A Day In Paradise

I am always amazed at how time distorts my perceptions of reality. Moving both fast and slow. Sometimes dragging me back into the past and sometimes consuming me with desire and worries of some distant or not so distant future. The practice to live in the now is a concept that often eludes me no matter how hard I try.

Already half way through my 3-month stay at the Sivananda Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island and in so many ways it seems like I arrived yesterday and at the same time I can recount so many things I have learned and experienced. I have now worked over 45 days straight with not one day off. The days begin to blur together into a stream of karmic expansion. I am only just beginning to understand that to serve others is to serve yourself. I have had some difficulty adjusting to the culture here at the Yoga Retreat for a few reasons, including my own expectations and beliefs about what an ashram is and what truly selfless service is. I am constantly realizing that I can create my experience by maintaining control over my thoughts and reactions. I am constantly reminding myself that I am only experiencing that which I am a vibrational match to and if I feel any negative emotion it is because I am not lining up with source energy, which will always give me what I focus on. 

My typical day starts at 5:30 with the wake up bell reverberating its way into my tent hut, giving me 30 minutes to shower and make my way to the Garden Platform for 6am satsang. After 30 minutes of silent meditation, another 30 minutes of chanting, one of the senior staff or Swamis will give a talk or lecture for about 30 minutes then we conclude with the Universal prayer, Arati and enjoy prasad (an offering of food, usually fruit, which is blessed throughout the satsang with the vibrations of the prayers, chanting and spiritual company). 

Bay West Platform - Intermediate Pranayama & Asana Classes held here

Three days a week I am teaching the 8am intermediate class and the other 4 days I head straight into the Reception office for the morning shift from 7:30am - 1:30pm. The pranayama & asana class runs from 8-9:45am and is followed by brunch which usually consists of a buffet of options including soup, rice, couscous or potatoes, cooked vegetables, salad makings, fruit, oatmeal, bread, butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, jam, granola, almond, soy or regular milk and herbal tea. 

In the afternoons we have optional workshops from staff as well as guest speakers on a huge variety of topics or we can use the free time to enjoy the amazing beach, talk a walk to the light house, head into town for some shopping or enjoy a cup of coffee at the Atlantis resort next door! Coffee is not allowed in the ashram because of the affect caffeine has on the mind, there are also some other restrictions besides the lacto-vegetarian diet - the idea being that the sunlight gives food its life-giving energy. We only eat foods that are grown in sunlight (also called "sattvic" or pure) and do not have either dulling or stimulating effects on the mind, that means, no mushrooms, onions, garlic, chili or vinegar.

If I am teaching in the morning then I head into work for the late shift 1:30-7:30pm, or if I'm off I take the 4pm pranayama & asana class. As a teacher I am required to attend 4 classes per week and practice by myself the other three days. This has been an amazing opportunity to gain confidence teaching and motivate me in my own practice. After class we have dinner at 6pm (and no I didn't forget to tell you about lunch - we only eat two meals a day!) and I have been absolutely amazed by the variety and quality of the dinners! Ambika is actually a genius in the kitchen and her food is nothing short of gourmet!! And everyday it is something different and equally impressive!

Fresh coconut in basmati rice, tofu with a mango and red pepper chutney, spring rolls with carrots, beets, yellow peppers & peanut sauce, spinach salad with goat cheese, blueberries & almonds, and for dessert banana slices with nutella, walnuts & shredded coconut!!! and.... that's pretty much all I can say about that! amazing!!!!

In the evening we have another 2 hours of satsang (sanskrit for spiritual company) from 8-10pm again with silent mediation, daily chants & a lecture, performance or concert. This photo was taken at a recent Bansuri concert (traditional Indian flute) given by GS Sachdev and his amazing accompanist on the tabla, pair of drums.

And one more (also audio only) of a performance about love, from the band of Carrie Grossman

And I will leave you with this.... 16 seconds of bliss

Om shanti shanti shanti