Author: Vineet Chander

The inaugural cohort of the ORL Yoga and Meditation Fellowship in 2017-18 was unforgettable. Now we’re excited to keep the momentum going … and take our exploration to new levels … with our 2nd cohort!

The Office of Religious Life is sponsoring an immersive learning trip to India, combining three themes: yoga history, yoga principles, and yoga as a framework for activism and environmental justice. The trip includes visits to selected sites in Myrsore, Rishikesh, Haridwara, Mumbai, and rural Maharashtra. Fellows will take part in regular yoga practice and meditation, discussion circles around texts and articles, excursions, guest speakers, and hands-on engagement with social activism. Fellows will also take part in follow-up activities and commitments back on campus.

Spaces are limited, and we welcome applications from all current undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled for full-time study at Princeton in the 2019-2020 academic year. Strong preference will be given to students returning to study in both the Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 semesters.

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity. Remember — the application must be submitted by October 11, 2019.

Ecovillage meditations

One of the aspects of coming to India that initially most excited me was that of nature.

A quick Google search of “India” following my acceptance to the fellowship revealed a land where tigers and elephants alike roam free; my imagination immediately ran wild. And while perhaps my imagined notions of India’s natural landscape expressed my more ignorant (or tamasic for all you yogis out there) side, the theme of nature has been a fascinating one — and seems fitting to explore as I write from the Govardhan Ecovillage in Vada.

We began our journey in Delhi, a city whose air is so polluted that my iPhone’s weather app reported “Smoke” as the forecast for our short stay there. The pollution was ever present, with garbage in the streets and a certain heaviness to every inhale. While I still found beauty in the exotic (to me) surroundings, this was not quite the introduction to India’s nature that I initially imagined.

As we moved on to Rishikesh and Haridwar, nature took on a new significance; we stayed on the banks of the Ganges river — the most sacred river in India. People of the Hindu faith dip in the river to purify themselves, pray to the river, and seem to show the river the utmost respect in every way possible. Yet still, on more than one occasion, I saw plastic bags and water bottles floating down the river. And still, in the surrounding towns, garbage-filled pools of water lined the streets. The Ganges itself was nonetheless absolutely stunning, but I was shocked to see that the respect for the river didn’t directly correspond to a powerful effort to keep it clean.

In Mumbai, the “Smoke” forecast that my phone once warned me of was downgraded to “Haze”. Pollution was yet again an ever-present factor, but glorious, tree-lined avenues lay around every corner, at least somewhat balancing out the city grime.

But now, we find ourselves at the Govardhan Ecovillage — a place where nature, and its conservation, are a priority. In a word, the Ecovillage is pristine. Every tree is perfectly pruned, every flower triumphantly bloomed; here, humans and nature are harmoniously attuned. And here, my vision of India’s natural beauty shines through in every way possible. The Ecovillage sustainability efforts are simultaneously groundbreaking and completely common sense.

They show what is possible when we give nature the respect it deserves and consequently reap the benefits from doing so. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future and hope they can one day spread their vision for a sustainable India throughout the entire country.

– Franklin Maloney

After spending our first leg in Mumbai, we left the hustle and bustle of the seaside metropolis for the calm pastoral vibes of the Govardhan Ecovillage. Our trip, however, had some stops along the way…

…the first of which was the Yoga Institute in Santa Cruz, just outside of Mumbai. At the yoga institute, we had a short lecture followed by asana practice. The final part of our asana practice was to lie down in shavasana, or corpse pose. Listening to the instructor’s voice, we were told to relax each and every part of our bodies incrementally from head to toe. Although the whole process only lasted twelve minutes, the mindful acknowledgement of every stressed or knotted part in my body, and consciously working to relax it, made it feel as rejuvenating as a 4 hour nap! Following this refreshing experience, we had a light lunch at the Yoga Institute before departing for the Bhakti Vedanta Hospital.

While it operated as a standard, well administered hospital, I was struck by not only the involvement and importance of the doctors at the hospital, but also of the counseling staff that integrated Bhakti and devotion into their practices. Their tireless and sincere efforts to help others through the combination and of medicine and spiritual healing really opened my eyes to the physical application, or as we learned, the Karma Yoga aspect of yoga.

After a short tour and discussion, we departed the hospital and completed our journey to the ecovillage, where we checked in, had dinner, and called it a nap, resting up for the exciting days to come.

– Gokul Iyer

Christmas Day meant a lot to me growing up. December 25th brought carols and decorations and presents and the magnificent Rockefeller Center tree. It’s a time each year to cherish family and community.

This Christmas, I’m a hemisphere away from my family and the winter chill of my New Jersey home. Instead of shoveling snow, I’m swatting away mosquitoes and putting on sunscreen in balmy Mumbai. Things couldn’t be more different!

This fellowship travel focuses on yoga, of course, and on the fundamental principles of leading a conscious life that transcends attachment. Peculiar as it may seem, there is perhaps no greater time for such reflection than Christmas itself.

After being among the thousands in attendance at the outdoor midnight mass at Mumbai’s Holy Name Cathedral, we had a relaxed morning to rest and recharge. Some morning asana and pranayama in the Gopinath temple, followed by a hearty meal at Govinda’s, our favorite lunch spot, soothed body, mind, and soul.

Some of us explored Mumbai’s shopping scene after lunch, looking for last minute Secret Santa gifts as well as souvenirs to bring home. You’ll have to forgive us for still being of the material world – we’re only halfway in our meditative journey!

One of the day’s highlights was seeing our fearless leader Vineet (or Shri Vineet-ji as he was introduced!) deliver a keynote address to an enormous and packed auditorium at St. Xavier’s College. His call for humility and service, decency and community, stirred the crowd.

