It’s 8am, and I’m showering for the second time today. We just finished yoga (after an hour of meditation), and I’m soaked in sweat (how do the others do it?) and feeling great.
Ashram life is tough. You get up at 4:30. Schedule begins at 5:15 with meditation, followed by yoga, then breakfast, a lecture, self-study, lunch, breathing, study, another lecture, more yoga, again meditation, dinner and evening meditation and/or chanting. You pretty much don’t have a minute in between- and those you have you use to run to your room, change (it’s bloody hot!), shower, drink water, go to the bathroom. The basic necessities. It’s 9pm by the time you’re done, meaning you retreat to your room, shower one last time, maybe go online, call your kids, book a train ticket, maybe read two pages – if you’re not to tired – and turn the lights off by 10 or 10:30 at the most.
By pure chance (actually quite the opposite: law of attraction hit full blast) I have come to what must be one of the most pleasant ashrams around. First, it is spiritual, meaning it has a guru, it is based on his teachings, there are swamis and disciples, and the place looks and feels clearly Indian – including the food. And yet: there is a tight schedule (see above). Even though you are supposed to follow, no one cares whether you do or not. The ashram has a quiet atmosphere, meaning the usual Indian noise pollution is absent – and yet no one is bothered if you talk, laugh or even play music (including in the “dinning” hall where ubiquitous signs of a smiley with index finger in front of its mouth tell you to “Be quiet” and that “Silence calms the brain”). I go down to reception to chat and laugh with the manager and staff – something unheard of in other such places I have been to (maybe due to mostly Germans having taken over administrative jobs and taking their jobs very seriously- literally). Second there must be a dress code- heavily enforced in other ashrams mirroring the stereotypical no shorts, no tank tops with a sexist focus on women dressing “modestly”, meaning covering themselves as much as possible, at least knees and shoulders. And yes, that even applies to the Osha ashrams. Sad that sexual liberation has gotten under the skin but not on top of it. In my ashram, I come across no such regulations and no one cares that I wear my (pyjama) shorts for yoga, for the simple reason that I hadn’t planned to go to an ashram, that none of my other clothes are suitable, and hej, it’s hot! Third the food is Indian, but more vegetables, less greasy and spicy than usual. Forth: it’s completely clean (western standard) and hygienic, well maintained. Very unlike other ashrams I have seen, but not posh or luxurious like Osho’s or the commercial ones. Fifth: the location. In spite of being set on a hill slope underneath big trees (yes, big monkey menace), it takes me just a few minutes to walk to xxx bridge. The main road is right down outside the main gate. From their rikshaws go either way to upper Rishikesh or down to the lower part with the bus station. Last but not least, I’m paying 1,300 Rps a night (about 17 EUR), which includes everything: accommodation, food, activities. Clearly I have hit the jackpot.
When I decided to stay at an ashram to do yoga and meditate and to take a break from traveling, I checked only and called those that appealed to me. Yoga Niketan was the only ashram out of maybe 10 that picked up the phone.
The guests are very international: there is the elderly Indian couple who I only see in the dining hall, two Australians, a British couple, a group of young British women doing a yoga teacher training, a few younger people from Spain, other Europeans, a couple of Australians, a Russian, some Brazilians (!) and by the far the largest nation present, Japanese (!!). Apparently the guru had some ties to Japan and therefore has quite a following there. From day one I have been trying to chat with people. I’m interested in what brings them to an ashram and why they chose this particular one over a myriad of others. I make I contact, I smile at people, I greet them. Mostly they all look away, as if they didn’t see me or they look right through me.
It makes me giggle as it feels as if the guests were trying to add some stereotype of sacredness to a place that sees no need to enforce (stupid) rules. Only a friendly young woman from Portugal returns my smiles wholeheartedly. She’s clearly an extrovert. As she is very occupied with an Australian, there is no chance for a conversation though. I start taking a more pro-active approach and compliment people on something they wear or do. It works. A woman from Sydney who has been here repeatedly, talks to me and even lets me sit (and talk) with her over meals. People I have given compliments start to say hi and smile at me when passing. On day 5 the Spaniard who is the most serious looking man on the grounds (I never see or hear him talk to anyone) returns my greeting cum smile with a nod. Progress! A huge guy turns up who also greets and smiles at everyone. Straight away, I make an Italian out of him (it’s also his looks), but he turns out to be from Brazil, my second guess. Obviously I’m not the only one in need for social interaction. This eclectic mix of nations, ages and backgrounds seems like a total waste without social interaction. If we om together we can also talk, can’t we? At some point my happy takes over, I chat everyone up, even get the idea of a shy inclination to a smile out of the guy who dishes out the vegetables. He seems to highly disapprove of my eating neither chapati, nor rice nor fried bread or noodles and of picking out the potatoes from the vegetables on top. Going back for seconds and thirds – no carbs obviously requires more greens to get full – doesn’t help. In my head I’m writing a script on ashram life. I include the alarm that goes off at 4:30 every morning somewhere in my vicinity and goes on still when I leave for morning meditation at 5:10 “This morning I heard it too and thought of you”, tells me the very young woman, who never talks to anyone, always holds her head down and sits so stiff that I’m surprised how good she is at yoga. We can’t identify the source of the alarm and laugh about why anyone would need an alarm when at 4:50 a bell is rung that throws you out of bed anyway. My script would also feature the heads seriously bowed in prayer over every meal. I wonder what they think/pray for so long. My food would get cold. I suffice with a brief blessing like I always do, ashram or not. I’d have to mention that less and less people show up for morning meditation at 5:15. Surely not because of the timing (that’s the sort of hardsh
