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Planning to go to India?

Mariellen — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 20:50:28 +0000

Sita Sings the Blues

Ready, set, go to India

What to pack, what to eat, where to go and more

If you are planning to visit India, I have lots of resources right here on Breathedreamgo. Start by reading the following blogs: Advice for first time travelers, Top 5 Myths about India, Avoiding bed bugs, bacteria and bad guys, Top 5 things I’ve learned after a year of travel in India , Top 10 tips for women traveling in India and my Packing list for India. And don’t miss watching How to use an Indian toilet – it’s a funny and informative video by the great Wilbur Sargunaraj that will teach you a very important, essential skill.

I would also recommend reading about India. I have included a list of 10 books about India that I love, and 10 more books, and a list of spiritual books that I love, some of which are pertinent. Of course, there are loads more I haven’t read or even heard of — so let me know if you come across something good.

For guide books, I recommend the Lonely Planet Guide to India and the Rough Guide to India. In India, books are cheap, and there are lots of great travel and tourism books and guides available. I especially recommend Outlook Traveller, and the “Love” Guides to Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Bangalore.

If you want to know something of Hindu culture — and India is about 85% Hindu — I would suggest getting acquainted with the Mahabharat, the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita. The Mahabharat and the Ramayana are epics (the Mahabharat is the longest poem in history), and I am not suggesting that you read them in entirety. You can get abridged versions, read about them on Wikipedia, watch videos or find versions for children. There are lots of ways.

The Bhagavad Gita is essentially the “bible” of Hinduism. It is short section within the Mahabharat in which Krishna lectures Arjuna as the great battle is about to begin. He sets forth the philosophy of yoga and the basis of Hinduism. It doesn’t take long to read, but it takes a lifetime to fully appreciate and understand.

For a “pop culture” version of the Ramayana, watch Sita Sings the Blues. It may not be considered a traditional retelling, but it’s extremely entertaining and really beautifully crafted. Kudos to Nina Paley — who poured her heartache over her own divorce into artistic endeavour!

Cultural etiquette

Most people understand (I hope) that India is still a traditional society, except perhaps in parts of Mumbai. Even Delhi is comparatively conservative — and once you get out of the big cities, India is almost completely traditional. I am a “when in Rome” traveler, and I wouldn’t dream of disrespecting my host country. I wrote this brief list of Do’s and Dont’s to give you the basics. Far be it for me to tell you what to do … but please think about the repercussions of your actions.

Travel Tips and other resources

Here are some websites that could prove useful, and there are more on Links page.

IndiaMike, a travel forum for sharing tips on travel and living in India
IndiaTourism, official site
TripAdvisor, where real people review hotels and more
LonelyPlanet, and the Thorn Tree Travel Forum
The Matador Network, online travel magazine
Transitions Abroad, a comprehensive resource for working and living abroad
Journeywoman, travel advice for women
Wanderlust and Lipstick, travel resource for women with lots of info on India
Startbackpacking.com, a very informative backpacking guide
Love Guides to Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, three gorgeous guides that will make you fall in love with these cities

Yoga and solo travel

I have spent more than a year in India in the last five years, on four separate trips. I have lived in Delhi, volunteered in the Tibetan community in Dharamsala, studied yoga at:

… and visited these states: National Capital Region (Delhi), Punjab, Haryana, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. I lived with my partner’s family in Delhi; otherwise I mostly traveled alone.

I enjoy traveling alone in India and can recommend it for women without reservation. I have even written about it for Solotravelerblog.com.

If you still have questions that are not answered here, please feel free to contact me at mariellen [@] breathedreamgo . com.

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

Taking the train in India

Mariellen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:52:09 +0000

Poetry in motion

I love taking the train in India. It’s a great way to see the country, meet people and generally slow down your trip. Indian Railways is the world’s largest employer and the train system is massive and complex. You can book online on the IRTCT site and find great tips on Figuring out India Rail Travel on the wonderful The Planet D site.

I have many memories of watching India’s sun-baked landscape slide by, but here are two of my favourite train ride stories.

Long day’s journey

New Delhi Railway Station to Jaisalmer

My first clue was the difficulty I had in finding my bogey. Normally, India’s antiquated, seemingly chaotic train system always proves to have a kind of magical order, but this time I rushed up and down the platform looking for my car as none of them were marked. Finally, a fat, satisfied conductor ambled along and began slowing applying the dot-matrix printed sheets listing the reservations to each car. Once I found my car, and bunk, I didn’t feel much better.

