Spiritual Playground: Rishikesh

whatever inspires you, even if you don't know, rishikesh can help you find it. it is set within close proximity of the himalayas and right on the holy ganges river. take some yoga classes for a spin, ashram hop, guru hunt, unwind and relax with meditation, rejuvenate with massages, check out and learn about any holistic medicine you can imagine from reiki, ayurveda, gemstone therapy, others i have never heard of. rock climb, raft the ganges, trek in the himalayas, become friends with the cows. you name it, it is here, and there is something here for everyone. we have been staying at a quiet ashram (well except for the 4:30 am tincan bells and loudspeaker chanting), enjoying the gardens, good food, and experiencing one of the nightly fire poojas (offerings and chanting). we are housed on the top floor/roof, and share it with a village of monkeys apparently. so we spend a good chunk of the day fending off monkeys when they break into the room and corner us on our beds until we feed them.

i should not complain. life is quite good here. we kick off the morning with a painfully good yoga class, followed by more good food and perhaps a dip in the ganges river or an afternoon spent reading or visiting with fellow travelers. the evenings may bring another more relaxed yoga class or perhaps an easy stroll or run, and each night we are soothed by the sweet and calming voice a swami (holy woman) who leads guided meditation. she makes it seem easy and pleasant for a novice like me.

just a quick note about running in india. i had not run in 3 months and thought it sounded like a nice idea. i set off, dodging through people, playing chicken with motorbikes, and felt winded. but it was such a cool experience to see another perspective. for a minute, i did not feel like a tourist. i was not asked to buy anything or even take a look. i received more curious gawks wondering why i was running, or kind namastes (greetings) and smiles, and a few chuckles. it was more satisfying than i had anticipated.

(the last photo is the last leg of our journey to rishikesh. our bus hit an oncoming car, but no one was seriously injured.)