It’s currently raining in Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh, one of the Northernmost populated towns in the Indian Himalayas.
Meanwhile, I hear that it’s been 26 degrees in Ireland. Typical!
Monsoon season here is in full swing, and as irritating as a downpour can be in the midst of exploring new towns and places, the people that you meet when huddled together with a street of strangers under a bright blue tarpaulin to shelter from the rain often make it seem worthwhile.
Another plus is that the more strenuous yoga classes have not proven too overwhelming. My practice in Bali and Cambodia last year showed me just how exhausting naturally heated yoga can be – there is no escaping the heat when you’re already outside!
View of the Indian Himalayas from McLeodGanj
Attending classes at both Universal Yoga in McLeodGanj and now a rigorous 5-day intensive at Himalayan Iyengar Yoga school in Dharamkot has been a fascinating, self-exploratory and humbling experience so far. Although I had reservations about exploring Iyengar Yoga further – even during the first day or two I doubted my decision and considered seeking guidance elsewhere – I cannot help but marvel at the depth and intricacy of the practice over here, and have already learned to open up and trust myself and those around me more thoroughly than I thought possible. This for me is what yoga is all about – opening up (both physically and mentally) and accepting what is – trusting what you have and that which surrounds you instead of creating unnecessary anxiety worrying about things outside of your control. Harmony in body and mind. Harmony within your place in the world.
My place right now just happens to be India in the middle of monsoon season.
India as a country is as dense as it is beautiful – there are so many layers just waiting to be peeled back. So many aspects, so many different sides and underlying elements to this ever-changing and evolving landscape. This kinetic energy in itself is a perfect emulation of human nature as a whole. We too are consistently changing. We hide beneath layers, personas, images and complete strangers that we for whatever reason so often strive to emulate – the list goes on. Yoga helps us peel back those layers comfortably, to open up and purely exist in acceptance of what’s around us, learning to enjoy the process instead of thinking about what will or may come to be.
Practicing yoga here has been challenging both mentally and physically, and especially difficult on realisation that the warm and cosy bed usually awaiting my arrival after a tough practice is in fact a flat, hard slightly damp resting space of a room costing less than €2 a night! Not exactly my idea of luxury but then again, I shouldn’t complain, right? I’m pushing boundaries. It’s not supposed to be comfortable.
My mental stamina, moreso than the physical has been tested to the point of breaking, and it may sound extreme that I have now experienced first hand what it’s like to be positioned upsidedown with tears streaming out of my eyes and down my forehead – not out of pain, but out of sheer exposure and lack of familiarity to..anything! Succumbing to the unknown? I can’t quite describe it.
It’s a new perspective, anyway. It’s been freeing.
The sheer amount of yoga schools and meditation classes around Dharamsala, McLeodGanj, and Dharamkot is testament to the deeply moving and widespread popularity of the practices in India, and it has even been predicted by the Dalai Lama himself that ‘if every 8-year-old is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation’. I’m not sure how accurate I believe this statement to be, but I must admit that my own sense of peace has been heightened purely by being present in this beautiful part of the wild animal that is India. There’s definitely something in the air over here, whether it’s because every second Westerner you meet is a hippie-pants wearing yogi with feathers in their hair and mandala tattoos on their arms, or simply the proximity to the birthplace of Buddhism – it doesn’t really matter. Peace of mind is peace of mind, and for every way there is to find it here, whether it’s attending morning Puja or Vipassana practices or simply attending a yoga class a day, you’re guaranteed to find likeminded souls who share your search for space, calmness, and self-acceptance.
For now I’m happy just being here, uphill walks, bugs and language barriers aside…
Until next time…Namasté!
You can follow more from Jenny at Upward Facing Blog or on Instagram at @jennybean818