India’s trains – like so many things in Indian society – are hierarchical. The Shatabdi’s and Rajdhani‘s are the best: the trains are new-ish, clean and they run on time. They usually ply the routes between India’s major cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi.

The train I was on was going to Jaisalmer, a far-flung destination in the middle of the Thar Desert, on the edge of India. The train was old, not clean and absolutely crammed full of people and other non-paying guests. Over the course of the 21 hours I spent on that train, I saw about five cockroaches (and stopped counting, because the last two were running along the wall near my face as I was falling asleep) and two large mice. Or small rats. Not sure.

My bunkmates were a family of Spanish women and we made the best of the situation by having a party. Luckily for me, they shared their food with me as I had only two oranges and a bag of almonds to last almost 24 hours.

Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan, India

It was a long journey, and maddening, as we were often stopped waiting for other trains to pass. Finally we got to Jaisalmer and I lunged off the train into the glare of the noonday sun. I was struck by the colours of this far-flung Rajasthani town – splashes of neon pink and orange fabric against a backdrop of pale red earth, golden sandstone and iridescent blue sky – and I felt immediately refreshed by the sunlight and spaciousness.

And when I saw Jaislamer’s impossibly romantic fairy-tale fort rising above the desert, I was in awe. Here was a scene out of the 1,001 Arabian Nights that I idolized as a child. Here was the real-life version of my bedroom walls, which I had painted with exotic, Oriental scenes of genies coming out of bottles, turret-topped palaces and stone fortress-like cityscapes. At once, the arduous train journey melted in the magical heat of the Jaisalmer sun.

Unlikely heroes

New Delhi Railway Station to Haridwar

I arrived at NDLS in the blue light of early morning and began the usual round of haggling to engage a porter. “Neh, neh, there is no way I am paying 200 rupees, I live in Delhi.” One porter seemed unusually keen and genuine, plus he had a killer smile. I uncharacteristically agreed to 100 rupees, more than double the amount a local would pay. We made our way through the dampness and squalor to track 16 and I gave my porter my e-ticket. He discovered that I had only a waiting list ticket. I thought my seat was number 48; in fact, I was 48 on the waiting list and did not stand a chance of getting a seat.

on the train to Haridwar

It was a Friday morning and I was trying to board a train to Haridwar, the centre of the Kumbh Mela – the largest spiritual gathering on earth. This train, and all the others leaving for Haridwar for weeks in every direction, had been sold out for months. Nevertheless, my porter did not give up on me. He rushed to find the first-class conductor, and when he didn’t prove helpful, he rushed to find the second-class conductor.

The train was leaving in six minutes and I stood on the platform and poured my appeal for a seat on this man, who had a kindly face. The conductor said, “You can have my seat.” And he told me the number and with only three minutes to spare directed the porter and I to a second-class bogey. The porter genuinely shared my elation, and, I imagine, felt some job satisfaction as he stowed my bag on the overhead rack. I pressed 200 rupees in his hand. “Thank you – you deserve this!” I said, and he flashed his killer smile at me.

Later, when the seat beside me became available, the conductor sat down to chat and told me all about his hiking adventures in the region north of Haridwar and Rishikesh (the Char Dham pilgrimage routes). He was a very friendly and informative person and I took a lot of notes as I hope to do some of these hikes one day.

So, in typical Indian fashion, a so-called problem turned into an opportunity for friendly contact and adventure.

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

Traveling solo in India

Mariellen — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:12:45 +0000

[Note: Originally published as Recommended: Travel solo in India by Solotravelerblog.)

When I was 45 years old, I put everything I owned in storage, gave up my apartment and went to India for six months. It was the first time in my life that I had done anything like this. But it was time. I had always wanted to go to India and, after losing both of my parents, I knew it was now or never to go after my dreams.

Was I scared? You bet. But it was the “healthy” kind of scared – the kind that rises up from within and first whispers, then roars: if you overcome this, you will be forever changed. So I went. I jumped off the proverbial cliff to see how the universe would respond.

I will never forget peering out the window of the plane into the midnight blackness as we began our long descent into Delhi. All I could see was strange, random groupings of flickering orange lights. The familiar grid pattern of bright, even, white light you see when flying over a western city was nowhere in sight. I had no idea what to expect. I was on the greatest adventure of my life and I knew it.

And then I landed, and smelled Delhi’s acrid-pungent air for the first time and I knew everything would be okay. And it was. I spent six glorious months on a magic carpet ride. The universe held out loving, embracing arms and caught me.

