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| Hey gang,
I am planning on staying in India for five months at one or maybe two ashrams. I fly into Mumbai and have absolutely no fixed plans after that. I have practiced Ashtanga yoga for a few years and really love it. I would rather not practice at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute because it is a little pricey for me. I would love to find an Ashram that is rustic and beautiful with a strong focus on asanas like ashtanga or hatha. So, any suggestions? Thanks you and Namaste.
Viento |
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| I wish and mean you all the best. But, in my personal strong opinion, your approach is wrong. No fixed plans are ok if that is your goal, I mean you wish to welcome whatever comes with no plans. I like that myself. However, after making no fixed plans, and wanting Ashtanga Style exercise focus, from a NON Ashtanga Style Institute, etc. sounds meaningless to me. And, also addition of trying to get less price. I suggest the following:
- if you are open to Iyengar Style Yoga Exercise, then try to study with Mr. Arun in Bangalore.
- if you are open to Spiriual Aspects of Yoga in addition to exercse, I suggest you go to Shivananda Ashram in Rishikesh, and speicifically tell them you want difficult Yoga Exercises in addition what other things they offer. If they can not give you an appropriate level of exercise teacher, then stay with them for Non Exercise Part, and get private classes from someone in the area.
- if you are interested in learning Ayurveda, go to Kerala or Pune
- if you want to come to Virginia and learn how to set up an Ashram at your home (NOT kidding), come to me.
OM ShantiH
viento - 2007-11-08 4:06 PM
Hey gang,
I am planning on staying in India for five months at one or maybe two ashrams. I fly into Mumbai and have absolutely no fixed plans after that. I have practiced Ashtanga yoga for a few years and really love it. I would rather not practice at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute because it is a little pricey for me. I would love to find an Ashram that is rustic and beautiful with a strong focus on asanas like ashtanga or hatha. So, any suggestions? Thanks you and Namaste.
Viento |
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| "I wish and mean you all the best. But, in my personal strong opinion, your approach is wrong."
I have been traveling for seven years nonstop, no fixed residence, always on the move. Seven glorious years not a moment of which I would have changed for the world. I have found that the magic of the world is presented when we float and meander through life. Planning out our future leads to an unwillingness to be guided by the signals that present themselves to us at every moment. How in the world could I possibly make firm commitments and plans for a country that is on the other side of the world? Who knows what I will find when I get there? How could anybody know which direction I should go in a future entirely unknown? What I do look for before hand is information. I try to inform myself as thoroughly as possible as to the geogrophy, culture, religion, atmosphere, etc., of what I am about to explore, but never, ever, with any precise plans. The only plan I make is to plan for serendipity. And to say that this approach is "wrong" is absurd, for it is my approach, not yours. You can say that this approach doesn't work for you, but to say its "wrong" is to judge, its' to say that your approach is better. The ego is a tricky vise that sneaks up on us when we're least expecting it... careful.
With all of that said, what do you think of Rishikesh? Sounds enticing.
With much love, for it's all about love,
Viento |
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| Darling Viento:
Actually, I have not made any judgement on you at all. I have only given my opinion which of course is based on my logic. Whereas you have proven your statemen that you welcome the unknown to be false by reacting to my statements which were unexpected by you. So, I suggest that you really learn to accept the unknown or unexpected. My statements are in response to your question and not out of context. Read my statement which states it is my opinon.
The reason I made my statement as such is because you (I am not reading the above post of yours again) wanted speicific Yoga Instruction. If you only wanted to travel to accept whatever unknowns come and get enlightened, I would have commended you and still do so if that is what you meant. But, what I am saying is planning to travel as you stated above and then obtain a Yoga instruction of your expectation is WRONG in my opinion. If you are lucky you shall meet someone without having to gather information, too.
I also stated how you shall get some Yoga Instruction.
In Rishikesh, you can use Shree Shivananda Ashram (the term you have used, and the place where I have not been member of ) with good benefit in terms of your Spiritual Liking, but if you are looking for strong focus on Ashtanga like exercises or equivalent, you should wander in the city of Rishikesh which is small and actually meet various teachers and take one or two whom you like.
And, your statement about my ego does not bother me much because you are the who has made a WRONG judgement without sufficient knowledge about me, while not getting the essence of my response in terms of benefit to you.
I wish you all the best. I know quite a few people who have travelled like you. One of them from Australia who was preparing to spend entire life in Forest, another who lived on motor bike on 5 years while sleeping in the tent and is now a well known ecological scientist, and another one who travelled 2000 miles one way and back into Himalayas only on foot and who carried NO money. And, all these are very close to me. They all shall give you similar advice as far as I feel assured.
Just travelling while welcoming the unknown does not make one enlightened. Otherwise, all the explorers of the world would have been enlightened. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| viento - you are a serious traveler!! A romantic and faraway notion for a hyper-practical homebody like myself and I do love to hear stories of other's travels, though rarely feel the urge to actually go anywhere myself.
Anyway, I can see that. although you embrace the adventure, you do like to have a few clues and sign posts before you set out. Whether you and Neel ever agree on right and wrong, you can be sure his suggestions are good, since he is from India himself. And aside from the Iyengar Institute in Pune, which has a 2 year wait list and several prerequisites to going there, the Sivananda ashram would be my next choice. So many well-loved yogis have come from there, including Swami Satchidananda and Swami Radha. Please stick around and tell us more about your travels as they unfold.  |
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India Ashram?
