Weekend Trip: Whitewater Rafting in the Ganges

 

The title says it all. A big group of us all went whitewater rafting on the Ganges!

It was a cold day and I'd been having poor circulation in my feet but decided to go anyway. We had a rather bumpy ride up the foothills to the spot, but I survived. We got on our life vests and hoisted the giant water raft above our heads to the edge of the river. Boy, it was chilly! Our instructor gave us some instructions and directions to follow...which we mostly understood but not everything. Ah well. Adventure, right?

The Ganges on a good day in Rishikesh is a bright blue. Ours was a cold and muddy brown. But man...it was a blast. I've never been rafting before. The rapids look gentle from a distance but when you're up in them it's quite intense. I sat front for most of the harrowing journey down the river and loved it. It was a rush to experience those rapids! 

I peeked my iPhone out of my waterproof container to snap some photos.

The water was really cold and it was windy with no sunlight, but that didn't stop two of my friends from going overboard and swimming in the river for a bit. I was feeling adventurous enough just being on the raft. We saw some beautiful scenery, waved hello to people on the sides of the river, and just soaked it all in. But...by the time we got back to shore some of my fingers and toes had lost circulation. This condition had started during my homestay in Korea last year when I was in a cold house (55ºF) almost all day for weeks at a time. I might have Reynaud's Syndrome?

In whatever case, it was a new experience walking back to our school on almost numb, squishy marshmallows wrapped in a space blanket and spending 10-15 minutes trying re-awaken 80% of my feet and 4 fingers in a warm shower. I am stronger now! 

 Overall I enjoyed the chance to raft on the Ganges and would love to do it again, but perhaps in warmer weather. :-)

Tyler 

My Wonderful Birthday

Today has been absolutely wonderful. 

I let myself be me and free and it was beautiful. The afternoon was spent having heart-to-hearts over ice cream, singing and laughing in harmony, and dancing about in the yoga hall with friends just for the sake of pure enjoyment. Full potential. Being the real me. Kindness. 

We had a talent show tonight. So many talented people here able to express what this journey means for all of us. The poems, the music, the dancing. Being grateful to yourself for coming across the world to learn about yourself. When was the last time I was grateful to myself for something? People with the same fears as myself but also realizations about who they are and what it means to be and why. I learned so much from everyone today. 

I turned a 'quarter cench' today and it was the best birthday in India I could've asked for. Acceptance and love. 

Tyler

Weekend Trip: Mountain Temple

Every weekend our yoga school takes us on a field trip. Our first weekend we visited a temple high in the mountains called Jayamataki (जयमाताकी) about 30 minutes northeast of Ram Jhula.

Getting there was a blast. They fit 6-8 of us into a jeep and drove us through winding roads. It was quite bumpy a bit worrying as we cornered unprotected cliffsides, but we arrived at the temple safely.

 This is going to be an adventure!

That look. These cows. India!

The Temple is up quite a few stairs and a long path! Nice little jog.

There’s a bell at the start of the stairs and at the finish. You ring both as you start and complete your journey. 

The inner part of the temple was quite small and simple. There were a few statues for offerings and worship.

Bells were present throughout this temple.

I wasn’t interested in the temple so much as the view from the mountain. It was stunning. Walking up the hill, it hit me that I was in India and I was moved.

Me doing a headstand before the valley. Very trippy to see such a view from upside down!

It was like a page out of National Geographic. Little villages tucked into the foothills of the Himalayas. Wow!

We had chai and cookies on the front patio area. A lot of us sat by the mountain and contemplated what it meant to be here. Others did some yoga poses and took photos. For each one of us the experience was different and had a different meaning. For me…I was happy to be in nature. After some photos I went by myself down aways and just sat there, enjoying the view.

Enjoy this 360º I took of the mountainside. It’s a beautiful sight. (Click to view)

I’ve been really lax about updating because of our studies. It’s my hope to post about each of the weekend trips here over the next few days. Hope you enjoyed the post!

Tyler

My Daily Life in Rishikesh, India

Hello, everyone!

We're nearing the end of week 3 of training and I haven't updated at all! Today that changes. Today I will let know you know what I've been up.

