Quoi de Neuf au Centre de Yoga du Marais Jan 08

Quoi de Neuf au Centre de Yoga du Marais, Jan 08

Vol XXII

Happy New Year ! (English below)

Bonjour Tout le Monde,
Avez-vous ressenti le besoin de vous réinventer ?

Janvier est un mois clé pour mettre en place des changements dans votre vie. Rechargé(e)s par la promesse d'une année où tout est à écrire, nos possibilités sont vastes, l'optimisme et la force du moment sont puissants. Mais, les statistiques indiquent que 40 % d'entre nous abandonnent leurs bonnes résolutions au bout de deux mois...

Vous pouvez tenir vos bonnes résolutions et vos engagements, même si votre besoin de vous réinventer ne vous semble pas manifeste. Vous êtes déjà en pleine transformation et le yoga y contribue. C'est un allié, une source de précieux conseils, comme pratiquer quotidiennement la posture de la barque (nauasana) pour renforcer vos abdominaux et ainsi mieux rester centré(e).

Dimanche prochain se tiendra l'atelier DETOX, le classique de janvier chaque année. L'accent sera mis sur le développement de votre propre pratique à la maison, pour vous aider à tenir vos bonnes résolutions. L'atelier se déroulera le Dimanche 13 janvier de 13h30 à 16h30 et le prix est de 30 euros. La salle étant libre ce dimanche après midi, nous aurons le temps de prendre un thé ensemble à l'issue de la séance. RSVP. Merci.

La prochaine soirée méditation, suivie de notre petit dîner est fixée au dimanche 29 janvier à 19h.

J'espère que vous avez tous passé d'agréables fêtes, et profiter de ces journées pour vous reposer, réfléchir et vous amuser !

Je vous retrouverai avec plaisir pour l'année YOGA 2008

Namaste,

Michelle

Quoi de Neuf au Centre de Yoga du Marais, Jan 08 .

Vol XXII

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone,

Have you been feeling you need to reinvent yourself?

January is a powerful time to make changes in our lives. Fueled by the promise of an unwritten year, we feel full of possibilites, optimism and momentum runs high. Statistics show, however that about 40 percent of us drop our resolutions in two months.

You can keep your resolutions and commitments without feeling the need to reinvent yourself. You are already there and yoga's tips are there to help you. A helpful hint, do a boat pose (nauasana) daily to strengthen your abs to keep you centered.

This Sunday is the annual January De-tox workshop with a special accent on helping you build a home practice to help keep your resolutions on track. Sunday, January 13, 13h30-16h30. 30 euros. The studio will be free afterward as well for a little tea and refreshment. Please rsvp.

The next meditation evening followed by our supper will be Sunday, January 27 at 19h00.

I hope you all had a lovely holiday with some time to rest and reflect and just play. I look forward to seeing you for

YOGA 08.

Namaste,

Michelle

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Bonne fin d'année du Centre de Yoga du Marais

Hello everyone,

This is the time of the year we celebrate the anniversary of the centre. We are here 6 years now and we will have a little honoring of that landmark during our meditation evening, Sunday, Dec 16 at 19h00. We will have dinner afterward as usual, please let me know if you are planning on attending.

I will be teaching my classes this month until December 22, the winter solstice. The centre will be closed from December 23 until Jan 2. I will be back to teach, Thursday, January 3.

I would like to thank all of you who have been recommending the centre to their family and friends. It has been another wonderful year getting to know all of you. For 08 I would like to offer a little appreciation-when you bring a new friend to the centre and they buy a card, I will add an extra class onto your card for you and an extra class for your friend. I have gift certificates so you may also want to consider the gift of a yoga class or card for that special someone this holiday.

Because I want to keep the prices of classes and cards down, I will not be raising the fees again this year, however I will need to add an expiration date now to the cards. All cards purchased as of Jan 08 will expire 4 months after date of issue. If your card is bought before that date, the card is still open-ended. (This will mean I get to see you more.)

Save the date: Many of us need to plan our holidays well ahead of time so I would like to let you know the summer yoga retreat is planned for the Luberon in the south of France. You will be able to bring your children and childcare will be provided. More details to follow but save the date July 24-29, 2008.

