Bahamas versus India
When doing the TTC the thing that worried me the most was only getting two meals a day. It turned out to be more than enough and I even think that I put on weight during the course. What worried me with this course was milnly the really early mornings and the one hour pranayama (breathing exercises) that we have to do. It turns out that this too is quite alright. The pranayama gives us so much energy for the rest of the day that there is no real need to sleep more than 5 hours a night. It is amazing what proper breathing can do. Anyway, thought now that I have a day off (we get one day off a week, Mondays, meaning form 12 til 8 p.m., the morning classes and evening Satsang are still mandatory) I'd giev you a general picture of life here in the ashram in the lovely Bahamas.
Wheather
Still bloody freezing. Last week went to buy socks. Woman behind the counter looked at me as if I spoke Chinese. "Socks? What you talking about dear" she answers with her Bahamian accent. Apparently this is the coldest whether they have had in over a decade. So cold that they even have to rescue the alligators because it is too cold for them. So the word socks doesn't really exist in this Caribbean part of the world where the wheather is supposed to be pleasnt all year round. As if!!! Have to put on layers of clothes here too. At least before going to India I was warned that it could be chilly (obvisouly thought they were exaggerating and obviously had never been to Sweden where the real cold exists. Ha, being too cocky is dangerous). So that concludes this part of it Bahamas 1 India 1.
Friends
Different people bring out different sides of you. Valentina (spiritual name Radha)comes from Venezuela. We hit it off from day one. And we are without doubt the giggliest pair of fourteenyearsolds you can find. I can't stop laughing around her and seem to do the same to her. Remember in school where you could laugh for hours about nothing, just looking at each other. Well that's where I am. So we have now created rules. We can not sit next to eachother in temple. Temple is time to contemplate, not laugh about our contemplations. But they say that laughing is the best yoga (or do they? Whatever). Conclusion. No need for alcohol anymore. Just bring Valentina with me all the time.
Cute boys
Contemplating self. Not relationships. Will not engage in such activity no more. It is not sattvic and only causes pain and suffering. From now on am working on detachment from self and especially men. PS. Am definately not secretly fantasising about gorgeous yoga guy who looks like a god in the Scorpion. I am devoted to my practice, nothing else.
Food
Without being to harsh and hard on the kitchen people who work hard at the brunch and dinner buffe, it tends to all taste the same after a while. I've bought chilipowder but when sneakily applying chili to my food I think back of the good old times where me and Nishad would sneak out to the market and buy fresh chilies. Miss Nishad, my favorite red Indian in the world :) The positives are that there is creamcheese and freshly baked bread, which definately is a luxury (and peanutbutter and jam for the Americans of course but not my thing really). So I indulge in creamcheese. They lack the lovely chai that they served us in India though. Hmmm. Think there might just be enough elements there for a tie between India and the Bahamas. Oh, almost forgot. Of course have non sattvic stash of crisps hidden under bed....and M&Ms for special occasions.
Smoking
Don't miss it at all!!! But found a "smoking" friend, a guy from Canada. We just found eachother when talking about smoking and realised that we have had similar smoking paths in our lives. It's amazing, I might not miss it but talking about smoking is like talking about an old friend and we both sit with smiles on our faces when we do. Sad! I know. And I can hear Per huffing and puffing when reading this thinking how ridiculous this sounds. But that's the life of a smoker, rather pathetic and absolutly fantasticly wonderful :) But proud to say that haven't smoked for now 10 days!!! Am true yogi! (well, that can be discussed but whatever).
Beach
Beach is beautiful but view is destroyed by horrible fivestar Atlantis that seems to be the ashrams yogavacationers favorite hideaway (they talk about Starbucks and spaas and other such things. Me not interested. Although have heard about their amazing waterslides and feeling tempted on next day off).
Special celebrations at ashram
So yesterday was big day at ashram. After satsang Swami Goodlooking (Brahmananda) gets up and looks like a child at Christmas. Has a huge grun on his face and then announces the birthday of one of the yogis. In comes a huge chocolatecake (could you expect anything else?) and everyone starts singing "Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear blabla, Happy birthday to you". Hang on. Then comes the lovely second verse. May you realise the Self, May you realise the Self. May you realise the Self in this very birth". Then hundred yogapeople hovered over chocolate cake. Also, same cake served for breakfast. Many strange looks when explain that don't like cake and prefer to just eat my lentil soup and creamcheese.
