This experience has not come without challenges. They have crept in continuously and have not been easy, but there is no where else I'd rather be facing challenges. I have never experienced such presence in my day to day life—so I have seen myself honsetly in every step of the journey.

There was the whole lice fiasco (still finding nits in my hair -_-), and general soreness all over my body from the asanas, then I got scammed by an ear cleaner man, I somehow pulled the intercostal muscles in my ribs so it hurts when I breathe deep or use my upper body muscles (=all yoga practices), and then the virus from hell struck down upon us all.

It started one morning when my roommate said she had been up all night with indigestion and ached everywhere. I went upstairs for pranayamas and saw that at least ten others from our group were out with the same mix of high fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, and overall aches and pains. We thought maybe it was something in the food, but soon more and more of us kept catching it until there were almost 20 of us hit with it, including myself.

I was feeling feverish the night after Emma got sick, and I layed in bed with all my clothes on and three blankets, just wide awake and shivering until around midnight when the bathroom runs began. I even thought I was going to have it coming out of both ends at one point. I eventually did throw up.. everything.. the next morning. I could barely move but somehow dragged myself to the bathroom what felt like every 5 minutes for that first 12 hours. Then it slowed a bit, but I felt so deathly ill. I wouldn't have wished this virus upon my worst enemy.. I was absolutely miserable.

Needless to say that it really threw off the course for myself and the others. We have all been slowly coming back to life, attending more and more classes each day, but never straying far from a toilet. It hit simultaneously with a challenging time in the course, where we are expected to have all the information mastered and have preparation done to begin teaching classes. There's so much more to teaching yoga than I had anticipated... knowing how to start and end the class, which asanas are best for the students in front of you, the modifications for each pose, where to display for each one, the different adjustments based on the student's level, keeping track of the breaths and what the upcoming positions are, etc. etc. etc.

With all of this bearing down, I really started getting down on myself, feeling disconnected and homesick and had an overall negative demeanor. Which was a total 180 from the start of this journey... but the reason I say there's no where else I'd rather face these things than here is because only here am I able to be so deeply in touch with myself and the growth I'm experiencing. I have a support system of knowledge and peacefulness from everyone around me and it inspires me to push through the challenges and observe the process with a deeper awareness. Now I'm feeling more optimistic than ever towards my upcoming experiences, and I know that with the right mindset I'll be able to overcome anything that's thrown my way. 

Rishikesh has been the journey I never knew I needed, but oh do I. A journey of falling in love with a new place and new people, a journey of challenges and hardships, a journey of my physical and mental capacities, and a journey to myself.

Two weeks have passed now in this magical place, and I have been learning A LOT. I spent the first couple days before the teacher training course began wandering the roads that connect the towns along the spiritual Ganga river. We are staying in Ram Jula (jula=bridge) and this photo was taken on the Laxman Jula, about a 20 min walk upriver.

A small group of us from the course got a late breakfast at the Little Buddha Cafe in Laxman Jula, which is the cutest and most delicious restaurant imaginable. I enjoyed a large masala chai as I overlooked the Ganga in the fog

It is easy to feel at peace simply by spending time in this area. There is a sense of comfort being tucked into the valley by the mystical foothills of the Himalayas. And of course being near the Holy Ganga which flows straight out of Hilmalayan glaciers and onward to bring life to this country.

There are spiritual men adorned in orange shawls around every turn, as well as countless animals; cows, horses, dogs, birds, and so many monkeys!

Makes me feel like I can gain much more from this place than just the 200 hour scheduled teacher training.

We all came together for the initial orientation on the afternoon of January 7th. So many amazing people from all over the world! South Africa, Canada, Israel, France, Spain, Russia, Japan, England, Poland, China, Italy, Australia... all with a common love of yoga and deepening our awareness. Our teachers Kamal and Sunil gave us a brief introduction to the course and the schedule before we all enjoyed a delicious Indian meal together.

