Cleansing update

Today's update on the tube through the nose; still not happened. It's easier than I thought to get it all the way up the nose but then you kinda hit a wall before going into the throat, and this is where the difficulties start. Not the most comfortable sensation. And it doesn't help that people around are coughing, sneezing and making vomiting noises as they try to get it through. Euughhh.
Some people have managed though, so maybe I will too.

Had a Sunday "off" yesterday, but at 7 we did 108 sun salutations - about 50 mins of continuous sun salutations, pretty intense! Once you'd done the first 30 or so it got a lot easier, just doing one after another without thinking. Very meditative as you MUST focus only on your breath to have the energy to keep going. Felt amazing afterwards, great start to the day even though it meant I could only sleep in until 6.30.
Oh and it was optional... Yep I got up at 6.30 on my one day off to do over 100 sun salutations...what have I become.

Rest of the day was spent getting a massage (amazing), visiting the ashram where the Beatles stayed while writing their white album (even more amazing). It's such a massive place, but is now completely abandoned and just left to decay. Such a shame, it really is beautiful with little huts with separate meditation rooms, massive halls gardens etc.
Stopped by the puja (fire) offering ceremony at Parmarth Niketan which is the biggest ashram in rishikesh. Such a beautiful and positive atmosphere, everyone offering their blessings to the holy mother Ganges.

Third week of teacher training has just started, and its already more intense. I love everything though, wish I had time to stay here longer. But I will definitely be back to do my 300 hours next year. Now time for philosophy class!

Cleansing time

So I've just been inhaling some almond oil up into my nose. Just your average Thursday night in rishikesh...
Tomorrow morning its time for a new type of cleanse where you put a thin tube in through your nose and pull it out through your mouth. Then pull it back and forth a few times... Eugghhhh. Doubt I will be able to do it all the way, but will give it a try. So we were told to put some almond oil up our nose the night before to make it smoother. Really doubt that will help haha.

We are also trying completely silent meditation tomorrow, with earplugs. I get very easily distracted by noise around me so that should make it easier to focus. It's getting easier to sit still in a cross-legged position as well although I still cant manage more than 25 mins without moving.

I'm still feeling really good, body is aching somewhere constantly of course but I feel more alive than ever (yes I know that sounds cheesy) haha.

Off to bed, gonna need some mental preparation for this nose tube thing...

I'm lovin it

Haven't had much time to update the past few days, long days and quite a lot to study. Sunday is our day off, felt amazing to sleep in until 8! Although I still woke up at 5 first. Went to a kirtan concert with Krishna Das, so many people and the energy was amazing. Never been to kirtan before so it was a great experience.
Then time for massage, acupressure where she basically just pushed my whole body around and stretched and massaged everywhere. Felt so good after!
Other than that not much new, can't believe it's already week two - time flies!

I am loving every second of it, the people, the teachers, the atmosphere, the place, the food -  heart chakra is wide open here ;)

Day 4

Quick update today as my arms are too tired to hold the phone and I am dying to go to sleep! The first few days of "easier" classes seem to be finished and we are all suffering from muscle pain aaaall over our body!
The hatha class today was pretty intense, thought I was gonna face plant on the mat a few times haha. The hatha instructor is great but crazy. He'll come and basically slap you into position if you're doing it wrong or not deep enough, hilarious and slightly painful, but I feel great afterwards and I'm learning lots. He came and pulled my back with a strap today, into a deeper backbend, my spine cracked a little and my lower back feels sooo much better now! My back has felt really stiff the past few days and it all just went away.
Will see if I can walk tomorrow though...! The ashtanga class tomorrow morning might be a struggle.

Time to sleep, 5.30 start with some cleansing where we pour water (with a neti pot) through the nose to cleanse before breathing exercises and meditation. Livin the high life here ;)

The app won't let me upload any photos, but you can check Instagram for photos (search malinhagman)

Namaste

Second day of the teacher training is over and I'm still alive! They've been going quite easy on us so far but the last yoga class today was pretty intense so will see how tomorrow goes...
Hardest thing at the moment is to sit so much on the floor with straight back! It's crazy how used we are to sitting in chairs or having some kind of back support all the time. We are all taking every chance we get to sit against a wall or lie down. But they say we will get stronger soon and be able to sit for longer... Can't wait til that happens!

My days currently consist of morning meditation at 6 am (or 5.30 three days a week for 30 mins cleansing before) followed by 1.5 hour ashtanga yoga before breakfast. Other classes during the day are anatomy, yoga philosophy, pranayama (breathing techniques) and mantras and chanting. The day ends with 1,5 hour hatha yoga and 1 hour meditation class before dinner at 7.30.