So as you may know, I'm taking a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training course at Rishikesh Yog Peeth in northern India. Rishikesh is in the northern state of India called Uttarakhand. It's considered the "world capital of yoga" and also the "gateway to the Himalayas" according to popular sources.

That red dot there? That's Rishikesh.

Rishikesh Yog Peeth is on the south side of the river. I'm a 5 minute walk from the Ganges river, which on a sunny day is quite beautiful and blue. I like to study on the rocks by the river. In Hindi the river is known as Ganga [gun-guh].

The beautiful Ganges river. I went whitewater rafting in it!

Rishikesh Yog Peeth - Main area (Krishna Cottage)

My Yoga Schedule

Our daily routine is the same Monday-Friday. It consists of the following:

5:30am – Wake Up

This is easy enough. I've became quite used to waking up early and like it. I usually get up around 6am. We're trained to not use our alarm clocks, but I use mine just in case.

My room. Queen-size bed, two blankets, and a nice bathroom.

It's often windy and ominous in the morning before sunrise.

6:30am – Tea and Jala Neti (nasal cleansing)

It's brisk in the morning and we're up before the sun. Grab a hot ayurvedic tea at the cafeteria to warm your hands and stomach, then it's off to do jala neti. We each have a little plastic neti pot and pour a small amount of saline solution through each nostril to clean our sinuses. I'm usually congested in the mornings but it helps clear them. I've come to really enjoy jala neti practice.

Nasal cleansing...approved.

7-9am – Morning asana (yoga) practice

Two hours of yoga. Usually this involves mantra chanting in the beginning and some hands-on work on individual poses and how to make adjustments in them. You don't notice your hunger too much, surprisingly.

Yoga Hall 1 - the main hall. All of my practices and classes are here.

9:30am – Breakfast

Glorious breakfast. Our entire diet here is satvic and vegetarian. We usually have fruit and chickpeas for breakfast. Sometimes it's a rice mix, or noodles, or porridge which is really delicious. Breakfast is always wonderful.

This is also the time to do your laundry. I really enjoy washing my own clothes - provides a good 15-minutes to relax my mind and an excuse to visit the rooftop.

Me and my laundry. Yes, those are my pants.

This is also the time the Rhesus monkeys are most active. They will push on doors or find an open one and steal food out of your room. They are quite greedy, these monkeys.


I've been almost attacked three times now because they were eating on the staircase to the rooftop. I keep a small supply of "monkey diversion" bananas in my room if this happens now.



10:30-1pm –  Anatomy and/or Philosophy class

Roshan, our main instructor, teaches us about the physiology of yoga and its relationship to the body and also to yoga philosophy. There is a LOT of philosophy behind yoga that doesn't get explained in the West except on a very surface level.

It's amazing how much there is to learn. Learning anatomy has been quite fun, too, and the scientist nerd in me is excited to learn about Bohr effect and other things in class.


1:30pm – Lunch

Delicious lunchtime! Many people sit in the courtyard and take their meal in the sunlight. It's quite nice. Lunch usually consists of rice, steamed and fresh vegetables, and a soup with daal (lentils) or beans of some kind.

2-4:15pm – Self-Study Time

This is our own time for personal growth. I usually study Sanskrit at the nearby cafe, but I'm also taking tabla lessons a few times each week. It's a beautiful time to be out and about.

An awesome cafe right by our place. Great vibe and cheap tea.

4:30-6:30pm – Afternoon asana (yoga) practice

Afternoon practice is usually more intense than morning, but lately both have been physically and mentally challenging. We usually begin and end in Shavasana (corpose pose) but the first two weeks we ended with 20 minutes of seated meditation practice. It's quite challenging but rewarding.

6:45pm – Dinner

We're usually pretty hungry for dinner after asana practice. Dinner is pretty variable but always has chapatti, which is like the Indian version of tortilla. One dining is designated for silence. I've eaten dinner in silence twice and enjoyed the experience to really focus on my mind and food. Talking is nice, though, too. There are a lot of interesting and eclectic people here.

Tea, chapatti, chickpeas, and a delicious porridge dessert with coconut pieces, almonds, and cashews.

9:30pm – Sleep time

I'm usually out by 9:30pm. Some nights I'm out by 8:30pm. In the time before I shower, journal about my day, and play my kalimba sometimes. I'm a morning person so going to bed early has been a nice habit to get back into.

