Gokarna

Gokarna Slideshow

Gokarna, which means Cow's ear, was the last town we stopped in the Karnataka state, the one just north of Kerala. There was a quaint feeling there that we did not feel at Guruvayor, also a temple town. The Southern Indian food continued to be delicious with meals, called thali, served with basmati rice and chapatis. In Kerala, we usually got lower grade rice and no chapatis with meals. The chai was stronger and less sweet than in Kerala, just the way I like it. And the beaches, oh, my God, or I should say, oh my Shiva, the patron God of the town – the beaches were just phenomenal.

There are four main beaches on the southern side of town: Kudle, Om, Half Moon and Paradise and no public transport between them except boats or our own feet. Peter and I walked the 8 kilometers from Gokarna to Paradise Beach during our first day, passing through all four beaches and taking in the breathtaking views afforded to us from vantage points high up on the hills.

We met lots of interesting characters when we stopped for a cold drink or a bite to eat at each beach. The place attracts a lot of westerners who are happy to stay in shacks as there are no established hotels or guest houses in any of the beaches except for Kudle, which is closest to Gokarna. We stayed in town where more options were available.

After our beach hoping the first day, we took a boat from Paradise to Kudle beach and went to bed with hundreds of pictures in our heads of barren headlands with views to the sea, sand beaches, boats, rocks and restaurants along our way. The next day we went back, more interested in swimming than exploring.

The beaches reminded me a little of Brazil and a little of Greece, specially when I saw temples on top of the hill with a vast sea down below (Greece) and beaches filled with coconut trees (Brazil). The sea water was very clean and without current, which was perfect for doing laps. We considered staying at one of the beaches for a while but neither of us had the stomach for staying in a shack with no private bathroom and very little space, although it sounded very romantic. So we decided to move on, but I know this is not my last trip to Gokarna's beaches.

Heading back north

Heading back north slideshow

Amma departed for her South India tour on January 12th and Amritapuri was very busy as three hundred western devotees made last minute arrangements to tour with her. We saw trucks being loaded with huge kitchen pots and luggage. People were running around to get sleeping bags made of sheets as they're not always sure what sleeping conditions they'll find during the tour.

But some of the characters at the ashram paid no notice to the “tour buzz”. Rama, the resident elephant, calmly strolled around Amritapuri doing odd jobs, like caring his own food – long branches of palm leaves. The cows mooed frantically as usual from their new place on the other side of the backwaters. The temple resident Eagle and crows were as alert as ever on the lookout for unguarded omelets, toasts and pancakes – which make easy pickings from breakfast plates.

Peter and I left Amritapuri on January 15th in the morning, from the same side we arrived at – Parayakadavu beach. We headed north towards Goa, but we traveled slowly, checking out Ayurvedic hospitals in Kottayam, beaches in Guruvayor and Gokarna. We also saw a bird and an elephant sanctuary along the way. After being around foreigners for two months, we found ourselves to be the only western travelers in some places, which is always refreshing. The local people off the tourist track are usually pretty friendly, devoid of any tendency to sell us things or services. Local Indians in real Indian towns love to strike up a conversation just for the sake and pleasure of it.

We traveled a lot by bus, sometimes for four hours at a time, and my memory of dusty, noisy, fume ladened towns in India was replaced by asphalted, relatively dust free roads. Back in those days, you'd have to wash the soot off your face after a day of travels.

We loved being in Kottayam, where we found a quiet hotel in a courtyard off the main road. It is a bookish town where the first Malayalam-language printing press was established and it is the first district in India to attain 100% literacy. The town is surrounded by the bucolic Western Ghats (local mountain range) and the backwaters. We visited a couple of Ayurvedic places and went to the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, 12 miles from town by Vembanad Lake. To actually see birds, you have to be there in the early morning, or during mating season, but we had a lovely walk in the park with beautiful views of the lake. There was also a Horticulture and Floriculture Exhibition in town where we got to mingle with the local crowds.

Guruvayur is a temple town with a famous Krishna temple but western tourists are not allowed in. There are many hotels there, all full of Indian tourists and pilgrims visiting the temple. Walking around 64 elephants while they ate, drank, bathed and got groomed at the elephant sanctuary was also a highlight while we were in Guruvayur. Sometimes these elephants are loaned to Indian temples for special ceremonies and occasions.

