Feel the spiritual Indian yoga journey

Rishikesh in India is a very spiritual place. Perhaps it is because it is located at the entrance of the Himalayas, surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the Ganges River just bends through the mountains. The majesty of the Himalayas, the sanctity of the Ganges, and the many years it has been a religious shrine in India, are still different from other places.

Sivananda Retreat College

I still remember when I first arrived in India, I took yoga classes in Rishikesh every day. The class place had to walk from the retreat academy and pass through a forest full of flowers and trees that was bright in the morning sun. There is a dining shed in the middle of the forest. The table is very low. Sitting on the blanket on the ground and eating, playing Hindu music, it has a very artistic conception.

However, the students in the yoga class really don't have good yoga skills. This confirmed to me that Rishikesh was a tourist place, not a place to focus on yoga-until I came to Sivananda Retreat Academy.

Sivananda Retreat Academy is the origin of Rishikesh's spiritual shrine. Its founder, Sivananda, turned out to be a doctor and later decided to create this non-profit organization to help people live a Divine life. Many of the classic books of yoga were written by the founder and his students. It is said that 70% of yoga teachers in the world can be traced here.

Rishikesh's home was the first, and they also built many schools dedicated to teaching yoga to spread yoga to all mankind, the most famous yoga school Bihar School of Yoga was founded by them.

Sivananda Retreat College is located on a hill. Here, the noise at the foot of the mountain disappeared completely. The scenery becomes more and more beautiful with the height of the mountain. Tall trees are scattered on the hillside. A bridge spans a small ravine. The ravine is full of yellow and green leaves. In this situation, there is a feeling of retreat, the purity and tranquility of the soul.

Standing next to the iron railing and looking at the Ganges River and looking at the mountains opposite me, I suddenly felt that the world had stopped. I was moved beyond words, and tears filled my eyes. It's really what people say. Rishikesh has been a holy place for many years, with that kind of energy vibration and sacred...

2. Praise in the morning ceremony

I woke up at around four o'clock in the morning and walked out of my room. Only then did I find that many people were already walking towards the ancestral hall in the morning. From five o'clock to six o'clock in the morning, we sat quietly on the ground in the ancestral hall for an hour in the dark, accompanied by singing music. It is said that the tranquility of the whole world before the sun comes out in the morning is the easiest way to connect us with our "true self".

After the sit-in, move to the nearby temple, followed by an hour-long worship ceremony. As soon as I entered the palace, I found that there was a small house in the middle that seemed to be performing rituals. Seven or eight people were crowded around a small table. The others were sitting on the floor in the lobby outside the small house, with the man on the left and the woman on the right, and a woman playing a small organ-like instrument leading the singing.

An hour later, the ceremony was coming to an end, with the sound of bells and musical instruments ringing loudly, and there was the roar of elephants coming. The monk performing the ritual held a bronze vessel like a candlestick filled with hundreds of fire seeds and walked out of the house. People in the lobby stood up and lined up in two rows, touching the fire in turn, and then kneeling in worship. I also learned to touch the fire, and then I also knelt down piously and worshipped deeply. This is the first time I have knelt down since coming to India.

It was seven o'clock when I came out after finishing the ritual, and the sun shone on the entire courtyard in front of the temple. At this hour, most young people in Silicon Valley are still asleep, but today I have had three hours of spiritual study and infinite touch. What a different experience three hours of life can be.

3. Simple breakfast and clean house

Breakfast time here is 7 a.m. I came to the dining hall, took off my shoes before entering, and after paying the bill allowing me to eat here, a monk gave me a small bowl of yellow rice and an empty cup. The empty cup was used to hold tea, a kind of Indian tea. It feels like milk tea. That's all, this is breakfast. After receiving the meal, people sat on the ground in rows and quietly ate rice in small bowls with their hands. I decided to sit down. As soon as I sat down, I was told that I was sitting in the wrong row. It turned out that the three rows of boys faced west and the one row of girls faced east. Men and women were definitely not in touch with each other, back-to-back, and there was not even a chance to make eye contact.

Except for the small bowl and tea cup for rice, I didn't see any spoons, forks, chopsticks, etc., so I decided to eat it with my hands. I just hesitated for a long time and thought about what my right hand had done since washing my hands last time. It seems still clean. I know I can only use my right hand.

Later, I moved to Ganga Sadan. The house here is very clean, the sheets are clean, and the bathroom is also very clean. It is the cleanest place since I came here. Outside my window is the Ganges River and a small garden where you can sit and write. I feel that I have finally regained a comfortable life, where I can live safely until I leave. Inspired by the inspiration of the Ganges River, I can enjoy writing smoothly.

special reminder

Water India's sanitation is not good and the water quality is very poor. Occasionally, people who come to India may not adapt to it. They must drink bottled water (it is best to use bottled water even when brushing their teeth) and bring some medicines such as berberine just in case.

Temple India is a religious kingdom with endless temples. When visiting mosques, you must abide by the custom of taking off your shoes.

The biggest feature of Indian food is curry. In addition, many types of spices will be put, such as pepper, pepper, cinnamon, etc., and the fragrance can be smelled from a long distance. There is also a kind of cake, which is a bit like the pancakes made by Shandong people. It is very fragrant and chewy.

Indian people like to eat rice with their hands, mixed with vegetables and soup, which is called hand-pilaf. If you do as the Romans do, remember to eat with your right hand, because the left hand is considered unclean.

The Indian shook his head Yes and nodded No.

When beggars meet people begging for money on the road, don't give money in front of many beggars. Once you give one, you will immediately gather dozens of people. But you can give it to the poor kids individually. (Internship Editor: Zhang Xing)