So...that's my daily activity! I'm learning a lot about yoga poses and the science and philosophy of yoga. The 40+ other trainees here are fantastic and I'm very grateful to have such an open-minded, friendly, and responsible group

I'll update about my weekend trips soon. Namaste, and talk to you later!


Tyler

Packing for Adventure

Its less than 5 days until my flight overseas to a land of adventure! My friend and I are traveling to Amsterdam for 3 days, Delhi and Nepal for 6-7 days, and then flying from Kathmandu to Dehra Dun. Booking with Expedia was pretty easy, except for a couple surprises with ticket prices jumping up! But we got everything booked after a couple times and it's settled. Whew!

What to pack, and how? There's a lot to consider when packing; especially the type of luggage you'll have. My friend is opting for a backpack, but since I'll be carrying a laptop Kalimba, and other things I'm opting for a rolling suitcase. Not too big, but not too small, with enough empty space/consumables in my bag so I can carry souvenirs home. I'm also packing a collapsible bag inside to double as a second carry-on later. 

I'm packing for two months' travel, but six weeks of it will be in one place and it's for yoga, so there are some extra things to take like workout clothes. I am *not* taking my mat and will buy one when I arrive. 

I'm packing 7 pr underwear, 7 pr socks, 4 shirts, an extra pair of cargo pants, workout shorts and 2 workout shirts, and 2 sets of thermals because it going to be so cold! And also my toeless toesox yoga socks, which I really like! Rishikesh has pretty temperate weather in February but practicing yoga in 55°F will require some insulation if it's to be done safely.

My toiletry kit and laptop are going too!

Other things I'm taking include peanut butter packs, Clif bars, and a one-person pack of syringes and sutures. I hope I don't have to use the syringe/suture pack, but I am prepared just in case I find myself somewhere without suitable medical instruments.

Rishikesh Yog Peeth encourages us to bring a musical instrument and/or poi, so I'm bringing both! Should be fun! I edit photos a lot, so I'm taking my bulky 17" MacBook Pro, iPad, and iPhone with me. So much tech! Photography equipment will be my Nikon D300s, Lumix LX7, and 3 Nikon lenses in these neat little belt-attachable pouches. That's all going in a mesh backpack that will be my carry-on and also my day pack during my travels.

There's probably something I'll leave out accidentally that I'll need, and something I won't end up needing or using on my journey at all. Time will tell. 

I am getting quite excited!

Learning to Read Hindi (and a Book Review)

I'm less than a month away from my trip to India and have started learning Hindi. I learned to write in Hindi in 8 days using a book by Rupert Snell called "Read and Write Hindi Script: A Teach Yourself Guide" and it's just what I needed to learn to read Hindi! The book lays out each character step-by-step, provides transcription exercises and vocabulary along the way. I highly recommend it.

The script is called Devanagari (देवनागरी) and is used to write many of the signs in India. It's also the de facto script for Sanskrit, which I'll be studying during my yoga training.

I studied for 2-3 hours every afternoon at the library, sounding out the characters in whisper and practicing exercises in a notebook.

I love languages. I studied French and Japanese for a number of years and lived in South Korea for a year on a Fulbright grant. Devanagari/Hindi has elements from all of these languages that made it easier for me to pick up but it was still challenging. 

Now, onto the script! I'll show you similar characters together for comparison and give you some tips on memorization.

Firstly, this how I categorized some of the characters in my mind as I was learning them. This is how my brain categorized them; you might see entirely different groupings:

The 3 shape in figures: अ, आ, उ, ऊ

The E shape in figures: घ, ध, छ

The S shape in figures: ड, इ, ई, झ, ङ,  and ह

The r radical in figures: र, स, ख, ए

The m radical/wrap in: म, स, भ

The P-shaped ones: त, प, ष

The y ones: य, थ, 

The k ones: क, फ
The d ones: द, ढ

Here are some other mnemonics and tricks I recall from my studies:

• If you add more to a "j" sound you get a "ch" sound. ज when added to becomes च! It's ज with a bit extra. 
• द and ढ make similar but different sounds. द = d and ढ = retroflex d
• The sounds of ब and व are related so it makes sense they would look similar, too. A b isn't allowed to be a v, so it gets a bar through its character, ब. 
• "Sh" looks like 21. "Sh" is श!

