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A great week for Breathedreamgo

Mariellen — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:27:35 +0000

And a breakthrough year for travel bloggers

I’ve been travel blogging about India and meaningful travel for about two-and-a-half years on Breathedreamgo, and for several years before that on a previous blog, too. Slowly, I’ve been building my career as a travel blogger and advocate for travel blogging, and this week feels like a breakthrough week for me — as I think this year, 2012, will be a breakthrough year for travel blogging. Here’s what happened.

Travel blogging event a big success

On February 16, the organization I co-founded, Toronto Travel Massive, held an event at Social Media Week Toronto called “Getting serious about travel blogging.” My co-founder Alicia Taggio of My Life Untethered and I (pictured above) assembled a knockout panel: Dave and Deb of the travel blog ThePlanetD, Evelyn Hannon of the well-known Journeywoman site, newsletter and blog, Jantine Van Kregten of Ottawa Tourism, Andrew Hickey, who is Brooklyn Nomad and also the social media manager for G Adventures, Meredith Howard of High Road Communications, and Adrian Brijbassi, a travel journalist and editor of Vacay.ca.

The event was a massive success by every measure. The Gladstone Hotel ballroom was standing room only, the panel was on fire, the audience was engaged and the Tweets were flying — in fact, our hashtag #SMWTOtravel trended in Canada! I will be writing a wrap-up post about this event as the panelists offered a tremendous amount of tips, advice, information and encouragement on how to be a successful travel blogger; how to work with the travel industry; the challenges and rewards of travel blogging; where travel blogging as an industry is heading; and much much more.

It takes a community to raise an event like this — and I am so honoured and proud to be part of the travel blogging community. Everyone really came together on this one — the panelists, the volunteers, the sponsors — Flight Centre and G Adventures — and all the travel bloggers around the world who joined in our Twitter stream including Gary Arndt from Everything-Everywhere, Keith Jenkins of Velvet Escape, Amanda of A Dangerous Business, JD Andrews of EarthXplorer and many many others.

And my readers and followers are part of this community too — no doubt about it. When the dust settled, Breathedreamgo came out ahead as one of the most followed, engaged and retweeted on Twitter, as you can see by the screen shot below. These results below reveal that although I did not have the highest number of Twitter followers in the room, I have a lot of influence and inspire a lot of engagement. Which means I have great readers!

A glowing review of Breathedreamgo

On February 13, one of the judges for the Canadian Weblog Awards — regular readers will know I won an award in the travel category — wrote a post about her experience as a judge, and singled out Breathedreamgo. Ariane Colenbrander of Ariane C Design said that she was hoping to find a few gems — and with Breathedreamgo she “found a real standout … Breathedreamgo is right on the mark for a niche travel blog… If you’re seriously considering spending any amount of time in India, I’m sure that Breathedreamgo is one of the best online resources to check out. I’m lucky to have discovered Mariellen’s site …”

Here’s a screen shot of her post, below. Thanks Ariane, and everyone who contributed to Getting serious about travel blogging. Because of you, this year is getting off to a good start!

If you enjoyed this post, you can….

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My story, or why I write about travel in India

Mariellen — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:06:07 +0000

Elephant blessing in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India, 2006

Creativity: The missing link

I recently realized that my story doesn’t actually appear anywhere on my blog. By that I mean, a concise telling of why I blog about India. And it’s not like I just started this. I’ve been traveling in India, and blogging about it, for six years. But it feels like it’s time, especially since Sir Ken Robinson helped provide me with some new insight.

In early December of 2011, I marked the six-year anniversary of landing in India for the first time by publishing Six years of travel writing and blogging. A while later, I was on Twitter and saw a Tweet from @SirKenRobinson, which said he was writing about passion. You have probably seen Sir Ken’s video — the most famous TED video ever, about how school kills creativity in kids.

I tweeted my six year blog to Sir Ken, he read it and retweeted it, and the next day his co-author Lou Aronica contacted me and interviewed me for their new book, Finding Your Element — which is a follow-up to their bestseller about passion called The Element. The interview with Lou was cathartic and made me realize why I do a lot of the things I do: it’s because I am a deeply creative person who has never had my creativity supported. Well, certainly not in school.