For now please know I wish you all, those close by and those of you far away, a very happy end of the year celebration and a very happy New Year. I will close with thoughts for the new year on gratitude and kindness:

The ocean, king of mountains and the mighty continents are not heavy burdens to bear when compared to the burden of not repaying the world's kindness.

The Buddha

L'océan, roi des montagnes et les immenses continents ne sont pas des fardeaux bien lourds à porter à coté de celui de ne pas rendre au monde sa bonté.

and from Ralph Walo Emerson

It is one of the most beautiful compensatins of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

Personne ne peut sincèrement tenter d'aider autrui sans s'aider lui-meme. Voilà l'un des plus beaux cadeaux de la vie.

Bonne fin d'année.

Namaste,

Michelle

Bonjour à Tous,

Décembre est le mois anniversaire de l'ouverture du Centre de Yoga. Cela fait 6 ans maintenant ! Nous marquerons l'évènement, simplement, lors de notre prochaine soirée de méditation le 16 décembre à 19h. Cette assise sera suivie d'un petit dîner, comme nous en avons l'habitude. Merci de me préciser votre disponibilité.

Ce mois-ci, j'assurerai mes cours habituels jusqu'au solstice d'hiver, le 22/12. Le Centre sera ensuite fermé du 23 décembre au 2 janvier. Je serai de retour pour reprendre les cours le jeudi 3 janvier.

Je tiens à remercier tous ceux qui ont recommandé le Centre à leurs amis et aux membres de leur famille. Cette année, à nouveau, j'ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à faire connaissance avec vous. En 2008, à titre d'appréciation de vos recommendations, je vous offrirai un cours supplémentaire et j'en rajouterai un également sur la première carte de cours de toute personne venue sur vos conseils. A l'occasion des fêtes, vous pouvez aussi avoir envie d'offrir des cours de yoga à quelqu'un à qui vous pensiez en particulier. Je dispose de bons-cadeaux pour des cartes ou des cours de yoga à l'unité.

Dans la mesure où je n'ai pas souhaité augmenter le prix des cours et des cartes, les tarifs du Centre resteront inchangés cette année encore mais désormais les cartes comporteront une date limite de validité. Les cartes émises à partir de janvier 2008 expireront 4 mois après la date de délivrance. Les cartes achetées avant janvier 2008 restent sans limite de validité (ce qui signifie que je vous verrai plus).

Agenda : Nous sommes nombreux à devoir planifier nos congés et organiser nos vacances estivales bien à l'avance. Aussi, je viens de fixer les dates et le lieu de la retraite de yoga de l'été prochain. Elle se déroulera dans le sud de la France, dans le Lubéron, entre le 24 et le 29 juillet 2008. Une garde d'enfants est mise en place et vous pourrez y venir avec votre petite famille. Notez les dates ! Détails à suivre…

Je vous souhaite à présent, à chacun d'entre vous, que vous soyez près du cœur de Paris ou bien plus loin, de passer de très belles fêtes de fin d'année et une nouvelle année très heureuse.

Je terminerai ces quelque lignes par des pensées pour cette nouvelle année, un message de gratitude et de bonté :

The ocean, king of mountains and the mighty continents are not heavy burdens to bear when compared to the burden of not repaying the world's kindness.

The Buddha

L'océan, roi des montagnes et les immenses continents ne sont pas des fardeaux bien lourds à porter à coté de celui de ne pas rendre au monde sa bonté.

and from / et de Ralph Walo Emerson

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

Personne ne peut sincèrement tenter d'aider autrui sans s'aider lui-même. Voilà l'un des plus beaux cadeaux de la vie.

Bonne fin d'année.

Namaste,

Michelle

The Chakra System

Muladhara (root chakra)
Located at the base of the spine, this chakra forms the foundation for our spiritual development and well-being. It represents the connection between man and animal and is essential to our own instinct for survival. When flowing this, chakra brings us health, prosperity, security and dynamic presence. Seed mantra: Lam

Le chakra racine, situé à la base de la colonne vertébrale, est le siège de notre instinct de «conservation et développement », de notre sentiment de sécurité et d'ancrage dans le monde matériel. C’est le point de connexion entre l’humain et l’animal, là où réside notre instinct de survie. Quand la circulation y est fluide, ce chakra nous permet de conserver une excellente santé, de développer une présence dynamique à notre propre vie.
Le mantra qui lui est associé est LAM.

