Rishikesh part 1

We arrived in Rishikesh at around 8am and caught a 15 minute tuk tuk to the Moustache hostel with another backpacker. After checking in, we lazed about and headed out at lunch to the Pyramid cafe, across the bridge. The service here was bad and after picking our meals, we were told the chef was leaving! So, we left and walked down the road to the Little Buddha cafe which was so much better. We spent the afternoon browsing through a few shops before heading back to the hostel and having dinner nearby at a himalayan restaurant, above the Hotel Peepal Tree, which had good food.

The following day, we started a 10 day yoga retreat with Rishikesh yogis yogshala. Therefore, after checking out of the Moustache hostel and eating a really good breakfast at the Frog Life cafe, we walked 5 minutes to the yoga venue at the Prithvi Pal Sadal Catholic Church. We arrived here around 1130am and after a brief tour with Uttam, one of the teachers, we met some of the group over lunch. In the afternoon, we had a brief introductory session in the yoga studio, before having a Hindu fire ceremony on the banks of the Ganges which was really interesting and in a very scenic location with a really good sunset. Following the ceremony it was back to the retreat for dinner and bed.

We were undertaking the yoga retreat with a group of teachers in training doing a 28 day, 200 hour course. Therefore, it was quiet an intense start the next day and consisted of meditation, breathing techniques and yoga between 7 and 930am. This was followed by breakfast between 930-1030am, a theory and meditation class between 1030-1245pm and then lunch. The afternoon consisted of 2 more theory classes between around 3pm to 530pm and one last yoga class between 530-7pm before dinner. As we were just doing the retreat, most of the theory classes were optional and we had organised activities during this time. On the first day, the organised activity was an ayurvedic massage at Shanti Makaan which was absolutely amazing. We both felt so relaxed after the massage and finished the day with yoga and dinner which was a great way to end the first full day of the retreat.

The next day was basically the same as the first day, but in the afternoon, we were taken by Summer to the Sivananda ashram. This ashram was established by Swami Sivananda and was where he undertook all his amazing medical and social works. We also visited his house, hospital and museum before heading back to the retreat for the last yoga class in the evening. Ben did not attend any more of the optional theory classes as he struggled to stay awake on the first day.

The training yoga teachers had no classes or theory on Sunday, but as another couple and us were only doing retreat, we had a yoga class at 7am in the morning. Following this, we had breakfast and headed to the Neer Garh waterfall as a group of around 8. It was so good to get into some cold water and be refreshed here as the outside heat was becoming unbearable. After the swim, we headed the short distance back to the retreat and out for lunch to the Nirvana cafe. It was great food and we enjoyed ourselevs so much we ended up spending around 3-4 hours here. From here, it was back to the retreat for the 530pm yoga class, dinner and then bed.

It was back to the normal routine the next day, and our organised activity was to head to the older part of Rishikesh for lunch, missing out on the morning theory and meditation class. We went to Rajasthani Mishthan Bhandar for lunch and here, we ate the best paneer butter masala and a delicious sweet cheese dessert. All the food for lunch in general was fantastic except for the salty masala drink which no one really enjoyed. We were back at the retreat for Kristy to do the afternoon theory class, before we both did the evening yoga class, ate dinner and went to bed. We also bought some sweets from the restaurant at lunch to share with the other yogis which was a big hit!