Hindi borrows many words from English, making it a little easier to learn.

And lastly, some notes about Hindi compared to other languages like French, Korean, and Japanese:

• Devanagari is an "abugida" type script, with each character built with an inherent vowel. Japanese has vowels inherent with it's characters, too.
• か な だ; क न द
• Hindi romanization is more convoluted than Japanese (with 1 modern system) and Korean (with 2 systems). I prefer the IAST system used in India and South Asia (and the book).
• The word order of Hindi is Subject Object Verb (like Japanese and Korean) and consonant-based (like Korean). Consonant-based languages are harder to learn because it's harder to clear-cut syllables!
• Nouns in Hindi have gender and adjectives are conjugated, like French. Unlike French (but like Japanese and Korean), verbs don't change form based on the subject.
• Vowels in Hindi are added in a way similar to Hebrew.
• Pronunciation of unaspirated/aspirated/retroflex consonants reminds me of Korean and it's between voiced, unvoiced, and tensed consonants. Difficult!
•  ㅈ vs ㅉ vs ㅊ ; ज vs झ vs च 
• Nasalized vowels in Hindi reminds me of Japanese ん and nasalized vowels when speaking to your superiors (はい、そうしま(ん)~~す！). Especially हैं.

The sign to the right reads as "Rishikesh" in English. Less than 30 days now...!

I hope that was helpful in some way!

नमस्ते,
Tyler

The India Visa Application - How to Apply via Post

I haven't found a good, comprehensive guide to mail your application to BLS in Houston, so I wanted to write one and help others along their way.

My entire process took 13 days from applying to receiving the visa.

This article pertains to the BLS Houston office and the requirements on their website. The info here may not apply to the office in NY, SF, etc.

Since Mid-2013 US citizens applying for their visa to India must go through BLS International to do so. BLS doesn't have the best track record, and it made me pretty nervous at first. There's a reason they have those bad reviews - their website contains a lot of redundancy and hidden requirements for your visa application, among other things. The India Visa Application website is labeled a security risk by my browser, Firefox, and I had to make an security exception just to see the webpage!

But never fear, it is possible. And hopefully in 2014 you won't have to go through this at all thanks to some upcoming changes in visa policy.

Below are the things you need to send to BLS in order to get your visa. This is compiled from their website and my phone conversation with a representative at BLS Houston. You'll need to send in a trackable envelope:

1. Your passport (obvious, perhaps, but they don't actually mention this on this website) with at least two blank visa pages
2. A completed, printed, and signed (twice) version of the Online Visa Application Form
1. Reading my tips for the form first is recommended.
2. PASTE a 2" x 2" passport-style photo where indicated on this form. Don't paperclip.
3. An extra 2" x 2" passport-style photo 
1. The rep said this was just in case. Clip to the application or your BLS form.
4. Proof of address
1. For me this was a scan of the front of my driver's license.
5. Cashier's check designated to "BLS International"
6. Photocopy of said cashier's check
7. Filled and signed Postal Application Form
1. This is NOT the "Requisite Documents for Tourist Visa" form. You don't need that one for some reason.
8. Filled BLS form (provided to you after you finish it on their website)
9. Self-addressed Trackable Envelope (from FedEx or UPS preferably)
1. This one is folded and goes inside your envelope and is for the return shipment.

Now here's the thing. You have to get your trackable envelopes BEFORE you fill out the BLS form. They ask for your "air bill" (tracking) numbers for both sending and returning envelopes.  I went to UPS with items 1 through 7 and had them weigh that + with two envelopes and a small stack of blank pages just to make sure it would be properly paid for. I purchased 2nd Day Air for my sending envelope and Next Day Air for my returning one (at a cost of $60). Not taking any chances.

After that I went back to my house and finished the BLS form using the tracking numbers I purchased. I printed out the "BLS order form" and put it inside the envelope. I went back to UPS, taped the BLS shipping label on the outside of the envelope, and wrote "Visa Department" above it in Sharpie. Then I sent it off and I'm done! I hope...

UPDATE: I received my visa in 13 days after sending it off. Wonderful!