Then the next morning, we began! Every day has essentially the same schedule:

6:45am- Pranayamas (breathing practices)

8:30am- Asanas (a set series of poses that are moved through with the breath)

10:30am- Brunch! (we eat twice/day at the Health Cafe.. mmm)

12:00pm- Workshop 

1:15pm- Yoga Nidra (like naptime in kindergarten... but you're not fully sleeping.. so cool)

2:15pm- Lecture (more like an insightful and mindblowing discussion, every day)

4:00pm- Adjustment class

6:00pm- Dinner

8:30pm- Meditation

So we have very full days, but we have a lot to learn in just one month so I wouldn't have it any other way. The pranayamas and meditations are on the top floor of our guesthouse in a big open room that has windows in every direction providing a beatiful backdrop of the mountains. The rest of the day is spent in the big yoga shala in the heart of the town. I snapped a quick shot of us all in the shala working on downward dog adjustments.

Each day has brought new insight, challenges, and growth. Too much to go into here, but maybe I'll fit it all into a book one day :)

The first night during our meditation, I was so focused that I felt something very disturbing... Something  was crawling on my head. Okay maybe a few things. Okay there's a lot of them. Yep, I had LICE. I've never had lice before, but luckily my roommate (who was sent from the heavens. or Australia.. wherever angels come from) has had some experience in the whole routine and she spent the next few hours picking the buggers ou of my hair. FUN. 

Here's a picture you didn't ask to see: (but at least you didn't have thirty of these living on your scalp)

The next day I was able to get some lice shampoo, but it only kills the live ones so Emma (my angel) continued to pick my entire head of the lice eggs. By the hundreds. With nothing but a pair of tweezers! I will honestly never be able to thank her enough. Girl deserves a trophy.

Proceeded to wash all my clothes, change my sheets, and kill them off with the shampoo, oils, and good ol tweezers. Just another one of those curveballs life throws at you!

Every Tuesday we have the day off, so Emma and I went exploring for the day! And oh what a beautiful day it was. We came across this temple shooting out from the jungle (in the background of this picture) and decided to climb on up.

After hundreds of stairs, and an increasingly beautiful view, we made it to the very top! We received a blessing from a man at the top, who insisted on taking our pictures afterwards.

(I lucked out with the best roommate ever!)

He wanted us to take one of him as well... as all Indians do!

Oh the views of Rishikesh from above were so amazing! We spent a while up there taking it all in, then continued on our adventurous day.

After exploring an abandonded school in the hills and wandering a road in the forest, we headed back into town towards the Ganga.

 The following day was Emma's birthday, and her birthday wish was to take a dip in the river! Since we had free time on that day and we would be busy on her actual birthday, plus it was so warm out for a change, we decided to just go for it. 

We found a nice spot, and slowly submerged into the cold but purifying Holy Ganga.

This was a kind of turning point for my time here, I was able to let go of the ups and downs I was experiencing the first week of the course and I could simply enjoy. I felt pure happiness radiating all throughout me after that. And I was so grateful to help Emma fulfill her birthday wish!

Afterwards we stopped for some delicious chai...

and found so many puppies!

Puppies have kind of been the theme of my trip. India = puppies.

After we changed into some dry clothes, we ventured back to the Little Buddha Cafe where we took to a cushioned area next to the nicest elderly spiritual man. He also insisted on taking a photo of us.. "Faces together!"

I enjoyed some chips and guacamole, India style, and a delicious smoothie. We wanted to make it back to Ram Jula in time for a sunset ceremony along the river, but our meal ran a little long. So a shopkeeper grabbed a passing motorcyclist and had the two of us jump on the back! Yep, Emma and I rode with a complete stranger (which doesn't really exist in India) between towns on the back of his motorbike, and he dropped us off with a polite head nod and smile to our many thank-yous.

And we made it to Ganga Aarti on the river bank in time for the entire ceremony. Beautiful people, beautiful songs and chants, and a beautiful sunset. 

The entire day allowed me to feel so deeply connected to this place... India holds this potential unlike any other place on this planet. I feel grateful to ground myself here, and every day I remember this gratitude because I'm reminded how everything in this life is temporary and to not let a single moment here pass me by.

Made it to Rishikesh! I think my soul beat me here... I already love this place and it feels like another home in a way. Flying out of Delhi was a sharp contrast to flying into Dehradun, even though it was my shortest flight yet. 

So populated...

And then! I saw the Himalayas for the first time!

Silly dirty airplane windows, I want to get a better look at those beauties! They still gave me chills. 

And then! I saw the Ganges for the first time!

Absolutely breathtaking. This is where I get to LIVE for a month.

