When I started to write this story, it sounded like a tale. I imagined myself seated in front of you with my hardcover book, reading it out loud and showing you pictures of Balinese people in their beautiful clothes and the ogoh-ogoh, demon monsters made to exorcise the island of evil spirits on the eve of the Balinese New Year.
So here’s the story written as a tale but based on a true facts!
Yoga Nidra is a deep and conscious relaxation technique that regenerates the mind, the brain, the nervous system, the senses, and the body. Here’s an overview of what Yoga Nidra is and its great benefits.
Here I am in possession of a certificate attesting that I have “successfully undergone the Teacher Training Course – Hatha Yoga Therapy (300 hrs)” in an ashram of the Swami Sivananda lineage.
How do I feel and what does this certificate represent to me? This is what I have been thinking about since the end of the course. Reflections that I wanted to share with you to give you an idea of what a yoga training can look like in an ashram in India.
The simple fact of walking in the streets of Rishikesh to observe this cycle of life-based on a core need, the food; a core value, sharing; and a core religious belief; the karma, made me reflect so much on my own beliefs and behaviors.
Bali has an incalculable number of Hindu ceremonies. I’m talking about my favorites, Nyepi, Galungan & Kuningan, cremations and Balinese weddings.
Bali has more than 10,000 temples! I chose three very different temples (Pura Tirta Empul, Pura Besakih, Pura Tanah Lot) for their importance, their symbolism and the good memories they evoke when I remember the last year that has just passed.
I was surprised to realize that I had only published one article about Bali in a year! In fact, I realized that I was writing more when I am in a nomadic mode visiting other countries than in a sedentary mode in Bali. I thought, mistakenly I think, that my travel stories were more interesting than my regular daily life.
I have forgotten that my Balinese life, as simple as it may be, remains beautiful and wonderful to tell. And before leaving Bali, I thought it was a good time to share one of those simple yet memorable moments with you: a morning at the market.
It is said that the vipassana course comes at the moment when the student most needs it. It was my case! Since the beginning of the year I had the feeling of trampling on the same comfortable path between episodes of keeping on extending my smooth routine and the need to shake things up a bit.
I was seeing these ten days of meditation as a strong breeze capable of dissipating the thick fog that weighed down my thoughts and uplift my energy. I was anticipating a remedy to make me move forward again. But I was far from imagining that the experience would be so demanding and painful …. before being rewarding.
Since the dawn of time, the moon, and especially the full moon, has been part of many legends. Still now, the moon continues to enchant us, to intrigue us. This celestial body continues to have a sacred place for many cultures and religions throughout the world.
The energy of the full moon invites us to free ourselves from all the worries and negative thoughts accumulated during the month. A ritual on a full moon day aims to get rid of what no longer vibrates with our true self. It is a ceremony of purification, liberation and gratitude to free all the space for the new.
I have collected different ideas learned over time to offer you my best Full Moon Ritual a la Ray of Nath!
I wish you a wonderful full moon evening!
This retreat will take place on a sacred land, cradled both by Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism, and enveloped by the highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas. There is no doubt that it’s one of the most fertile lands to learn more about meditation!
Don’t worry you won’t be spending 10 days sitting cross-legged, watching your breathing in silence. It will be way more varied and accessible.
The teachings, the visits to holy places and the sacred energy of the city and of the mountains will all work hand-in-hand to support your journey during this 10-day retreat.
