Welcoming the New Year on the Beaches of Gokarna (December 30-January 2, 2008-2009)

Near the end of our YIC course, everyone is talking about their plans for after the course. Yung gu will stay 1 week longer for the Yoga and Diabetes course. Remee and Beena will stay for another year for the Yoga Therapy course. Alan has to stay to complete the practicum portion of this 1-year course. Markus will leave to take other healing therapy courses in India. Lisa and Jean will return to Goa, where they had enjoyed themselves prior to YIC. Many of the Indian students will go home and either stay there, or return to Prashanti in about a month, when their coursework begins. My roommate Jin is dreading a return to South Korea, where people will tell her she's gained weight in India (she's still very thin, however). She wishes she could travel longer, but her mom wants her home.

I am trying to decide. I have signed up to sit a 12-day Vipassana meditation course in Bangalore. The courses are run by volunteers and therefore available on a donation basis. While they exist around the world, including the US, there are many locations in India and travelers often find the ambiance and history of the region conducive to the course's objectives. This is one of my goals for my India trip, but I am still ailing from my terrible cough and lung problem, so I decide to postpone the rigorous schedule and austere manner of the Vipassana course.

At the last minute, I decide instead to join a group of YIC and SVYASA students headed to Gokarna beach in Karnataka. The non-Indians going are Alan, Julie, Markus, Remee and Binha. I do not recall the Indians who went. I think they are mainly friends with Remee and Binha, and full-time SVYASA students, rather than YIC students. A few of their non-SVYASA friends also come. A Japanese student in the bachelor's degree program also comes. He speaks very little English and seems to know Alan best. Despite his inability to communicate well, it is his goal to complete a PhD program at SVYASA. Nobody seems to be able to recall his name, so he is called something from one of our classes...I think cin maya (as in cin maya mudra, one of the hand positions for breathing exercises).

All the students at Prashanti Kutiram must have an out pass signed before leaving campus. This is easy for the YIC students, as their course has ended, but much more difficult for the long-term students (Alan, "Cin Maya," and the Indians). I think Alan has to forge Cin Maya's out pass, even though both are full adults!

The Indian students have organized a van and driver for us, and we split the cost. One of my hesitations was that it is quite expensive, compared to what the same trip might cost on bus or train. But it is also not easy to get to Gokarna from SVYASA, as it will require first going to Bangalore, and then more than one mode of transportation from there (I think). Also, as it is New Year's, many people are headed to the beaches, and reservations for transportation or hotels might be full. I am counting on strength in numbers. Also, I enjoyed by time at YIC, and I still want to linger with a couple of the people from my class, and gradually fall away from the experience, rather than jut away alone again.

But I soon realize what my decision means. While I had pictured a peaceful New Year's on a quite beach, I had forgotten that most people celebrate the New Year with alcohol, fireworks and partying. The Indian guys who planned the trip start drinking on the van ride to Gokarna. It will be a long drive, maybe nine or so hours, through the night. I can't recall if we were short one seat (in part because I had decided to come at the last minute, which also saved everyone some cash), but people switch off sleeping in the aisle. Although Markus only travels with a small backpack, he seems to be the most prepared, with a decent sleeping bag. I donate my SVYASA yoga mat, which is like a thick rug, to the aisle "bed." At one point, in the morning, Markus remarks that you'd think students of yoga would be up for a peaceful, sober New Year's. I think we both have a pang of regret about traveling with this group.

We arrive in the morning, which is New Year's Eve, only to find that there's no hostel available. Here's a picture of Julie and an Indian guy upon our arrival at the entrance of the beach, and a view of the beach from above:

At this point, I am so tired and still not feeling well, and I just want to sleep. The Indians know someone else who has reserved a room, and we are allowed to put our things in there. Throughout the day, people from our groups go try to find rooms. We only find one hut--quite far from the other hostel and the main beach, hidden in the woods. I think Markus, Alan and Cin Maya decide they will room there.

I cannot recall what I do for the day. Probably worry about feeling better, and where to sleep, all the while trying to stay awake. Maybe I take a shower in the friend's hostel room. I also go into town with a couple of the nicer Indian boys to see a doctor about my lung infection. The doctor says I have some tropical thing--I can't remember. He says that to be sure, I'd need a test of some sort, but he can only administer it on certain days. The Indian boys who accompany me advise that I do not get treatment here, as it is such a small town and facility. I'll have to wait. We have some food from one of the restaurants lining the beach; all of the restaurants are somewhat Westernized.

At night, we plan to have a feast. But the restaurant has so many orders, we wait for a long time. As it gets dark, people are shooting off fireworks and drinking in crowds. It seems dangerous to me, but I seem to be the only one worrying. I am so tired, and just want to sleep. But I stay awake through the feast that finally arrived. I cannot recall what I have. Finally, after much debate and discussion regarding where we will sleep, I am insistent that I will just sleep in the van. I take my yoga mat, airplane pillow and travel sheet. I cannot recall who comes with me, but there are a few others who share the van with me. Finally sleep!

