Sivananda Ashram, Kerala

Where should one go to learn or practice yoga? Well, for one, being in India certainly helps with the beautiful bajans (hymns), Sanksrit pronunciation, and availability of skilled harmonium, sitar, and tabla players in the birthplace of yogic philosophy. Here in the jungles of Kerala I have finally made it to the Sivananda Ashram, located on the edge of an animal reserve and miles of untouched forest next to the Neyyar Dam. It is the perfect place to practice and learn about this complex science we call yoga. As I bend my legs and arms in all sorts of contortions, I can even hear lions roaring from across the lake where they have a lion park. I know, I know, I should be looking for tigers in India, not lions, but it does help to hold the posture a little longer to hear the ferocious cry of the King of the Jungle just when you think you can't bear the pain a second longer.

The schedule is rigorous but allows for time to read, chat with other travellers, and relax your sore muscles. For only Rs.550/- per day (about $11 USD) I am staying in a room that looks out over rainforest with my roomate, Nicki, from Hawaii. We wake up at 6am for meditation and satsang (prayer), then have chai, of course, then go to the first two-hour yoga lesson, breakfast, karma yoga (chores), a couple hours for break on the beautifully landscaped premises, lecture, another two-hour yoga session, dinner, and then night prayer. All for a mere $11. The teachers are rotating to provide different experiences, and they offer beginning and intermediate classes. Apart from the amazing opportunity to spend four hours a day being guided through the tricky terrain of yogic postures and spiritual crisis, it's incredibly entertaining to do so with people from around the world. One older Englishman put it this way, "If you would have told me I'd be doing yoger in an arshram in India five years ago, I'da snubbed out my cigarette, put my whiskey to the side, made a fist and socked yer in the eye!" And my jaw almost fell off when the 80 year-old African-American lady in front of my put her legs behind her head - encouraging or utterly discouraging? I'm still not quite sure. The people here are fun and well-travelled, the swamis are approachable, and every few nights the ashram hosts incredible cultural shows with special songs, dance, even martial arts from Kerala.

Outside the ashram, Kerala is just as beautiful as people say it is. It is a strange place in India, the only Socialist state in the union. Wherever you go, you see the sickle & hammer and churches. Jesus and Socialism? An interesting mix, for sure, but it creates the backdrop for this lush landscape that also boasts the highest literacy rates in the world. I haven't learned much or even seen much of this state yet - I've spent the last eleven days in the ashram - but I'm looking forward to lighting out and practicing my new skills along the tropical coastline. I may try and sample some tea from the beautiful hill stations perched along the Western Ghats if I can pull myself out of the ocean long enough. Either way, I'll definitely be going deeper into the nearly impossible poses I've been learning from Swami Sivananda's legacy, and making sure to breathe... breathe... breathe.