Svadisthana (sacral chakra)
Relating to all things sensual and sexual, the sacral chakra is found about three centimeters above the the root chakra. It deals with creativity and emotions and once you have mastered it you'll find yourself full of clarity for who you are and where you are going. When flowing, this chakra brings fluidity and grace, depth of feeling, sexual fulfillment and the ability to accept change. Seed matra: Vam

Trois centimètres sous le nombril, le chakra sacral est lié aux émotions, à la sexualité et la créativité. Quand il est libéré de ses blocages, ce chakra nous apporte une véritable clarté, une grande fluidité d’action, une profondeur. Nous nous épanouissons ainsi dans notre vie et notre corps, et sommes prêts à mieux accepter les changements.
Le mantra qui lui est associé est VAM.

Manipura (solar plexus chakra)
Known as the power chakra this is one of the most important of al the chakras because it emanates such power. Located on the spine, it's known as the city of jewels because within it we can find the pearls of clarity, wisdom wellbeing and self-confidence. When flowing, this chakra brings us effectiveness, energy, spontaneity and non-dominating power. Seed mantra: Ram

Situé entre le nombril et le sternum, le chakra ombilical est associé à l'identité, à la conscience et l'affirmation de soi. Le chakra du plexus solaire joue un rôle énergétique essentiel. Relancé il est source de notre envie d’aller de l’avant, de notre efficacité, contribuant à notre bien être personnel, loin du « besoin » de domination.
Le mantra qui lui est associé est RAM

Anahata (heart center chakra)
The heart chakra relates to all things loving. When our life force flows through this chakra, we feel pure happiness. This, in turn, enables the heart to open, which helps heal old emotional wounds and lets more love into our lives. A flowing heart chakra alloows us to love deeply, feel compassion and have a deep sense of peace and centeredness. Seed mantra: Ham

Au niveau du coeur, le chakra du coeur est associé à l'amour, la compassion, ainsi qu'aux émotions qui y sont enfouies. Equilibrer l’énergie à son niveau permet à notre cœur de s’ouvrir, de guérir ainsi ses blessures et d’accueillir amour et paix au cœur de nos vies.
Le mantra qui lui est associé est HAM.

Vishuddha (throat center chakra)
This chakra is all about purification, and it helps us to purify the foods we eat and the toxic substances we ingest into our bodies as we live our modern lifestules. It also purifies on a mental and emotional level purifying our communication, helping us rid ourselves of negative emotions such as anger, hatred and envy. Deep breathing throughout all exercises will help develop the throat chakra. Seed mantra: Yam

A la base du cou, sur la gorge, ce chakra est associé à la communication verbale, à notre capacité à dire notre vérité intérieure. Il est aussi relié à la purification des éléments que nous avalons, à celle des émotions négatives. Nous installerons une respiration profonde dans nos exercices pour développer ce chakra.
Son mantra est YAM

Ajna (third eye chakra)
This chakra represents moving from the darkness into the light as we bridge the gap into divine consciousness. When flowing, this chakra will enable you to see clearly and intuitively into yourself and will also help you to see the bigger picture of your place in the universe.

Entre les sourcils, le chakra du troisième oeil est associé à la vision claire de l'esprit, à nos facultés de prévoir, anticiper et de sentir les événements. Stimulé il développe notre intuition, nous aide à nous repérer.

Sahasrara (crown chakra)
The awakening of this chakra means attainment of supreme consciousness. When flowing, this chakra brings wisdom, understanding, spiritual connection, and bliss.

Sur le sommet du crâne, le chakra coronal est associé à la libération de l'être, à la connaissance et à la connexion avec le « grand tout ».

Oct-Nov update

Hello everyone,

To correct the date on the previous email, the next meditation evening will be the evening of the full moon, Friday, Oct 26 at 20h00. We will have a kirtan once again after meditation. All are welcome to come. We meditate, sing bhajans and it's a nice time to catch up with each other between our travels and what's new in our lives.

The next workshop will be on the chakra system, Sunday Novemer 18, 13h00-16h00.

