Tag Archives | Spirituality

Holding hands with children in need

By on November 19, 2012 in India, Responsible Travel, Yoga/Spirituality
Mariellen Ward surrounded by the children at TDH CORE in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India

Me, surrounded by the children a the TDH CORE home for HIV infected children in Tiruvannamalai.

Visiting a children’s home in India

Sushila is about six or seven years old, with fine, delicate features and long bangs that fall in her face. Shortly after my arrival at the TDH CORE children’s home in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, she gently reached out to hold hands with me. And for almost the entire length of my one-hour visit, she would not let go. And neither would I. My hand got sweaty, I couldn’t really use my camera properly to take pictures, and I missed some of the tour. But I decided not to let go until she did.

I keep thinking about Sushila, and the other boys and girls who live at the TDH CORE children’s homes. My short visit there left a deep impression on me — a mixture of love and compassion for these children, whose precarious lives are fraught with challenge; and admiration for Ramu Chezhian, the man who almost single-handedly has given these kids, and many others, hope and a chance to have a good life. Continue Reading →

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In the shadow of the sacred mountain

By on November 15, 2012 in India, Yoga/Spirituality

Mount Arunachala, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India - Sri Ramana Maharishi

On a tour of South India with Redback Travels

I am writing this post in the shadow of Mount Arunachala, a sacred mountain in Tamil Nadu, south India. I have long wanted to visit this mountain, which was the spiritual home of Sri Ramana Maharishi. He meditated in a cave on the side of this mountain for 17 years; and in another cave, higher up (to get a bit further away from the towns people who were flocking to his side) for another seven years. Finally, he came down to the foot of the mountain and resided in a simple dwelling, and here people gathered to experience his presence.

His dwelling grew into an ashram, and his caves are carefully preserved pilgrimage sites. Though Sri Ramana Maharishi passed from this mortal coil on April 14, 1950, his lingering presence continues to draw many people from India and around the globe. Like me, they want to meditate in his former room, and walk up the side of Mount Arunachala to feel the sacred energy of a mountain these people consider a Shiva temple.

So, here I am, staying in a peaceful retreat hotel called Arunai Anantha, on the outskirts of Tiruvannamalai, the town that spreads out from the foot of the mountain. I am about halfway through the Redback Travels tour of South India — and so far, staying here in Tiruvannamalai has been the highlight for me. Continue Reading →

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Vipassana: 10 days of silent meditation

By on November 8, 2012 in India, Yoga/Spirituality
The Himalayas as seen from Dharamsala in north India.

The Himalayas as seen from Dharamsala in north India. Photo: Mariellen Ward.

A vow of silence for peace of mind

[NOTE: This is a guest post from Darcie Connell of Trekity.com.]

Ten days.

Ten full days of complete and utter silence.

Do you think it is worth inner peace? I thought so.

Continue Reading →

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One day at a yoga ashram in India

By on October 22, 2012 in India, Responsible Travel, Travel Tips, Yoga/Spirituality
Me, watching the sunrise on banks of Ganga near Aurovalley Ashram, India

Me, watching the sunrise on banks of Ganga near Aurovalley Ashram, India

Aurovalley Ashram: A day in the life of an Indian yoga ashram

Morning

In the pre-dawn hours, Aurovalley Ashram is a receptacle of peace. The air is filled with devotion. Birds sing and sacred music floats in from another nearby ashram. In the east, towards the Ganga River and the misty mountains of mysterious Rajaji National Park, a pale yellow band starts to widen on the horizon.

After the ritual of getting washed and dressed, I throw a shawl over my shoulders and close the metal door of my room by 5:55 a.m. I soak up the serenity and natural beauty of this garden-like ashram in north India, between the sacred cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh, and walk in the half-dark along a path lined with the abundance of nature. Continue Reading →

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Bright Day at TIFF

By on September 13, 2012 in India, News/Events, Yoga/Spirituality
The Bright Day, TIFF, India, Mumbai City to City

The Bright Day was one of the films in the Mumbai City to City program at TIFF

My favourite film at TIFF12

Films from Mumbai, India were featured at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in the City to City program. Each year, the festival, under the artistic direction of Cameron Bailey, chooses a city with an exciting film scene to spotlight. And this year, Cameron Bailey felt that the new and emerging film makers of Mumbai were “hot.” Make no mistake, these are not Bollywood movies; there is a dearth of stars, glittering costumes and song-and-dance numbers.