Alice in Wonderland

So now I see more clearly a thread running through my life, which goes like this. I taught myself to read before starting school. I had a sensitive nervous system and was absent one-third of each school year, but was always at the top of my class. By the age of 10 I was reading Dickens. In short, I was bright, creative and “precocious” (the word my mom used to describe me, along with pensive and sensitive – she often compared me to Alice in Wonderland, and we even looked alike with long blonde hair held back by a hairband.).

But I experienced childhood trauma (too personal to discuss here) and my school didn’t know what to do with me so they had me skip two grades. I was too young when I entered high school, and quit the day I turned 16. It didn’t help that my family felt apart at about that time, and for a while I had no place to live. I was born sensitive, so add childhood trauma, a botched education and sudden lack of family support when I was about 17, and you get a mega-dose of teenage angst. My teenage years were filled with emotional problems. I was even hospitalized for three weeks for depression.

By the time I reached adulthood, I didn’t know who I was, and I was operating in a kind of survival mode.

When I was young, before everything fell apart, I wanted to study comparative religion, English and mythology at university. But instead, I went to college for journalism because it was more practical. My dreams were so deeply buried, I didn’t know they existed. I worked in communications for many years, drifting from one job to another. (And from one boyfriend to another.) Rootless. Passionless.

There were a few highpoints and I did have some fun, though. In my 20s, I was part of the alternative music demi monde scene in Toronto and partied “like it was 1999″ in the early 1980s, with bands like Duran Duran, The The and The Psychedelic Furs. After graduating with a BA in journalism I worked at a leading fashion magazine. Then, I worked in the film industry and attended several films festivals, including Cannes, and met loads of movie stars. (Big deal. Anthony Hopkins stands out, very gentlemanly.) I traveled a lot, through France, to central America, many times to London, New York and once to Paris. When I was about 30, I moved to Tokyo, Japan with my film executive boyfriend, and traveled from there to Australia, Hong Kong and Thailand.

My mom, me and my sister Victoria during my groovy years, circe 1983

There were some low points, too: my best friend killed herself. I had ongoing issues with anxiety and depression and became addicted to anti-anxiety pills. Financial troubles dogged me as I tried to pursue a writing career, and once found myself on welfare, and visiting a food bank.

In my 30s I experienced a crisis and started therapy, and realized I was deeply affected by childhood abuse. I dedicated many years to healing from it, and even gained a certificate in Gestalt Therapy, practising part-time for seven years.

Loss, trauma and my bleakest hour

In my late 30s I was hit by a series of traumas. In a few short years my father declared bankruptcy and we lost our family cottage (which was like losing a family member); my mother died suddenly and unexpectedly and I found her body; my fiance left me, with an expensive wedding dress in the closet; I had a bicycle accident and broke my elbow; and my father died of cancer.

During yoga teacher training. Photo courtesy Christine Lynes.

By the end of it, I was flattened. I was in my 40s, unmarried, no kids, no career, no parents, no money. I was in a deep depression, filled with feelings of grief and irreconcilable loss. None of my early potential had manifested, my dreams were long-lost. It was my bleakest hour.

Slowly, like the ice thaw in early spring. I came out of the depression by doing yoga, and by deciding to go after a dream: to become a yoga teacher. Though I was the oldest and least flexible person in my class, I threw myself into the training program and midway through, had a strange, kundalini-like experience.

A teacher who had lately returned from training in India really impacted me, and somehow I started releasing energy, or channeling energy, and went into a kind of altered state. It happened at the same time as the tsunami in southeast Asia; and for me, it was like a personal tsunami. In three weeks, I lost 15 pounds. And I was gripped with a compulsion to go to India. I had never felt anything like it before, and I had to obey.

I started planning and saving and about 11 months later left for India on December 5, 2005, for a six-month odyssey. I have written probably a half-million words about the affect that trip had on me. How it gave me back my dreams, recharged my life, made me feel I was finally home and provided me with the inspiration to finally start my writing career. I had wanted to be a writer since childhood, but I didn’t have my subject matter until I went to India.

1,001 Tales of the Arabian Nights

When I was a child I was obsessed with the 1,001 Tales of the Arabian Nights and painted huge murals on my walls, of genies coming out of bottles and maharaja palaces. In India, I found the real-life version of my childhood walls; and the inspirational spark to ignite my imagination. India is my soul’s home and my muse.

