Yoga retreat
by rc
Act I
As we patrolled the yoga building at night, I gazed across the incredible cityscape. In the distance the sparkling specks of planes accelerated out of and decelerated into the Tribhuvan airport. My juvenile mind drifted to Space Invaders. I wished I could gracefully exit the march and just behold the vista. Inexperienced in walking meditation, and with the added difficulty of navigating through the darkness, I steadied both my gait and resolve and focused on maintaining 5 paces behind the instructor. Did I have it in me to make it through the week?
Act II
緣 – yuan – a bond formed with a bit of luck and a bit of destiny. Natsumi, the only other student there, had initiated her meditation practice with Mindfulness in Plain Japanese, and I with its English counterpart. I don’t think I’ll get very many other chances to chat so candidly about meditation, yoga, and spirituality. No, this was not a hippie retreat!
Meeting perfect strangers doesn’t happen often, and she provided that rare window in which I could gush about my awesome girlfriend – something that guys like me feel too prideful and awkward to share even with close friends. Measured in her approach, thoughtful, present, and alive, bless her for having the patience to listen to me babble on about coffee, graduate school, and my travel experiences so far. It most definitely would have been lonelier and quieter without her company.
Act III
“You never listen! If you listened you would be an expert already!” Our harsh instructor laid down the law… on handstands. Disciplined, opinionated, devout, and close-minded, Amrit’s approach to yoga and life had a degree of militarism to it. He began his practice years back “by the grace of God” and narrowly defines a proper life of yoga and meditation; there is a “right” way and many wrong ones.
“It is difficult for you, no?” he remarked as I struggled to reach my toes. I wasn’t given a chance from the start. I shouldn’t be the one to complain as Natsumi had it much worse. She already excelled at many poses and the instructor demanded perfection. Her mental fortitude through it all is worth emulating.
Act IV
“Bend over to the front and touch your toes!” I was jubilant. My lyrical interpretation was far from Lil Jon’s original intention, but who cares? I went from 5 inches off the ground to all 10 fingers on it! 2 hours daily practice goes a long way.
The week at the yoga center gave me many tools to move forward independently in my practice. Aside from the discomfort from a less than compassionate instructor, I basked in the clean air, majestic mountains, and soothing harmony of the surrounding forest. What a retreat it was!
rcproject 
I highlighted: Did I have it in me to make it through the week?
That’s how I feel right now.
Day by day man
You are finally out! Felt a little like prison and military combined! haha.. what a unique experience 🙂 Did you get to visit their medicine garden?? Must be all the yoga and meditation- 嘴巴越來越甜!
Hah! Garden was too sparse due to winter.. Garlic, mint, cauliflower.. That kind of thing. What are you talking about, my mouth has always been sweet!
[…] My coffee habit did not taper, and I ventured over a handful of times to this one cafe that was an hour microbus ride away by the famous Boudhanath stupa. It took some gumption to eventually take the micro everywhere. First micro experience: late 1.5 hours to a meeting! The city was also where I was shaken by the orphanage business. Miracles do happen though. (More on orphanages later..) Winnie and I were only able to take a quick break away from school related business, and we couldn’t have asked for a better location than beautiful Pokhara. I never thought this would be the closest I came to trekking in the Himalayas. I still don’t know what I got myself into, but I willingly surrendered myself in a weeklong Yoga retreat. […]