Blogs from Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India, Asia - page 23

The yoga month.....hmmmm wow, i've really fallen in love...with yoga...it's an amazing thing when you stretch and begin to learn more about your body- that your left shoulder is tighter than your right, for example, and then stretching through that and being able to go deeper into poses and see yourself become more flexible and begin to staighten out in a way. A spiritual and pilisophical aspect as well. Actually asanas (the yoga postures) are the smallest part of the book of yoga, i was told something like in the book of yoga sutras, it says you should take 3 years to master the asanas (yoga as we know it) and 7 years to master the pranayama (prana is the life breath, the universal energy, breathing excercises to help control your mind)- ive been learning a ... read more

Hello lovely peeps! Sorry I haven't been in touch sooner! India is totally insane - the insanity was great for about 5 days and then we had to find some relief. We are now is Rishikesh in the very north of India which is where the beatles met their yogi in the 60s. It's cooler here and the landscape is much like switzerland. The 'gangages' river is wide, vast and flowing and the monkey's, dogs and cows wander the streets. Jamila and I now look like total hippies - draped in shawls and with ankle chains tinkling on our feet. In the cafes etc, all you can get is vegetarian food - which is fab, but im not too sure how long we can cope without beer!!! Still haven't found any, but we truthfully haven't been ... read more

Well we are still in Rishikesh. The place is so friendly and laid back we cant really be bothered to move on. Its cooling down a bit now and the climate is quite pleasant. We had a few days of unseasonable rain last week and at one time the Ganges was looking pretty high and fierce. However the last few days have seen the sun re-emerge and the river is now looking much more peaceful. The town is curently hosting a religous festival and there is a ceremony on the river bank at sunset every evening. Its very colourful and the whole atmosphere is very calming. Also, the Ganges looks great as the sun sets. We are staying on the opposite side of the river to the main town. Its much more peaceful here. The place ... read more

So we woke up at the unusually early hour of 8 A.M and backpack slung over shoulders headed out to explore whatever lay beyond laxman jhula(about 4 KM from the city centre). At the outset we didn't really have a 'where and what' plan. The locals told us about the fall at garud chatti and that its 3 KM from where we started. On the way we encountered a few jeeps and bikes and after a couple of failed attempts to hitch a ride we quit trying. That light trek is one the best i'v had, mountain on one side the river on the other and the sun up above. Got a bottle of water from one of the tea stalls once we reached GC and started on the small but steep and a bit trecherous ... read more

this is not a light entry, nor perhaps a cheerful one. it's about some news i received from home. it's actually an excerpt of an email i first sent to my father, who i count as my chief counselor and advisor in life, in response to the news of a friend's death. though many of you did not know my friend, you would be the ones i turned to for comfort in these moments. though a blog is a truly poor substitute for flesh and blood community, i feel compelled to share with the people i love the best way i can. please forgive the generic nature of this expression. for the time being, a blog must suffice. if you take any inspiration from these words, please, express it by loving those around you with a ... read more