I’ve found my dreams, and they are traveling (especially in India and Asia), writing and yoga. And I have followed them whole-heartedly for the last few years, because they were buried for so long. Followed them irrationally and without thought to where they would lead. Followed them without knowing how I would support myself financially. I’ve been to India on five lengthy trips and published loads of blogs, articles, a book. I’ve been asked to speak, I’ve been interviewed and I’ve had some fantastic adventures like attending the Kumbh Mela and dancing with Shahrukh Khan. It’s been a magic carpet ride. But I’ve done it with almost no real support, or financial return.

My interview for Lou Aronica and Sir Ken Robinson’s book seemed to bring things full circle for me; it provided a big puzzle piece. I am the same pensive girl, lost in my imagination, dreaming of the “exotic” Orient, making up stories, wishing I could live in my imaginary world, that I was in childhood. A grown-up cross between Alice in Wonderland, having adventures, and Scheherazade, spinning tales. But now I’m trying to make a livelihood from it as a travel writer and blogger who specializes in writing about Asia and meaningful travel.

So, that’s my story. I am now trying to figure out how to bring the “real world” and the world of my imagination together, so I can live a sustainable, creative life. And I’m trying to break the pattern of not having enough support in my life. It’s hard.

If you enjoyed this post, you can….

Get updates and read additional stories on the Breathedreamgo Facebook page.

Buy Song of India, a collection of 10 feature stories about my travels in India. E-book version is now only $1.99.

Subscribe to the free — and inspiring! — e-newsletter, Travel That Changes You.

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

Breathedreamgo nominated for 3 Canadian Weblog Awards

Mariellen — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:51:45 +0000

Canadian Weblog Awards 2011 nominee

I’m really pleased to announce that Breathedreamgo was nominated for three Canadian Weblog Awards 2011 in the Writing, Travel and Design categories. The Canadian Weblog Awards are a juried competition intended to highlight good weblogs of all genres from across Canada.

This blog has always been a labour of love, and the product of several talented people, especially WordPress wizard Jennifer Johannesen of lowtotheground.ca. But I’ve never really promoted it or SEO-ed it as much as I could (or perhaps should) have; I’ve never really competed to be in the Top Travel Blog lists; nor have I (as yet) monetized Breathedreamgo, or thought of it as a business. Those days are all ahead of me. Perhaps.

But I have poured my heart into it! So, receiving recognition is doubly, triply sweet. Thanks so much to Ninjamatics, who run the Canadian Weblog Awards. I’m very proud to be nominated. And proud to be among bloggers like these, who won last year.

Award-winning bloggers

Here are four personal favourites who won Canadian Weblog Awards in 2010:

If you enjoyed this post, you can….

Get updates and read additional stories on the Breathedreamgo Facebook page.

Buy Song of India, a collection of 10 feature stories about my travels in India. E-book version is now only $1.99.

Subscribe to the free — and inspiring! — e-newsletter, Travel That Changes You.

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

Interview with Chris Guillebeau

Mariellen — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:56:48 +0000

Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity

Living a remarkable life in a conventional world

My interview with the charismatic Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity

In my Travel That Changes You e-newsletter, and on my blog, I try and encourage people to breathe, dream and go. So, I cannot imagine a more perfect person to feature than Chris Guillebeau. Chris is the bright light behind The Art of Non-Conformity (AONC), the Unconventional Guides, the The Art of Non-Conformity book, a blog and online community. A prolific writer, a gifted speaker and an obsessed world traveler, he seems to have boundless energy for encouraging people to get off the hamster wheel and live life their own way.

And he leads by example. After publishing his book, The Art of Non-Conformity, he organized a very unique (and grueling) book tour that took him to every USA state and every Canadian province. When he got to my province, and spoke at the Chapters/Indigo store at the Manulife Centre in downtown Toronto, I went to hear him and interviewed him afterwards. This was stop number 58 on his tour, and he must have been exhausted — though you wouldn’t know it from his funny, upbeat and inspiring presentation.

The unconventional book tour map: coloured in by audience members

Do what you want and do good, too

Chris is interested in the “convergence of highly personal goals and being of service to others” and he’s on a mission. He’s been to almost every country in the world (and he’s under 35), he’s published half-a-dozen or so Unconventional Guides and a book, and he’s amassed a huge Internet following.

Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity

Here is the essence of his philosophy, from his website:

You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to.
You can do good things for yourself and help other people at the same time.
If you don’t decide for yourself what you want to get out of life, someone else will probably end up deciding for you.
There is usually more than one way to accomplish something.

At the bookstore in Toronto, he stood up, rolled up his sleeves and spoke to a standing-room only crowd. I liked that he rolled up his sleeves, because that seems to be the way he approaches life. Chris is lean, intense and likeable. He speaks with passion and authenticity because he lives what he speaks.

A happiness first lifestyle

He talked about the importance of deciding for yourself what success looks like and using your feelings to guide you as you make decisions in life. He said that he tries to inspire action, to encourage readers to create positive change in their lives. The central question of his book is, how do you live a remarkable life in a conventional world. He speaks to the dissatisfied, for people who are looking for something different.

Chris offered the rapt audience several suggestions:

See change as positive and start by making small changes.
Consider that efficiency is over-rated; an alternative is to pursue meaningful adventure.
Recognize that we are privileged to be able to talk about having a meaningful life; and ask yourself how you can contribute to the world and make it a better place.
Ask yourself the two most important questions in the universe:

1. What do you want to get out of life?

2. What can you offer the world that no one else can?

Chris Guillebeau of The Art of Non-Conformity

Chris told the story of living in Sierre Leone and volunteering for four years, and pointed out how much he got from the experience, how much his life changed. He calls it selfish generosity. He encouraged people to ask good questions, embrace life as a meaningful adventure and think about your place in the world, your contribution. “What kind of legacy are we building?” he asked. Legacy is a question of influence and relationships. What will the ultimate impact of our lives be?

In spite of all his accomplishments, Chris also was careful to reassure people that his strategy has been a work-in-progress. “I began with the classic blogging strategy of making shit up.” Before taking questions from the audience, he addressed the most common concern he hears: “I want to do [blank] but I’m worried I’m too late.” His advice was to offer a quote: The best time to start was probably last year, but failing that, today will do.

After the question and answer period, I accompanied Chris and several of his Toronto-based friends to a pub in Yorkville, where I asked him several questions over a pint (Chris) and tea (me).

My top four questions, answered

Q. If you know anything about Chris, you will know he’s a very productive dynamo. My first question to him was: How do you do all the things you do?

Book launch cupcake

A. Most of the things I do, I really enjoy. That’s the key. If you can structure your life around things you really enjoy and derive energy from, it gets much easier. Almost everything I do, I find meaningful and purposeful. I get tired, but feel very fortunate and grateful. Along with this, comes a sense of responsibility. Even when I have downtime, I work, but that’s okay.

Q. What’s the underlying message; what’s motivating you?

A. The fundamental underlying message is that you don’t have to live life the way others want you to, or to expect you too. You can just ignore them. It’s okay to pursue a big dream, a passion, but you should also connect that passion to other people and find out what’s your place in the world. The goal is to help people live unconventional, remarkable lives. That’s a really strong motivation. When I meet people, and hear stories, it’s very motivating.

Chris relaxing with a pint after the book launch

Q. How do you, or can you, inspire people? Or is this something you have any control over?

A. I have learned that you don’t have influence over how people respond. People will relate to you for various reasons; they derive inspiration where they will. If you want to be an inspiration, the tone you use is important, as well the words, the attitude and the overall message. Be clear about your motivation and your intentions, figure it out, and then do something really great for yourself and the world.

Q. What has surprised you about your journey with AONC?

A. I was afraid I would get bored and move on. I’ve been surprised that I’m not bored at all, and that I’m extremely satisfied, and I’m more excited about what’s to come — and a lot of it is because of all the people who’ve joined the project and contributed their vision.

Thanks Chris, for inspiring me, and many thousands of other people, too. (and thanks to Janice Waugh of Solotraveler for telling me about Chris in the first place, back in August 2009.)

If you enjoyed this post, you can….

Get updates and read additional stories on the Breathedreamgo Facebook page.

Buy Song of India, a collection of 10 feature stories about my travels in India.

Subscribe to the free — and inspiring! — e-newsletter, Travel That Changes You.

