Yoga Trip to Himalayas

Diana Brown (Germany)
Visited: 17.7.2004

India is a country also known for its meditation and yoga centers, I came to know that India also offers meditation and yoga classes held in different parts of India as well as in Himalayas. To attain the spiritual knowledge, the ancient Indian yogis settled in the mighty Himalayas, as it was the ultimate destination for pursuing meditation and yoga. Away from human race's insignificant struggle, the picturesque Himalayas offered them with the complete atmosphere for yogasanas and meditation - a way that leads to nirvana. I desperately required a break from my hectic schedule life and wanted to baptize my self in to the great sea of meditation and yoga to give a rest to my restless soul. After the passage of many a bizarre centuries when I, an ordinary human, was sanctified with the opportunity to undertake aasanas and transcendental meditation in Himalayas, a requisite habitation of the ancient yogis, I was brimmed with a unique sense of profusion.

I under took a course in meditation and yoga that lasted for a month. Rishikesh is the head center of these courses. From Delhi I along with other 20 fellow yogis that had come from all over the world to attend this course were taken to Rishikesh in a luxury coach, the terrain for our destination was just amazing, our cab passed through the sub-Himalayan hills and along the wandering rivers, we all enjoyed the breathtaking grandeur of the environment. Beautiful cottage (aashram) was booked for us, we were greeted by a staff and the yogis there. After a formal chat in the dinner hall and with a lavish cuisine we withdrew to our rooms.

Next morning after breakfast the instructors briefed us about our course schedule that sounded very exciting. We had unbelievable experiences of meditation and yoga exercises that were conducted daily, a real life time experience. Daily in the morning we all 20 yogis use to walk to our yoga center that was just near to our residing area. The yoga classes were succeeded by easing of body- mind, after luxuriating we learnt about breathing knowledge and laborious, stretching exercises that was followed by a yogic breakfast- real light vegetarian food. During evening times the lectures were organized by the monks and priest on achieving nirvana besides some yoga and traditional meditation classes. In late evenings we use to be taken to the Ghaats for performing aartis dedicated to the Goddess Ganga. Our coaches kept on telling us about each and every activity that use to take place in and around us. He told us about the Goddess Ganga that she is referred as the mother of the puissant fearless hero Bhishma of the great Indian epic The Mahabharata.

We also attended course on highly evolved technique of yoga, inhaling and exhaling techniques on breathing and remedial yoga. Some times we got the leisure times in afternoons to go for some adventures trips, normally these trips use to be arranged by the conductors on precise request. I enjoyed river-rafting trips in great Ganga River. We use to go for temple tours and caves like the Vasisth Gufa, the cave that was sustained as a place of meditation of the great philosopher and writer Vasisth of the Ramayanas. I could really feel the attainment of peace of mind and relaxing of my sole in those caves and temples.

It was proved that nothing could be a better place then these centers in Himalayas for undertaking yoga and meditation. The clamor of the Himalayas is just irresistible. I returned back to my country with utmost satisfaction and promises to come back to this holy environ of Himalayas.