Spiritual Supermarket
Now that I have gotten used to the place I have been experimenting with attending and finding out about some of the classes on offer. I has been an education to learn just what people are being told, what interests people and how the idea of spirituality is enacted.
On the night of the 21st Dec, when the world was supposed to end according to the Maya, Oshoanic (a branch of the Osho ashram in Pune http://www.osho.com ) held a women' s gathering to welcome in a new ear of the feminine, shakti energy (female power). Interesting I thought so off I went to inquire. It was to be a circle of women, chanting, singing, dancing and sharing their thoughts in a beautiful candle lit, incense fill space in the tree grove by the beach. Sounds good I thought but the price tag was a wee bit high and when I saw the ladies arriving again I felt a wee bit under dressed in my plain short and t-shirt and lets say just did not feel the connection.
Yesterday at Magic Park, which is a fantastic restaurant /healing centre/ yoga ashram, http://www.magicpark.info/magic_park___arambol/home.html I attended a talk by Neeru who is the spiritual head of Open Clarity. http://www.neeru.de/index.php/en. Neeru is an older lady and she talked on having awareness and being in the moment, every moment. Using the senses to connect the outer world to the inner world. All good stuff and basis to many religious spiritual paths but I have to question her technique which is breathing through the mouth. ? Guess I should not knock it until I have tried it but why then do we have hair in our nose if not to keep dust and dirt from entering our lungs? And when I see images of Buddha, Jesus or the various Hindu deities non of them have their mouth open?
Yesterday also I saw a gathering of ladies dressed in white flowing robes and white feathers in their hair doing a kind or interactive workshop. Talking with their partner, then hugging and doing eyes closed trust building exercises then moving on to another partner. This was all in Russian so I have no idea what was being said but it was beautiful to watch. I would have loved to take a picture but felt that would have been a bit intrusive and disrespectful to the participants process. Simon from our yoga class speculates it is a class on how to be a vestile virgin.
Today was body mandala class. Which was a different group of people, this time with no particular style or colour of dress, again hugging and exchanging kind words. They ended the class with a wee collective nap, with their heads all pointing into the center of the circle. No doubt trying to share their newly created collective good vibe as they slept.
Contact dance seems to be a popular here, whether it is in small intimate groups or on the beach in large groups. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAlf9m8_kdw
http://goacontactfestival.com/joomla/
Not exactly sure what this is about but I think it has derived from the idea of the mosh pit from the days of real punk. Lots of folks dancing close, touching, hugging and just enjoying being close to another human, whom ever it is. Looks great but I know I would need a few drinks before being able to loos my inhibitions.I have however signed up for a Shamanic sweat lodge on the 27th so looking forward to seeing what that will be about, If it will be according to the Native American tradition or a concoction of Hindu Indian meets American India meets western ego trip. Either way sweating is always a good way to get toxins out of the body. I think the moon will be full that night so maybe a few howls at the moon will be in order.
Tantric healing, Kundalini yoga and Tantric meditations are also on offer but I am staying well away from that none so sorry no reports about that one.
Ayervedic treatments are also very popular and I had an amazing massage at Ajay's Ayurveda hut on the beach. Only 500 Rupees and just amazing. I will be headed back for another before I leave for sure. The Peace Park also offers ayervedic treatments an dis a beautiful quiet place on the beach with no loud music.
Yoga in Arambol
Universal Yoga both in Arabol and Dharamsala with Vijay Amar who has over 40 years experience as a teacher. Vijay is quite a character, a very nice guy who love a laugh in his classes but is also a hard task master who pushes his student. His classes are a great work out and his helpers do a great job on adjusting student while in poses. http://www.vijaypoweryoga.com/about_yoga_teacher.htm
The Kashmiri Shaiism School of Yoga was also great a beautiful tradition house of mud brick just off the main street. The center founded by a Kashmir Pandit husband and wife who fled Kashmir in the 90's when the conflict began. I loved the attention to detail and the flow of the poses, the teacher also very polite, approachable and attentive to the students. The class is Iyanger yoga but the teacher training program teaches Kashmisir Shaivism philosophy, which I was told is what Osho bases a lot of his teaching on. I would love to learn more about this philosophy as I am told it differs greatly from the Hindu Idea of Shiva. They also have a school in Dharamkot, Dharamsala. http://kashmirshaivismschoolofyoga.com/
Balu Ashtanga Yoga was a good class but the yoga shala is the bare concrete top leave of a restaurant in the middle of town and very noisy I found Balu to be distracted and not so attentive to his students, however his class was packed so maybe he was having an off day. http://www.baluashtangayoga.com/
This site gives a list of all the yoga centers in Arambol http://www.yoga.in/yoga-arambol.html
For more info on place in Arambol try this site http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/goa/arambol-harmal/things-to-do
Another interesting site to check out is this one
http://arambolexplorer.wordpress.com/tag/ayurveda/
Anyway for all yi spiritual shoppers out there Arambol is the place to visit, never a dull moment for sure.