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

Travel blogging 101

Mariellen — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:19:50 +0000

Photograph of Patnem Beach, Goa, India

How to get started as a travel blogger

Blogging while you travel can enrich your journey in more ways than one. It helps keep your friends and family back home informed, creates a permanent record of your trip and gives you the opportunity to take time to reflect on your experiences. Following are my top tips for getting started as a travel blogger.

First things first – you need to decide where to set up your blog. There are three main options:

Choose to be part of an existing site, like Travelblog.org. It’s quite easy to set up a blog on Travelblog.org, and you will be part of a like-minded community of travel bloggers.
Set up your blog on WordPress.com or Blogspot (I am a big fan of WordPress!). This is a bit more complicated than Travelblog.org, but still doable for most people. You can customize your domain name to a certain extent, but it will have WordPress or Blogspot in the name. There are certain restrictions – and risks – to this kind of blog. No advertising is allowed and your content could disappear.
For the more ambitious, and perhaps more technically minded, buy a domain name and use CMS software, like WordPress, to set up your own free-standing blog – this is what the professionals do. If you think you may want to get serious about travel blogging, you should definitely own your blog.

moi working on a travel blog in Goa - fresh from the beach!

Your blog can be a straightforward record of your trip, for example, “Jen’s European adventure,” or you can have fun with the theme and create a niche. There are bloggers who blog about solo travel, backpacking, family travel; there are destination-specific bloggers; and there are bloggers who blog about things like authentic travel or who look for quirky travel ideas.

The best way to find your niche is to find your passion. If you are passionate about a particular region or type of travel; if you are on a quest; if you have a story to tell – let yourself follow your passion. There are a million travel bloggers, but there is only one you. To stand out, be yourself.

Once you have decided on your approach and you have your blog set up, you can start contributing to it. You will need a digital camera and a video recorder – some cameras do both. You don’t need to buy an expensive camera as blogs do not need high-resolution photos or HD video.

Blogs that include photos and / or video are more widely read than straight text. Some travel bloggers, in fact, are strictly video bloggers; some are strictly photo bloggers. The mix is up to you – just make sure you have some visual elements and, as a rule, don’t write longer than about 300-400 words per blog

Write with your audience in mind, tell a story, be specific with your details and don’t be afraid to take a stand. Travel blog readers follow personalities. Create your personality on your blog and let it inform your social media efforts, too. Open a Twitter account and start a Facebook fan page for your blog. Most of all, have fun with it and allow your unique voice, world view and discoveries to shine through.

TIP: Join the Global Bloggers Network to meet other travel bloggers and ask questions.

[NOTE: Originally published on Verge Magazine's website. It was the winning submission for the Verge Storyboard contest, week of Feb. 21, 2011.]

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

Celebrate Diwali and win a trip to India

Mariellen — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 02:02:25 +0000

The meaning of Diwali

Diwali in India is like Christmas in Canada. It’s the biggest festival of the year, celebrated all over India, with lights, firecrackers, flowers, parties and pujas. Diwali (or Deepavali) celebrates the return of Lord Rama and Sita from exile, and the triumph of light over dark. This year, 2010, it takes place on November 5, on the new moon night, so the sky is absolutely dark — the better to see the firecrackers that people set off in an absolute frenzy. If you are Canadian, you can celebrate Diwali by entering a contest to win a trip to India.

The upcoming year, 2011, is the the Year of India in Canada, and the good folks at IndiaTourism are sponsoring a WIN A TRIP TO INDIA! contest, along with Absolute Tours and my friends at Indus Travels — who are my partners for my BreatheDreamGo trips to India. By the way, the tours are closing in mid-November 2010, so if you want to go to India with me this winter, act now by filling out a booking form.

The meaning of Diwali

It is no coincidence that the festival of light is held at this time of year, when the days shorten and darken, leaving summer behind and ushering in winter. The profusion of diyas and firecrackers lighting up houses and the night sky remind people to keep the light within themselves alive, and not let the dark days overpower them.

I have been in India only once for Diwali, and it was a very special experience. I helped Ajay’s Mom and niece buy murtis (statues of the gods), flowers, diyas and gifts; and I helped decorate the prayer room with garlands of marigold flowers and the house with hundreds of tiny diyas. Diyas are small earthenware lamps filled with oil and a cotton wick. In the evening, the family held a puja in the prayer room — it was my favourite event. Afterward, we went outside onto the big marble terrace to shoot our store of firecrackers up into the sky over Delhi. It was crazy. Millions of people lighting off all kinds of noisy fireworks for hours and hours, lighting up the dark night — and creating a toxic haze! (The air pollution was appalling! Ajay and I drove to a party on Diwali night and could barely see the road in front of us for the thick smog. Luckily there were very few cars on the road, but we did come across a car traveling on a major one-way road — the wrong way!)