We also checked out Chavakkad beach, four miles west of the Krishna temple. It is a vast sandy beautiful beach, filled with fishing boats and backed by a dense forest of coconut trees. The place is not developed and we could not see any guest house around. Maybe this is the way Varkala and Kovalam, close to Trivandrum, were 20 or 30 years ago. I was in Kovalam 18 years ago and it already had just a few guests houses. Now it is a very busy resort with direct flights from Europe.

We saw only Indians at Chavakkad beach. They don't dress special for the beach, and some women go into the water fully clothed with their saris, but men can dress down to their underwear to go in. Mostly, Indians take their whole families to the beach on the weekends to just watch the sea and get their feet wet.

Calicut was the next stop on our route. We stopped there just to get on a train heading north. We didn't want to wait half a day for a comfortable “sleeper” train, so ended up on an local train. When I saw the hordes of people waiting for the same train, I panicked because the train was already full when it arrived. I was envisioning spending the rest of the day in Calicut, if not the night, because in my mind there was no way we could fit in that train with our luggage. But we did. It was a grueling seven hours journey as we traveled packed like sardines.

The interesting thing about India is that no matter how stressful (at least for me) the situation, Indians always seem relaxed. Even though everyone was squeezed together, some found ways to read, help us find a way to accommodate our luggage, and chat lightly, asking us where we were from and how we liked India. One man even kicked out a younger one out of his seat for me.

We arrived in Mangalore very exhausted, and missed our connection to Goa, so we decided to rest for a couple of days. By chance, our hotel had cable television, and the next day happened to be inauguration day - Barack Obama, the 44th president of the USA. We were glued to the TV for five hours switching the channels between CNN and BCC. Then we went to bed and when we woke up the inaugural balls were still going on. It was great to get the news from Washington and watch some films on HBO. Nothing better than a Hollywood film when we are away from home for so long. The next day we had lunch and got on the train again. Our next stop was Gokarna, another temple town on the beach.

Unexpected darshan

One day after my shift in the kitchen, as I was getting my handbag to go up to the flat, the women in the kitchen started whispering that Amma was coming from her house towards the big auditorium, 100 yards away. The kitchen is on the way, close to the auditorium. When Amma wonders around the ashram, most of us stop everything we are doing to see her, hoping for an unexpected darshan, or blessing. She can move very quickly, but when she sees us lined up to see her, she walks slowly, putting her hands up to the sides to touch our hands, also stretched out for hers.

This day after my shift, after touching Amma's right hand, I felt moved to follow where she was going, along with a dozen people. Everyone else stayed behind, maybe because they had work to do, maybe because they didn't want to intrude in Amma's business. She headed to the stage of the big auditorium and I followed after her. After we all sat down and took our places as close as possible to Amma, there was talk among her close assistants that we were not supposed to be there. Then we were told we could stay for a few minutes and then leave.

What started to happen was an amazing experience for me. All of a sudden I noticed the sound engineer and a hand full of musicians in place with their musical instruments. Amma started singing a beautiful song. I felt she was singing for me and it was so moving that I started to cry. When she was done singing, a pile of sheets of paper were handed to her and she picked a song. The author was called out and he sat close to where Amma was sitting. Amma sang together with him, making sure the words were correct and writing on the sheet of paper. When she noticed one of the musicians did not pick up all the notes, she guided him by producing the correct rhythm with her voice. The only western musician, a pianist, could not get a particular sound. Amma hummed it over to him - I was delighted to watch this process and Amma's mischievous smile. After five or six tries and the tabla and harmonium players' guidance, the piano player got it. He is an excellent musician, but the bhajans are quite complicated musically, specially for a westerner, I was told many years ago by a violin player who accompanies Amma's group when she tours the US.

I still do not know if Amma and the musicians were just practicing the songs or if they were adding new bhajans to the already extensive collection. Whatever it was, all I wanted was to stay right there and listen to the music. Every time someone stood up I thought they were going to kick me out of the room but they never did. I stood there, in awe until 2 am when Amma swiftly stood up and left the room towards her house in a matter of seconds.

