and they use organic foods prepared safely. It is not as quiet here as I would like with construction, people, cars and motorbikes. I am sharing a room with a Mexican who gets up at 4:30am, has a shower and talks to himself, probably some mantra. My hips are aching from lots of yoga and sitting in Sukhasana (cross legged) for meditation, yoga and meals!
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| Fire Puja ceremony area |
One of my favourite meditations is a coffee meditation! I walk quietly to the German Bakery near Laxman Jhula bridge for a latte - no stimulants at the Ashram - and walk quietly back, satisfied. Also, no meat, no alcohol, and silence from 9 pm until after breakfast. Students are in week 4 of their 300 hour Teacher Training as well as a few of us travellers dropping in. Mantras abound, it is relaxed and free time in between the scheduled items to wash clothes, clean the room, read or catch up on email.
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| Laxman Jhula bridge |
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