Rishikesh: The India of my Dreams

11.11.11 Kundalini and Music Festival, Parmath Niketan Ashram 

My time in India began (after a fleeting night in a horrible hotel in Delhi where they first tried to give me a room with a gaping hole for a window and then a room with cockroaches..) arriving in the world's mecca of yoga Rishikesh and staying in the renowned, vast Parmath Niketan Ashram located on the banks of the ganges.  I had signed up to a week long, intense Kundalini and Music Festival leading up to 11.11.11 in celebration of the dawning of the Aquarian age and this time of transformation.  This was a rather bold step given that I have only attended a few Kundalini yoga classes and knew little about this practice!  But something told me to attend the festival in meditations and when I took my phone out of my bag and it displayed the numbers 111111 that was it I had enrolled on the course!


Arriving at the festival we were was greeted by a sea of shining people with light in their eyes dressed in white from head to toe (kundalini practitioners wear white including turbans because it includes every other colour and encourages transcendence).  Parmeth Niketan is huge, housing 1000 people it is more like a small village but I was pleasantly suprised by how nice the room was with an incredible view of the ganges and Lord Shiva statue and ensuite with hot shower - not the back to basics, simple experience I was anticipating.  I was grateful that a lovely, warm Argentinian yoga teacher, Josefina, took me under her wing as a roommate and providing insight into the Kundalini culture and guided me through losing my  Kundalini virginity. 


The next morning we were woken up (as we would be for the whole week) at 3am by the evocative voice of Guru Sing and his guitar calling us to Rise up, Rise up (video to follow).  And it worked, layered in warm clothes, in the pitch black we headed to the yoga shala located on the Ganga for morning Sadhana from 4am - 6.30am.  The morning Sadhana is a Kundalini practice which Yogi Bhajan developed for the dawning of the Aquarian age working deep into the fascia and cultivating a strong nervous system as this is what is required in the current challenging economic environment.  The practice consists of approx 30 minutes heating, repetitive asanas, then moving into intense kriyas and mantra, the first of which is sitting crossed legged with hands stretched out it front, palms activated with small finger to middle finger together and thumb and second finger seperated with your drishti/gaze at your nose and staying absolutely still for an excruciatingly painful 27 minutes!  This couldn't be more far removed from my flowing vinyasa flow practice and so needless to say I failed miserably and just couldn't understand the point, nothing in me wanted to keep my arms up and face the pain.  But midway through the week something clicked, something connected (with some advice from other practioners) I found my breath in the posture, rather than seeing it as pain building up in my shoulders I felt it as energy which I could flow around my body.  It became deeply meditative and deeply devotional.  I lost concept of time and somehow my arms stayed there energised and alive for 27minutes and I got it and I loved it. and felt totally empowered.


A typically daily programme for the festival consited as follows:


3am - Guru Singh wake up 
4am - 6.30am - Sadhana
6.30am - 7am - Bangra Dance
7am - 8am - Breakfast
8am - 10am - Intense Physical Kundalini Class with Gormukh
10am - 12pm - Meditative Kundalini practice with Guru Dev
12pm - 2pm - Lunch
2pm - 5pm - Music, workshops, concerts
5pm - 6.30pm - Yugna / Arti ceremony
7pm - 8pm - Dinner
8pm - 9.30pm - Concerts, talks, kirtan
10pm - Bedtime


Jeez just writing that schedule is exhausting! On the first day of the festival I attended every class and it was a bit overwhelming, particularly as there is no time scheduled for still meditation and silence which is a growing part of my personal practice. I also found it necessary to have time to ground down and be still to neutralise fronm working with intense physical kriyas which created elevated, europhic states. So through the course of the week I took some time out for sweet, deep vinyasa flow and meditation on the banks of the ganga. I have not yet been anywhere else on this Earth more condusive to spiritual practice than Rishikesh, never so easily have I found sweet stillness and eyes turned inwards gazing to the light.

Thankfully the kundalini classes were relaxed with no pressure to do everything just to do your best. In fact there would often be people curled up asleep or lying down chilling which was deemed fine as Yogi Bhajan said just showing up was the most important thing and that you receive 70% of the benefits just being there absorbing the energy of the practice.

Each of the kundalini teaches had their own distinct style. Gormukh's classes were super physical, at points a cross between an aerobics class and a trance rave with a real American can do attitude. It was invigorating to be active and move in new ways; doing reverse star jumps, squats, wrestling and hugging partners, shaking your body from head to toe for up to 20minutes, galloping and skipping and best of all dancing freely. The classes built up energy to everyone dancing ecstaticly, liberating body and mind to move in own natural rhythym as innately as the flow of the ganges river.