Taking part in the Diwali puja, Delhi, 2008

Diwali is based on the story of Rama and Sita. The Ramayana is one of two major epics that form a cultural foundation in India (the other is the Mahabharat, the story of the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Bhagavad Gita comes from this epic.) It’s hard to over-estimate the importance the Ramayana has had on the development of Indian culture and society, including into the present. One of the most contentious political issues, domestically, in India over the past few years has been the fight for control over the site of Rama’s birthplace in Ayodhya. It is a complicated issue about which religion, or religious sect, has title to the land, and has caused riots, the destruction of a mosque in 1992 and a lengthy court cases that was settled in September 2010.

Also, people still consider Rama to be the ideal man, embodying all the values and virtues that Indian society cherishes. He is considered one of the supreme gods in India, especially in Delhi. Each of the major Indian cities has a presiding deity — Kali for Kolkata, Ganesh for Mumbai — and for Delhi, it’s Lord Rama. Sita is also considered an ideal woman, for her faithfulness and loyalty to her husband. Personally, I admire her for her courage to undergo a trial by fire. The strength of women is generally vastly underrated, if you ask me, but especially so in India. I find Indian women to be power-houses. They’re beautiful and strong and I admire them greatly.

Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley

For a modern, American retelling of the Ramayana, watch the feature-length animated cartoon Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley. Inspired by the music of American blues singer Annette Hanshaw, she overlays her own story of separation and divorce onto the story of Rama and Sita, and lavishly animates it. Unless you are an absolute purist who demands that traditional stories be told in a traditional way, you will love it.

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

Memories of Rishidwar and saying goodbye to India (for now)

Mariellen — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:34:09 +0000

Front gate of "the Beatles ashram," Rishikesh

All you need is love

This blog is dedicated to my older brother Matthew. If it wasn’t for his Beatles obsession in the late 60s and early 70s, I might never have come to India. I used to follow him around when we were children, which meant listening to a lot of Beatles music. I remember looking intently at the pictures of the Beatles — especially George Harrison, my fave — wearing long hair, flowing shirts and marigold garlands. I had always loved anything “Oriental, exotic and mystical,” and when the Beatles went to India, I was entranced. I secretly wished I was old enough to be a “hippie” and join them.

Charming Bengali sadhu at Beatles ashram gate

And this year for the first time, I actually made it to the “Beatles ashram” — the former ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi — on the outskirts of Rishikesh. It was a very hot day and I was stupidly not carrying water or a hat, but I was determined to go. When I got there, a very enganging Bengali sadhu was sitting at the entrance with two middle aged German men, also Beatles pilgrims. The gate was closed and the gatekeeper was not going to let me in until I waved my magic talisman at him — my letter of introduction from the Ministry of Tourism.

So I went in alone, and walked up the path towards the main building with the gatekeeper’s warnings about wild animals foremost in my mind. The ashram has been abandoned for many years and is overgrown by jungle and very creepy. But you can tell it must have been a beautiful spot and it still commands one of the best locations in Rishikesh.

Beatles ashram, pathway with "beehive" meditation huts

However, after only a few minutes of picture snapping, I noticed a tree nearby waving ominously and thought: “It’s either monkeys or an elephant and in either case, I’m outta here!” But in those brief moments I think I closed a loop, opened when I was a child. So much of my India experience has been about living my dreams, many of them first conceived when I was a “pensive” girl. I still really love so many of those India-inspired Beatles songs, such as Within You, Without You, Dear Prudence and Across the Universe (apparently the Beatles were extremely prolific during the weeks they spent in Rishikesh, writing more than 20 songs). So it was fun to connect to the spirit of the music through the place.

Shiva, god of yoga, seated in meditative bliss, Rishikesh

In the abode of Shiva

I actually spent only one night in Rishikesh this year, camping out on the floor of my friend and teacher’s living room. His ashram, Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram, was full, but as it turned out, I think I had the best room in the place as its big picture windows faced towards the mountains. All night I felt the rush of wind coming down from the foothills of the Himalayas. The Himalayas are the abode of Shiva and I really felt his presence in this scintillating wind, unlike any other wind I have ever felt.