I saw about half the films in the Mumbai City program and found them to be thoughtful, interesting and well-made, overall; and I will be reporting on the entire program soon. This blog is about my personal favourite film, The Bright Day — which is about a restless young man in modern India who goes on a time-honoured, but not timely, spiritual quest to find himself In India. The twist, of course, is that these stories are often about foreigners who go to India – people like me; while The Bright Day is about Shiv, a college student in Pune (a city near Mumbai). Continue Reading →

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The 30-day Yoga Challenge wrap-up:
Change is good

By on March 27, 2012 in Yoga/Spirituality

30 days of yoga classes in Toronto

Part 4 of a 4-part series

I finished my 30-day Yoga Challenge at Lila Yoga Studio, Toronto, on Monday, March 19 — finished as I started, with a class by owner and yoga teacher Shelly Rowen. I am proud to say that I never missed a day. There were days I didn’t want to go — the sun was shining or I was tired or I just didn’t want to face myself — but I went, and I did the yoga class with those thoughts and feelings. Yoga is not about being a specific way; it is not about being perfect, or looking like the cover of a magazine, or feeling calm and compassionate at all times. At the ashram I go to in India, there’s a sign that says, “All life is yoga.” And that’s what I experienced during my 30-day Yoga Challenge.

For part 1, read: My 30-day Yoga Challenge 
For part 2, read: Travelling within
For part 3, read: Journey of acceptance

To read about my last 10 days, and what I learned and gained from the experience… Continue Reading →

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The 5 spiritual ideas of social media

By on November 3, 2011 in News/Events, Yoga/Spirituality

Aarti on the Ganga in Haridwar, India during Kumbh Mela, 2010Social media is a spiritual discipline

Learning how to “do” social media effectively is a lot like learning a spiritual discipline. There are paradoxes involved, and you have to abandon the traditional western approach of applying ego-based will-power to get results. Here are five spiritual ideas and how social media exemplifies them. Continue Reading →

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What spirituality is

By on September 9, 2011 in India, Yoga/Spirituality

Scene from the Mahabharat: Krishna and Arjun at the battle of Kurukshetra

You don’t have to remove yourself from life to “be spiritual”

Yoga philosopher tells an ancient story to illustrate a universal truth

Yoga philosopher, Kirtan leader, Sanskrit teacher, Sitar artist and the writer / blogger behind Akshara Yoga blog: Ram Vakkalanka is accomplished in many things. He is also my friend, I am proud to say. Ram and I have bonded over our deep love and respect for the wisdom traditions and culture of India. We have many shared ideas and notions about yoga and spiritual philosophy, and feel that the essence of these teachings is largely lost, overlooked or misunderstood in the west (and sometimes even in India).

Some time back, I wrote a blog, What yoga is, after attending a workshop with internationally known yoga teacher Mark Whitwell at the Yoga Festival of Toronto. I was delighted to discover that Mark Whitwell really “gets” yoga; and I feel the same way about Ram. Over dosas at a Toronto South Indian restaurant, we discussed the essence of spirituality and Ram told me the story of Kaushika, which I loved. He said, “In the great epic Mahabharata, there is the story an aspiring yogi called Kaushika who meditates for many years but fails to attains self-awakening.” I feel the story expresses a truth about spirituality that many people don’t seem to understand. Here it is. Continue Reading →

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Top 5 things I’ve learned after traveling
a year in India

By on May 24, 2011 in India, Responsible Travel, Travel Tips, Yoga/Spirituality

Photograph of flower seller in IndiaIndia is a teacher; travelers are students

People often ask me why I am so interested in India, why I like traveling there so much. There are lots of reasons, of course — from the warmth of the people, to the taste of the food; from the adventure of travel to the colourful festivals; from the flowing, feminine clothes to the sunny skies. The single most compelling reason, however, is probably the attitude towards god and spirituality — and how that attitude affects almost everything about the culture and atmosphere of India.

And what does that difference mean for me (and other spiritual seekers from the west)? It means that when I am in India, not only do I feel more alive than anywhere else (for the reasons listed above), but I learn a lot. I learn a lot about myself, about the world, and about spiritual truths. Travel in India is adventure travel  in every sense of the word. Here are the top five things I’ve learned in India. Continue Reading →

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First recording was of the Rig Veda in Sanskrit

By on March 3, 2011 in India, News/Events, Yoga/Spirituality
Image courtesy of Nina Paley, Sita Sings the Blues

Image courtesy of Nina Paley, Sita Sings the Blues

Song of creation: first words recorded

The gramophone (aka record player) was invented by Thomas Alva Edison in the United States in the 19th century. For the first recording, and to demonstrate the new machine, Edison asked Professor Max Muller, an eminent scholar of Sanskrit in England, to speak in front of an audience.

After recording Muller’s voice on a disk in the morning, Edison played it back to the audience on the gramophone in the afternoon. The audience was thrilled to hear the voice of Max Muller coming from the instrument.  After several rounds of applause and congratulations to Thomas Edison, Muller came to the stage and addressed the audience and said, “You heard my original voice in the morning. Then you heard the same voice coming out from this instrument in the afternoon. Do you understand what I said in the morning or what you heard in the afternoon?”

The audience fell silent because they could not understand the language in which Muller had spoken. Muller explained it was Sanskrit and the words he recorded was the first sloka of the Rig Veda: agni meele purohitam. The Rig Veda is comprised of hymns, or songs, of creation. Continue Reading →

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