What is interesting about this experience, is that the day before, as I was watching one of Amma's video, “Unexpected Darshan”, there were so many intimate scenes of Amma and her devotees during that last 15 years, that made me sad to acknowledge I was not part of it. I have known Amma for 12 years and although I've had many incredible moments with her, I noticed myself longing for more.

Unexpected darshan happens all the time in the ashram when Amma is here. Amma just appears, from nowhere it seems, in front of devotees, at the tea line, beating rise with the bracharinis, meditating on the beach, or on her way somewhere. There are so many people in the ashram, it would be impossible for us all to have the same opportunities, but it is my observation that if we desire, we get our personal, unexpected darshan from Amma. Needless to say, it is when we least expect it.

Practice at Amritapuri

Seva, or selfless service is a requirement in ashrams as it helps us shift our focus from ourselves to others and also because we live in a self maintained community. Amma recommends seva to those who have trouble meditating and chanting mantras, as a way to purify and prepare ourselves for meditation. She says meditation is the most important spiritual practice, but not everyone is prepared for it. In the ashram, we do a combination of all practices – chanting, meditation (or attempt of), a physical exercise such as asanas, pranayama (breathing exercises), bhakti yoga, or devotion, specially through chants and seva. Lots of seva if one is so inclined.

Peter chose the perfect work for him – helping getting breakfast ready in the morning, from 6 am to 8 am. He helps with the chai and curd (yogurt) - two of the many items on the breakfast menu at the western canteen. My job is to wash dishes and clean the kitchen at the western canteen after dinner, along with 4 or 6 other volunteers, depending on the day. It takes us less than 2 hours to finish – by 10:30 pm we are done.

Amma is always inspiring us in our practices. On Tuesdays she meditates with us, gives us a Q&A session, sings bhajans and serves us lunch. She is also always doing the heaviest seva around the ashram. She has carried stones for constructions, filled bags with sand, cooked and served food, got into the water to help tsunami victims, orchestrated the rescue and arranged for temporary housing for them, before building new houses.

A few days ago I heard Amma helped the bracharinis beat sheaves of rice. I understand the ashram started to cultivate its own rice and this was the first crop. I saw the truck arriving, filled with sheaves of rice. The next morning I saw the bracharinis hard at work beating the sheaves to get the rice grain out. I was impressed and overwhelmed for the work they had ahead of them. The next thing I've heard was that Amma spent the afternoon beating the sheaves of rice with them. After the work was done, they all went to the beach to meditate.

I am slowly getting back to speed on the practices. I took a refresher training course on Amma's meditation, called IAM – Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique and started practicing every morning, along with asanas and pranayama. I cannot say I get up every day at 4:50 am for archana, the chanting of the 1000 names of the divine mother in Sanskrit. When I get up this early, I usually prefer to be at the homa, a fire purification ritual performed by a priest.

After two weeks of being here, I am still working sorting and organizing silly possessions in my flat, washing all my clothes stored for five years and giving away a large bag with things I don't need. It is amazing how much I accumulated even this far in India. I have a supply of Trader Joe's liquid glycerin hand soap, dishwasher soap with grapefruit seed extract and aloe vera, Tom's spearmint dental paste, feminine pads, cleaning brushes, towel hangers, Britta water purifier, portable camping water filter, mosquito net... the list is endless. It made me laugh when I saw all the things stored in the flat's cabinets and closet. Maybe India has changed a lot or maybe it is me, or a little of both. The truth is, I don't need 99% of the things I thought were so necessary and precious to me. Now I spend a lot of time sorting, cleanings and getting rid of things. It is endless how I get distracted with unnecessary things, taking away energy I could use for practice! Maybe one day I will be able to live simply and have high thinking. This is my prayer.

New Year's Eve

I didn't time it like this, but exactly at midnight, New Years' eve, I was in Amma's warm embrace. It was such a special way for me to celebrate the passing of the year and welcome in a new one! There must have been 7,000 people on the ashram grounds, maybe more, and I was the one on Amma's lap.

The stage was crowded with devotees, floor monitors, prasad (sweets and packets of ash Amma gives people after a hug) assistants, face wiping assistants, bramacharins and bramacharinis (renounciates in training) swamis (graduated renounciates.) After my hug, I managed to walk to the back of the stage, a little light headed and “too blissed out” to engage with other people. Usually I would ask the floor monitor for a place to sit. But she efficiently spotted me and promptly kicked a woman out of her place and gestured to me to sit down. We only get a limited amount of time on the stage near Amma after our blessing.