Normally I love the peace of Rishikesh, and the natural beauty of its setting at the top of the valley, where the green Ganga river tumbles out of the mountains. It’s a gorgeous place, and at the top end of the town (Tapovan and Lakshman Jhula) are white sand beaches lining the fresh, clean, cool river. But this year, the entire area was overrun with Kumbh Mela pilgrims and I couldn’t wait to get to peaceful Aurovalley Ashram. So after walking through town and taking pictures of the Beatles ashram and the alabaster-white statue of Shiva, I was ready to leave.

The quiet end of Rishikesh

Going to Rishikesh was part of the “loop-closing” nature of this trip to India. I have come to realize the theme for this trip is “coming down to earth.” I fell in love with India on my first trip (2005-2006), and on this trip, my fourth, the honeymoon ended and the relationship began. It has been a bit of a bumpy landing, but I am open and accepting of this stage in the process as I know it will lead to a more balanced and realistiic view and experience of India; more clarity; and more reasonable expectations. Just like in any relationship, when the stardust evaporates from your eyes and you see the person as they really are.

Okay India bye bye

At sunrise on the Ganga near Aurovalley ashram

I’m writing this in Delhi, during my final week in India on this trip. I’ve been here for about three months this time, and in some ways it feels like a lifetime. I’ve been to Bangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Kolkata, Darjeeling and Sikkim; and more recently I spent almost a month at Aurovalley Ashram, which lies halfway between Rishikesh and Haridwar — home of this year’s Maha Kumbh Mela. This blog is not about my whole trip, but about the time I spent in Rishidwar (Rishikesh-Haridwar), and the realizations I gleaned from my meditative time there.

Beautiful Gopi lives at the ashram

I deliberately scheduled my introspective time for the end of my trip, to try and process everything I saw, felt, learned and experienced. Whenever I spend time at Aurovalley Ashram, I always feel that I have healed some part of myself; and I always feel my consciousness has grown. It’s hard to explain, but I always feel different. Last year for example, I realized that I had become vegetarian. It wasn’t a conscious choice; I had just evolved into being pure veg. It just felt right. This year, I turned my attention to my digestive problems and by eating slowly and consciously, I did a lot of deep healing work. And I also spent a lot of time just being with myself, and getting back in contact with my Self. This is probably the most important — and most underrated — activity of life.

Writing India

In future, I think I will be much more discerning about how I spend my time and money in India. I have now been to almost all of India’s big cities and I don’t need to go again unless there is a good reason (except for my home base in Delhi). I also don’t need to go to big tourist attractions again, like the Taj Mahal, the forts of Jaipur and Jodhpur, the Victoria Memorial, the Gateway to India, etc.

Bridges lights over the Ganga, Haridwar

My interests are in rural/traditional and wilderness areas (especially protecting the tiger), spiritual India, culture (music, dance, books, film) and the welfare of women and children. I am always looking for real people, places and projects in these areas for my blog or print articles, and I will continue to do so; especially off the beaten path (I am setting my sights on Gujurat, Madya Pradesh and Orissa for future trips). I want to refine and focus my travel in India, and my writing topics — and of course I will continue on my mission to share the beauty of India’s wisdom and culture with the world.

Govinda Baba is originally from Toronto. I met him in Benares in 2009 and bumped into him this year at the Kumbh Mela.

As ususal, I met a lot of amazing people on this trip. My community in India is growing and strengthening all the time, and my sense of having a second home is becoming more substantial. I am working in India for the first time (writing for several Indian magazines), which also helps to bring the experience of being here down to earth.

I am ending this trip with a stay at the Haveli Hari Ganga in Haridwar, living in the family home in Delhi, and an upper respiratory tract infection — which was exactly how I began my first trip to India in December 2005. It’s the end of one era and the beginning of another: my introductory or honeymoon period to India has ended and the real relationship has begun.

So thank you to India, to the people of India, for making my trip relatively problem-free, and full of memorable and magical moments that I will never forget. Enjoy the pictures. India is a photographer’s — and artist’s — paradise. It even turns amatuers like me into enthusiasts.

