I arrived in Rishikesh by train from Delhi, the capital of India, and it was already evening when I arrived. Because it has just rained, the air is humid and slightly chilly. From the hot south India, I suddenly came to the Himalayas in the north, feeling as if I had changed a world. Compared with other cities in India, Rishikesh seems to be more like a town. It is surrounded by the Himalayas on three sides, and the famous Ganges River in India slowly flows in front of this holy city in the hearts of countless yoga lovers.
When you come to Ruishike, you must experience yoga. So I lived in the largest rishikesh Yoga Institute here, and the environment was very beautiful. Living here is like living in a park. From September to May every year, yoga learners and yoga masters from all over the world gather here. Usually the shortest study period is only ten days, but it is said that it takes at least half a year to study hard. Of course, an experience-oriented traveler like me can stay for a few days.
Rishikesh Yoga Institute can provide accommodation for thousands of students, and we start yoga study at 6: 30 every morning. I have never studied yoga, but my first yoga class was actually in the birthplace of yoga, and I am quite proud!
Yoga college has a beautiful environment, and studying here is like living in a park. There is a breath flowing in the humid air, a breath that does not belong to the secular world but belongs to a pure and noble spiritual world. The breeze blowing from the Himalayas, the slowly flowing Ganges water, the temple bells floating in the evening breeze, the flickering candlelight by the river, the sacred and ethereal hymns, the ancient and still tall bodhi trees, and so many profound philosophical books ...
Yoga lovers from different countries, whether from India or Europe, gather in the Yoga Institute. They wear white clothes and trousers, and then put a white shawl on their shoulders. They all seem to be philosophers. On the grass and under the big tree, you can often see them sitting around and discussing, with a calm face. Such a place makes people begin to imagine: words such as universe, soul, faith, happiness and so on. No wonder there is a characteristic in Indian culture, that is, attaching importance to spirit, neglecting material, attaching importance to philosophy and neglecting secularism.
In Rixus, students can play the Sitar piano downstairs in their hotel or try to learn the oldest yoga. Try all kinds of famous massage (massage) here; Sing hymns with local people, or listen to music CDs that will bring your heart to the Himalayas while drinking tea.
There is a restaurant in the Yoga Institute, where students, teachers and masters are seated on the spot. You must take off your shoes before entering the restaurant, and then sit at a small table and enjoy a "big meal" in front of everyone. It's a bit of an exaggeration to say it's a big meal. Actually, there are only two vegetarian dishes and one soup. Because there are strict dietary rules for learning yoga here, you can only be vegetarian, you can't eat spices and spicy food, you can't smoke and drink.
This may be related to the culture of "Indian gentlemen are only vegetarians", but it is more about health and physical considerations, because yoga itself is a health-preserving culture, and vegetarianism is more conducive to yoga learning and physical health. Bookstores here are full of religious books, yoga books and philosophy books. There is no doubt that these books are full of ancient Indian culture and wisdom. I wonder if I have time to study and understand one or two of them.
One of my yoga teachers, I admire her very much. Look at her silver hair. She is over 60 years old, but she has a smart and symmetrical figure of a young man. I was really surprised when she taught the students and bent her body easily to a position that many young people could not do. Maybe this is one of the charms of yoga!
Riskey has various yoga learning centers. In addition to the yoga college where I live, there is also a super five-star luxury yoga center. It is located on a high mountain with beautiful environment and exquisite facilities. Some rich people from all over the world often experience yoga and herbal health here. I think yoga is a kind of Indian healthy culture with thousands of years' history, why it still shows great charm all over the world today in modern civilization.
I like those old trees in the university very much. Such a big tree can often be seen in India, full of historical vicissitudes, but still profound and powerful; After years of baptism, it is still flourishing. In the evening, I went out for a walk and came to a suspension bridge on the Ganges River. The Ganges water under the bridge keeps flowing forward. When ancient yoga gathers here, this small town under the Himalayas has become a sacred place in many people's hearts after thousands of years.
I once saw a photo of this bridge in a book. I came here in person this time and felt my dream come true, so I took a photo here to add my own figure to this beautiful memory. After passing a strange-looking building, it turned out to be a place of practice for Hindus, and the symbol of the trident trunk is the hand-held object of Hindu Shiva. Rishkas is not only the birthplace of yoga, but also a good place for hiking, rafting and outdoor sports. I like to walk on this road and watch the Ganges and Himalayas at the same time. In this environment, everything can be put down!
This time I came to Rishkas, the holy city of India, to see the birthplace of yoga and to find a stone here. There are many ornaments carved with marble on the stalls in the small street outside the Taj Mahal. The ornaments made of these stones are exquisite and gorgeous, but they are too exquisite and artificial in my eyes; When I came to Kejulaho, a world cultural heritage site, I was really shocked by the statues carved in stone, but the statues on the stalls imitated miniature products, not what I wanted.
Came to the famous holy city of Wananasi, where there is the great Ganges River, whose water washes people's bodies and souls. It suddenly occurred to me that this stone should be a stone in the Ganges River. However, the Ganges River in the Wannaxi River is too heavy and sacred because of the happiness and pain of too many people, life and death. The stone here is not what I want. This time I came to rishikesh, an important holy place in India. Four rivers meet here to form the Ganges River. This small town is surrounded by the Himalayas on three sides, and the Ganges River flows slowly from here without stopping.
I like the Ganges River in the sunset best. I like that every evening, the yoga master leads everyone to do a prayer ceremony by the Henghe River. Music that can penetrate time and space gradually rings in the melody of the sunset and flows to the unknown future with the Ganges. The candles in everyone's hands are lit, and the flowers of faith in their hearts are gradually blooming. People are singing hymns, clapping their hands and looking sacred and serene. At this time, the human spirit is accompanied by singing, as if flying in a world with lofty realm; At this time, the Ganges River is full of our hopes and beliefs, rushing in the afterglow of the sunset.
I came to this world, and I walked in this world for a short time. Do I have faith? Of course there is. There is a silent belief that is guiding me to finish my own path. Can I find it and have it? I asked the Ganges, and the Ganges was silent. At sunset again, I came to the Henghe River, sat on a big stone, closed my eyes, let the oncoming wind blow my cheeks, let my thoughts drift to the Himalayas in the distance, and then flow away with the Ganges River. I walked to the sand by the river, took out a stone in the half-hidden sand with branches and washed it in the river.
A Ganges stone! This stone has witnessed the erosion of the Ganges for thousands of years, and the story of time has flowed here countless times. The great Ganges River bathes it, and the song of the Holy City prays for it; It is silent, but it can express its soul in the language of stone. The faith in my heart will not change. Because it was originally the Ganges stone in my heart: calm and firm, eternal …