Feeling safe among warm, friendly people

While all the stereotypes about India are true – it is crowded, dirty, noisy, chaotic and poor – it is also unfathomably rich in culture, tradition, spirituality and beauty. The ancient wisdom culture of India is alive in so many ways, but especially in the friendliness of the people. It’s the people of India that make traveling solo such a wonderful – and safe – experience. I can’t imagine kinder, more helpful, happier people.

Indians know how to enjoy life. They know how to be in the here-and-now, and appreciate time with family members and friends. They have a gift for relationship – and everything in India is relationship-driven. A poor shop owner would rather lose a sale than lose time with his family.

So, while traveling in India can be challenging due to crowds, chaos and delays, you will always find friendly people willing to engage in deep, meaningful conversations on philosophy, religion, values and other thought-provoking topics; and you will always find people willing to help you in any way they can. Personally, I would rather be in India with its dirty, late trains and warm, friendly people, than in a country with clean, super-efficient trains and reserved, aloof people.

If you go to India, my advice is to go with an open mind and an open heart. Take all the precautions, of course – especially with drinking water – but don’t go with fear in your mind or heart. I always say that India is like the cave that Yoda sends Luke into. “What will I find in there?” Luke asks. “Only what you bring with you,” Yoda answers.

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

10 Tips for women traveling in India

Mariellen — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:38:02 +0000

[NOTE: Originally published on Journeywoman, July 2009.]

Moi, in salwar kameez, at Kanyakumari - the very southern tip of India

1. Wear “salwar kameez”

Aside from good walking shoes and sandals, a one-piece bathing suit and cotton bras and underwear – or, if you prefer, the synthetic kind that wicks away sweat – don’t bring any clothes to India. If you land in Delhi, head straight to one of the Fabindia outlets and stock up on inexpensive cotton “suits.” The three-piece suit (in Hindi, salwar kameez) consists of a long or short tunic over fitted or wide-legged pants, topped with a long scarf, called a dupatta. These outfits suit the climate, the need for modesty and will help you fit in, mitigating your status as a moving target for gawkers, touts and beggars.

2. Carry a long scarf

Even if you don’t opt for wearing the costume preferred by many women in India, the “suit” or salwar kameez, always travel with a long scarf made of light-weight fabric. It will come in handy for situations where modesty will be more convenient and allow you to go into mosques, gurdwaras and more traditionally minded Hindu temples.

Rawla Guest House, Jaipur

3. Rawla guest house in Jaipur

Jas Vilas Hotel in posh Bani Park, Jaipur is a favourite accommodation option, a real gem, but it is on the expensive side and often full. The owner’s niece, Sanyogita – who is a Rajput royal – recently opened a comfortable and gracious guesthouse in her lovely home. The Rawla, also in Bani Park, offers modern amenities, good food, and, best of all, Sanyogita’s company and advice. Sanyogita is a charming hostess who knows Jaipur like the back of her hand.

4. Bring tissue and hand sanitizer

In India, I never go out for the day without a mini pack or two of tissues, a small bottle of hand disinfectant, a cell phone and an iPod shuffle. I use the cell phone to call a friend and report the number of the taxi, as I get in, and so that the driver can hear me. (If no one answers, I pretend!) In markets and bazaars, I sometimes turn up the iPod so that I can’t hear the aggressive vendors, and they eventually leave me alone.

5. TripAdvisor

Check TripAdvisor.com for recommendations and tips from fellow travelers.

Ganges View Hotel terrace, Varanasi

6. Hotel Ganges View, Varanasi

I was very glad that I stayed at the Hotel Ganges View, Assi Ghat, in Varanasi. Aside from being a comfortable and safe place to stay, it also features a communal dining experience in the gracious dining room. At dinner, I met other women traveling alone, and a couple of us went on to Delhi together, sharing some of the expenses.

7. Yoga capital: Rishikesh

Rishikesh is a wonderful destination for a woman traveling alone in India who is interested in health, wellness, yoga or spirituality. The “yoga capital of the world” is a relatively serene town that meanders along the jewel-green Ganges River as it cascades through a beautiful valley among the Himalayan foothills. There are many safe accommodation options in ashrams (such as my fave, the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram) and guesthouses and lots of opportunity to take yoga classes, study and meet other women traveling alone.

8. IndiaMike.com

IndiaMike.com a great online resource, packed with destination information, travel articles and forums on many topics relating to traveling or living in India. You can pose very specific questions and chances are good that a friendly and knowledgeable fellow-traveler will respond.

