Learning Indian Yoga from an American Citizen

 (This is continuation of my previous blog post - Juley... Juley... Juley)
A middle aged ladakhi man approached near and greeted us by saying Juley and took us to a home stay. (Juley means Namaskar in Ladakhi Language) We were soon in a Home stay in Leh City. The home stay was a typical stay with a generous family, who shared their rooms and served us with nice Tibetan cuisines at cheaper costs.

We explored Leh City next day. The streets had deserted look because of the approaching winter season. I was really impressed with a tour operator shop sign board (Shown in the above pix) who rents bicycle for the tourists. I could find people greeting us “Juley” spontaneously with a cute social smile. All the old aged women can be seen with prayer wheels and wrinkles trying to say thousand stories of their daring life in that place. 

The Leh palace was a marvelous architecture situated on top of the hill  similar in construction to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. It was quiet remarkable those inscriptions, sculptures, organic paintings of Buddhism are maintained. Though the palace is mostly in ruins, it sings the fables of its lost glory. We visited some monasteries in and around Leh City during the day. The city has contrasting weather sizzling hot in the day and spine chilling cold in the nights.  Being on the roof top of the world, we experienced sun burn in day and frost bite in nights due high altitude cold arid desert. 

 By this time, I become close to all of my fellow travelers. The day culminated and we had reached our home stay. The night mercury dropped to sub zero temperature and dinner was arranged in the balcony. I came out with rugged layers of woolen blankets for dinner. Som served us rum with warm water. The rum with warm water was an ideal drink for the freezing night and it made us warm. With every peg of drink, I was feeling warm and removing each layer of woolen blankets. At one point, Caroline stopped serving me the drink. (Guess….Why??!!)  

 

Next day, Caroline made us to wake up early in the morning and took us to Shanti Stupa situated on a top of a hill.  The peace pillar was surrounded by snow clad mountains facing the Leh palace. I noticed small stone pebbles arranged one over other by the travelers and praying for a wish.  The prayer room was an amazing experience with chantings of the lamas in different voice tones and chords at the same time. It’s truly a respite for us, particularly for me.   

Caroline started practicing Surya Namashkar outside the Shanti Stupa. It was a sight to behold the gracious yoga and asanas (movements) of Caroline with Himalayas at the back drop, Indus river at a distance, serene Leh city at the base with sun rising up in the eastern Himalayan hills. Our inquisitive mind and body followed her and we joined in the yoga session. I was simply amazed by her illustrious demonstration of Indian Yoga. She precisely moved her torso with each counts and each breaths and we were simply following her instructions. An hour long session close to sky was a surreal and ultimate retreat for me. My mind, body and soul experienced a tranquil sense of fulfillment after the yoga sessions from an American citizen. I closed my eyes and contemplated for a while about my life. All I could recollect was that I am blessed to be born in this land and to be here to experience the bliss close to heaven.  

The next few days we used to take walks in the valley, stroll on the banks of river, sitting quiet on the banks of river Indus which flows from Kailash Mansoravar. The sound of trumpets echoing through the valley, calling the monks to the prayer hall still rings in my ear. I realized we are very small creature in-front of mother  nature.  

Ladakh Valley truly is a land of extremes…Within few days, I experienced everything harsh cold winds, dry weather due to harsh sun, snow, loads of sand dust from sand dunes all at one place. The trip to this valley was truly an adventurous trip testing my physical and mental strength.

All my heart says — there will be no other place like Ladakh in this world and Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go..…