According to yoga and ayurvedic tradition we posess seven vital centres of energy which extend from the perineum to the crown of the head. There are physical and spiritual practices that keep these centers functioning optimally for our physical and spiritual well-being. To balance them and release their vital energy known as kundalini there are practices and tools. These practices not only move the energy upward to the crown but also move this energy again downward toward your base to ground and stabilize you. Each one of us depending on where our assets and deficiencies lie has a different experience to this awakening.

In this workshop we will do some practices that vitalize each of the seven energy centres. To read more about the chakras you are welcome to click on the attachment.

The cost of the workshop is 30 euros if booked in advance. 35 euros the day of the workshop if space still permits. If a second day is necessary I will add another session.

See you soon!

Namaste,

Michelle

Bonjour à tout le monde. Pour corriger la date du dernier mail, la prochain soirée de meditation aura lieu le soir de la lune pleine, vendredi 26 octobre à 20h00. Il y a aura encore une fois un kirtan juste après. Tout le monde est invité. On medite, on chante bhajans et il s'agit d'un bon moment pour se raconter nos aventures de voyages et qu'est-ce qu'il y a de neuf dans nos vies.

Le prochain atelier aura pour sujet le système de chakra, dimanche, 18 novembre 13h00 – 16h00.

Selon la tradition de hatha yoga et la tradition ayurvedique, nous possédons sept centres d'energie vitale, les chakras, répartis entre la prinée et le sommet du crane. Notre santé physique et spirituelle dépend de leur bon fonctionnement. Pour rétablir leur équilibre et relancer l'energie vitale (kundalini), il ya des méthodes. Chacun de nous possède une éxperience unique apropos de notre conscience.

Dans ce stage on pratique des méthodes qui energissent chacun des sept centres d'énérgie. Pour en savoir plus sur les chakras, merci de bien vouloir ouvrir la pièce jointe. Le cout de cet atelier est de 30,00€ si resérvé en avance. 35€ le jour meme, selon disponibilité de places. Je rajouterai un autre jour, si besoin est.

Merci et à très bientot.

Namasté,

Michelle

A Bibliography of Recommended Reading

The following are some of my favorite yoga and related reading titles.

The Tree of Yoga and

Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar also recommended are Light on Yoga and

Light on Pranayama

A wonderful overview on yoga, the practice and philosophy for newcomers:

Living Yoga, a Comprehensive Guide to Daily Life by Georg Feuerstein 

Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater

The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar

Actually all books written by the two authors above are wonderful, Feuerstein is my favorite writer on yoga. Also good are his Yoga, a Shambhala guide and Yoga Gems.

Yoga and Ayurveda, Self-Healing and Self-Realization, by David Frawley

Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss

The Language of Yoga, A Complete Guide to asana names, sanskrit and chants by Nicolai Bachman

Beautiful Reading:

Autobiography of a Yogi; Paramahansa Yogananda

My Guru and His Disciple; Christopher Isherwood

Bhagavad Gita; translation by Stephen Mitchell (there are many other translations, of course.)

The Living Gita, commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda

The Power of Myth; Joseph Campbell

Care of the Soul; Thomas More

The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran

The Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda and

Reflections on the Yoga Sutras by TKV Desikachar

There are beautiful books on the teachings of the Buddha, edited by Jack Kornfield.

More

Yoga for Body, Breath and Mind; A.G. Mohan

Yoga of Heart; Mark Whitwell

Yoga Body, Buddha Mind; Cyndi Lee

Jivamukti Yoga; Sharon Gannon and David Life

Anatomy

The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga; H. David Coulter

Anatomie pour le movement; Blandine Calais-Germain
Méditer Jour après Jour; Christophe André
Other