Cleansing the Ganga with milk during aarti in Haridwar

Upcoming on BreatheDreamGo

I will be publishing lots more India travel blogs after I return to Canada. I have lots of material — photos, interviews, adventures — that I haven’t written about yet. You will meet the director of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the King of Darjeeling tea; you will have tours of some wonderful places to stay in India, such as Haveli Hari Ganga and the Windamere Hotel; you will be able to enjoy my interviews with several spiritual masters, including Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; and you will find out about some magical nights I spent in Delhi attending a Sufi music festival (where the star performer reminded me of Janis Joplin) and an intimate night of music and dance hosted by Pandit Ravi Shankar in honour of George Harrison’s birthday. Yes, that George Harrison.

Sign on terrace in Haridwar

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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.

Magh Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, 2010

Mariellen — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:36:41 +0000

The largest gathering of humanity on earth

Millions of people gather each year in North India to take a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Ganges, Yamuna and /or the mythological Saraswati rivers. Hindu devotees, pilgrims, saints and sadhus from all over India and the world turn up in huge numbers each winter. They believe that a holy dip in the sacred rivers during the Kumbh Mela washes away sins and can help them break the cycle of life and death and attain Moksha.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years in Allahabad — the sangam, or place, where the three rivers meet. This is the “big one.” The Maha Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of humanity on earth. This year, a “smaller” version. called the Magh Kumbh Mela will be held in the sacred city of Haridwar, which is a four-hour train ride north of Delhi. (There is also an Ardh, or half, Kumbh Mela that takes place several times during the cycle.)

I am planning to be there, as my ashram is only a few kilometres from Haridwar. Not sure when yet, but I may try and be there for one of these auspicious bathing dates.

Bathing Dates for Haridwar Magh Kumbh Mela 2010

14 January 2010 – Makar Sankranti Snan – First Snan (bath)
15 January 2010 – Mauni Amavasya and Surya Grahan (Solar Eclipse) – Second Snan
20 January 2010 – Basant Panchmi Snan – Third snan
30 January 2010 – Magh Purnima Snan – Fourth Snan
12 February 2010 – Maha Shivratri – Pratham Shahi Snan – First Royal Bath
15 March 2010 – Somvati Amavasya – Dvitya Shahi Snan – Second Royal Bath
24 March 2010 – Ram Navmi – Fifth Snan
30 March 2010 – Chaitra Purnima Snan
14 April 2010 – Baisakhi – Pramukh Shahi Sanan – Main Royal Bath
28 April 2010 – Shakh Purnima – Snan

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

My India list

Mariellen — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:44:43 +0000

My India list: top places, events and festivals I want to see

I believe in magic. How else can you explain that the more I travel in India, the longer the list of places I want to go gets?! I was inspired to write this list by Mighty Girl’s Mighty Life List, so here goes. Here’s my list at the time of this writing (and I am sure I am missing several things …):

Top 10

see sunrise over the Himalayas from Tiger Hill, near Darjeeling
watch the start of the monsoon in Trivandrum
attend the Pushkar Camel Festival
climb Mount Arunachala
see a tiger! — perhaps in Kanha National Park, the place that inspired Kipling to write Jungle Book
watch Indian classical dance at sunset in front of the temples during the Khajuraho Dance Festival
stay in tea gardens in Darjeeling, Assam and the Nilgiri Hills
have tea at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai
stay at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata and watch the Kali Puja
go on Char Dham pilgrimage to source of the Ganga (Ganges River)

And the list continues …

be in Jaisalmer for the Desert Festival
visit Gandh’s ashrams: Sabarmati and Sevagram
take part in Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai
see the Brahmaputra River in Assam
visit the Ellora and Ajanta Caves
hike in Ladakh
be in Mathura for Janmashtami
take a boat cruise through the Sunderbans
join the Chariot Festival in Puri
hike in Sikkim
stay at Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur
see the Republic Day Parade in Delhi
~~spend some time writing in Bundi, where Kipling wrote~~
undertake 10-day Vipassana retreat near Jaipur
brief stop in the world’s wettest place, Cherapungi
see Dal Lake, Srinagar
stay at a spice garden in Kerala
visit the spice market in Old Delhi
finally go to Akshardham in Delhi
see the sun set and the moon rise at Kanyakumari (happens only two days per year)
attend Jaipur Literature Festival

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

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