9. Makemytrip.com

Makemytrip.com is an Indian travel site that offers information and can help you plan your itinerary and book plane, train and bus tickets as well as hotel and homestay accommodation.

open-air dining room at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

10. Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

One of my favourite Indian experiences was staying for two weeks at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort in south Kerala (about 8 kms south of busy Kovalam Beach). The Shinshiva is a small resort that features thatched-roof cottages, an open-air Ayurvedic dining room, a perfect cliff-top setting overlooking the Arabian sea and magical sunsets AND authentic Ayurvedic treatments such as one-hour-long hot oil massages performed by two young women working in rhythmic harmony. Also a good place to meet other women travelers, it is a favourite destination for Europeans.

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

Indian travel alerts

Mariellen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:16:41 +0000

Temple bell, cow, temple, Pushkar

I am flagrantly copying a fantastic Travel Advisory I saw on Rebel’s blog — but I have adapted it for travel in India. (Thanks Rebel — imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!) Next time I am traveling and blogging in India, I will code each entry with one of the following:

Temple bells – At one with the universe. Content, happy, going with the flow.

Mango lassi -- Fun times! Having adventures, going to festivals, celebrating.

Masala chai – Situation normal. Feeling at home with friends. All is well.

Veg or non-veg thali – The challenge of culture shock is noticeable, but I’m taking it in stride.

Bhel puri – One too many people tried to sell me something, over-charge me, beg money from me or talk to me in a way that does not uphold “Aththi Devo Bahv.” Wishing I was invisible.

Chili peppers -- Arrggghh, too many people, too hot, too noisy, too polluted, I need sanctuary!

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

Do’s and Don’ts in India

Mariellen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:04:49 +0000

Moi, with friends, at the Taj Mahal

Do:

- Go to the Taj Mahal. Yes, it’s worth it. It may be one of the few times in your life when all the hype and hyperbole actually fails to capture the spectacular beauty of the real thing.

- Take the train. Traveling by train in India is an adventure. Indian Railway is the world’s biggest employer (1.2 million employees) and everyone takes the train, from ministers to farmers. It takes a bit of time to master the class system (2AC is a good choice); the new online ticket system really helps. You will meet lots of friendly people, no matter which class you travel.

- Learn a few words of Hindi. Most educated people speak English, but working class people and villagers rarely speak more than a few words. “Namaste” is a common greeting; “theek hai” is okay; “accha” is, is that right?; “jaao” is go away’ “chai” is tea; “paani” is water.

- Wear kurtahs (long shirts) if you are a man; and salwar kameez (also called a “suit,” it’s a long tunic over pants, and topped with a long scarf) if you are a woman.

- Take a yoga class or stay at a yoga ashram.

- Try a homestay guest house. The family is the backbone of the social system in India and you will learn a lot about the culture — and have a great time — by living with a family.

Don’t:

- Hand out money to beggars in crowded places. You will be swarmed. In fact, authorities advise that you don’t give money to anyone asking for a handout. If you want to give, by all means do so — India has many, many worthwhile charitable organizations. Your money will go to a better cause of you give it to a charitable organization. Many beggars work for gangsters, so the money you give to them, just ends up in the gangster’s pocket.

- Wear your shoes in a temple, mosque, gurdwara — any house of worship or sacred place.

- Dress in scanty or provocative clothing.

- Use your left hand for eating, if you are eating with your hands (this is especially true in South India). Also, use only your right hand for any religious or sacred gesture; and don’t point with your feet, or touch things with your feet.

- Eat street food unless you absolutely know it is hygienic. Same goes for salads.

- Take any risks with drinking water. Always ensure the water is completely safe. Buy sealed bottles only.

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

10 (more) books I love about India

Mariellen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:56:03 +0000

A while I ago, I wrote a blog post that listed my Top 10 Books on India (thus far). This is the second installment in my series, Books I love about India.

1. Kim by Rudyard Kipling. It’s a masterpiece. I read it with my jaw on the floor. I have been reading for, oh, 43 years, give or take, and I have never read a book that is so in the moment. You tramp along with Kim down the streets of Lahore, on the Grand Trunk Road, through Himalayan passes. Every sound, every smell, every gesture, every accent is evoked. The dust swirls around you, the smell of cooking food entices you, the fresh air of the mountains revives you. Kipling knew the road in India, and he knew how to capture it in words. And Kipling is not just a master of description — he is a master story-teller. Like India herself, this story is bold, complex, subtle and ambiguous. Though it is not an easy read, it is hugely rewarding. I will be reading it again soon.

