I Feel Better than James Brown

Sunday 14 December 2008
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwanthari Ashram, Neyyar Dam, Kerala

We wake up at 5.30 to go for a morning meditative walk around the Neyyar Dam. We would have seen the sun rise but there's a big bank of cloud hogging the top of the mountain to the east so the sky just gets lighter. We walk at quite a pace which is a shame as nice contemplative walks where every step is considered would have been more appropriate.

When we arrive at our destination there's a nearby church that is playing scratchy Indian music at full volume over a dodgy sound system which pretty much ruins the tranquil atmosphere. Despite that, the leader still manages to conduct a chant for what seems like a couple of hours, all the time at a pretty low volume that is more or less drowned out by the irritating background noise.

Once we return there's meant to be a prayer session but we kind of skip that and go straight to the cups of tea. That's followed by the morning yoga session. I put on some new white trousers that we both bought at the ashram as they look quite cool and are nice and baggy so just right for yoga. With mine on Evan says that I look like a white Bruce Lee. Dammit, I do! This time round it's a lot easier. I don't stop sweating like a bitch, though Evan reckons that I didn't sweat as much as last time. I manage to do the “crow” where you balance on your hands, for a couple of seconds, and the “bow” which I could hardly do before, comes to me very easily this time and I manage to lift my knees quite a way off the floor. Evan does a headstand that I can't manage yet and he's very proud!

I feel great afterwards and we go straight to the food hall for the morning feed. I'm feeling good, I love the yoga and hopefully I'll be OK for the evening session as well. Evan and I discuss what are plans are for the last few days and we decide to give Verkala beach a visit tomorrow, for our last destination before we both return home.

Evan sleeps for a bit and I wander around and check out the internet in the local town. On the way down it's clear that the local area is a tourist or wildlife park as there are all these statues of people doing random things like fishing in a river or praising a god. After I return we go to yoga for the evening session and once again it feels great. I can really feel the benefits in my posture and general well being.

After a fairly unappetising dinner we grab a bit more at the snack hut and then go for the evening meditation. Once again the meditation is too short and the chanting is too long, though at least today I can follow the words so I know what they're saying. The talk is hosted by this English girl who has the misfortune to look like the catatonic drug addict imprisoned in the underground lair in Enter the Dragon. It's probably OK but after an hour of chanting I can't be bothered. Luckily it doesn't go on for too long and we head back to the dorm.