The Routine

My dorm from the outside.

This is my daily routine for 6 days of the week:

4:55 am, An ashram staff dongs the bell.  Time to wake up and wash face with freezing cold water, get dressed with coat and all since the mornings are quite cool.  I’m so not the morning person.

5:15- 5:30am, Tea time in the open air dining area. It is dark, a bit windy and cool…unlike my style but nevertheless peaceful.

5:30-5:45am, Chanting!  Walk to the hall in complete darkness…stars are still out.  Still can’t believe they are making me chant!!  However, some of the mantras are quite catchy.

6-8am, Asanas (note, not yoga). Yoga is a lifestyle…asanas are movements.  At this time, I can barely touch my toes, my body is so stiff.

Around 8am.  Picture taken opposite entrance to ashram.

8-9am, Karma yoga.  Here is where we get organized in groups to either help in the kitchen, garden with primitive tools or clean certain areas of the ashram.

9am, Finally, they feed us!  Consists of a starchy meal, tea and fruits.  The fruits are heavenly!

10am-12noon, Lectures and sometimes Yoga Nidra…this is where I tend to fall asleep!  I used my hands to hold my head on the desk, drifted off and moments later I felt my arm move under me and I almost fell over my chair!  I looked around to see who witnessed that event…but I think others were sleeping too!  🙂 

12:30pm, Lunch time.  The food is set in buffet style with about 3 different dishes and chapati.  One is bound to be tasty.

The open dinning area.

1-3pm, Free time.  I wash my clothes, try to catnap to compensate for the ‘holy’ wake up time.  Time goes by really fast here.

3-4pm, Lecture.

4-6pm, Asanas.  I am more flexible at this time compared to 6am. 

6-7pm, Free time…shower.

7-7:30pm, More chanting!  This one takes place around a small fire where the fire is fed various natural goodies.  The ‘ceremony’ is called havan.  Attendance is optional.

Dinner time.

7:30pm, Dinner.  I haven’t eaten this much rice or vegetables ever! Lots of legumes, lentils and beans.  Some days the food flushes through my system… a weightloss treatment! 🙂

8:30-9:30pm, Q&A;, discussions, bhajans (songs performed by local singers)…this hour doesn’t happen all the time and attendance is sometimes voluntary.

10pm, Crash!