Bustling airport! Long lines at Immigration. Haggling my way with Taxi drivers to drive me six hours from Delhi to Rishikesh. Watching Indian life go by from the passenger window of my taxi. Singing Bollywood songs with my cab driver. Life in India had started with a bang!
( I have a video here I will try to upload when the Internet connection allows).
At some point I had to remember:
“Hey man, you’re in Rishikesh doing an initiation at an Ashram. Enjoy the moment!”
The Author having an existential crisis
In Norway, I had looked up the Adhiroha ashram and loved the look of the area. It was a place that lay on the outskirts of Rishikesh and was surrounded by trees and lovely gardens. The Yoga hall looked impressive too. What cemented me to book here was the conversation I had with Shankar Das, who is the founder and owner of the Ashram here. His calm disposition and gentle inquiry behind my intention to come here, made me immediately feel at ease.
Our (500 hour) Teach Training course will cover the following:
- Shatkarma & Pranayama
- Ashtanga
- Yoga anatomy
- Adjustment, alignment and teaching methodology
- Yoga Philosophy
- Hatha Yoga
- Meditation
The puja or initiation ceremony was both beautiful and powerful. The priest gave his sermon in melodious tones all the while burning mango wood, applying a tika to our foreheads, spraying water over the fire, attaching a red band to our wrist, instructing us to throw herbs over the fire and reading the writes of protection so that we will be able to experience a transformation from the old and over to the new. We were presented with a garland of flowers and we all took part in the ceremony. At some point I had to remember: “Hey man, you’re in Rishikesh doing an initiation at an Ashram. Enjoy the moment!”
(Below is a link to the video taken from the ceremony).
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cka9fDvRXj/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
