I never once thought about visiting India, not even once. Until… 2014.

It was summer, I was healthy, happy, enjoying life, and practiced yoga and meditation regularly, I was employed in a great job, that I loved.

It was a Wednesday morning and I was in my office overlooking the ocean views, preparing for my meetings for the day, and something hit me so hard, that it jolted me out of my skin, a loud voice on loud speaker starting shaking me from the insides out.

“Go to India & study Yoga & Meditation” “NOW” I tried to ignore this and concentrate on my tasks ahead, but I was physically and mentally unable to, my heart was taking over my entire being.

I started to cave in, I looked at yoga teacher trainings in India, the first one that showed up was in Rishikesh the yoga capital of the world, I was not much interested about the town or the course, I just knew it was all right, I was so clear about this, even though my head was telling me it was too harsh to make all these decisions so quickly. But.. I just knew where I needed to be, “but how do you know”!? My mind and heart began a battle, it lasted about twenty minutes, until my heart won, I booked a 500 hour yoga and meditation teacher training, in Rishikesh, starting in 2 months time, it would give me enough time to prepare and give notice for my job.

Just like that I changed the direction of my life, little did I know that this was just the beginning, I was not naive or new to traveling on my own, I had travelled for years throughout various countries.

Two months passed and I was in India for the first time, every thing was new and exciting, I loved the environment, the people, the culture, the traditions, I made it to the birth place of yoga, I was pleased that I did not research Rishikesh as I may have never booked that plane ticket, it was overwhelming divine, the energy was light, peaceful and had a way of showing you, your flaws.
Rishikesh sits at the base of the Himalayas and the Ganga river flows through it, its a place where yogis and rishis have travelled through for centuries and life times, I cried many times on the banks of the Ganges, it was a knowing that Id finally returned home, there is an energy that permeates from this sacred river that can’t be explained by mere words, I wanted to spend everyday there, along with my studying daily at the school, I would hike there at lunch time and swim on my own, it was magical, time flowed quickly and if was time for me to leave my best friend, who happens to be a river… 

Every year since, my heart takes over and I return, the joy in meeting her again is exciting, calming and beyond and physical experience, the beauty, the sacredness, the love.

Ganga Ma, shared with me, so many understandings, beyond what I could have imagined..