I have been in the ashram for 2 days now. It is a beautiful green jungle garden with several wooden platforms, small buildings, and tents scattered throughout. The island Paradise Island is located just across a bay from Nassau, on the larger island of New Providence. The ashram has some glamorous neighbours including the gargantuan Atlantis Resort and Nicolas Cage.
The ashram is very full, Rumor has it the total population is 250. My course has 55 students, most of whom are here already. Lots of people to meet! New friends!!
The teacher training course starts tomorrow, so I have been taking it easy thus far. From all reports, it will be very intense. Even though it hasn't started yet, I am still attending morning and evening satsangs. Satsang is a gathering of the whole ashram. We meditate for half an hour, chant mantras for half an hour, and then listen to a guest speaker or one of the swamis speak about yogic scripture, philosophy, or other related subjects. I think they are meant to speak for an hour, but it is often more. It is pretty hard to sit cross-legged on the floor for all that time and stay focused, but I am sure it will get better. I think I will sing more in the coming month than i have or will in the rest of my life. Maybe I will actually become a half decent singer. Top 40 here I come. Haha if sanscrit chanting made the top 40.
The lacto-vegetarian food is delicious. They don't really use spices or onions or garlic (or salt) so its all quite bland, but my taste buds will adjust. I have gone to two yoga (asana) classes so far, just the open classes. They follow a different style of practice here, so it is an adjustment. When the course starts I will be doing 4 hours of yoga (asana) a day. Here they are quite emphatic that the physical practice of yoga is a tiny part of the yogic life, so the Teacher Training course will of course involve asana but also so much more. I am a little nervous, but everyone I have spoken with says that the course is really amazing and also really challenging.
It is a little rainy right now, which is why I am on the computer instead of at the beach!! I was a tad worried about my tent, but I think it will be ok. I put a tarp on top of it for the rain. I have been sleeping really well because of all the fresh air, I think. My skinny thermarest is more comfortable than I would have expected!
Click the link to my photostream on the right side menu to see pictures. The ipad app for blogger is not great.
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