As morning comes, a few others join us in the van. Then it is time to fully wake up. We still don't have a room for ourselves. In the course of the night, Cin Maya never made it to the hut where Markus slept. Alan seems to have lost him, but it turns out he wanted to sleep by the water.

I try to make the most of my time on the beach, but I am becoming adamant that I must leave. I will lose money because included in the price is the trip back to Bangalore, but I don't want to spend one more minute in that van with those people. Julie also wants to depart from the group. Markus does as well, but he has to go back to Bangalore anyway, so he will stick with the group if only for the ride. Remee and Binha don't seem to mind, as these are their friends and they will return to SYVASA and study with them. Alan is cynical but easy-going. Cin Maya, well, I can't really talk to him.

Julie and I finally find a beach hut to share. It is nice to have a place of our own, and especially nice to take a shower. Though the water is cold, after the first minute, it is so refreshing to take an outdoor shower in such hot weather.

Markus had offered to do some pranic healing on me, and I take him up on the offer. I had seen him doing this to Ahalya at Prashanti during one of our class breaks. She had chronic belching problems on account of the stress she was under at home. She always insisted she got married too early. Pranic healing instills positive energy and takes away negative energy. Or something like that. We go to a quiet place on the beach, on a large boulder. His hands hover over me, I close my eyes. For the most part we are silent. After, he talks about the color of my aura, and the colors his hands inspired. It seems he hasn't done anything drastic, but he insists that even this subtle manipulation will bring positive healing.

It is nice to be with more peaceful people. But soon I will be leaving. I am going to to go Hampi. It's on my list of places to visit because my Uncle Mike, who had previously visited India, had gone and it was one of the few places in India he liked. Granted, he is a rock climber and Hampi is a well-known bouldering destination. At least the beach is beautiful, especially at sunset:

The next morning (I think), I wake up very early and Julie walks with me to town. I need to borrow some money from her because none of the ATMs have worked with my card, and I had to pay for the round-trip van ride. I will send her a check when I get back home. I am thankful for her trust and friendship. Julie really grows on me. She reminds me a bit of my friend Rebecca Glowacki, or of one of my favorite professors, Natalie Gummer, a professor of religious studies and expert on Buddhism. After getting money from the ATM, we separate (if I remember correctly), I find the bus stand and wait. There is still time before the bus comes, so I find a nearby food stand and have some breakfast--either idly or dosa and sambaar, I cannot recall.

Ashram Schedule (Prashanti Kutiram, Jigani, December 1-30, 2008)

This was the general daily schedule for the YIC program at Prashanti. Some things changed slightly, but for the most part this is reflective of a typical day.

5-6: yogasanas/kriyas
6-7:10: pranayama, meditation
7:15-7:45: breakfast
8-8:45: maitrimilan (friendship meet; short lecture and Q&A by Guruji, Dr. Nagendra)
8:45-9:45: karma yoga/group work/study time
9:45-10:30: bath and wash
10:30-11:20: lecture
11:30-12:25: yogasanas
12:30-1:30: lunch
1:30-2:30: rest/library
2:30-3:30: lecture
3:30-4:30: yogasanas/Self-Management of Excessive Tension (SMET)
4:30-5:00: malt/milk
5:00-6:00: yoga games/group work/study
6:00-7:00: satsangh (devotional chanting)
7:00-8:00: dinner
8:00-9:00: trataka/happy assembly/report presentation/study
9:00-9:30: study, lights off

An explanation of some of the terms:
maitrimilan (friendship meet): recitation of verses from the Baghadvad Gita, short lecture and Q&A with Guruji, Dr. Nagendra
yogasanas: physical yoga postures
kriyas: cleansing practices (jal netti, sutra netti, bhamana dhoti)
pranayama: breathing exercises
yoga games: improvised physical and theatrical games played with the whole YIC batch
satsangh: devotional singing (bhakti, or devotional, yoga)
happy assembly: talent show, filled with Indian classical dance, comedy, music, etc., usually put on by a specific group within the university, i.e. arogyadhama patients
trataka: kriya (cleansing practice) for the eyes and meditation technique

Abode of Peace (Jigani, November 30-December 30, 2008)

At the SVYASA Bangalore center, I am told to wait for a ride to Prashanti Kutiram (Abode of Peace), SVYASA's ashram in Jigani, maybe a 1.5 hour drive from Bangalore. In the mean time, I head to a small restaurant and have my first official South India breakfast--idlis (savory rice cakes) dipped in sambaar (a soup of dhal, tamarind, tomatoes and other vegetables). Indeed, South Indian food is spicier than North India food. But I am comforted by the fact that the ashram is supposed to serve South Indian-style sattvic food, or typical ashram food that does not use intense spices such as peppercorns, peppers and garlic. I also get a ride to a nearby bank to take out funds to pay my tuition. Unfortunately, I can only take out half as much as I need.

