Enchanting India Reveals Yoga and the Creative Self
"Yoga is the basis of an integrated life. A means of bringing into harmony the inner creative silence and the outer activity of life, and a way to act with precision and success."
- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Commentary on Vs.48 Bhagavad Gita
Many of you are familiar with Yoga, meditation, and in recent times, the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda.
We come to know and love the Sanskrit word, “Namaste”, and have come to learn about:
the philosophy of yoga
the heart of yoga from the motherland known as India, specifically Rishikesh, India
familiar or have heard of the famous Ganges River
learned of Swamis such as Swami Satchitananda, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Swami Sivananda, Guru Dev, Radhanath Swami, Yogananda, and many more
along with the ashrams such as the Sivananda Ashrams, Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Ashram "Shankaracharya Nagar" (Rishikesh), Swami Sivananda Ashram, Baba Kali Kamli Vanprasth Ashram, Yoga Ashram Rishikesh and so many more.
Yoga, in essence, has grown exponentially over the years, and with its growth, has revealed a few of the layers that were once hidden beneath the surface. Students are awakening more and more to the spiritual and transcendent side of its teachings which is liberating self-doubt and creating empowerment through various expressions.
The practice of yoga, along with its sister science, Ayurveda, and cousin meditation provide the practitioner with methods to tap into harmony and the inner creative silence while functioning on the surface level of life. Maintaining a household, work, kids, school, and any other projects you have going on. The power of these three practices together has the key to establishing success through the conscious intention of caring for one’s self.
The culture and wisdom of Indian ancestors brought these teachings to the states in the 1900s, and have since been evolving into mainstream forms of wellness practices that have provided health professionals the ability to integrate Eastern medicine into their practices.
India and its traditional culture have also inspired devotees of the Vedic arts, how to utilize the scents, spices, sacred mantras, auspicious colors, and spiritual modalities to enliven the intelligence within. These teachings are experienced throughout India, and throughout the West as a reverence to the deity Lord Shiva, Brahman, and Vishnu. The traditions of Varanasi, Rishikesh, Haridwar, and the country’s love for Mother Ganges River exemplify the importance of embodying a spiritual practice through the art of yoga.
Yoga is a union of mind-body-spirit. As Chintu Ramani says (founder of Shores of Ganges Tours based in Varanasi, India),
“God is a part of our family. You will see little temples of Lord Shiva everywhere and in every home.”
In India, there are many different states and many different styles of dressing. There are over 100 dialects of language ranging from East to West, North to South. When you are in Varanasi, you will “feel the blessing” of this “old city.” A feeling of being free from stress amongst the organized chaos. 3-4 days in Varanasi is the beginning of receiving the blessing of this sacred, old, and holy city.
Varanasi gets its name from 2 words. Varana- “youth of life” and Assi - “river”
The literal translation of Varanasi’s name is the River of Youthful Life.
To be in Varanasi is to feel and experience the “gratitude of Lord Shiva” which is expressed through the famous chant, “Om Namah Shivaya.” Lord Shiva has been honored for over 500 yrs and has over 12 major temples and is surrounded by over 20,000 temples. Indian legend has said that goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva stayed in Varanasi.
Upon our visit to India, we will have the opportunity to visit some of the most honored and respected cities that are rich in culture, spirituality, and legend. We begin our journey in New Delhi where some of the most beautiful architecture surrounds the capital. We then visit Agra, home of the magnificent and world-famous Taj Mahal which will take us onward to Jaipur the “Pink City,” lined with Terracotta architecture and the home of the land of the many palaces and kingdoms. Lastly, we end in Varanasi, home of Lord Shiva, and bathe in the Ganges River. In Varanasi, we will have the opportunity to do yoga on the special Indian boat that cruises through history as we flow with the energy of the mother Ganges and meditate in Lord Shiva's temple to receive his blessing.
This chant is used to restore balance and honor the divine through which all things are made possible. Lord Shiva is the destroyer and when chanted to, supports breaking down the barriers to dispel fear. Gratitude practices show respect and reverence to the Supreme Being. This is an opportunity for you to reveal that respect within yourself.
Mantras are divine words by the “Holy People” known as Rishis, Sages, Sadhus, and the like, use to make a connection to God. These words contain “divine vibes” that even one mantra can change your life. Mantras such as “Hare Krishna,” “Om Namah Shivaya,” and the “Gayatri Mantra” are chanted upwards of 10-20minutes or over 108 times to promote patience with a peaceful mind.
