Friday, December 7, 2012

Inner Healing: removing obstacles in our relationship with God

Last week I attended with my sister and her husband their Bible study group in Miami. They are both Christians and every week they attend the service at the church and join the Bible study group. Since at the moment I am their guest they invited me to come along.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012

70% Discount on The Great Courses - A Great Gift for Yoga Practitioners

Optimizing Your Brain's Fitness - The Great CoursesThe Great Courses company is giving 70% discount to more than 400 of their courses. The courses, which usually cost more than 200 US dollars, cover a wide range of topics including science, arts and business. If you are a yoga or meditation student you'll certainly find some of the science courses extremely valuable, a great gift for yoga practitioners. The offer will expire on January 21, 2013.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Top 10 TED talks for inspiration and motivation

Top 10 Ted Talks for Inspiration

Have you met TED? No, I'm not talking about Ted Mosby, the guy from "How I Met Your Mother" but from the increasingly popular TED talks video podcast. Yeah, I'm a big fan of TED, some people don't seem to get it but I find that watching some of these TED talks given by people who are following their dreams and doing what they are suppose to be doing in whatever field that might be can be quite inspiring and they might even help us to find our own purpose in life and to follow our dreams, or at least they might help us to open our minds to new ideas and possibilities.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Our Lives Are Not Controlled by Our Genes but by Our Beliefs


"We can change our lives as fast as we can change our beliefs, and since our beliefs can change instantly we can actually change our lives instantly," says Bruce Lipton. He gives a solid scientific explanation to confirm that it is not our genes that control our biology but rather our perceptions of the environment, or in other words our beliefs.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Guide to the Best Ashrams in India: My Personal Experience [UPDATED 2020]

Best Ashrams to Visit in India

(Updated 2020) If you are searching for the best ashrams in India then this guide is for you. I wrote this ashram list based on the ashrams and yoga retreats in India that I have personally visited during my own yoga journey. You can read here in detail about my personal experience and their offering.
Monday, October 29, 2012

Indian Ashrams Directory: 30+ yoga ashrams in India

This is the Indian Ashrams Directory, a table with links to the websites of more than 30 ashrams in India that offer different kind of yoga retreats, yoga holiday programs, yoga teacher training courses, meditation courses, meditation retreats and more.
Monday, July 30, 2012

What is the Best Meditation Teacher Training in Rishikesh?

Meditation Teacher Training Rishikesh

I recently completed, in my opinion, the best meditation teacher training in Rishikesh. The official name of the course is Himalayan Yoga Tradition Teacher Training Program (HYT-TTP). It includes hatha yoga but it is mainly a meditation course. Meditation is the core teaching of the HYT, and that's exactly what I love about it.
Thursday, July 26, 2012

Sadhana Mandir Yoga Ashram: An ideal meditation spot in Rishikesh, India

Sadhana Mandir Ashram Rishikesh

Rishikesh is such an amazing place, it is like the yoga capital of the world, the place to be when it comes to yoga. But if you've ever been in Rishikesh you know how overwhelming it can be sometimes. With so many ashrams and yoga teachers all around the place and thousands of spiritual seekers everywhere it can be a bit hard to find a really peaceful place to actually relax and meditate. Luckily I did found such a place at Swami Rama's Ashram called Sadhana Mandir.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Birthday Celebration of Yogis at Santosh Puri Ashram in Haridwar, India

"You are very lucky to have arrived in such an auspicious day" everybody at Santosh Puri Ashram kept telling me this again and again. Indeed I was very lucky, I had arrived at the ashram in Haridwar the same day of the celebration of Mataji's and her daughter Mandikni's birthday. Mataji (Narvada Devi Puri Ma) is the guru or spiritual guide of Shri Santosh Puri Ashram.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Shri Santosh Puri Yoga Ashram in Haridwar, India

Santosh Puri Ashram Haridwar

While I was still living in Europe, about two years ago, and planning my journey to India to study and practice yoga and meditation my dear friend Virginie recommended me to spend some time at Shri Santosh Puri Ashram in Haridwar. She and my buddy Xavier (both French) had stayed at this ashram for a yoga therapy course and they both had very positive remarks about this place so I decided to include it in my plan.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Magic of India: Incredible Kerala Hindu Temple Festival

Elephant playing with water during festival
India is such and amazing country. During my second night at Arsha Yoga Gayathri, an ashram right next to a paradise beach not so far away from Fort Cochin, Harilal and Meera (the owners of the ashram) invited all the guests staying at the ashram to the town nearby, so we could experience an incredible Kerala Hindu Temple Festival.
Monday, June 25, 2012

Arsha Yoga: a Small Yoga Ashram in Kerala, Near Fort Kochi

Arsha Yoga Ashram in Kerala Near Kochi

Arsha Yoga Gayathri is small and peaceful yoga ashram in Kerala, right next to a paradise beach! It is located about two hours drive from Fort Kochi (65km), or one hour and half (60 km) from Cochin International Airport. It is ideal for a personal retreat, but you gotta follow the strict routine.
Thursday, June 14, 2012