Guru Dev's teachings focused on more subtle, series of powerful kriyas designed to repattern sub consciousness and awaken you to highest highs. Despite claiming that in one year of kundalini practice you will experience more than in 10 years of hatha yoga which I don't agree with as 1. everyone finds their own path which works for them (kundalini may be deemed too strong for those with fragile minds and weak bodies) 2. there is no rush 3. hatha yoga encompasses many diverse practises including cross overs with kundalini, anyway I digress but I loved his classes and will be using some of the mudras and kriyas. Although I want to research and greater understand these exercises and their affects to ensure neutralise, ground and close practises.

Throughout the festival we were blessed with beautiful live music, kirtan and chanting; Snatum Kaur's Divine voice and grace and the heaven sent and Deva Primal.
Yugna and Arti
One of my favourite parts of Rishikesh life was the daily Hindu Yugna and Arti fire ritual which took place on the Ganga ghats led by captivating chanting of H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji. I loved emmersing in the ritual, a time for prayer, offering and gratitude. The fire and each offering given into it acts a sacrifice and a reminder to offer everything to God - every thought action and breath. When you make an offering into the fire they say 'idam namamah' which means 'Not for me, but for You.'.

Finding your voice
It's no secret that I'm tone deaf and that I found chanting one of the more scary yogic practices, but as with many things in life the things you fear and are resistant to are perhaps the things you need to do to liberate yourself. Chanting forces me to focus and let go, I have to confront my mind telling me I'm rubbish and that everyone around is laughing at me and wishing I'd shut the f**k up and I have to go beyond the thought to allow the sounds (out of tune they maybe) of the sacred mantras to drown out the negative chit chatter. Chanting is fundamental to kundalini and there is nothing quite like the encouraging words from Guru Singh that "everyone can sing perfectly in their own key" and the sound of 600 people around you to help you loose any inhabitions and find your voice. Guru Singh''s advice comes from a conversation he had with Yogi Bajin who had a very 'distinctive' voice but was ever confident to be different, be own person because "I fit perfectly in my own skin".




Satsang with H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji
I've read a lot of books by various Swami's (definitions) but this is first time I've been in presence of a Swami and what struct me was his humble, down to earth sensibility and how he remained in touch with the world and people to enable his life teachings to be accessible.

Silence - his own story
Swamiji shared his own story which began at 8 years old when he met Swamiji Senior and he a shakti pat (explain?). From that first encounter Swamiji knew he wanted to spend time with Swamiji Senior but when he asked senior dismissed him and gave him a sadhana to stay ion silence for 1 year and once this is completed he would reconsider. Unbelievably Swamiji, an 8 year old child, did keep silent for a year and so of course Swamiji Senior could ignore him no longer and took him under his wing, committed to the spiritual path. Swamiji junior rennunciated to live in forests and caves and now shares his experience and devotion to teach and guide others.

Silence is still an important part of Swamiji's Sadhana and he observes silence daily from 10pm - 8am and 2.30pm - 4.30pm. He shares that silence is opportunity to truly listen, to watch yourself and get to the root of problems, it provides space to learn to listen and think before speak and tp hear the Divine. Swamiji makes his teachings relevant and current telling us to rather than wasting our time on facebook looking at other people, comparing our lives and being distracted we should meditate on our own facebook, read ourselves to get to our inner truth. It's not out there but inside. I loved his frank relationship advice - why not disegnate a time on Sunday for all arguing I'm sure when the time comes you will have forgetten what was so important to arguing about!

11.11.11
The week was focused on building up to 11.11.11, using this shift into the Aquarian age as point of transformation. When you spend a week in intense practice you do feel like you unravel some layers and get rid of things that don't serve you and for me this culminated with going into the Ganga and dipping under 3 times. Can't begin to put into words this moment see the Creativity page on the blog for my attempt.

104 year old yogi master 

I also enjoyed taking a Hatha class with an incredibly inspiring teacher, 104 year old master Senior Swamiji. Anyone who wonders what the point of yoga is and is sceptical of its benefits need only look at him with his legs wrapped around his head and his enormous, cheeky grin to be convinced of its powers! Of course his display of extraordinary flexibility in ridiculously difficult asanas is impressive but I'm more struck by his playful sense of humour and joyous energy. He teaches class every morning 6am - 8am, attends the Yugna and Arti ceremonies every sunset happily clapping and chanting away, is active in the ashram as well as attending guest appearances at festivals and events worldwide.  Here's some photos and he requested me to let you know he has perfect eyesight and all his own teeth as well as being a human pretzel (a posture I'm not sure I will achieve in this lifetime which he can stay in for an hour!), he can fall asleep in padmasana / full lotus and is able to crack jokes in paschimottanasa with a man double his weight on his back.

