YOGA FOUND ME IN LA

I began practicing yoga regularly when I lived in LA in 2010 and was always curious about where the roots of such a healing practice came from.

While living in LA a friend introduced me to Bhakti Yoga Shala.  I was immediately swept away by the truly caring and welcoming community I found there.  Bhakti Yoga Shala’s owner and yoga teacher Govind Dainspire so many to deepen their yoga practice, and to show up with an open, loving heart.

BHAKTI YOGA SHALA TEACHER TRAINING

In 2012 I went through Bhakti Yoga Shala’s teacher training program.  The community we formed was incredible. We practiced yoga, chanted, sang, ate, studied, played and meditated together for two straight months. We really bonded, because we were all on this path to find transformation and healing and share that with others.

PILGRAMAGE TO INDIA

In 2014, I heard Govind Das was planning a pilgrimage with a group of yogis to Rishikesh, India.  Rishikesh is the gateway to the Himalayas and international capital of yoga.  It’s a spiritual center that has attracted yogis for millinnia.  The purpose of the trip was to go deeper in yoga practice each day, sing kirtan, visit holy temples, practice puja (prayer), sit with sadhus (holy men), meditate, chant at the banks of the holy river Ganga, and experience sat sang (a community of like minded people).

 

A JOURNEY TO MOTHER INDIA DOCUMENTARY

When I heard about the pilgrimage I immediately wanted to go and document the adventure through documentary. That is where the concept for the film A JOURNEY TO MOTHER INDIA was born.  We successfully raised the funds through Kickstarter and flew to India in October 2014 for a three week trek.

My goal was to capture a candid and beautiful experience and to be able to more deeply understand yoga.  Nate came with me and helped with everything from camera operation to sound and logistical planning.

INDIA CALLS

One of the books we read was “The Journey Home” by Radhanath Swami. It is about his treacherous yet profound journey to India as a young man and everything he went through to find his true path. This book stirred something in my heart and it hit me like a ton of bricks. ‘I must travel to India,’ I kept thinking. That distant yet strong calling to discover, explore and truly embrace the origins of my yoga practice kept growing.

STRUGGLE AND GROWTH

The trip had many emotional ups and downs for me that I was not expecting. For instance, I didn’t realize I was going to see such a dichotomy between the rich and poor. It was heartbreaking to see children on the street begging for money, some of them with debilitating polio, or to see dogs who were so severely starving with mange, or cows eating trash on the side of the road.  I began to question my role in this picture, as a privileged American traveler.

FINDING MY VOICE

Through the documentary I have sought to find my true voice on this journey, which can often be full of paradoxes, struggle and confusion. But what I realized is that that is what spirituality and life often teach us.  Things are not always what they seem, and yet if we found easy answers for everything we wouldn’t really appreciate the wisdom we gain by going through the winding journey.  By pushing past our own boundaries and expectations for how we imagine things will be, we stretch and grow beyond belief. That was what this pilgrimage did for me and I think many others too.

STEPPING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

It’s funny – what was revealed to me in India four years ago continues to be true. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be tough. It is certainly uncomfortable. But I believe the experiences, wisdom and personal growth gained greatly outweighs the sacrifices.

THE DOCUMENTARY!

Check out the latest evolution of A JOURNEY TO MOTHER INDIAa documentary about Bhakti Yoga, the path of love and devotion, and the journey to its heart… Mother India.

SURRENDER IN TRAVEL

Travel pushes us to step out of our comfort zone, expand and become better versions of ourselves. Or maybe it just helps us surrender all of the clutter and get back to our core self. Either way, I am continually grateful for this opportunity to travel, to learn and to GROW.

travel to india spirituality yoga meditation Ganga river

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