Life in an Ashram

So, we get there and these 8 year old little boys through our bags on there heads as if they were feathers. We journey down the road into the unknown and are deposited into a large room-18 women and one toilet - that doesn't flush without tossing in a big bucket of water. Our schedule for the next ten days are as follows: wake at four AM and hike ten minutes to the freezing Ganga River to bathe and wash away the sins of our past lives. ( I cried the first two mornings). 5AM Chunden- a sandelwood paste applied to the forehead to open the third eye. This take approximately 1 1/2 hours of chanting to get throught roughly 300+people. 6:30Am Group meeting to share our experiences. 7AM Arti- 11/2 hours of chanting and meditating. 9am Puja- religious ceremony in Hindi. 10am-Havan-Fire ceremony in which cocaonuts are offers to the fire to rid whatever you want to rid- ie: pain, fear, health aillments, etc... 1:30p, Banderas- lunch of blessed prasad (food) for 300+, we sit on the floor and eat with our fingers off leaf plates and bowls,,,amaising vegi meals that take a couple of hours to get through. 3pm - afternoon bathe in the Ganga River-easier when its nice out, but still cold. 4pm- usually guest yogi speakers for a little Q&A. 7pm-Arti-two more hours of meditation and chanting that sometimes turns into a dance party. 9pm-sleep FINALLY! This goes on for TEN DAYS...and we go to another ashram afterword...WHY?? You ask. This time for some Ayvedic cleansing. However. I am now on my way to a time share further up into the Hymalaya that has a real bed and hot running water. Celeste will stay for more cleancing, but I'm outta here on the overnight train to Chandigahr.

Oh, and Hairy Cow has been blessed by the Guru and is now Holy Cow. Addorned with Mala (Prayer) beads he is finding he sacred self in India and doing quite well. He will however, be having some plastic surgery in Thailand to remove the tag from his ass.

Hope this blog finds you all healthy and well. Namastee,
Prema (my new Hindi/Spiritual name- It means Love and was giving to me by the Guru, Muniraji.

Bole Babaji Ki Jai