Bhakti Chanting, Sanskrit and Mythology
Out of the mountain of our yoga teacher training study materials, I was immediately drawn to the chanting books; Bhakti or devotional chanting, which I love. We sing the invocation to Patanjali every day, and it's nice to begin asanas with this familiar chant that I know well from many Iyengar yoga classes back home. For the first week, we have...
Little Tibet: Settling In
[caption id="attachment_73" align="alignright" width="300"] Vibrant and happy yoga room[/caption] Loving it here! It's a combination and contrast of chaos and peace! Goats, dogs, cows, bikes, tuk tuks, taxis and people, all claiming possession of the narrow main street; vehicles missing you by millimetres as their horns blast loudly in your ears. And then inside our tranquil little yoga school perched on the...
Delhi to Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj
Good morning, Delhi! A comfortable, clean and quiet night at the Lemon Tree Hotel, just 5-10 minutes away from the airport. I'd recommend this as an easy overnight stay, especially if you're arriving or leaving late at night. I flew to Dharamsala with domestic airline, SpiceJet, which I thought won first prize for a fab name for a local airline (and...
Made in India: Happy Landings
My tastebuds yelled YES! to the menu descriptions of Indian yumminess on the London to Delhi flight: aloo chat, jeera pulao, murgh navratan. But I opted for trout timbale, lamb with veggies, and Twix chocolates as a last English binge before India. About halfway through the flight and it's finally sinking in. I am going to India. Our live flight tracking...
Made in India: Preview
The decision to complete my 500 hours yoga teacher training certification in the foothills of the Himalayas, within chanting distance of the Dalai Lama's home, happened very quickly. India wasn't even on my list of possibilities until my pilates/yoga friend, Michele, suggested it. When research produced nothing that really leapt off the screen, she looked at me and said, "You need...