A Spiritual Journey to India
April 20, 2024Embarking on a life-enriching yoga retreat to India was an extraordinary opportunity that opened doors to profound self-discovery and spiritual growth. When I finally made it home eighteen days later, I was ten pounds lighter but filled with a newly found spiritual richness.
Our Journey wound through Udaipur, Rishikesh, Vrindavan and countless other small towns and villages. We travelled by air on two local flights, over ten hours on buses, and countless rickshaw rides on dusty cobble stone streets. This was not a typical “Top 10 India” vacation. It was curated to be a back-roads spiritual retreat to hidden temples and out of the way ashrams. Our days were adorned with yoga and endless conversations with Hindi monks, Kirtan gurus, and musical sages, enriching our souls with profound wisdom and captivating melodies.
This magical mystery tour was guided by musical luminaries as we carried a symphony of instruments including bongo drums, harmoniums, flutes, violins, guitars, maracas, and symbols. Wherever our trek unfolded, our Kirtan chanting infused the air with soul-stirring melodies, enveloping the hearts and souls of our group and resonating deeply with those nearby. India felt like a dream come true, akin to fulfilling my teenage fantasy of being part of a rock and roll band.
As the trip evolved, we shed layers of attachment and became closer to the Krishna culture and spiritual world. Abstaining from familiar comforts and routines, sleep was relegated to just a few hours a day. Most of us abstained from eating meat, milk products, drinking alcohol, social media, sex, political talk/news, work, or following our customary religious activities. Coffee and other stimulates (like garlic and onions, which are prohibited in the Hindi religion) was also reduced dramatically.
Throughout this life enriching passage, the theme of “letting go” echoed persistently, from losing luggage, being prohibited from photographing temples, to mischievous monkeys pilfering our beloved belongings. Even in the face of physical injuries, the lesson of surrendering to life’s unpredictable currents resonated deeply, highlighting the necessity of embracing the ebb and flow of existence. Despite our clinging to the illusion of control, we inherently acknowledge that fate or karma often shape our destinies beyond our meticulous plans and strategies. I kept thinking, that if you take away all the things that are part of the “you”, then what is this other “you” that is left?
Submerged in the icy embrace of the mother Ganga river, a surge of serene comfort caressed my soul. While my breath anchored me to the present, I meditated on life’s meaning: to let go of past demons but more importantly to give thanks to all those loving souls and teachers who have been with me throughout the years. Ultimately, every traveler arrives here seeking to shed the burdens of the past, seeking fresh perspectives amidst life’s trials, and ultimately transcending to a higher realm. For some, it’s breaking free from the cycle of rebirth, while for others, it’s about embracing peace and infusing life with love.
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