Fishermen on the beach in Kerala, south India

2. A Rope in the Water by Sylvia Fraser. I read this book just before I left for India the first time; and I am re-reading it now. The story engrossed me the first time; it’s her writing skill that captures me this time: vivid descriptions, intelligent insight, great story-telling and a journalist’s skill for reporting. She also has a sensitive feel for the culture of India and keen spiritual understanding She can do it all. I don’t want to give anything away … but when she tells the story about the rope in the water, I get shivers. That story has really stuck with me. I also got shivers when she gets an astrology reading done and reveals her birthday, March 8, which is also mine. I find it very compelling that Sylvia Fraser and I have so much in common … we are both female writers from Toronto, born on March 8, who went on pilgrimages to India to deal with trauma from the past. I also ended up in many of the same places she did — without meaning to! But even if your birthday is not March 8 and you haven’t been to India, this is still a great read by any yardstick. And if you are looking for an authentic spiritual quest, read this before Eat, Pray, Love.

3. No Full Stops in India by Mark Tully. Actually, anything by Mark Tully. I also have India in Slow Motion and India’s Unending Journey. Tully (which means drunk in Hindi!) was the chief correspondent for the BBC in Delhi for many years. He’s a good writer and he knows India. His most recent, India’s Unending Journey, is by far the most personal. It’s about his own psychological and spiritual journey as he learns from India to be “certain about uncertainty.” I can relate. Compelling reading.

4. Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald. A classic. Every time I think of the iron scene, I start chuckling as I picture Sarah’s face hidden by her hands so the very serious servants won’t realize she’s actually bursting with laughter over the missing iron. I laugh even more since I experienced living with servants in a Delhi household. (But servants in an India household are a bit more light-hearted than those in a foreigner’s household, methinks.) Oh, just read the book. It’s both hilarious and also moving as she traces her own relationship to India from reluctance and disdain to head-over-heels, unabashed love.

5. Slowly Down the Ganges by Eric Newby. Eric and his wife took a slow boat down the Ganges in the days before India’s modernization began. It’s a fascinating journey, written in precise detail that makes every agonizing minute they are dragging the big tin boat over rocks and sandbanks almost painful to read.

6. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Had to start this book a second time before I really got into it. It creeps into you like rain forest dampness. Very evocative and very powerful. While the setting is Kerala, in tropical southern India, it could be anywhere rural and stifling. I thought of the American deep south more than once. Strikingly original writing.

Jama Masjid, Old Delhi

7. Twilight in Delhi by Ahmed Ali. This book, a “cult classic,” was apparently very hard to get for many years. Ahmed Ali was a Muslim writer and professor from Delhi who was out of the country when partition was announced and Pakistan was created. He was not allowed back into India and had, instead, to settle in Pakistan. It is a prose poem dedicated to the twilight days of “old” Delhi, when the Muslim area of the city flourished. It not only captures a bygone era, it also relates some moving personal stories.

8. City Improbable edited by Khushwant Singh. Bombay/Mumbai and Calcutta/Kolkata seem to get all the press, but there are those of us who are quite taken with Delhi. It’s a fascinating, historical, multi-layered city that sometimes seems, well, improbable. This is an excellent collection of entertaining and informative essays.

9. Calcutta edited by Geoffrey Moorhouse. The history of Calcutta, from its founding in 1690 by Job Charnok, an agent of the East India Company, is inextricably linked to the history of the British in India. Calcutta was the capital of the British Raj until it was moved to Delhi in 1911. The tales Moorhouse chose make for fascinating reading. They cover many eras, many subjects and include well-known authors as well as excerpts from the diaries of English women who came out to be with their husbands (or to find husbands).

10. Rajasthan Getaways by Outlook Traveller. Oh, I was glad I had this book when I was traveling by myself in Rajasthan. Published in India, it’s much more than a simple guidebook. The book is primarily a series of essays written by talented writers who love India’s most-visited state as much as I do.

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

Finding spirituality on trip to India

Mariellen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:49:35 +0000

The soul of the world

I enjoyed reading Christine Garvin’s article, Can You Develop Your Spirituality Without Visiting India? on Brave New Traveler (part of the Matador Travel Network).Of course, I whole-heartedly agree that finding or increasing your spiritual awareness is not about location. Spirituality is an attitude and an understanding. You can find it, learn it or increase it anywhere and anytime. In fact, the lessons often come from the unlikeliest people and places. You don’t even have to go to a temple, church, mosque, gurdwara, mediation centre, ashram, monastery or what have you. Once you begin to see the world from a spiritual perspective, you may never need a formal teacher again.