Pure Soul Connection - let two 1's become 11, side by side The other very unexpected reason why my time in Rishikesh was soo special was because I connected with a beautiful soul and we drifted effortlessly together. We clicked straight away, in a mixture of intuition and deja vu, and we were relieved to discover neither of us were kundalini devotees and shared similarities in kriya meditation practices. My beloved guide Alessandra shared chakra and pure light kriya exercises which I pratice and he is a kriya meditation teacher under Paramahansa Yogananda. We only spent ten days together but I learnt soo much and felt soo blessed to experience closeness with a man which rather than distracting you from spiritual practises totally enhanced meditation and connection. The following extract from Eckhart Tolle's Power of Now sums up the experience of another,
"If you are fortunate enough to find someone who is intensely conscious, if you can be with them and join them in a state of presence, that can be helpful and will accelerate things. When a log that has just started to burn is placed next to one that is burning fiercely, and after a while they are seperated again, the first log will be burning with much greater intensity. After all, it is the same fire. To be such a fire is of the function of a spiritual teacher."

Our eyes gaze over and through each others souls,
Lying side by side in tingling energy, hands tentatively touch and sparks fly,
We've met before, we've done this before, we must have it feels soo easy, soo right,
A raindow connects our crowns and we are each others pots of gold,
We fall together in perfect harmony, whilst singning magnificant solos,
I love basking in your Divinity, it takes me higher,
Your beautiful energy vibrates to my core and we transcend into the cosmos,
I soak up your bountiful wisdom and grace, judgements, preconceptions and ego melt away,
Thank you for reaching out your hand, for sharing your spirit and heart and the magic of Rishikesh,
Thank you for being a brilliant, bright, burning flame and ingniting my light

Kriya meditation are considered secret techniques passed to you when you are ready and so I am very fortunate and grateful to receive these methods. I also gratefully recieved a fantastic book "Scientific Affirmations" of Paramahansa Yogananda's teachings and am reading more of his writings on metaphysical meditations,
"By daily meditation you will prepare the cradle of your consciousness to hold the infinite baby Christ. Every day will become a true Christmas of divine communion."
Beyond learning specific meditation exercises, bountiful stories about the hindu dieties and philosophies I learnt I could be conscious and connected with another and accept that we would physical be seperated to continue our paths.



After the festival me, my lovely roommate Josephine, a mexican called Victor and an Austrian Simon wanted to stay a few more days to relax in Rishikesh. We found a lovely guesthouse up in the hippy part of town, Laxman Julla, with a terrace overlooking the ganga and mountains. We enjoyed chilling on the beaches by the river, strolling the markets, sitting in the infamous German Bakery and spending an evening singing around a fire at an open mic night at Hill Top Hotel. Rishikesh has a dizzying array of yoga classes and ashrams but we were recommended to attend Anand Prakash Ashram's morning class 6am - 8am and was really glad we did. It was held in a beautiful shala and after a week of kundalini it felt great to be back in my comfort zone with a Hatha class focused on Prana. The teacher Vishikesh is light, smiley and walks around the room with the deepest, richest ujjayi breath which leads you further into your practice and offers hands on assists. The class the following day looked at wellness and we opened chanting 'siva hum, siva hum, siva hum, sivo hum' and I liked how we chanting to the sun between surya namaskars.

Beatle's Ashram
For the last day in Rishikesh visited the abandoned ashram tucked away out in the forests were the Beatles stayed in the 60's to explore transcendental medition (and no doubt tantra and the physchedelic drugs) . It's a beautiful building with Morrocan feel tiled white domes, and ornately curved windows, it's a shame it's now wasted and left in dissaray due to the government kicking the swami who ran the ashram out because of the debaucherous sexual antics and drug taking that went on. We climbed up on the roof to take in the stunning scenery and sunshine. Abrao led me through kriya techniques, and was totally focused and connected and leading easily into pure, calm, still meditation. The afternoon flies by and the only reason we move is because our bellies grumble for food. We go to an Italian and I have big comforting bowl of pasta (had been ill the day before and didnt eat all day so this tastes good!). Then head to last arti ceremony and I drink it all in and then send off my prayer boat (made of flowers, incense and candle) with the wish "to bring contentment to others".
It's hard to leave Rishikesh, but I will keep it alive and sure I will return.
India 
 
For me coming to India was thankfully never to see the sights and tick off the tourist hotspots because for people that arrive with the motives are often frustrated and alarmed by the enslaught of dirt, chaos, poverty and inconvenience. The poverty is heart wretchingly painful and I don't want to romantiscise it but there is something amazing about this place which forces you to be fully in the present (partly for your own safety dodging tuk tuks and cows), alive and connected. In India there are only two times, the present and everything else - literally in Indian the word for yesterday and tomorrow are the same! The same language has seven words for water eg flowing, calm, dirty, pure). In India your priorities change, India gets inside of you and it changes you.