We finished the day with a meditation gathering at a recent Princeton alum’s apartment in Mumbai. All total, this was a Christmas to remember.

– Kishan Bhatt

Ending our fourth day of morning yoga class, I felt at ease with the postures we had moved through and sensed my peers felt similarly. Throughout the class we had looked steady and strong in our poses—a stark difference from the first morning when our jet-lagged bodies struggled and resisted each movement. Throughout the day, I had a relaxed disposition and engaged deeply with our discussion of the foundations of yoga philosophy.

After an engaging series of presentations at the Kaivalyadhama Ashram, we rolled out our mats for a short asana session. With the morning’s success still fresh in my mind, I was not expecting the challenge ahead. Beginning the class, the instructor told us to close our eyes and keep them closed for the entire practice. As a visual learner, I anticipated this would be a test, but I took comfort in my familiarity with many of the poses.

However, I quickly realized that my previous yoga experience relied heavily on visual cues. Unable to see the form I was attempting to replicate or even where my own body was, I was forced to have a heightened sense of body awareness. When the instructor commanded, “bend your legs” I had to decipher which direction this implied and imagine the posture we were moving towards. Throughout the session I struggled and could sense my peers were confused as well. Breaking form, I occasionally opened my eyes to quickly check that my body had ended up in the correct position. These brief lapses did not go unnoticed and the instructor would gently remind me (and I assume other students) to keep our eyes closed.

Attempting yoga with my eyes closed was an ironically eye-opening experience, as I realized how unstable my current practice was. Without my eyesight, the poses felt new and challenging. I had to engage both my body and mind in different ways to maintain form and remain relaxed. While I will likely keep my eyes open during tomorrow morning’s session, I will keep in mind the lessons I learned today.

– Michelle C.

Scattered thoughts

 

Our first full day in India has come to an end here in Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganges—and what a day it has been. We rose well before the dawn in order to catch our train to the foothills of the Himalayas. Somehow, that four hour journey ended up taking six, but with an abundance of spiritually fortified Corn Flakes in our system, we managed to persevere.

More seriously, though, for those of us who had never been to India, the train ride was an eye-opening survey of life in this part of the country. For quite some time—particularly while we were still in the Delhi metropolitan area— I was captivated by the world outside the window. This world, with its myriad inhabitants in a sea of sprawl, was unlike any I had ever experienced. And truthfully (even as fascinated as I was), it was difficult to take in.

First and foremost, there are a host of emotions that arise when one witnesses firsthand the differences in material standards of living across the world—or even within the same country. I’ve felt these complicated emotions elsewhere before, but never like I have here; my companions seemed to feel similarly. Consequently, I suspect that these feelings will stick with us all well into the future.

Then there’s the fact that most of the knowledge I have about “how the world works” doesn’t apply here. For someone interested in the social sciences, this is a jarring realization. In the States, I take for granted that I can look around and have a decent idea of what’s going on around me. I know the general laws, both cultural and governmental, governing peoples’ behavior. The more I looked out the train window today, however, the more humbled I was about claiming any such knowledge in this country. To borrow a phrase, I am not in Kansas anymore.

All told, living in this reality for the first time raised more questions than it answered. But, the experience definitely put us all in a reflective (and grateful) mood, which inspired great conversations throughout the day.

Personally, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about staying as open as possible to my surroundings, foreign as they may be. I take this to mean staying open to both tangible experiences, like trying new foods, and more cerebral ones, like compassionately analyzing religious ideas from other traditions. This latter idea is particularly important to me, because I believe that a practitioner of any religion has much to gain from the refined wisdom of another tradition.

Much as I would like to expand on these reflections from today, it’s getting late, and we have a packed schedule tomorrow. I hope you keep following our adventures through the blogs of my fellow Fellows. And with that, dear readers, I bid thee goodnight!

— Shanon FitzGerald

Our Indian (mis-)adventure began today with the arrival of our Fellows to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

A big orange bus brought us to our lovely hotel in Delhi’s Connaught Place area. Checking in almost 20 people (luggage! passports! wifi passwords!) took a bit longer than we had anticipated, so we had only a few minutes to freshmen up before heading out again for a trip to Dilli Haat, an open marketplace showcasing handicrafts and food from all over India.

Most members of our group fell into one of three general categories:

1. The brave souls who tried their hand at bargaining, Indian bazaar style;
2. The happy-to-wander-and-window-shop without delving into matters of price;
3. The too-hungry-and-jet-lagged-to-care about shopping at all.

Bargaining in India (especially at touristy places like Dilli Haat) is something of an art-form…and our little group of rag-tag shoppers were certainly not artists! But we had a good time anyway, picked up a few deals, and  powered through the jet lag. We capped off our evening by sampling yummy thaalis and subjis and warming up with some masala chai.

Of course it wouldn’t be Delhi without adventures on the metro– battling token turnstiles that only sometimes work, an introduction to the concept of “ladies only” cars, unintentionally cheating a pay-toilet out of 5 rupees —  and zipping back to the hotel in a bunch of auto-rickshaws. Even the most jet-lagged and exhausted among us couldn’t have possibly slept through such an educational journey. We learned that in New Delhi horns are more important than mirrors, lanes are more suggestion than law, and that sharp-reflexes and a lot of faith make for a winning combination.

All in all, if a crash-course in New Delhi doesn’t make want one to get the heck out the city and dive into some yoga, nothing will.

We are delighted to officially welcome our cohort for the inaugural ORL Yoga and Meditation Fellowship. We are incredibly proud of this diverse, enthusiastic, and engaged group of students and excited about what we will all be able to do together.