The Gayatri Mantra is the most powerful Durga mantra to rid the people of all trouble. It is most important to have faith in the mantra so peace manifests into your alignment.
Ayurveda is one of the best gifts from Indian ancestors. It is the natural medicine of the “knowledge of life”. Its literal translation is “Ayu”- Science/ life and “Veda” - Knowledge. This holistic medicine has been practiced for thousands of years and is the most effective way to sustain the Prakriti (one’s unique elemental makeup) and remove aggravated Vrikriti (one’s current imbalance). The two main components of Ayurveda are Preventative medicine and Curative of diseases that occurred. This knowledge was collected and written by the great student Charaka who wrote the now popular Vedic -go-to text of Ayurvedic Practitioners, the Charaka Samhita.
Indian diet, in alignment with Ayurveda, is mostly vegetarian. About 70% of the country is vegetarian.
India’s Sacred Cows
Cows are not on the menu anywhere in India, as they are sacred and honored as the mother or giver of life and traditionally are thought to be protected by Lord Shiva who favored the cow. Today, the cow is worshipped in India. Custom is to offer the cow the first fruits or the first meal to receive the blessing of good dharma and karma. Cows provide nourishment to the land and the family and are also a favorite animal of Lord Krishna.
Other animals that are sacred in Hinduism are the crocodile, Lion, Tiger, Swan, Cobra, and Monkey. All of the deities are depicted with an animal that represents the soul in each of us. These animals are other beautiful ways that creativity is expressed through the harmony of our unique nature.
Festivals Offer Another Form of Creative Expression
Diwali festival is the celebration of light. It celebrates the connections of siblings and shares savory sweets, food, dancing, and family. Good Karma Day is another method in which to express homage to giving back to the people of India through conscious intentions of well-being and putting a smile on someone’s face. 5% of this entire Retreat goes towards celebrating Good Karma Day so we are able to provide for families in need.
In preparation to enjoy the food culture in India, one needs to consider the local spices that are consumed. Mustard Seeds, Turmeric (Haldi), Indian food needs turmeric, Cumin (Jira), Green Cardamom (Cchoti Ilayachi), Coriander, and Cilantro. Garam Masala, Black Cardamom (Kali Ilayachi), and Ginger (Adarek) are just a few of the spices used in the home and street food culture of India. If you are not familiar with these spices, it may not be wise to eat the street food, as it will be hard to digest. Begin to slowly include Indian spices in your meals, such as various curries, to ignite the digestive fire for the delicious Indian foods you will have the joy to delight in. The foods are extremely savory, unctuous, and decadent, so best to prepare your palette ahead of time. Also bring any mint, basil, and lemongrass to avoid an upset stomach.
Traditional Dress In India
To respect the tradition and honor each other and the way of life in India, proper dress is encouraged. Women are best to not wear shorts or any clothes that show cleavage or reflect a provocative appearance. As culturally, women are regarded as deities or goddesses and honored as such. The traditional way of dress is in Sari, Punjab with leggings, jeans, and a long sleeve or short sleeve shirts with scarves to cover the chest area. Respect yourself and you will be respected.
India is a country rich in culture, morals, values, art, food, spirituality, ancient traditions, Vedic wisdom, ancient Ayurveda medicinal offerings, and natural resources supporting the enrichment of holistic well-being worldwide. The influence of yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, and achieving higher states of consciousness has flooded the west since 1854.
Although NOT for the faint of heart, with its slums and poverty, and more so today, media has disenchanted the gifts that India has to offer by highlighting the shadow side while pacifying the intelligence that is hidden in its corridors, temples, traditions, and gifts, that India embodies.
Practices, we have come to know, love embrace, and commercialize have their roots in the union of yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation. India is an enchanting world that has so much to offer and even more to teach us. This way of life is a form of organized chaos that is a manifestation of the 3 doshas working in harmony to establish a balance. A busy environment, yet a sense of calm that is scattered throughout the wholeness of one’s appreciation of what Being truly is.
We have so much to thank India for.
We hope that you benefitted from our free-of-charge programs and services, for which a group of expert yoga teachers, ayurvedic clinicians, practitioners, consultants, and holistic wellness leaders volunteered their time and creative effort to support you so you can live your best healthy life. Continued electronic implementation, programming, and education require considerable expense to sustain online at little to no cost for you and the community. Will you Please consider giving to JBYF in acknowledgment of this professional contribution?
Thank you very much and live well.
