New Direction
My desire for Yoga began while we were stationed in Germany over a decade ago. I had been living a life of fitness, teaching circuit classes, weights, bike riding, walking, and track already. Though I completely loved this way of life, my heart was still yearning for yoga. It was not until 2016 that I decided to research this passion that I felt for so very long.
Attending school to be a Holistic Integrative practitioner I had the option to learn Yoga but felt that Yoga was not just a class to be taken lightly. Yoga is deep and very meaningful, and I wanted to embrace it for all that it is. I soon began researching how to do yoga, thinking it would be wiser for me to join classes rather than try to teach myself, I found a cute little yoga studio of which I believed to be the kindest, warmest people working there.
Preparing For India
While attending this yoga studio I was enjoying yoga more and more, yet I knew there was more to yoga than just a pose.. and I wanted to understand each pose on a deeper level. This was when I began researching more of yoga. I soon found out that Rishikesh, India is the home of where Yoga originated, the yoga capital if you will. It did not take me long, and I soon was looking at pictures and videos of this Rishikesh area in India. Finding myself in dreamland as I soon began pursuing the perfect school for me to receive my 500-hour yoga teacher training that is, of course, Yoga Alliance approved.
I signed up for this school and set my deposit for the term that I would be in Rishikesh for training. Found the perfect flights and set everything up so that this was going to happen. Holding a passport for years, I did not even worry any farther, only made sure that the dates on my passport would comply with my plans.
The day was arriving that I was going to fly. Backpack purchased from Amazon arrived and packed perfectly to last for 60 days which was going to be the duration of my stay in Rishikesh. After my stay in Rishikesh, I had another flight that was going to Holland to visit my dearest friend for a short time before returning to Fort Collins Colorado. Knowing I would want to shop before leaving Holland, I did not worry about bringing more than needed for my yoga training in India.
Meeting Resistance On My Spiritual Journey
The day came for us to leave for the airport and me to begin my journey to Rishikesh. Crazy as it sounds, it did not feel real that it was truly happening. I had waited months for this day to come and yet I still felt like it was not really the day of. After being dropped at the airport I quickly situated and found my way to my first flight which was Chicago Illinois, It would be my connecting flight to get me to Asia.
After arriving in Chicago and finding my flight, I soon realized why those feelings of “this is happening” never came. I was next in line to walk up to the check-in counter, and the nice lady asks me for my passport, at which I handed to her my passport and my military ID. Showing two forms of government ID I believed would help make this journey a little less crazy. She then asked for my Visa… This was when I stopped.
I was so shocked she asked for my Visa as I believed that a passport was all that was necessary. Interestingly enough, I had never understood how a Visa worked. .. and worse never tried to understand. I thought that a Visa was for foreigners coming to the U.S., as a passport was for the U.S to travel outside to other countries. This was the day; I very quickly became educated about Visa’s and Passports. Though I am grateful to now be very clear how this all works, I still think I learned it a bit harsher than needed. Haha, Long story short… my feeling of not starting my journey to learn yoga on this day was very real.
Overcoming Resistance
After returning home, I quickly began working towards getting my Visa. The plan was to make India happen for real the 5th of February which was 28 days away. In my mind, I had decided there was a reason I was not supposed to be there in January. I mean there is always a reason for everything right. I did manage to get my self-collected again a week before my flight. It was really happening this time. I mean truly happening. Passport and Visa in hand, backpack packed, and I was excited.
The day came, and so did my journey. After nearly 15 hours I had made it safely to Rishikesh, India. The plain flight was great as I was able to share a row of seats with a Yogi at heart that was from New Delhi. He shared some amazing stories and traditions of India with me as well as his insights of yoga. The taxi ride from New Delhi is where I come with the idea that I made it “safely” to Rishikesh. Driving in India is not by any means relatable to driving anywhere that I have lived. Possibly somewhat related to New York, with all the honking that is happening. As I sit here and try to explain what this ride was like… I am at a loss for words. I think this experience of being in traffic was quite a mixture of all emotions. Fear, anxiety, and intriguing to say the least. Nonetheless, I still feel blessed to have experienced this way of life.
