Amritapuri Ashram

I arrived at the Ashram after traveling for 22 hours totally exhausted. When they asked me if I liked a shared room or single I opted for single! I do like my privacy especially with so many people here! Right now the Ashram is not as crowded, because Amma is not here. This Ashram is a big village with several high rise buildings, a big Temple and huge dinning hall.  The Ashram is able to host 5000 people and  there will thousands more, when Amma is in the Ashram, here for eating.  It is a well organized and very busy place!Like a big village crowded into a small place. There are whole families who give up their lives in their country's, to live here forever! Everybody who stays here has to work, do Seva, and help for several hours a day. I was gluing on address labels yesterday and today I had to sew little hearts filled with flowers. I think I am lucky not to be in the kitchen and prepare food early in the morning or wash dishes, clean toilets or floors! Meditation starts early in the morning and then chanting until breakfast. There is another meditation session from six in the evening until dinner time which is at 8pm.  I feel the amazing energy, which gets created with so many people meditating together. Then I had to teach two yoga classes and I felt a bit out of practice. Nonetheless the classes were lovely and the people liked them! There were people from all over the world in my class!

It is very, very hot here in the south and the proper  Ashram clothing's are long sleeves and long pants. Needless to say everybody sweats all day and night. There is no air condition either and Amma forbid for us to go to the beach right now, where we could get cooled of. She is concerned about another tsunami! Well I do long for the beach and so decided to go back to Kochi for my last 3 days in India and spent it in an nice Resort and let myself spoil with Ayurvedic Massages! So again I will be on the move tomorrow as I travel four hours north to Cherai Beach!

Namaste