Blogs from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, Asia
April 22nd 2012
It’s been over a month since my first Vipassana course. In that time, I haven’t done much. In that time, chance – or fate, or karma, or however you want to call it – brought me to a century-old house in Dehradun, where the kindly proprietor fed me a healthy diet of vegetarian curries, and dreams. He filled my belly with tasty food and my mind with lofty plans, lots of plans. I was going to visit this temple and that monastery, learn this meditation technique and that yoga pose, attend this healing course and meet that exalted teacher. I was on my spiritual path and running full speed. I couldn’t see that I was trying to sprint a marathon, untrained. I didn’t recognize that I was bound to exhaust myself and fall short of the ... read more
March 20th 2012
Take a Vipassana course. It will be the best thing you ever do for yourself – and for those around you. Vipassana is an ancient meditation technique that means to see things as they really are. By becoming a neutral witness to the changing nature of your body, you experience first-hand the universal truths of impermanence and suffering. Nothing lasts forever and everyone – no matter what size, shape or color – feels pain and sorrow. As humans, we’re programmed to react to information from our environment with feelings of pleasure or distaste. When something feels nice, we want more. When something is unpleasant, we start to hate it. These cravings and aversions feed into an endless cycle of misery. We all understand that in order to be happy we must break out of this pattern ... read more
July 1st 2010
I can't believe the day is actually here! I leave for India this afternoon. I depart Los Angeles at 4:30 pm today, arrive in Dubai at 7:30 pm tomorrow, have an 8-hour layover, then arrive in New Delhi at 9:15 am on Saturday. It's going to be a long trip. What's going through my head right now? Excitement. Anxiety. Uncertainty. Hope. I'll try to post when I get to Delhi or maybe from Dehradun. Thanks for reading!... read more
October 26th 2009
So, jetzt einmal nicht mehr aus Mcleod Ganj. Wurde auch Zeit. Nachdem wirklich alle Menschen die ich kennen lernen durfte Mcleod verlassen hatten wurde es vor 2 Tagen auch fuer mich Zeit zu gehen. Allerdings war dies eine schwere Entscheidung. Nach harten Ueberlegungen aufgrund von Grippe (ja es hatte mich trotz 25 Grad erwischt) nahm ich zum Glueck den Bus in sonnige Dehra Dun. Wo ich auch nach 13 Stunden fahrt wohl behalten ankam. Zu Dehra Dun: Dehra Dun ist die Hauptstadt des Staates Uttarakhand und liegt auf 700 Meter. Somit liegt sie ca. 1200 Meter tiefer als Mcleod und ist dementsprechend auch gefuehlte 12 mal waermer. Ansonsten gibt es hier einen riesigen Basar und mehrere tibetische Gemeinden. Ausserdem wie immer jede Menge Staub. Zunaechst wie immer Zimmer suche. Aber es wird mit jedem Mall entspannter. ... read more
September 18th 2009
Dehradun trip--Awesome I started from Gurgaon after office on 18th evening around 8 PM and reached Delhi Karol bagh metro station at 9.30 pm and found Avijit pegu there waiting for me. We took metro for Delhi ISBT. We inquired for AC bus for Dehradun but all was full so we went out for reserved taxi stand. We were offered a round trip to dehradun, mussorrie and sight seeing at Rs. 6500/- total in a Indica Vista AC cab. As we had no other options left we boarded the cab and the journey started. ... read more
July 27th 2009
De mediados de julio a fines de agosto estuve en Rajpur, a las afueras de Dehra Dun, tomando clases con el matrimonio Chanchani q son unos de los grandes profes de yoga formados en el metodo Iyengar (q es el q practico yo). Tome 2 cursos cada uno de 3 semanas, y aparte de lo rico de las clases es muy entretenido el ambiente q se arma con la demas gente q esta tomando el curso. Para el primer curso me quede en una casa donde eramos 7 personas y en el segundo eramos 10. ... read more
March 25th 2009
Maybe it was because of the chillier weather of the north, maybe it was because of the holyness of the river Ganges - or maybe it simply was because of being aware that our long trip is soon coming to and end that I suddenly felt like starting all over again - enthusiastic and happy over this great opportunity to visit the other side of the world. So, after all the 8.3 celebrations and the hot desert of Rajastan, we decided to go further up north to escape the worst heat. After a few days in Jaipur (visiting Hannas friend Asha and her family and meeting Toshita from the center of Dalit rights), one day in Delhi (visiting Sunita and the national Campaign for Dalit human rights) we came to Haridwar - a holy city that ... read more
December 4th 2008
The flights have been booked, and the hotels are reserved. I am going on my long awaited safari. I am so very excited! I have been wanting to go on this trip since I first found out I was going to India. For over a month I have been working with a travel agent from a very nice agency who deals with a lot of American clients, HRG Sita India. Apparently they have been very busy because the lady, Priti, that I have been trying to work with has blown me off multiple times. So I talked to the people at the Koenig and told them what I want to do and asked if they could help me. It took them TWO DAYS to accomplish what Priti couldn't do in a months time. Plus, I get ... read more
December 3rd 2008
Just call me Ms MCSE! I passed ALL 7 exams. Drinks are on me, but you have to find me. :)... read more