Over the bridge and up the hill, to the yogashala we go.

Checked into the guesthouse, I beat my roommate but I'll get to meet her tomorrow.

Simple but nice rooms, complete with Lion King comforters haha.

I quickly unpacked and scurried back down to the river to catch a glimpse of that deep red India sun reflecting on the Ganges before leaving us for the night.

I wish pictures could do it justice, but I'm almost glad they don't because it's something that just has to be witnessed in person. 

I'm going to really stay with myself here... really noticing where I'm at and all the subtle changes that slowly happen to my being. For now I feel so incredibly happy and excited. This place was starting to feel like a far off dream, but now it's here. I'm here. Finally!

I decided to GOAll out for New Year's! ;) 

After leaving Pondy, I flew across the country to Goa to meet up with the homies from Oregon! Kyra, Kyle, and Zach have been traveling in India for the past 4 months or so and back in Eugene we decided to all meet up for NYE as soon as we figured out we would all be in India at the same time. I still can hardly believe we made it happen!

 

I almost didn't... I looked up the wrong place for us to meet and I would have ended up in a different city if it wasn't for a last minute check on my taxi driver's phone. When I pulled up to the right place and saw the three of them casually sipping beers I had to check myself because I was just about losing it with excitement! It felt so surreal for our little dream to be coming true. 

They found us a nice little guesthouse only a few minutes walk from the beach with wifi, a fridge, a sweet patio with a hammock, swing seat, tables, chairs, etc.

Our first day together we set off down the Anjuna beach to adventure down to the next big beach area.  It felt so nice to finally be on a beach where there wasn't as much pressure to wear full length clothes... I could finally wear a tshirt and shorts in the hot weather and it felt amazing.

We walked along this beautiful rocky coastline for about an hour to Baga, stopping for refreshments at a little beach we found in between.

We could see the craze that is Baga beach as we approached it, and after just an hour or so there felt pretty grateful that we were on the slightly-less-crazy Anjuna beach.

So happy to be with these goons! They gave me lots of inspiration for traveling in India as well... I was so impressed by how they had just taken up the travel process as a lifestyle and in only a few days I learned a lot from them.

Our two big nights out we went to a place called Curlie's on the far end of the beach. Basically every bar or club in Goa plays really loud trance music—all day and night. But this place was definitely the spot to be. 

New Year's Eve was crazy from the start. We popped champagne on our patio with some awesome Swedish friends we met there and somehow managed to leave before midnight.

We journeyed down the beach to Curlie's, got in without paying, took tequila shots, and booked it over to the beach for the countdown and New Year's kisses and one of the longest and closest firework shows I've ever seen! They were shot off about 20 yards away from us and exploded directly above us so our entire vision was filled with the exploding bursts. Kyra even said she got hit by some of the falling pieces... oh India. We proceded to dance for hours and meet other white people and just celebrate in this wild setting! 

The walk back put a little damper on the night for me because I sliced my foot on some broken glass, but I've kept it clean and gooped up with neosporin so it's healing up alright. After a crazy night, we took it easy the next day. Watched Bad Neighbors, ate pizza, lounged on the beach, it was a nice and laid back start to the New Year.

Kyra and Kyle packed that night for Gokarna and I almost decided to go with them for a couple days but ultimately decided to hang back. The next day they left in the morning, and Zach and I were able to keep our same room for even cheaper for the next couple nights. After breakfast we somehow ran into our Austrailian friend Ella who we met at Curlie's and we decided to go back to the little beach near Baga for the day.

It was so fun getting to know her and to hear all the insider tips on Australia!

Played in the water, drank some beers, messed with Zach... :)

Saw the start to a pretty sunset on the way back. If you could look past the trash and dogs pooping in the waves, it was a really beautiful beach to spend our mini "vanilla vacay" at!

Zach took off to Sri Lanka the next day and I did some wandering for my last day in Anjuna. Found 8 newborn puppies! 

Resisted the temptation to adopt them all. I got one final meal overlooking this sunset!

Goa treated us so well.

I shared a taxi with some nice Swedes to the airport yesterday and hopped on a plane to Delhi, where I was only going to be for a couple hours initially but my flights got changed around, so I stayed here overnight! Delhi is cold and crazy... definitely not in the south anymore. 

Well today I travel to Rishikesh, my home for the next month!