I have once or twice referred to the location of this ashram as “the middle of nowhere.” It is, in fact, the centre of the universe.
Everywhere I look, banana trees, coconut trees, tiny red baby pineapples emerging from the centre of vibrant greenery. Flowers of every colour and description. Stately well-kept homes. What I have not seen since arriving? Cows. Not a single one.
Not everyone is Hindu here, but I don’t think they’ve turned all the bovines into steaks or hamburgers. Instead, I think there is more wealth in this area, and people can afford to look after their animals, confining them to pastures instead of letting them roam the streets in search of food. In a similar vein, no stray dogs. We saw three dogs in the village on this morning’s walk, one of them carrying a chapati in its mouth, but they looked well-fed and paid us no attention…not the sign of a hungry animal.
There are so many birds here it defies description. Early morning meditation takes place amid a cacophony of calls that can become ridiculously funny if you think about it too much.There are also human sounds…the morning call to prayer for Muslims, the voices of children heading to school on foot, bicycle, on the backs of motorcycles, crammed into auto rickshaws and buses. And the sound of our own chanting as dawn breaks in the cool open air on the top floor of the ashram.
Our daily routine is relaxed. There is no requirement to follow the program strictly as is the case in other Sivananda ashrams. That may be why I happily rise at 5:30 a.m. for morning satsang (meditation, chanting and prayers) and make the trip back upstairs in the evening for the closing program which finishes around 9:30 pm. I am nothing if not contrary.
I am also a little accident prone these days. I pulled an intercostal rib muscle yesterday during class, so yoga is not in the cards for the next few days. No matter, I am content.