Tag Archives | Yoga

Of spice and sun: Travel tales in Odisha

By on December 13, 2012 in India, Travel Tips, Yoga/Spirituality
sunset on the beach in Odisha India

Sunset from my cabin at the Lotus Eco Resort, looking out over the Bay of Bengal

On the beach in Odisha from sunrise to sunset

I feel like The Little Prince sitting here, watching the sunset from the beach on the Bay of Bengal in Odisha; and tomorrow morning I will be able to see the sunrise from the same beach. It’s a strange twist of geography that you can see the sun rise and set on the same beach in Odisha.

I am back at the Lotus Eco Resort in Konark after about 10 days in Odisha, relaxing before I move on (read my first Odisha blog: Here comes the sun.). When I was here last week, it was for the Konark Festival. I went three nights and then moved on to Puri. That was a mistake. I should have stayed for the entire festival, not just three days; and I hope to come back another year for the entire festival. But luckily there is lots more to do and see than just this world-class festival! Continue Reading →

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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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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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On the sixth day: India

By on October 12, 2012 in India, News/Events, Travel Tips
Historical site and monument: Siri Fort, Delhi, India

The ancient remains of Siri Fort is right in my backyard in South Delhi.

Travel in India: My sixth trip in six years

This morning I rose before dawn and stepped out on the terrace of my room at Aurovalley Ashram in north India to see a perfect crescent moon glistening in the clear azure sky, set off by a diamond — the star that I have been following to India for almost seven years. As the sky began to lighten, I could see the silhouettes of delicate long-tailed birds playing among the branches in the tree opposite. From an ashram in the distance, the sound of amplified devotional music was carried in by a very light breeze; and from the masses of lush foliage surrounding the terrace, the heady scent of fragrant tropical flowers filled the air. Ah, India. I am back. And I will be traveling in India for the next six months. Continue Reading →

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Favourite Places: Rishikesh

By on August 12, 2012 in Destinations, India, Travel Tips, Yoga/Spirituality
Rishikesh Lakshman Jhula, Yoga, India

Lakshman Jhula, the quieter footbridge in Rishikesh

Rishikesh, India: Yoga Capital of the world

As an avid India traveller who has covered 14 states in about 14 months of travel (spread over six years), I am often asked, “Where is your favourite place?” I always find it tough to answer as I have a LOT of favourite places. Usually, my answer will depend on my mood. With this series, I am answering the question one favourite place at a time — starting with a small town in north India, scenically located at the spot where the Ganga (Ganges River) spills out of the foothills of the Himalayas and begins her long journey across the plains of India to the Bay of Bengal. Continue Reading →

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The Dust of India

By on July 3, 2012 in Destinations, India, Travel Tips

Taj Mahal, Agra, IndiaWhat is it about travel in India?

An ode to the world’s most magical destination

IF India gets under your skin, you’re done for. Indians may have a hard time believing this, but many a foreigner from a wealthy nation, like Canada, goes to India, falls in love with the place and never wants to leave. Continue Reading →

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How to “do” a yoga ashram in India

By on April 22, 2012 in Destinations, India, Travel Tips, Yoga/Spirituality

Photograph of Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram Rishikesh IndiaYoga Ashram India series on TravelWireAsia

I write a regular ‘column’ for the TravelWireAsia website about India, yoga and travel in Asia (my favourite continent for travel!). Recently, I published a three-part series on How to “do” a yoga ashram in India. Here’s a synopsis of each post — to read the full article click on the link provided.

Part 1: How to find an ashram in India

HAVE you considered going to an ashram in India? This is a 3-part series on where to go, what you need to know and what to expect. Continue Reading →

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Highlights of the Toronto Yoga Show

By on April 2, 2012 in News/Events, Yoga/Spirituality
At the Toronto Yoga Show

At the Toronto Yoga Show

Sitar players and yoga gurus

Photo essay from the Toronto Yoga Show floor

I am not that keen on yoga shows and conferences and cannot afford the big-ticket class fees. But I did pay a Saturday visit to the Toronto Yoga Show floor and was drawn to speak with a number of people who seemed sincere and knowledgeable (in spite of the overtly commercial atmosphere). I chatted with some people from Sivananda Yoga. I have been to several of their worldwide yoga ashrams and centres — such as the beautiful Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp north of Montreal, in the Laurentian Mountains — and I often recommend them on Breathedreamgo and in the articles I write. Also enjoyed chatting with Kevin “The Wolf” Alexander, Wearer of Many Hats, from the Northern Edge Algonquin retreat centre. I have wanted to go to this very special retreat on the edge of Algonquin Park for more years than I care to remember. Somehow, after chatting with Kevin, I think this summer will finally be the one. Among other special events, they often host yoga retreats.

The highlight, for me, was unexpectedly coming across sitar teacher Lata Swarn modestly sitting on the floor and playing in a booth selling yoga clothes. I kneeled down and listened, falling into a trance induced by the classical Indian music. Not only can she play like a charm, but she’s a lovely person too — and I discovered that she lives in the same west-end Toronto building as my brother. Another highlight was meeting yoga “legend” Dharma Mittra. 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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