Yoga is my spiritual path and my teacher, Swami Brahmdev (known to his students as Swamiji) of Aurovalley Ashram said there are two conceptions of yoga. The one that is popularized in the west is that yoga is something you do. According to Swamiji, however, “Yoga is established in your understanding and attitude; it is a way of life. Yoga is living with a yogic attitude – naturally and with simplicity. When that attitude is born, you are a yogi, no matter where you are.”

But I take exception to the Brave New Traveler article subhead “Forget flying halfway around the world to find happiness.” I encourage you to fly to India — or sail or walk or go by camel if you must! — if you feel the urge. I felt a compelling desire to go to India about five years ago, and to say I’m glad I went is the biggest understatement of my life. Going to India was the best thing I ever did. I am writing a book about all the gifts I have received from three trips there.

Everyone’s path is different and for me, India is my spiritual home. The “advances” I made on my spiritual path while traveling and studying yoga in India for 11 months may have taken me a lifetime here in Canada. I recently wrote an article for a Canadian travel magazine, India is Yoga, that addresses the question: why go to India for yoga? I asked three Indian yoga teachers, including Swamiji, for their opinions, and their answers are worth reading if you are interested in the subject.

It is my experience that, generally, India has a milieu or energy that I find very spiritually conducive; whereas I feel the opposite is true in my home town, Toronto. I am not saying you can’t have a spiritual experience in Toronto or that you are guaranteed to have one in India, of course. As I said, a lot of it is attitude. I go to India with the attitude that I am going to learn, and I do. Just learning to go with the flow of train delays and crowds and sights of appalling poverty can really open you up, if you let it.

Until you experience India, and yoga in India, you probably won’t be able to understand just how different it is over there, as compared to here. God is ever-present in India. God is celebrated, worshipped and invoked in road-side shrines, massive temple complexes, at tiny altars in many stores and in the prayer rooms in most homes; and in the thousands of sacred places — rivers, mountains, tress — and places associated with sacred events, such as Krishna’s birth or the battle of Kurukshetra. All of India is a living, breathing sacred place that is alive with history, myth and the stories of the epics and the gods.

And of course it is not just that the people are religious. They are also, for the most part, very spiritual. My own experience is that the people of India are kind, helpful, open and much more content and — dare I say it? — happy than we are in the materially affluent west.

To people of a certain temperament, like me, all of this makes a big impact.

Joseph Campbell would say that if you are a seeker, if you are on a quest, at some point, you must leave your community. There are certain predictable steps or stages in the hero’s journey, and leaving your community to go in search of treasure — your holy grail — is one of them. It doesn’t mean you have to go to India, of course. A pilgrimage is a very personal thing.

But by going to India, you are at the very least bound to gain some perspective, which I think many westerners could benefit from — as only about 8% of the world lives as luxuriously as we middle-class westerners do. (I wrote more about this in my post, Life is perfect. Or, as the Globe and Mail ads say, “It’s not just news. It’s a wake up call from the other side of the world.”)

It probably all comes down to your attitude. I often say that India is like the cave that Yoda sends Luke into. Luke asks, “What will I find in there?” and Yoda answers, “Only what you bring with you.”

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

India is Yoga

Mariellen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:15:02 +0000

Originally published in Dreamscapes magazine.

View of the majestic Himalayas from Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram

As I sit writing this on the balcony of my room at the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh, India, the melodious sound of people singing kirtan (devotional songs and chants) floats up from the yoga hall below. From here, I have a breath-taking view of the imposing foothills of the Himalayas and I can feel the invigorating mountain air as it sweeps into this serene valley, through which the jewel-green Ganga (Ganges) River flows. It is easy to see why legend refers to the Himalaya range as Dev Bhoomi, land of the gods.

Rishikesh is a small and relatively (by Indian standards) peaceful town that meanders along the narrow valley on both sides of the Ganga, connected by two impressive suspension bridges, Laxman Jhula and Ram Jhula, which are open for pedestrian traffic, bicycles and motorcycles only. Seers – rishis – and sages have been gathering here, at this picturesque spot on the Ganges, since before recorded history to prayer, chant and meditate. Indian pilgrims and foreign yoga students alike flock here to stay in one of the town’s many ashrams and soak up the devotional vibes. It is often referred to as the yoga capital of the world.

“Yogis have been coming here for long time, and they created vibrations in their bodies that have gone into the Ganga water, trees, stones,” says Yogi Vishvketu (Vishva) who, along with his Canadian-born wife, Chetana Panwar, founded the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh two years ago. “People who come here feel it immediately. I have seen people coming here from all over the world. They experience immediate healing and they change on all levels, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.”

