The Shivananda Ashram is actually why we visited India in December, and not just for the sun and fun escape from Northern Europe’s dreadful winter. Sure we wanted to spend Christmas in the sun but also with a touch of spiritualism. The surprise was that Kerala is a very Christian state and that the ashram practices respect for all the faiths (Hindu, Budism, Christian and Muslim to name the top four). So chanting, Christmas carols, vegetarianism, meditation and yoga are all part of the mix.  Plus isolation from the outside world and its temptations (no exiting the grounds without a permit, no alcohol, no nooggy and yes, stay off your phone).

In retrospect all those things turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. I even tried yoga for the first time!

But let’s start from the beginning. We were not driven in search of a Panchakarma full body cleansing. I’m quite happy with the contents of my body and visiting India will cause my bowels to vacate on their own accord sooner or later, so why push the process? We were there to do the big two (Cri for yoga and me for meditation). But the morning and evening chanting (including before and after any activity) was quite refreshing.

Total Cost Range of this Activity is: $

$20 pp, per day (includes all instructions, bed, food, tea and use of the facilities).

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We also had to give back each day, so each attendee was assigned an hour of chores per day. Naturally, given my superior house-husband skills, I was volunteered to do cleaning (sweeping and mopping) of the large hall each day. Oh joy.

Life was a community event and each day we grew closer to the other attendees. Being away from family over the Christmas holidays never felt painful as a result.

And staying over the Christmas week had benefits. The agenda was spiced up quite a bit. Each day included special sessions (from memory work to baking or embroidery) and the evenings usually included some form of special cultural experience. Let me name a few.

Cultural Experiences

Kathakali Performance

A traditional form of story telling with music, but no spoken words. The message is conveyed with body, face and eye movements.

Kalaripayattu Performance

A modern break-dancing meets Kung Fu performance with knives, words, chains and hip-hop moves.

Christmas Carol’s

Volunteers were found, they practiced and then entertained us at the decadent fresh juice bar before heading to the big stage to officially wow us.

Outings (Escape) At Last

Neyyar Dam & Bike Ride

And while we were not aloud out of the compound there were some exceptions. Fridays are considered a “free day” so if attendees wanted to exit the grounds they could ask for a “get out of jail card’ and return to the world for the day. We used that day to take a hike to the local landmark, the Neyyar Dam and fairgrounds at its base. We explored, took photos and enjoyed the chance to spend a day without a full schedule.

But I did have something else on my agenda. I had previously spotted two bicycles in the ashram that looked like bikekpacking bikes. I’d found the owners and introduced myself. They were staying at the ashram and one had cycled across the Himalayas in the past. I’d arranged to meet up with them (on the outside) after my walk.

We shared a chi and then I borrowed Satyaki’s bike and Nataraj took me for a local ride. It was good to be back on a bicycle and I vowed that I would do a bikepacking trip in India one day.

Lokambika Puja

We also had a group evening excursion to a local summit temple for a spiritual event (Lokambika Puja). This turned out to be an evening of extremes. We left the grounds, as a group, around 8pm and immediately bumped into groups of school kids of all ages heading in the same direction. Then at the base of the hill, at the entrance to the town, and at the foot of the dam the action hit. Blaring music, colored lights and throngs of cars, kids, families and craziness. The holiday party had begun.

Fortunately, we skirted the mayhem and continued up a local road to a footpath the climbed steeply up the a hill, though a forest and then onto a rock face that required a scramble, before reaching the summit and the small temple where the puja ceremony took place.  Natually we all sang, chanted and did the kum-bi-ya thing.

By midnight we were all safely back in our chicken coop and exhausted.

Shivananda Ashram Conclusion

In total we spent 10 days at the ashram and it seemed like too short a stay. We will definitely have to return for a full month refill in the future.

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