Right after I settled into the vacant chair against the wall, I positioned my head slightly to the left to made sure I had a perfect view of Amma sitting at her chair, in a beeline across from me. Most people in front of me were sitting on the floor cross legged behind Amma. Cultural programs, such as classical dance and music performed by devotees were going on in the auditorium, below the stage where Amma was hugging her devotees since 11 am in the morning.

A few minutes after midnight and my hug, Amma started singing a simple bhajan, repeating the same line over and over, pointing both her index fingers to the air, even swinging her head and her body on her chair, in front of thousands of people in the auditorium. Devotees were singing after her in a typical call and response style of singing bhajans. What a scene that was! And the best part was that all other activity on the stage among assistants and monitors stopped and I got to stay there for at least another hour.

The night ended with a beautiful “pada puja.”Pada means feet and puja is a purifying ritual in Hinduism. The Indian family who performed the ritual, washed Amma's feet with curd (yogurt) and rose water. After they finished, they dressed Amma with garlands, bracelets, a crown and offered her food. It is considered a great honor to perform this ritual to a living mahatma, or great soul. One time I witnessed five pada pujas, in one day, one after the other at the end of Amma's program. No wonder Amma has difficulty keeping her weight down. She doesn't want to disappoint her devotees and often eats things she shouldn't, like sweets. She is diabetic.

After giving a little discourse and reminding us that where there is love there is peace, Amma left the stage and went to her house. After eating the paysam, an Indian sweet served to everyone, I went up to the flat, happy and peaceful, but a little congested from the refined sugar and milk of the dessert. Peter was already sleeping as I walked in. On Christmas eve I was the one who did not stay awake, now it was Peter's time to miss the strike of midnight. It is hard to stay awake to party in the ashram. He needed to be up at 5:30 am to do his duties in the kitchen. On January 1st ashram residents would be hungry for breakfast as any other day.

Amritapuri

Amritapuri slideshow

We arrived at Amritapuri around 2 pm from the beach side, the back of the auditorium where Amma was busy hugging thousands of devotees who wanted her blessings on Christmas day. We immediately felt the vibration of the place with the ecstatic devotional music as we set foot inside the ashram gate and heard “big swami's” voice accompanied by tablas and harmonium. The exquisite bhajans informed us we were in a place where a living master resided.

My flat on D-1507 was clean and ready for us - everything looked the way I left five years ago. The table was in new condition, the beds had mattresses, and although the locks on the closets were rusty and had to be physically removed, all my possessions inside were intact if only with a little moldy smell. Peter and I had a feeling of a home away from home and were glad not to have to fight with mosquitoes that were eating us up slowly at the Sivananda ashram. Not that many insects make it to the 15th floor and the air up this high is always cool.

Amritapuri is located on a peninsula covered by thousands of coconut trees, on a strip of land between the backwaters and the Arabian Sea. From the window in the kitchen of my flat, we can see the Chinese fishing nets on the backwaters and tourist boats going up and down all day long.

After the Tsunami, Amma built a bridge between the ashram and Vallikavu, the village across the backwaters, so that evacuation would be easier in case of another emergency. She also built a whole village in the area and offered re-training programs for the fishermen who were afraid of fishing after the tsunami, and for women who wanted to have their own income in order to be more independent of their husbands. The whole area around the ashram looks a lot more prosperous now than five years ago. I remember it was depressing to see the poverty all around, but now, it feels good to walk around and see that so much is happening in the community, such as training centers and tsunami memorials. Villagers are well dressed and seem happier and more friendly.

Now, the view from my flat also includes people crossing the white bridge and the constructions across the backwaters where the engineering and biotechnology school expands to include an arts and science building. The Ayurvedic hospital is completed but I see more constructions next to it – maybe housing facilities for staff and patients.