Finally, two men, participants in a short residential class for business employees, join me, and we all get a ride to Prashanti. We have to stop when we have car trouble mid-way, and then continue on. They are very friendly, and are eager to say "hi" and ask how my program is going, how am I settling in, etc. whenever they see me on campus. It is a good feeling to meet such friendly people right from the start. They had already been at Prashanti prior to their yoga for business program, and they both spoke very positively of the ashram experience. They say it is a wonderful time to relax in such a quite place.

I spend my first day on campus orienting myself. The campus is full of YIC participants who have just finished the November batch. I ask some of them if the program was good. One Indian girl spoke very highly of it. One European yoga instructor said it was just too much philosophy packed into one month, but that you get a feel for what lectures/programs you really have to attend, and what ones you can skip. A performance artist/dancer from San Francisco advises to make the best of it. I meet two girls in the Internet room who will be in my December batch, the 89th Yoga Instructor's Course (YIC) batch. They are Jane from the US (but also a Canadian citizen) and Lisa from Toronto. They also seem apprehensive about the quality of the course and are writing to the Yoga Alliance to see if this course will count for 200 hour certification. But they are committed, and so am I.

After a little mix-up, I am shown my proper room and meet my roommate, Jin from South Korea. I really like her, and it seems like we will get along well. The room is sparse--we each have a bed and a thick blanket. Unfortunately, her bed is damp and she needs to wait for new bedding. The campus is very busy, as there is a youth school group visiting, and the old YIC batch is leaving, so there are not many extra blankets. We also have an attached bathroom. I am happy we have an Indian-style toilet. We have a bucket shower and hot water only at about 4:30 am, and whatever hot water remains into the morning after others have showered.

I remember my first eating experience at the ashram vividly. I walk into the cafeteria, and it is full with people. I walk into a the washing room, where I learn I am to pick up my metal plate, small cup and bowl. I walk over to the women's side of the sinks, and begin washing the dishes with water and damp brown detergent. I then walk into the eating area, lined on both sides with three or so rows of thin straw-woven cloth for sitting. Men and women are separated. My first subji (vegetable) features bitter gourd, the bitter vegetable I tasted during my first Bangladesh meal, and with which I associate my Bangladesh stomach problems. It is so terrible, and I fear I am in for a long month of barely edible food.

Very happily, bitter gourd is seldom served after this. The food is difficult to adjust to at first, but by the second week, I love it. Ahalya is an older woman in our course from Tamil Nadu, near Auroville. She is a mother figure to me and others throughout the course. She recognizes that I love the food and is always telling me what's good and what I should eat. When she serves, she always asks if I want more.

During the first few days of class, we are issued a textbook, yoga mats (thick woven cloth mats, different from the sport yoga rubbery mats found in the US), shoulder bags for carrying our textbook and other supplies, and a uniform. Women get a one-size-fits-all white salwar and light blue kurta with machine-embroidered flowers along the collar; men get black sweatpants and a white polo shirt with a screen printed image of Swami Vivekananda on the back.

I orient myself to the bookstore, a small shop across from the Internet and STD phone booth room. The bookstore has SVYASA's publications, along with yoga publications from Bihar Yoga and others. It also has toiletries, school and yoga supplies. Down from the cafeteria is the canteen, where we can purchase fresh fruits and snacks in addition to the cafeteria food, which is included in our tuition. Near the canteen is an ayurvedic pharmacy. Near the center of campus is the Arogyadhama, SVYASA's yoga hospital and yoga medicine research institution. There is also a library, but it has no card catalog so finding books is a little tricky. YIC students are only allowed to check out one book at a time. Mangala mandir is the main meeting place for the campus and the building in which we have most of our yoga practice, lectures and devotional sessions. There are other smaller classrooms throughout campus. There is also a nice, wooded walking path through campus, and a cricket field.

The first night, I go with Jin, Yung Gu (South Korea), and Victoria (Hong Kong), Remi (UK) and Beena (UK) to a trataka session. Trataka is a kriya (cleansing practice) for the eyes and meditation technique. Yung Gu and Victoria are roommates, and their room is just two doors down from ours. Remi and Beena are cousins, currently living in the UK, but descendants of Gujrati Jains. Remi was actually born and lived in Tanzania before moving to the UK.

The next day, we meet as a class with our coordinator, Padmasri Didi, and assistants, who are recent graduates of SVYASA Master's programs. We are to address all women at SVYASA as "didi" (sister) and all men as "bhaiya" (brother). We fill out requisite forms, and I meet more of the YIC students.

Alan, from Ireland, is in the one-year Yoga Therapy program. Many of the Indian students are in the Bachelor's program. I realize YIC is a requirement for any of SVYASA's BSc, MSc, PhD, or other programs. Suriya Bhaiya works on campus and is attending YIC for the first time. Ravi is the webmaster with whom I communicated via email before arriving, and he will also be in our YIC batch. Julie is from Rhode Island, but attending an international college and spends each year in a new location.