Nepal - Yoga and Sound Healing

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My usual travel group posted a new weekend adventure and I jumped right on it: Yoga and Sound Healing! 13 of us went and it was an incredible group - lively, friendly and down to earth. Our guides were also fantastic, so it has turned out to be one of my favorite trips and yet is was just two days!

We arrived in the evening, after some pretty tight spirals coming in for the landing in the mountains, and were met by our guides who gave us the traditional welcoming gift of a necklace of marigolds. Then we made our way to the hotel, Hotel Tibet International, which was surprisingly nice, especially for our group's standards. Even though it was late, they held a traditional dinner for us at the rooftop restaurant. While waiting, we got to see the city lit up at night. The food was brought out including some tips of noodles, bread, and a sizzling dish of vegetables.

In the morning, we went to the rooftop to see the sunrise then it was onto our first yoga session. The instructor was a local, but had been living in Ireland for the last 6 years or so. He was very calm and concentrated on breathing, stretching, and correct positions, saying he did not believe the 'crazy acrobatics' brought anything to the table. It was a very peaceful session and the 90 minutes flew by, but for me it was also a bit simple and I was hoping for just a bit more; however, there were quite a few people in our group who had never done yoga before, so it really worked out well - i still got a lot out of it and was glad that I was not going to be holding anyone up.

Boudha (Boudhanath) Stupa

After our breakfast on the rooftop, we made the short walk to the nearby tourist venue: Boudha Stupa. Not only is this popular for tourists, but it is also frequented by a lot of pilgrims too! So, it was quite busy. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest spherical stupas in the world. There are approximately 82 stupas in the complex, and many of the monks living here are Tibetan. The large central Stupa has Buddha's eyes at the top of 13 steps, demonstrating the path to enlightenment. The pilgrims walk around the large stupa in a clockwise direction only, offering prayers and touching the many prayer wheels along the way.

We visited one gompa where near the entrance was a giant prayer wheel inside a small room with a brightly painted interior of Buddha's life. Then we went inside where a giant seated Buddha was at the front and prayer flags were throughout. There was something spiritual about the decor, which consisted of many bright colors and paintings. Our guide said the hand gestures of Buddha had their own meanings, such as the fingers making circles indicates that he has come to teach or the hand up means "I'm with you". Then we chanted the Ohm mani patme hohm chant.

Next, we went to another gompa, this one very lively with the monks playing loud instruments. We sat inside on cushions and just enjoyed the ceremony, and some of us were given a blessing by a monk for a small donation. On the floor above, we visited a terrace with great views of the large stoupa and where people came to offer prayers burning their candles. Again, very peaceful. They also were making little fried cakes, almost like a funnel cake - we each tried a small piece.

Then we made our way back down and were to meet with our group near the entrance. We had some time and on the way there was a large and loud parade happening with various groups taking part. I got some photos and then decided to make one more circuit around the stoupa on my own to give myself some time for reflection and my own thoughts.

Sound healing

After we got back to the hotel, we split into two groups where half of us went to the sound healing first, while the other group went to get a Shirodhara massage first. On the way, our guide pointed out the former Royal Palace and told us the story. The former king had a son who fell in love with a common woman, to the disapproval of the king. In 2001, the royal family was mostly killed in the palace - the king, the queen, the son and 6 other family members. The son has been blamed for the massacre, but apparently people question this. The brother of the king was declared the monarch after and ruled until 2008 when the unpopular monarchy was abolished. Sounds like a movie and something I would like to read more about.

I was not entirely sure what to expect with the sound healing.... but I loved it. We went through kind of a sketchy alleyway, and walked up three flights of stairs in a random office building, but then we entered the guru's room which was full of Tibetan bowls and a gong in the middle. We were each given a floor mat, pillow and blanket. We laid down with the lights off and under the blanket for 45 minutes while our guru and his two assistants provided some sound in the way of striking the bowls in various ways. It really was peaceful and I felt as though I would go right to sleep! Sometimes the sound of the bowl would be distant, and sometimes you could tell they were near your ear. Some were soft and soothing, while others were a bit louder, and at times, it sounded like a large cymbal (or gong?) was sounded.

For the next 45 minutes, the guru and his assistants allowed us to try striking the bowls, and even let me step into a large one to see what it felt like when they struck it (with my eyes closed!). The two techniques were striking the bowls or rubbing with a special striker. Striking is a bit easier and straightforward, but the vibrations from building up from rubbing the rim was my favorite. So, I bought a couple of bowls (one for me, one for my sister). Not cheap, but clearly handmade and one of the girls in our group is a certified sound healer and she assured me it was a good deal.

Shirodhara Massage

After sound healing, we met the other group at the restaurant for lunch - I just got a pasta and a beer. Then three of us went to get the Shirodhara massage, while the others went to the sound healing. For the massage, again, in a random location, we were taken to a room where for the first 45 minutes you have hot oil dripping directly onto your forehead. One of the guys from the first group advised me to speak up if it was too hot - and I had too, as it was burning. She quickly adjusted the temperature and as soon as she knew I was comfortable, I was left in peace to finish the oil. This drips into your hair and just before then end of the 45 minutes, she returned and gave me a quick and soothing scalp massage. After 45 minutes, she focused on massaging my body, which mainly consisted of feet and legs. I'm definitely glad I tried it, but not sure I would do it again. Give me a traditional or Thai massage any day.

Dinner Healing

After the massage, we were taken to meet our group for a traditional dinner at a very lively restaurant. No idea what it was called - Gokarna House? But here, they had also set up our PCR tests which we had to take within 24 hours of arrival. So, while waiting for our dinner and PCR tests, we caught up over a beer and caught up on our day's experiences. Once we were all done, we sat at a long table inside near the elaborate stage and were served multiple courses of traditional foods and some hot rice wine. It was all absolutely delicious. During dinner, there were two girls sometimes with a guy, who came onto the stage to dance a traditional dance about every ten minutes. Our guide explained there are 126 ethnic groups in Nepal with 122 languages spoken, and the restaurant we were in was Niwadi.

A different type of healing was had by all as a couple of the guys in our group decided to dance on stage between sets. Soon, the whole restaurant was joining in and at one point, we were all up there as a group. It was very fun and a good bonding moment for our group. Seriously, this is the most fun I have had with any of our groups as everyone was actively involved, together, and it was great!

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[D MJ Binkley]

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