The Mudras; Gertrude Hirschi
Perfect Health; (Ayurveda) Deepak Chopra

Favorite Links:

http://www.healthandyoga.com/

http://www.freespirituk.com/

a good site for yoga getaways

A U.S. passport

Traveling as an American isn’t as much fun as it used to be. Since I got my first passport as an adult in 1981 to travel on my own to New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Isles I have undulged a wanderlust that doesn’t let me go. What do I love about travel ? People. Simply meeting people, sharing stories, getting off the beaten track and hearing the real tales from the real locals. And, I like to say I am from the U.S. because people love to share their personal experiences and reactions to the U.S.A. When I lived in California and traveled abroad, typical reactions would be Hollywood ! I have a cousin who married so and so in Los Angeles, do you know…. .. ? I had a sponsor when I was a child from San Francisco, very good man….maybe you know of him ? And then it was, ohhhh, I love New York, the Big Apple. And they would show me a souvenir a traveler before me had given them that is always with them, some sort of little talisman or a photo, recently one in a cell phone in India of a lovely woman cycling in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris who had traveled before me. We would talk about among other things, movies, actors, books our famous universities, our natural splendours, the Grand Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, the friends they had made in travelers before me, but what I always loved was the spark in the eyes and the smile in the voice that exuded an enthusiasm that was contagious; we had exported that enthusiasm, that optimism. Many expressed a secret desire to want to be from this big happy place, too. Never once in 25 years of travel did a host in a visiting country identify me with my President and only my President. Perhaps in no other time in recent history other than maybe during the Kennedy Administration has America been defined abroad by a single last name. Now, the Kennnedy era was before my time but I was young enough to remember the world loved this new young man and mourned him deeply. People abroad used to care about Americans and it was no more evident than recently after September 2001. Even three years later the empathy abroad for us was palpable, I felt it in India three years ago.

« I’m from the U.S. », I answer during a recent visit to India. Their eyes look down, feet shuffle the conversation stops. I try to keep the smile in my voice and the mood upbeat, try not to sound too apologetic. No shared stories of « have you been to Chicago ? ». « I have a friend in Chicago. » I sign in and out of guest registers in hotels and ashrams. Country of origin ? U.S. . No comment. When someone eventually put a voice to the lowered gaze he said, « So, on your next trip to India, you will bring Bush ? » I am really not sure what that was supposed to mean and since it came from a swami at an ashram I respectfully didn’t say a thing.

What follows the sadness from these revelations to me a world traveler is anger. I’m angry that a single man whose policies most of the country doesn’t agree with defines all of us Americans abroad. Defines America abroad. America a country of creative, hard-working, compassionate, generous and diverse people. We exuded an optimism abroad that people liked. We exported a very special commodity called enthusiasm. Talking about America and friendships with Americans made people happy. This recent one- word, America, has not only managed to curb our optimism but it has deprived citizens of it globally as well. Finally, his mistakes and yes, his atrocities have managed to define us.

In my shame and anger the temptation to jot down another country of origin is great (I live in France, now.) or make up a new country. Frusa ? It’s tempting. But, I won’t give up because travel and honesty cultivates diplomacy. The solution remains the same as it always has for those of us who like to get out there and meet people. Explore and disentangle the myths, take apart the stereotypes, discover the world one friendship at a time. I will continue to meet their eyes smile and answer USA. If they want to speak to me I will listen and hope as I represent my country and they theirs, the diversity in our experiences and our stories will once again be shared and we can laugh again and talk about something else!

Fjords Skyscrapers and Hindu Temples

June through August found this yoga teacher in a number of exciting places. My friend Michael Foley brought his exuberant group of gifted dancers to the Centre de Yoga du Marais in June for a week long yoga workshop as part of a creative experience abroad to nourish his University of South Florida dance students’choreographic and interpretive skills. Their month long stay in Paris culminated in a dance performance in the Marais inspired by all they learned read and wrote about while experiencing la vie française. Michael and I decided to make this yoga intensive an annual event and I am so looking forward to welcoming them back next June. The dancers and yogis are also looking forward to a summer yoga retreat to add to their experiences- a retreat I kicked off this year with the help of yoga friend and Centre de Yoga du Marais student, Joanna Mallin-Davies.

