Today we left Rishikesh after a week along the banks of the Ganges river. Our next destination: The Yog-Ganga Center for Yoga Studies in Dehradun. Swati and Rajiv Chanchani teach Iyengar yoga, with an approach different from everything we had seen before. According to their strict philosophy, they don’t want to promote themselves, thus they only allowed…
Read MoreLuxury yoga at the Ananda
The Ananda was on today’s agenda. It was quite an ascent into the hills, 18 km away from Rishikesh. The Ananda is an old palace turned into one of the world’s best wellness resorts, spread over 100 acres. Sushant, the head of the yoga department, welcomed us with a freshly brewed coffee and introduced us to the philosophy…
Read MoreParmath Niketan, Rishikesh
It was a rainy morning for a change, and luckily we had no early appointment. Our next meeting was at 2:30pm with Bhagvati at the Parmarth Niketan where no programme was running at the moment due to the upcoming yoga festival. Still, we could visit the facilities and see some of the 150 boys who study there, performing asanas near…
Read MorePhool Chatti Ashram, Rishikesh
Our new day in the Phool Chatti Ashram started with a photo session of this wonderful place. Initially Lalita was not very fond of letting us go around the compound taking photographs and interacting with students, but the feeling got more relaxed after a short while. Coni ended up taking group pictures with all the yoga students, first with his…
Read MoreComplete yoga in Rishikesh: pranayama, asanas, meditation, philosophy, group chanting
We accepted Swami Veda’s invitation and stayed in the ashram for the night. It was a spontaneous decision, and we had to buy some toothbrushes on the spot. It was a great idea, we could see the full morning programme, which started at 5am with pranayama, asanas and meditation. After breakfast we visited the research center where we…
Read MoreYoga science, yoga silence
Today we visited the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama ashram, which follows the teachings of the Himalayan Yogi Swami Rama, who was also a master in controlling body functions like heart beat. One of the central ideas of the center is to scientifically prove the benefits of yoga. In the evening we were invited for a dinner and private…
Read MoreIyengar yoga class in Rishikesh
Usha Devi teaches strict Iyengar yoga at the Omkarananda Ashram in Rishikesh. “Do less, but do it with understanding”, “See how the mind has to be connected with the body”, “Listen, you are not in holidays”, “Come on! Quickly!” – these are some of the words you could hear during her morning class which we attended. There…
Read MoreOmkarananda Ashram, Rishikesh
We met Usha Devi at 10am, just after her morning class in the Omkarananda Ashram in Rishikesh. Her guruji is none other than world famous B.K.S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar yoga. Each year Usha spends a couple of months in Pune where she’s in direct contact with Guruji, while the rest of the year she stays…
Read MoreHeading to Rishikesh, the capital of Yoga
We caught the early morning Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Haridwar, and from there we continued our journey by rickshaw to Rishikesh. Rishikesh, known as the capital of yoga, is the place where the Ganges, the mother of all rivers, enters the plains. On the afternoon, we met up with Graeme, a friend of Uschi, for a coffee…
Read MoreGetting ready for North India
AND A NEW MEMBER IN OUR TRAVEL TEAM It’s Sunday 7am, we’ve just bought our train tickets to Delhi. We’ll leave next Tuesday evening aboard the Rajdhani Express for a ride of nearly 33 hours, and a long journey to North India. The great news is we have a new travelmate: Mar Juncas from Spain. Mar is a…
Read More2nd day at the Ashtanga Yoga Institute, Mysore
The first students gather around the steps of the Shri K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute from 5am, just to get a good spot for the 6am class. This Friday morning class is led by Sharath Jois, for whom it is already the second class of the day. It is dark and cold outside, but soon…
Read More