Satsang
I love satsang. I love the singing. Can't believe that I thought it was so boring when younger. Must now be fully mature or something (ha, as if). They also have lost of instruments that we can play if we want so have started off gently with maracas and triangle. I say gently although I must say that 25 minuted of playing the maracas during Jaya Ganesha did worse stuff to the muscles in my arms than standing in the bloody Scorpion does. Some night guest lecturers come and talk. Some amazing. Yesterday Leslie something (I'd love to namedrop him as he is apparently very famous but me and names and don't really care. Am not identifying with self remember) talked about life and the life after death. Tonight he is going to talk again. Apparently going to teach us ("it's a piece of cake" as he himself out it) how to see people who have died threedimensionally and communicate with them. Am very excited!!!
The animal Kingdom
Standing in the bathroom the other morning and huge lizard decides that my head would be a nice place to sit. Normally we have beel to wake up people. I took it as my personal responsibility to wake everyone up with my screaming. Highly appreciated :)
Also have done washing up in beehive without beehive protectionuniform (do not know name but it pretty much paints the picture) as part of karmayoga. Have to clean kitchen in Swamijees house as part of karmayoga and when arriving the other morning, hundreds of wasps had decided to reside in the kitchen. But duty must be done and if dishes aren't washed I will be sent to yogahell. So me did duty without getting stung. Face your fears!!! I am Superwasp woman!
Classes
It's a tough schedule and beats the TTC with lengths. There is no time for much else at all. We have two yoga classes a day, an hour of pranayama, an hour of Karmayoga, Anatomy class, then Sanskrit Class with is alternated with Rajayoga class and finally Vedanta philosophy class. Satsang two hours in the morning and two hours at night. You get the picture. And on top of that two separate written assignments to hand in everyday. And I'm still alive!!! And love it! The best of all (which I didn't know prior to coming) is that before the month is over we are supposed to be able to both read and write sanskrit. Can you believe that? I can't. But slowly getting there. Can now at least write 6 letters.
Feels like I haven't even touched upon the important things so will do that now
Love Love Love
and nothing else matters
Wheather
Still bloody freezing. Last week went to buy socks. Woman behind the counter looked at me as if I spoke Chinese. "Socks? What you talking about dear" she answers with her Bahamian accent. Apparently this is the coldest whether they have had in over a decade. So cold that they even have to rescue the alligators because it is too cold for them. So the word socks doesn't really exist in this Caribbean part of the world where the wheather is supposed to be pleasnt all year round. As if!!! Have to put on layers of clothes here too. At least before going to India I was warned that it could be chilly (obvisouly thought they were exaggerating and obviously had never been to Sweden where the real cold exists. Ha, being too cocky is dangerous). So that concludes this part of it Bahamas 1 India 1.
Friends
Different people bring out different sides of you. Valentina (spiritual name Radha)comes from Venezuela. We hit it off from day one. And we are without doubt the giggliest pair of fourteenyearsolds you can find. I can't stop laughing around her and seem to do the same to her. Remember in school where you could laugh for hours about nothing, just looking at each other. Well that's where I am. So we have now created rules. We can not sit next to eachother in temple. Temple is time to contemplate, not laugh about our contemplations. But they say that laughing is the best yoga (or do they? Whatever). Conclusion. No need for alcohol anymore. Just bring Valentina with me all the time.
Cute boys
Contemplating self. Not relationships. Will not engage in such activity no more. It is not sattvic and only causes pain and suffering. From now on am working on detachment from self and especially men. PS. Am definately not secretly fantasising about gorgeous yoga guy who looks like a god in the Scorpion. I am devoted to my practice, nothing else.
