Namaste McLeod Ganj!
In the planning stages for my sabbatical I flirted with the idea of going to an ashram - yes, this is my EAT, PRAY, LOVE moment so let's do it all - but never came across one in my research that seemed to fit. In particular I was looking for Iyengar yoga and not meditation to drums or hours of silence. It was only when I decided to head to the mountains and Dharamsala, while looking for a place to stay, that I encountered the Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Center. What sheer serendipity!
Hiking over a mountain and through the woods, 35 minutes later I arrive to my first of five days at the Center. You are required to take the beginners class whether you are new to yoga or have been practicing Iyengar for years. The hanging ropes and props piled high in the corner of the room are a familiar sight and confirm that I am in the right place. We are required to come to class with an empty stomach - easy if your class is at 7am, but we begin at 10am and I have already been up for 5 hours. Fingers crossed that my early morning milk coffee and egg sandwich hold me over.
There are 20+ students ranging in nationalities - British, Israelis, Koreans, Australians - and we fill the room. Leo, our teacher, stands tall on a platform at the front of the class, adjusting his long wavy ponytail as he demonstrates the positions and filling the air with his Russian-accented English asking us what we feel. I think to myself this is going to be a LONG 3 hours but the constant reminder to get out of your head and listen to your body makes the time pass by and soon enough day one is done.
05.29.14
McLeod Ganj, India
7:20am
Just up the hill, around a corner and through the woods in search of yoga.
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