We went again. Yes a 28 hour flight to South India this time to the beautiful state of Kerala. We again went with our Yoga teacher, Jogi Bhagat and would highly recommend him as a wonderful tour guide if you choose to visit India sometime. He is very active on Facebook and easy to contact.
We started our journey at a lovely beach resort in Varkala. We stayed at a fine hotel high on a cliff above the powerful Indian Ocean. We had 2 terrific cooking classes, yoga on the beach, swam in the Indian Ocean and enjoyed our fellow travelers company. And of course some great shopping!! We had several wonderful Aruyvedic massages and Tom even visited with an Aryuvedic Doctor who told him to listen to his herbalist wife when he got sick for a bit. Aryuvedic Medicine is a very practical, earthy, old method of health care and is well establisehd in Varkala. The area offers a few Aryuvedic Centers and is a great place to go if the need arises. The shop owners were hurting as the tourist industry was down because of recent disastrous flooding in Kerala. So we did our best to support the Varkala economy.
We then traveled to Amma’s Ashram further North in Kerala: https://www.amritapuri.org/ashram Amma is the hugging guru and her Ashram was peaceful, vibrant and full love and worship. Amma is an amazing teacher and leader, a great humanitarian and gives millions of dollars to help cities and towns all over the world who are affected by natural disasters. We did SEVA, selfless service, listened to beautiful chanting in the early morning, enjoyed a fire ceremony, a special program for Dewali and just reveled in the serenity of the Ashram. We talked to and met many residents of the Ashram, attended a yoga class and an IM meditation class which were both wonderful. One of our 9 participants was so taken by the Ashram that he decided to stay there while we traveled onward.
Next we traveled to Allepey where we boarded a houseboat and sailed through the backwaters for several hours. The scenery was serene, maginificent and the sea eagles flying overhead were breathtaking. I felt like I was sailing through a National Geographic magazine. The house boats, the rice patties, the trees, the birds: all so lovely. Jogi hired a cook for our meal onboard and I think that was the best meal we had (except for the 2 we cooked ourselves in the cooking classes!!). The food was fresh, flavorful and oh so good!!!
We were so lucky to practice Yoga just about everyday with Jogi. Jogi is an experienced, genuine Yoga teacher who always found us a great place to practice and led a gentle, yet very effective yoga class that helped my body maintain its health and vibrancy throughour our journey. I did not miss one session!!!
We also visited Eravikulam National Park where we saw a rare mountain goat that only lives there and is almost extinct. I was amazed to see a very special flowering shrub, that blooms only once every 12 years. We were there at just the right time and saw the tail end of it’s bloom: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/kerala/story/kurinji-flowers-bloom-after-12-years-as-sun-shines-on-flood-hit-kerala-1333467-2018-09-06 Oh how I would love to see the entire hillside covered with these lovely purple flowers!
Next we drove high up in to the mountains to the town of Munnar. I really loved it here as I adore the mountains, the coolness and now got to be immersed in miles and miles and miles of tea plants. What a dream for an Herbalist! Tea plantations everywhere. India is famous for Black Tea and Green Tea and having Masala Chai everyday was another delight. I also love the Chai I make at home and I am inspired to offer y’all a sale on tea this Holiday Season. Look for a newsletter next week advertising my sale. A few of us went to a Tea Museum and that was fascinating and informative. The Indian people take time to relax during the day, enjoy a cup of Chai, talk to their friends, neighbors and strangers and make the most out of their lives. My very favorite thing about India are the people. They are so friendly, outgoing, fun, generous, loving people. Their kindness, their consistent true spirit shines through with every interaction. The Indian People made the trip completely wonderful for me.
Finally we drove to Kochi where we visited temples, actually temples all along the way, a lovely waterfront where we saw how the fishermen work their nets, visited an ancient tree and the last night we were lucky to see some Kerala theatre with dancers, martial artists and more.
The food was delectable, the people so lovely, the scenery spectacular. The air was clean, the sky was blue and I will always hold a special place in my heart for Mother India.
