Picking flowers at the Sivananda Ashram in Woodbourne, NY
I left Atlanta last Thursday with a heavy mind. Thoughts ran through my head like ants on spilled syrup and I was ready to get back down to earth.
I spent my July 4th weekend at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in Woodbourne, NY. I met a best friend there, who flew in from Buffalo. We rented a car and drove 3 hours through holiday traffic from the Newark airport and arrived in time for the rain. It was dark, wet, and neither of us felt like setting up camp that day. I had a migraine from the car-ride and was ready to sleep.
That night, We snuggled in our sleeping bags on the hard-wood floor of the yoga hall, sharing the space with one of the Ashram cooks who had her abode set up behind a white curtain in a corner. We woke up in the morning to the sound of the 5:30 bell.
Every morning, we sat in silence for 30 minutes until the Swami started the morning chants. We sang praise to all the Hindu gods; Ganesha, Siva, Rama…a basket of tambourines and morrocas were passed around so the brave could sing and chant while banging a beat against their seated legs.
We ate two meals a day, full of wonderful, glorious vegetarian food, and practiced 4 hours of yoga, 2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon.
By the second day, I felt my cloud lifting. Oh adorable lord of mercy, help us control the mind. Om nama shivaya. Let us rid our minds of negativity. These chants permeated my soul and as I walked barefoot on the damp ashram grounds, the melodies continued to sing and hum, filling the empty, vulnerable spaces where unhealthy, dark thoughts longed to touch. No.
I left four days later with a firm but gentle grasp on the mind. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya…
It’s a conscious decision every day to live in the moment.