To Vishva, who has trained since the age of eight to become a yogi, and who holds a Phd in yoga from the university in nearby Haridwar, this is one of the main reasons why yoga students are drawn to Rishikesh. The other is the opportunity to be exposed to the whole philosophy of yoga. “Our intention in creating this ashram is to give westerners a safe and clean environment in India to experience both the beautiful, magical energy of Rishikesh and to heal themselves by following the Indian yogic system. We chant, perform rituals, sing kirtan, observe yogic diet and lifestyle and give people the whole picture of yoga.”

For me, the highlight of staying at Anand Prakash is the 6 a.m. yoga class with Vishva in the rooftop yoga hall. As we move, chant and meditate under the guidance of this bliss-master (Vishva is the happiest person I have ever met!), the sun rises from behind the mountains and bathes the room in a golden glow.

The first time I visited Aurovalley Ashram, about 10 kilometres south of Rishikesh, I took a short nap soon after arriving and fell into the most restful sleep of my life. I felt the profoundly peaceful energy of this garden ashram almost immediately and knew it was my spiritual home.

Several hand-painted signs on the ashram grounds proclaim, “All life is yoga.” This is the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, one of the great Indian thinkers of the 20th century, reduced to its essence. Aurovalley was founded 30 years ago by Swami Brahmdev (Swamiji), a disciple of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother’s teachings. It is a garden ashram, surrounded immediately by meadows and, in the distance, by the mist-covered hills of Rajaji National Park. Nature is ever-present at Aurovalley in the form of fragrant tropical flowers, fluttering butterflies, colourful songbirds, fruit-laden trees, gardens and glorious sunsets. Regular visitors extol the ashram’s healing benefits.

Swamiji explains there are two conceptions of yoga. The one that is popularized in the west is that yoga is something you do. According to Swamiji, however, “Yoga is established in your understanding and attitude; it is a way of life. Yoga is living with a yogic attitude – naturally and with simplicity. When that attitude is born, you are a yogi, no matter where you are.”

Swamiji doesn’t lecture or teach. Every day he sits outside the ashram library building, under a mango tree, and people gather to ask questions. Does one need to go to India to learn to be a yogi? “If you want to buy vegetables where will you go,” he answers, with lightness, and a twinkle in his eye. “India is a university for the world to understand more and collect more information on this subject.”

The International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers is a nonprofit organization founded by Swami Vishnu-devananda. He established the first Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Montreal, Canada, in 1959 and there are now close to 80 Sivananda ashrams and yoga centres around the world. Mani Chaitanya, director of the Sivananda centre in New Delhi is a tall, slim soft-spoken man who chooses his words very carefully. The Sivananda centre is an oasis of calm in a very hectic city, and it is where I practice yoga when I am in New Delhi.

“Yoga practitioners are naturally curious to discover the roots of yoga,” he says. “In India, people can discover a spiritual way of understanding life. They can experience a new lifestyle and incorporate it into their own practice.”

Mani explains that Sivananda offers westerners a systematic method for learning the traditional yogic lifestyle and balancing it with the demands of modern life. “It’s a unique structure that is easy and effective to practice in daily life. You can learn to manage a spiritual life that doesn’t take you away from where you are.”

Sivananda is a worldwide network, a gateway to yoga for westerners, and the same method is followed in all locations. One its main attractions is that the ashrams are located in peaceful places, away from city life. The Neyyar Dam location in Kerala, south India, for example, is set in a lush tropical paradise surrounded by sacred mountains. The ashram offers yoga holidays as well as various levels of teacher training programs.

Many people come from all over the world to study and practice yoga in India. And while there are countless methods and styles; teachers and ashrams, they are all streams leading to and from the same ocean of yogic wisdom.

Navjeet Kaur Mackie is a yoga teacher from Mississauga, currently living in Nova Scotia. She studied yoga in North America before heading off to India in 2007 to deepen her practice and understanding of this ancient tradition.

“India is yoga,” Navjeet says. “India is where I found the very essence of yoga, and discovered that yoga is not only a practice on the mat, but a way of life. Even though yoga is everywhere in India, Rishikesh is where I practiced my physical yoga the most. The feeling that you get when you visit Rishikesh is one of peace and serenity, but still infused with the typical Indian charm. I would recommend India to anyone and everyone who has found themselves on the yoga path.”

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

Packing list for India

Mariellen — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 02:41:22 +0000

clothes in the Pushkar marketplace, Rajasthan

Travel light and right

We all have small secret areas of expertise, and one of mine is packing for India. I am claiming this expertise based on three facts:

1) I have packed to go from my country (Canada) to India five times,

2) I did a LOT of research before I left on my first big, six-month trip to India — and brought a LOT of stuff I never used,

3) I have packed for about a 20-25 domestic trips within India in the many months (more than a year) I have spent in the country.