A yoga class in Fort Cochin, Kerala, India

Fishing nets in Fort Cochin
Fort Cochin traditional fishing nets
"You have got to visit Sajee in Fort Cochin and practice yoga with him", my friend Marshall from Brazil had insisted again and again. Since about a year and half ago he mentioned me many times what a great Yoga teacher Sajee is. Finally, after an unexpected visit to a dear friend at Swami Dayananda Ashram in Coimbatore I was able to follow my friend's advice and I traveled a bit more south to search for Sajee's yoga studio and join his yoga class in Cochin.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Visiting a friend at Swami Dayananda Ashram in Coimbatore

Last February I finally had the opportunity to visit my dear friend Elouise at Swami Dayananda Ashram in Coimbatore (Arsha Vidya Gurukulam) where she is following the gurukulam program, a three years Vedanta course. Thanks to her I had an amazing time during this trip, she took very good care of me and made me feel very welcome. For about a year and half we had tried to arrange a get together but we never really managed to do it although we both had been in India all that time.
Saturday, June 9, 2012

Yoga Classes in Boudha (Boudhanath), Kathmandu, Nepal

Looking for a yoga class in Boudha (Boudhanath), Kathmandu? Starting April 1st, 2013 and until the end of June 2013 I'll be teaching Classical Hatha Yoga Classes at the Bouddha Inn Meditation Center in Kathmandu, Nepal. You are very welcome to join the daily yoga classes.
Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Cremation of Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche at Benchen Monastery, Nepal

Cremation of Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche
Cremation of Tenga Rinpoche
A couple of days ago on March 23, 2012 I had the opportunity to be present during the cremation of the body of a special being, venerable Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche a highly regarded Buddhist Lama (guru) from Tibet. The cremation of Tenga Rinpoche's Kudung (precious body) took place at Benchen Monastery in Swayambhunath, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The final nirvana of a Buddhist monk: Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche

On March 2012 a well known Buddhist monk, venerable Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche, attained the parinirvana state (a Buddhist term that indicates that a realized being has left his physical body and achieve final nirvana) at Benchen monastery in Swayambhu, Nepal. This is the story of how I came to know about this great Buddhist master and my visit to the monastery where he attained parinirvana.
Sunday, April 8, 2012

Nirvana Shatakam: Vedantic Meditation by Adi Shankaracharya

Nirvana Shatakam Vedantic Meditation

During the intensive yoga course I joined in 2011 at the Parmarth Niketan ashram in Rishikesh, I came across a profound and amazing stotra (hymn of praise) in Sanskrit. It is called Nirvana Shatakam (also known as Nirvana Shatkam, Atma Shatkam or Shivoham).

I was struck by the power of its words.  So much truth in each stanza. The first time I heard it I immediately thought with excitement, “This is pure Advaita Vedanta philosophy! A Vedantic meditation, a song for enlightenment.”

Chanting it made me shed some tears and I even felt goosebumps appear on my skin.
Thursday, February 2, 2012

How Yoga Sadhana Leads to Mental and Emotional Purification


I recently completed the 4 Months Yogic Studies Course at the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger, India. It was the most challenging and painful experience that I've ever had.

From the moment that I stepped into the ashram something strange started to happen within me. My mind and my emotions became totally out of control.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Bihar School of Yoga Four Months Yoga Course [Review]

Bihar School of Yoga Course in Yogic Studies

(Updated 2019) In October 2011, after years of waiting for it, my dream finally came true. I joined the Four-Month Yogic Studies Course at the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger, India. I had wished to visit this ashram for such a long time. I actually sent my application two years in advance! Not surprisingly they were not able to process it then. I'm sure they never received such an early application.
Monday, January 30, 2012

Yoga, Volunteer Work, and Tantric Rituals: Rikhiapeeth Ashram Life

Rikhiapeeth

If you are interested in yoga and volunteer work in India you might consider visiting Rikhiapeeth, an ashram in the North of India. You will have the opportunity to do Seva, the yoga of selfless service, pretty much all day long, while participating in two powerful yajnas (tantric fire rituals) that last several weeks.
Sunday, January 22, 2012

How to Stay Connected with Mobile Internet Using iPhone in Nepal

Updated: Jun 2, 2013.  If you want to travel in Nepal and you want to stay connected at the same time with your family and friends then you can easily get prepaid mobile Internet access on your unlocked iPhone or any other smartphone.

However, if you are planning to stay only in Kathmandu then you might not really need mobile Internet since you can find free wifi in almost every restaurant, bar and guesthouse.
Thursday, January 19, 2012

Buddhist Monks Chanting in Monastery Near Big Stupa in Boudhanath, Nepal

Have you ever wonder how a Buddhist monastery looks like? Take a look at this amazing video of some Buddhist Monks chanting sutras at the Tharlam Monastery in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal near the famous Great Stupa. The vibrations are really powerful.