Welcome to the Bahamas!

"Serve Love Give Purify Meditate Realize" ~Swami Sivananda

May 1st I flew into the international airport in Nassau and took a cab to the downtown dock for the Yoga Retreat. I was picked up by a small boat and taken across the harbor to Sugar Reef Dock on Paradise Island, my final destination. The grounds of the ashram are as tropical and beautiful as I could have imagined.. gardens, fountains, flowers, palm trees, brightly colored paintings of Indian deities, beautiful altars, hammocks and best of all ~ steps that lead directly to the sand and most amazingly clear blue water I have ever seen!!

One of the main ideas of Vedanta which appeals to me is the emphasis on unity, the idea that all religions, all people, all of creation is just an expression of the one Divine Source. In Indian tradition, many people misinterpret the idea of many gods as polytheistic; however they only believe in One true God, Brahman. All the deities embody different aspects of the Universal Supreme and all of these forms (Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Mohammed, Krishna, Shiva, Shakti, Saraswati, Mary, Durga... and on and on) are merely human representations meant to bring us closer to God. The focus should not be on the form, but rather on the personal relationship with the Divine -- names are many but God is one. There is not only one path to liberation and each persons journey is personal and should never be judged by another but rather we should strive to see God manifested in every living being.

During my 3-month stay I will be working as a karma yogi in the ashram's reception while also participating in the daily schedule, including meditations, kirtan, lectures, asana & pranayama classes and workshops. I have already been amazed by the amount and caliber of special guests that visit and teach here, so far a neurosurgeon, cardiologist, quantum physicist, rabbi, shaik, musicians, and more!! Amazing :)