So, if you will accept my qualifications, you can confidently print this list before you go. Even in the few years I have been traveling to India I have noticed you can get more and more of the things we North Americans have come to depend on. But there’s still a few things you probably want to have in your backpack — yes, backpack — just in case.

A backpack. It doesn’t matter if you’re basically middle-aged and your motto is “mid-range” — unless you are going 5-star all the way, you will be happy you can carry everything you brought on your back. There are going to be times when the taxi can’t get closer than a 10-minute walk to the train station because of the crowds and you have to get out and hup it.
Very comfortable sturdy shoes. India just doesn’t have the money to spend lavishly on infrastructure. The roads and sidewalks are a jagged obstacle course, and there is often an open sewer spilling its gruesome contents across your path.
Flip-flops. For the beach, in the shower, around your hotel and in other predictable settings. Don’t go barefoot in India.
Small bottles of hand sanitizing gel and small kleenex packets. I don’t walk out the door without these in my bag. You will find out quickly why they’re both integral.
Deodorant, hair conditioner, tampons, sunscreen, Deet mosquito repellent, skin oil (eg almond) and condoms. I don’t know why, but I can never find these in India (not good enough quality versions, anyway).
A sheet sleeping bag. For the train and questionable hotels.
Good quality suitcase locks and cable. You will need to be able to use the cable to lock your bag to your train or bus seat.
To keep as healthy as possible on the road, take heat-resistant probiotics (one per day), either oil of oregano or GSE (grapefruit seed extract), rehydration salts, tea tree oil and homeopathic remedies for digestion and respiration issues (Indian cities are highly polluted).
Get professional advice regarding vaccinations, antiobiotics and anti-malarial medication.
Earplugs and music player, such as iPod. You will need them, take my word for it. Don’t forget your electrical adapter.
Digital camera. Ditto electrical adapter.
Headlamp or good-quality small flashlight (for reading on the train and power outages)
Resteasy bed bug spray
Quick dry towel. I found 101 uses for this. Also useful is a sarong or piece of cloth.
Money belt. I didn’t use it a lot, but I was glad I had it.
A daypack and/or a small-ish bag you can carry very safely. Here in Canada, MEC makes one that’s got a wide strap and fits under your armpit and it’s perfect for crowded situations such as bazaars and railway stations and, well, just about every where in India is crowded!
Water bottle and small thermos. I have a great little thermos I call the “bullet.” I fill it up with tea on the road.
Mesh laundry bag.
Underwear. Ladies, I do not like the bras in India. I will always make sure I have a lot of comfortable cotton bras to choose from when I go. And let modesty be your guide.
Modest clothing. It is not really a good idea to wear scanty clothes in India. I know some people do it, but I personally think it is unsafe and disrespectful. When in Rome and all that. In fact, I recommend bringing very few items of clothing and making a beeline for Fabindia (the Gap of India). Indian clothes are inexpensive, colourful, comfortable and they suit the climate and the culture. Indians will appreciate your attempt to bridge cultures and show respect and they will be even more open towards you.

Thank you for reading. Please visit BreatheDreamGo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.

BreatheDreamGo » advice

Planning to go to India?

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Yoga and solo travel

Taking the train in India

Poetry in motion

Long day’s journey

New Delhi Railway Station to Jaisalmer

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New Delhi Railway Station to Haridwar

Traveling solo in India

Feeling safe among warm, friendly people

10 Tips for women traveling in India

1. Wear “salwar kameez”

2. Carry a long scarf

Rawla Guest House, Jaipur 3. Rawla guest house in Jaipur

4. Bring tissue and hand sanitizer

5. TripAdvisor

Ganges View Hotel terrace, Varanasi 6. Hotel Ganges View, Varanasi

7. Yoga capital: Rishikesh

8. IndiaMike.com

9. Makemytrip.com

open-air dining room at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala 10. Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

Indian travel alerts

Do’s and Don’ts in India

Do:

Don’t:

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Finding spirituality on trip to India

The soul of the world

India is Yoga

Packing list for India

clothes in the Pushkar marketplace, Rajasthan Travel light and right

Rawla Guest House, Jaipur

3. Rawla guest house in Jaipur

Ganges View Hotel terrace, Varanasi

6. Hotel Ganges View, Varanasi

open-air dining room at Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

10. Shinshiva Ayruvedic Resort, Kerala

clothes in the Pushkar marketplace, Rajasthan

Travel light and right