The ashram now has an ecology department where we can buy organic products, all made locally, such as essential oils, herbal soaps and shampoo, cups made from coconut shell, wheat grass juice and organic almonds. The Ayurvedic research center offers herbal supplements and consultations, in addition to hand made chocolate from local cocoa farms. I like the way Amritapuri is growing and becoming a community of like minded individuals, bees buzzing around our Queen Bee. Amma has numerous charities around India, including orphanages, housing for widows, monthly help for the elderly, specialized hospitals and schools. Many of these institutions are staffed by volunteers who do service to others as part of their spiritual practice under Amma's guidance.

Before I came to Amritapuri I didn't think I would stay long, and the main reason was to go over things stored in my flat and decide what to do with them. Last time I was here I was a bit turned off by the fanatical attitude of some devotees around Amma. I also wanted to check out other teachers, as the mind is always looking for something new, some distraction, which is the antithesis of real practice that some of us indulge in it at times.

In fact, before coming to India, I thought that five trips to this country in eighteen years was enough and this would be my last visit. But this is far from true - I feel even more connected to India now than before. I love the colors, the smells, the food, the music and just the feeling of being here. The chaotic lifestyle is sometimes irritating but well compensated by the flexibility, and “yes” attitude apparently embedded in every Indian. Besides, everything seems to work out in the end. As far as my connection with Amma goes, strangely enough, it feels like I never left.

Peter and I received a hug from Amma, the day after we arrived. The five years that I have not seen Amma evaporated the moment I was back on her lap. I felt dizzy and light headed, peace permeating my whole being. Nothing else mattered during the “no mind,” state of contentment I was in, if only for a few moments. This is what I call a welcome back hug.

Lion Safari and Elephant Farm

Lion Safari and Elephant Park Slideshow

Half of the ashram residents left before dawn on Friday, our day off at the Sivananda ashram, for a tour to the tip of Kerala in Kanyakumari, where the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal meet. But I decided to see the lions and elephants instead, since I had already been at Kanyakumari a few years ago. Peter wanted to do some Internet in the morning and stayed at the ashram for the rest of the day.

After morning tea with Peter at the local village, I took the boat across the lake in order to get into a safari bus. We got on the bus on the other side of the lake and went through an automatic iron gate that led us into the lions and lionesses I heard so often from the ashram. Two good looking lions lived with six beautiful lionesses in a 10 acres area. We were very lucky to arrive at the height of the heat of midday and found one of lions and his three lioness napping a few feet from where the bus stopped. I thought they would never bother to get up and show us their face, but after a few minutes, one lion stood up and had a few big yawns and the lioness lazily walked around and took a few sips of water. I understand it was mating season and they all looked like a happy tired family.

After the safari, an Indian couple invited me and three other foreigners – an English couple and Sandra, from Colombia, to hop onto the big Chevrolet Tavera waiting for them with their driver and we all headed to the elephant farm eight miles away. The farm is a beautiful area where young elephants walk around freely, while others are trained. We took pictures holding their ivory thongs and looked at their tonsils as they devoured the few cookies we had. The elephants were well taken care of and it was a mellow, informal way to visit with them. It was my first elephant ride. I felt very regal as I looked at the farm from high up on the elephant back. I was surprised his skin was so was soft and the ride smooth.

I felt very accomplished when I returned to the ashram on an auto rickshaw excited to tell Peter the tales of the day. The next day, Saturday, the strict schedule of the ashram resumed with the wake-up bell at 5:30 am.

Sivananda ashram - Neyar Dam

Sivananda Ashram Slideshow

“Life is short and time is fleeting. Arise, Awake, Realize the Self.” The entrance of the Sivananda ashram at Neyar Dam is covered with affirmations by Swami Vishnu Devananda, the founder of the Sivananda yoga centers and ashrams around the world. “Health is wealth. Peace of mind is happiness, yoga shows the way” summarizes his philosophy.

We arrived at the ashram around 9 am December 16th, and Britt and her father started on their fruit fast right away. Peter and I settled into the dorms (separate for men and women) and then walked around the ashram buildings. There are several private rooms (all full for the period we were there), the Siva Hall where we had daily meditation, chanting and yoga, the dining hall, the kitchen, an Ayurvedic massage and health center, a temple, a shop, and the “health hut” with fresh juices, fruit salads, and distinctly unhealthy snacks... processed cheese on white toast, anyone? There is also a grassy area and ashram courtyard for hanging out.