Food
Without being to harsh and hard on the kitchen people who work hard at the brunch and dinner buffe, it tends to all taste the same after a while. I've bought chilipowder but when sneakily applying chili to my food I think back of the good old times where me and Nishad would sneak out to the market and buy fresh chilies. Miss Nishad, my favorite red Indian in the world :) The positives are that there is creamcheese and freshly baked bread, which definately is a luxury (and peanutbutter and jam for the Americans of course but not my thing really). So I indulge in creamcheese. They lack the lovely chai that they served us in India though. Hmmm. Think there might just be enough elements there for a tie between India and the Bahamas. Oh, almost forgot. Of course have non sattvic stash of crisps hidden under bed....and M&Ms for special occasions.
Smoking
Don't miss it at all!!! But found a "smoking" friend, a guy from Canada. We just found eachother when talking about smoking and realised that we have had similar smoking paths in our lives. It's amazing, I might not miss it but talking about smoking is like talking about an old friend and we both sit with smiles on our faces when we do. Sad! I know. And I can hear Per huffing and puffing when reading this thinking how ridiculous this sounds. But that's the life of a smoker, rather pathetic and absolutly fantasticly wonderful :) But proud to say that haven't smoked for now 10 days!!! Am true yogi! (well, that can be discussed but whatever).
Beach
Beach is beautiful but view is destroyed by horrible fivestar Atlantis that seems to be the ashrams yogavacationers favorite hideaway (they talk about Starbucks and spaas and other such things. Me not interested. Although have heard about their amazing waterslides and feeling tempted on next day off).
Special celebrations at ashram
So yesterday was big day at ashram. After satsang Swami Goodlooking (Brahmananda) gets up and looks like a child at Christmas. Has a huge grun on his face and then announces the birthday of one of the yogis. In comes a huge chocolatecake (could you expect anything else?) and everyone starts singing "Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear blabla, Happy birthday to you". Hang on. Then comes the lovely second verse. May you realise the Self, May you realise the Self. May you realise the Self in this very birth". Then hundred yogapeople hovered over chocolate cake. Also, same cake served for breakfast. Many strange looks when explain that don't like cake and prefer to just eat my lentil soup and creamcheese.
Satsang
I love satsang. I love the singing. Can't believe that I thought it was so boring when younger. Must now be fully mature or something (ha, as if). They also have lost of instruments that we can play if we want so have started off gently with maracas and triangle. I say gently although I must say that 25 minuted of playing the maracas during Jaya Ganesha did worse stuff to the muscles in my arms than standing in the bloody Scorpion does. Some night guest lecturers come and talk. Some amazing. Yesterday Leslie something (I'd love to namedrop him as he is apparently very famous but me and names and don't really care. Am not identifying with self remember) talked about life and the life after death. Tonight he is going to talk again. Apparently going to teach us ("it's a piece of cake" as he himself out it) how to see people who have died threedimensionally and communicate with them. Am very excited!!!
The animal Kingdom
Standing in the bathroom the other morning and huge lizard decides that my head would be a nice place to sit. Normally we have beel to wake up people. I took it as my personal responsibility to wake everyone up with my screaming. Highly appreciated :)
Also have done washing up in beehive without beehive protectionuniform (do not know name but it pretty much paints the picture) as part of karmayoga. Have to clean kitchen in Swamijees house as part of karmayoga and when arriving the other morning, hundreds of wasps had decided to reside in the kitchen. But duty must be done and if dishes aren't washed I will be sent to yogahell. So me did duty without getting stung. Face your fears!!! I am Superwasp woman!
Classes
It's a tough schedule and beats the TTC with lengths. There is no time for much else at all. We have two yoga classes a day, an hour of pranayama, an hour of Karmayoga, Anatomy class, then Sanskrit Class with is alternated with Rajayoga class and finally Vedanta philosophy class. Satsang two hours in the morning and two hours at night. You get the picture. And on top of that two separate written assignments to hand in everyday. And I'm still alive!!! And love it! The best of all (which I didn't know prior to coming) is that before the month is over we are supposed to be able to both read and write sanskrit. Can you believe that? I can't. But slowly getting there. Can now at least write 6 letters.
Feels like I haven't even touched upon the important things so will do that now
Love Love Love
and nothing else matters
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