Exploring Rishikesh
Rishikesh was beyond any words I can even imagine sharing. My room was nothing more than a bed and a coffee table. Of course, I had a bathroom which consisted of a shower, toilet, and sink. All combined as one room with no dividers or curtains. Somehow it just fit me perfectly as I loved it. The sink was not large by no means, yet perfect fit to wash my hands, face, and laundry as needed. The shower with just the right amount of pressure to wash, but not so much to overwhelm me. The best part of my room was the window that overlooked the Mother Ganga. The most beautiful site I could possibly dream of to wake up to. Mind you I did not realize the site so much the night before since I came in so late and was focused on my other surroundings and visiting with others. I woke at 4:00 am and opened my blinds to a view that held me for nearly an hour, while I spoke on the phone with my family in the U.S. doing my best to share my view with them as well…
This, however, is also when I realized why I was not meant to be in Rishikesh in January, the month before. It was very cold in Rishikesh. It was winter just as it was in the U.S., but it was different in Rishikesh because things are done differently. Buildings are built different, and the winds can come through these buildings and heat is not included in your room. To include the Ashram that I was staying at, as well as restaurants. Though it was hard for me to accept not coming in January, I fully comprehended it now and was very grateful for what had happened.
Submersed In The Yoga Experience
These 2 months were so incredible and enlightening, my days beginning at 4:30 am nearly every morning to do a cleansing, pranayama, asanas, Yoga therapy, anatomy and physiology, yoga philosophy, asanas again, meditation, and dinner only to rest at around 10 pm. Though our days were fully scheduled, and at times exhausting, I always looked forward to the days to come. I spent much of my free time meeting new people, making friends, and shopping for gifts for my family in the markets, until I decided to take in an Ayurveda class. At which I learned not only of Ayurveda and our Doshas but also of cooking Ayurvedic meals. I have lived a life of fitness and most all the many types of diets that you can think of, it is Ayurveda that makes the most sense to me and is what I continue to practice to this day.
The locals in Rishikesh were always friendly. Most always shared a smile and quite often asked for a photo. As time went on, I will admit that I felt as though I was a star and the locals were the paparazzi, always being asked for a picture after realizing I was from the United States. At one time I had a conversation with a few people. I asked them why is it that people want to take pictures so much? It was explained to me that it was because I was from the U.S., But I had to respond, “You are from India!” I could not comprehend why someone would want to believe that one place was much better than another to live. No matter where you are, there are difficulties and happiness. Embrace it!
Finding Peace After India
I managed to find peace in Rishikesh, a place that was so chaotic through the days with cows, motorcycles, S.U.V’s, locals and tourists, monkeys and all the honking. A feeling of no worries flowed through me. I was surrounded by kind beings, cows at any given time, and monkeys that admittingly did stress me a bit with their unpredictability, but overall.. peace that I did not realize how powerful it truly was till I left India… and returned to the United States.
Once arriving home, it did take a bit for me to connect again, find my grounding if you will. Knowing that I needed to continue my practicing yoga and all it entails, I found it difficult to do so. It was no more than a month before I began having symptoms of what was realized to be anxiety. Something I had known happens to others but never experienced in my life, was now happening to me. This was a time that I dove as deep as possible into my integrative education and dear friends around me who worked with energy to help me to build up my quality of life. Shamans, Reiki Masters and Healing Touch practitioners, all of which I combined with at least one day of asanas a week.
I left India April 2017, and though my symptoms of anxiety have weakened tremendously, I believe continuing my practices of yoga, and energy healing are what has made the most difference. India was incredible and beyond my imagination of what I was going to receive from that journey in my life. I can’t begin to place it with the right words of how grateful I am to of been able to make that happen. All I know is, I am to this day and believe I will for the rest of my life reap the benefits of what I learned while there as I continue my practice of being a yogi at heart.