We could hear lions roaring all day long on the other side of the lake. The elephant farm was not too far, ten miles away, and the crocodile farm only two miles. The ashram is located by Neyar Dam, surrounded by mountains - Agasthya mountain is the most prominent with a long ridge that looks like a person lying down. We went on a morning walking mediation once a week, when we watched the sun rise over the mountains – such a beautiful sight. The area is covered by rubber trees, and the collection of rubber is still active, and part of the economic make-up of the region.

The best thing for me at this ashram was the lake where I swam everyday despite the talk of crocodiles and the roars of lions on the other side. I also enjoyed the twice daily yoga classes, meeting foreigners and exchanging travel tips. Peter and I had been together 24/7 since May and it was nice for us to have separate sleeping quarters and meet different people on our own. We even met Andrew, a member of our favorite 2008 Vancouver Island Music Festival band – Delhi2Dublin. Andrew was a success with his violin at one of the ashram talent shows.

Reconnecting with yoga and meditation practices was also a highlight for me. For the last five years I had not done much of either and I missed it. I purchased a yoga mat and I plan to continue my daily practice from now on during my travels.

There were several cultural programs during the Christmas celebrations - classical carnatic music and Kathakali dance, a traditional Kerala performance depicting passages of the Ramayana, the Indian most important epic. However, I also remembered the reason I left the Sivananda yoga centers and ashrams more than 10 years ago. Since Swami Vishnu Devananda died in 1993, in my opinion, the organization has become a business where the practice is mechanical and the chants devoid of feeling. Peter and I planned to stay for two weeks but we decided to leave a week earlier and head to Amritapuri, since Amma had been there since mid December.

Britt walked me to the ashram gate the next morning, Christmas day, where Peter was waiting with our luggage already inside the auto rickshaw. She gave me a copy of her recently released book on yoga as meditation, a result of 12 years of research. This is what she wrote when she signed a copy of “Yoga En Vej Til Balance” for me: “My darling Marisa - Although you don't understand danish, our mutual reality is beyond words.”

Britt is full of plans to teach a two-week yoga vacation to her danish students at a resort in Kerala and produce a yoga DVD in Sri Lanka in the next couple of months, but maybe we'll meet again in India before we both leave. However, if it doesn't happen, it does not matter because, as she says, our mutual reality is beyond words and I would say, also places.

Ponmudi Tea Plantation

Ponmuri Slideshow

Before 9 am, on December 15th, we were on our way with Britt and her father on board of our driver's Chevrolet Tavera, heading towards Ponmudi, a tea plantation in the mountains, three hours away from Varkala. When we drove on the narrow way up the hill, more potholes than smooth asphalt, the tea leaf pickers were on their breaks, resting by the side of the road. A smiling woman with a piece of cloth over her head because of the heat, readily reached inside her bag and gave us a hand full of leafs. We were delighted to be in the bucolic rural scene of trees and mountains and enchanted by the old fashioned tea factory, over 100 years old. It was also a relief to feel the cool breeze of the higher altitude.

Only two kinds of tea are produced at Ponmudi - green and black. The difference is in the fermentation. From what I understood, the tea leaves are cut into small pieces by a machine and then hot air is blown out of the wood burning stove to help with the drying and fermentation process. Green tea is not fermented, but simply dried. We also saw beetle nut trees and bushes of cloves – the strong fragrance of the latter stayed in my nostrils for a few minutes after I plucked a couple of leafs and crushed them near my nose.

After lunch at the restaurant on the top of the hill, and our visit to the factory, we drove down the hill to a town called Kallar. Our hotel was by a river and we were advised not to walk around in the afternoon because the area is surrounded by tigers. Vijaya, our driver, and the hotel keeper were looking very concerned when Britt, Peter and I insisted we wanted to walk around and spend some time by the small waterfalls. The area reminded Peter and I of the Cowichin Valley in Vancouver Island - very lush with clean river trotting down the stones. After the sunset, we met our driver and the hotel keeper on the way, looking for us. They seemed happy to see us with all our body parts.

We had a restful night at the brand new hotel by the river and left early morning for the Sivananda ashram at Neyar Dam, two hours away, as Britt and her father were expected for a two-week fast of juices and nutritional supplements.