100 times 108: Five days of chanting mantras, playing with fire and retreating into the shadows of silence May 5th 2008 It is Day One of my five day silent retreat and I am starting to lose my voice. We are sitting around the ceremonial fire for the second time today, dripping with sweat in the afternoon heat, count our japa malas (a necklace of 108 beads which is used to count mantras: one bead for each mantra), feed the fire with copious amounts of ghee and herbs, and chant the Sanskrit Miritunjay m ... read more
Asia » India » Uttarakhand » Rishikesh The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab in... ... read more
I’ve always wanted to travel the world, ever since I was a little girl. I dreamt about adventures in strange lands, treasures that were to be uncovered and destinies that had to be followed. When I turned 35 years old, the time to live my dream had finally come. I sold my house, surrendered my responsibilities and gave away most of my possessions to follow the call of my soul.
My journey started in 2007 with an overland trip to Pakistan that was only supposed to last for a few months. I left my hometown of Leamington Spa in England for a train trip that took me through Germany, Czech Rep... full info