Its all really interesting and I feel like time is gonna fly by! Everyone here is really nice, people from all over the world, mostly my age or slightly older but also some younger and older! Nice mix of people.

My room is not great, but I don't spend that much time there anyway so its okay. I'm currently waiting for the water to heat up so I can have a shower. Which is done with a bucket...or squatting down under the low tap combined with using the bucket. Good times. Washing my hair is not a priority these days.

I absolutely love Rishikesh though, it's beautiful with the river and the mountains and the whole place is full of yoga ashrams, temples and organic and ayurvedic cafes and shops and cows walking everywhere. It feels extremely safe, only thing to worry about are the monkeys who can be quite aggressive. They always come when we have breakfast and the guys who work here have to chase them away with sticks! Saw a jacket hanging up in the tree the other day that they probably had stolen...!

To conclude this super long post, all is great! Will need to go to bed in a minute so I can get up at 5!

Delhi life

Third day in Delhi and we are starting to get used to constant honking, crazy streets and being taken around to random places despite saying you want to go somewhere else.

Yesterday we met quite a few different people who come up and try to "help" you, while some are genuinely nice and helpful, some are just trying to make money off you. We first wanted to go to the official tourist info in Connaught place, so the rickshaw driver took us to Connaught place but to a different (probably his friends) tourist information. They then tried to convince me to buy train tickets there because there are long queues at the train station and its closed on Saturdays. When we later found the actual place, she told us to always buy train tickets from the international tourist office at the train station which is open 24/7 and caters only to foreigners. Spent quite a while in the train station trying to find this office as well, as there are a few fake ones as well, but finally got my train ticket to rishikesh on Sunday morning.

We were also followed by another man who promptly wanted to put us in a rickshaw and take us to some kind of shopping "mall". When we didn't want to go straight away he just stuck around and we eventually just had to tell him to leave. Then guy nr 2 comes and shows us around to other shops, all identical tourist traps and while they had really nice things it was pretty expensive. In the end we just left him too and went to get the metro home. It is so annoying that you can't trust anyone, and there are so many people who are just genuinely friendly but we have already become very suspicious towards everyone which is really sad.

Picked up a nice, big and warm scarf around here instead for no money. And then had another 1 pound, delicious dinner in a random little " restaurant ". Prices are ridiculous here, we could probably live  on less than a fiver a day.

Went to an amazingly beautiful monument today, Humayun's tomb, will try to upload some photos but the blog app won't always let me.

Train leaves at 6.45 tomorrow morning so will be an early start for me! I should hopefully get to rishikesh some time in the afternoon. Will be nice to leave crazy Delhi behind!

Touchdown

So after almost four years this blog is finally back! Feels good to be reunited with my backpack even if this will be a slightly less "backpacker" experience than my last trip to Asia.

So after a pretty easy journey from Gothenburg to Delhi we landed around 5 am. It took a while to do the visa paperwork and when we finally got our bags we noticed that mine was covered in some antiseptic smelling liquid. It basically smelled like toilet cleaner...great. Anyway we left the airport and got the metro to the city, super easy. And then the difficulties started. We knew we had to cross a bridge at the rail station to get to Paharganj where the hostel we had looked at was located. But when we got there we were told that the bridge was closed as it is election day (which it's not) so that we had to get a permit to enter the city.

This already sounded a bit strange and when the guy (who supposedly worked at the train station) said we had to get an auto-rickshaw to get there we really thought something was not right. So we ignored his advice and went to the bridge anyway where we asked the police if we could cross - no problem! Met a Norwegian guy who had had the same problem and was also meant to stay at the same hostel! So together with him we managed to find the hostel without getting tricked again! So annoying that you can never trust that the information you're getting is correct, and not just for them to rip you off!

Since we had to wait a few hours to get access to a room, we joined a guided city tour. Went to a few different temples and sights - absolutely beautiful!

Back at the hostel we got a room, and started unpacking a bit, when I realised most of my clothes stunk of the antiseptic , cleaning liquid thing. Disgusting, such a strong smell. Trying to air it out now cause I don't really have much to wear otherwise...might have to get it all cleaned somewhere. Such a paaain.

We spent the evening wandering around, bumped into an English guy who took us to a good place to eat. Prices are ridiculous here, for lunch we paid about 40 p each and dinner was about 2 pounds each (with lots of naan)! And so so yummy.

Back at the hostel now and we're super tired after staying up for 24 hours. Plan is to stay in Delhi until Sunday when I go to rishikesh and Malin goes to goa. So far so good, and we are slowly getting used to the absolute madness that is Delhi!