Now that I have gotten used to the place I have been experimenting with attending and finding out about some of the classes on offer. I has been an education to learn just what people are being told, what interests people and how the idea of spirituality is enacted.
.JPG) |
| Relaxing at Magic Park |
Yesterday at Magic Park, which is a fantastic restaurant /healing centre/ yoga ashram, http://www.magicpark.info/magic_park___arambol/home.html I attended a talk by Neeru who is the spiritual head of Open Clarity. http://www.neeru.de/index.php/en. Neeru is an older lady and she talked on having awareness and being in the moment, every moment. Using the senses to connect the outer world to the inner world. All good stuff and basis to many religious spiritual paths but I have to question her technique which is breathing through the mouth. ? Guess I should not knock it until I have tried it but why then do we have hair in our nose if not to keep dust and dirt from entering our lungs? And when I see images of Buddha, Jesus or the various Hindu deities non of them have their mouth open?
 |
| body mandala class |
Today was body mandala class. Which was a different group of people, this time with no particular style or colour of dress, again hugging and exchanging kind words. They ended the class with a wee collective nap, with their heads all pointing into the center of the circle. No doubt trying to share their newly created collective good vibe as they slept.
Contact dance seems to be a popular here, whether it is in small intimate groups or on the beach in large groups. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAlf9m8_kdw
http://goacontactfestival.com/joomla/
Not exactly sure what this is about but I think it has derived from the idea of the mosh pit from the days of real punk. Lots of folks dancing close, touching, hugging and just enjoying being close to another human, whom ever it is. Looks great but I know I would need a few drinks before being able to loos my inhibitions.I have however signed up for a Shamanic sweat lodge on the 27th so looking forward to seeing what that will be about, If it will be according to the Native American tradition or a concoction of Hindu Indian meets American India meets western ego trip. Either way sweating is always a good way to get toxins out of the body. I think the moon will be full that night so maybe a few howls at the moon will be in order.
Tantric healing, Kundalini yoga and Tantric meditations are also on offer but I am staying well away from that none so sorry no reports about that one.
Ayervedic treatments are also very popular and I had an amazing massage at Ajay's Ayurveda hut on the beach. Only 500 Rupees and just amazing. I will be headed back for another before I leave for sure. The Peace Park also offers ayervedic treatments an dis a beautiful quiet place on the beach with no loud music.
Yoga in Arambol
Universal Yoga both in Arabol and Dharamsala with Vijay Amar who has over 40 years experience as a teacher. Vijay is quite a character, a very nice guy who love a laugh in his classes but is also a hard task master who pushes his student. His classes are a great work out and his helpers do a great job on adjusting student while in poses. http://www.vijaypoweryoga.com/about_yoga_teacher.htm
The Kashmiri Shaiism School of Yoga was also great a beautiful tradition house of mud brick just off the main street. The center founded by a Kashmir Pandit husband and wife who fled Kashmir in the 90's when the conflict began. I loved the attention to detail and the flow of the poses, the teacher also very polite, approachable and attentive to the students. The class is Iyanger yoga but the teacher training program teaches Kashmisir Shaivism philosophy, which I was told is what Osho bases a lot of his teaching on. I would love to learn more about this philosophy as I am told it differs greatly from the Hindu Idea of Shiva. They also have a school in Dharamkot, Dharamsala. http://kashmirshaivismschoolofyoga.com/
Balu Ashtanga Yoga was a good class but the yoga shala is the bare concrete top leave of a restaurant in the middle of town and very noisy I found Balu to be distracted and not so attentive to his students, however his class was packed so maybe he was having an off day. http://www.baluashtangayoga.com/
This site gives a list of all the yoga centers in Arambol http://www.yoga.in/yoga-arambol.html
For more info on place in Arambol try this site http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/goa/arambol-harmal/things-to-do
Another interesting site to check out is this one
http://arambolexplorer.wordpress.com/tag/ayurveda/
Anyway for all yi spiritual shoppers out there Arambol is the place to visit, never a dull moment for sure.
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