This summer’s yoga retreat was in a lovely little one postal box, one bus stop, one vegetable stand Danish village called Lundo on the picturesque Limmfjord. Joanna is actually Welsh but lives part-time in Denmark and was inspired to create a yoga retreat in this peaceful little village. No one from Paris took the plunge for a flight over but my dear friend and yoga enthusiast Susan flew all the way from New York to have a gal getaway with me and a roomful of enthusiastic and warm new Danish friends. Joanna tirelessly organized this retreat finding lovely rooms for students to stay in, providing bicycles so we could take in more of the landscape carved out by these beautiful fjords and even took Sue and I up to the North Sea past the geological sit of Morse Island a glacier turned inside out by the sea that unearthed ancient hidden fossils. It was also in this location that Hamlet avenged the death of his father in killing his uncle. The pictures you see of the yogis are in the village’s charming tea salon which became our yoga room. An added attraction to this arrangement was the perfume of fresh baked rolls accompanying our early morning practice and rewarding our efforts at the conclusion. The Danes liked a strong practice and one new student to yoga took the entire workshop and is hooked. The Danes, they were Great! And once again a big heartfelt thanks to Joanna.

Next stop New York. New York is one of the important places I refuel as a yoga teacher. It is here I started practicing, became a yoga teacher and it is here where inspiring teachers pass through quite spontaneously to give of themselves. Mark Whitwell who has authored a new book titled, Yoga of Heart, is one such teacher and I was happy to see him at my yoga home in New York at IYI on 13th street in the Village. Mark gave satsang and a class to yoga teachers and students on Yoga from the source, the breath. Body movement as breath movement. Asana to support pranayama, pranayama to support meditation, meditation to support your life. I highly recommend his book and have added it to a list of yoga resources I have culminated for this blog for you to look into. New York is also where so much of my heart is among my friends. Here you can see my friend Steve performing as the ghost in a send up of Hamlet called Green Eggs and Hamlet a creation by yet another old theatre friend, Lizzie. (I enjoy the serendipity in the threads that link my travels this summer, note the Danish flag.) My friends Lisa and Josue play acoustic guitar so sensitively at the Tibetan museum, Lisa and I also like long bike rides and practicing asana out in the fresh air in the parks surrounded by soaring skyscrapers. The massive space inside the new MOMA is another unique way to feel your heart soar in Manhattan as well. And my favorite thing to do? Loop Central Park on my bike. Thank you too, to my friends Amy, Steve and Stephanie for their hospitality every time I get to go “home”.

Preparation for another return home to India was brief. Since I travelled during the month of monsoons I planned my itinerary to take in the north, the state of Uttaranchal and to visit the Valley of Flowers made famous by explorer and writer Frank Smythe in the 1930’s when he accidentally stumbled across this beautiful valley unknown outside India when he descended one of the local peaks. The Valley, not far from Tibet, blooms from Spring through October but it is in full bloom with a diverse variety of flowers in July and August. Even if you have the briefest of time to spend in India it is a trip worth taking and is easily manageable from Delhi. I spent 3 weeks in India but if you even had only a 10- day vacation you could arrange a trip to Rishikesh to absorb the beauty and majesty of the Ganga and then move up the mountains closer to her source. From there it is a day’s bus ride to Govindghat which is the last place you will see cars and rickshaws. From there plan a 13k trek straight up a mountain past cascading waterfalls, roaring rivers, fill up your water bottle and drink this mountain water right from the streams, it hits you between the eyes, enjoy a great climb over boulders to get up to the base camp which is called Ghangaria. If you get there early enough you can continue 4 more kilometers to the Valley of Flowers but it is worth taking a rest and going at sunrise the next morning. A documentary film shows once a day in Ghangaria on the history of the Valley of Flowers. The park is a UNESCO protected biosphere, you traverse rain forests and a glacier to get there and when the Valley opens up in front of you it takes your breath away.

Before I went on my trek I stayed a week in Rishikesh, Yoga Capital of the World. There are so many ashrams and yoga organizations there, you cannot count them. The International Yoga Festival arranged by Uttaranchal Tourism in conjunction with Parmath Niketan Ashram is held annually in Feb/March. Yoga and meditation masters from around India converge on Rishikesh. There are packages and it is necessary to reserve in advance. Otherwise when it is not the annual Shiva mehla from the end of July until mid-August which was when I was there, I hear it is a quiet sleepy little place hugging the banks of the Ganga. The all night long ‘bumba bumba’ of the stream of orange- clad pilgrims mostly teen-age boys who have walked for miles and miles carrying their darshan-offering to the River so as not to touch the ground before it reaches Shiva’s temple in the hills of Rishikesh, can be in turns invigorating and exhausting. They clog traffic and their offerings colorful and beautiful as they are also clog up the Ganga when they throw them over the beautiful Shri Ram Jhoola Bridge before they leave. I loved the little ashram I had chosen purely by chance, Yoga Niketan, http://www.yoganiketanashram.org/ is next to the Omkarananda Ganga Sadan which offers week- long Iyengar courses from good teachers but they were not offering courses during the mehla. Still I checked out the rooms and they are clean and lovely with balconies overlooking the Ganga. Just next door is the Yoga Niketan Guest House which I chose to sleep in over the ashram up on the hill, due to its nicer accommodations. I was on the ground floor and my room had a back door like a bungalow with a beautiful garden full of flowers and butterflies and what’s more my own ghat! Direct access into the river which I took a dip in each morning, holding on tightly to the chains so as not to be swept downstream. I felt so happy there. For 500 rupees, less than 10 euros, the room includes two daily classes at the ashram and two meditation sessions. If you wish to eat at the ashram it is 100 rupees a day. But, I recommend skipping that and heading down to the beautiful Welcome Center a 10 minute walk in the direction of the Hotel Great Ganga and you are in an oasis away from the hustle and bustle. The owner, Karuna a sweet and knowledgeable chef will serve you wholesome and organic ayurvedic food in her sanctuary garden restaurant. She also has a few rooms to rent out. I think her place is Rishikesh’s best kept secret.

The yoga courses at the ashram were fun. Big white fluffy monkeys frolic about and want to look into your bags for treats. The whole staff was Indian which is not at all conventional for Rishikesh where popular resident teachers come from as far away as Korea Japan and Switzerland. Classes were simple and accessible to many levels of practice in the room but sneakily challenging. The young men were so strong and they expertly guided us through openings many of us had never gone to before. I love practicing at the source, yoga in India, it is pure. My body feels weightless, like I am doing asana on a cloud. The heat and humidity just open space in the body, insight in the mind. I love being a student. We had an ancient resident master who offered satsang each day but all of us including himself struggled to stay awake. He spent meditations fast asleep and tried to sneak in a nap between sentences when he spoke. Life must have gotten him very tired, but I found him comforting all the same.

Many students in the ashram opt to take a 10- day Pancha Karma Ayurvedic treatment along with their 10-day yoga stay. Here, I have another recommendation, the Arora Clinic aroraayurveda@rediffmail.com.
I had an ayurvedic consultation with Dr. Arora because I wasn’t staying long enough to take advantage of a full Pancha Karma treatment, but the students I talked to who come from all over the world to see him were enthusiastic and one student I met from Italy returns year after year. I like the doctor immensely, he is so kind and “gets you” right away. He is positive about his diagnosis and recommendations in treating your dosha balance, (students of Joyson at the Centre will know exactly what I am talking about) and Dr Arora’s analysis of my pita dosha was exactly the same as Joyson’s. Both Joyson and Dr. Arora even knew the same things about my history without me ever saying a word to them. The science of ayurveda fascinates me and I came home with more insight , more tools.

I also came home with more friends which is my favorite part of traveling. Here I have pictures of, Kamal a Bollywood actor from Mumbai on retreat in Rishikesh who took me over to the grand Parmath Ashram Temple to share sunset puja on the river in the company of the young vedic scholars who were just initiated into their life long studies of the Vedas. Here they had just shaved their heads. They recognized my new friend. And also, Edel an adventure seeker from Dublin, a school teacher on her way to Dharamsala. Making a Hindi friend is invaluable, you get to be on the inside, you are in the company of people who know the ins and outs and can help you, you can relax. I also hired a guide to help me get up to the Valley of Flowers because I was alone and it was a very good idea. But, my biggest appreciation goes to my new friend Sapna Dutt. She is a beautiful yoga teacher who runs her own yoga studio outside of Delhi in Gurgaon called Yoga with Sapna. If you are ever in the Delhi area and don’t know where to practice, see her. Thank you to her and her lovely family and staff who made me so comfortable in my transition periods after arriving and recovering from my landslide experience coming back down the mountain toward the end of my trip. That is another story! (Monsoons in August, something to think about before you go.) I hope I can return Sapna’s hospitality someday in Paris.

Namaste to you all who have made my summer so beautiful and eventful,
Michelle