One — It’s the yoga capital of the world
Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, the pure vegetarian and Ayurvedic holy city of Rishikesh abounds with ashrams, retreat centers, meditation courses and music lessons. It’s worth a visit just to sit along the ghats and watch a very different world go by.
Ray Brooks
Two — The Ganges is clean enough to take a spiritual dip
India’s most sacred river begins at the Gangotri glacier and flows 250 km through the narrow Himalayan valley emerging from the mountains at Rishikesh before making its 2525 km journey to the bay of Bengal. Maybe start by just getting your feet wet.
Tip: Be very careful of the currents. Look to see where others are bathing
Three — The study of Yoga is highly respected in India
Whether you’re a beginner or would like to take a 100 hour teacher training course, you’ll find something suitable within walking distance of your guesthouse or ashram. Come for a week and stay for month.
Tip: the best information about yoga teachers is from other travelers.
Four — Rishikesh is known as ‘The abode of the Sages’
Walk along the ghats early morning and see sadhus and pilgrims taking a sacred dip. Sit on the ghats and watch as the sun comes over the mountains. Visit one of the many public satsangs with a spiritual teacher, both foreign and Indian.
Tip: Most satsangs are held in Laxman Jhula area
Five — Visit the Transcendental Meditation Ashram (Beatles ashram)
Opened in 1961 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi the ashram is now open to the public. This is where the Beatles came in 1968 to study advanced Transcendental Meditation.
Tip: do a little research before you go to appreciate the ashrams history
Six — Find inner-peace
Find a quite spot along the river and sit on the ghats and meditate.
Tip: Moni Ki Reti side— near Omkarananda ashram is quieter
Seven — Meet new friends from all around the globe
The restaurants, cafes, ashrams and guesthouses are full of wonderful travelers on their own spiritual quest.
Tip: You’ll make more friends if you join a yoga class
The Shadow that Seeks the Sun; finding joy, love and answers on the sacred river Ganges by Ray Brooks (Watkins publishers London 2018)
After many years spent searching for the secret to peace, happiness and unconditional freedom, a chance encounter on the ghats of the sacred River Ganges heralds both the start and the end of Ray Brooks’s spiritual journey.
Through the course of nine thought-provoking conversations with an unassuming yet extraordinary Anglo-Indian man, Ray’s long-held spiritual beliefs are exposed and challenged, allowing him to see that his quest for wholeness has been a futile path: just like a shadow that seeks the sun.
Inspiring, uplifting and full of lively descriptions of life in Rishikesh, India, this book offers no promises or systems of belief. Instead, it clearly points to something that is ever-present yet completely overlooked: the ordinariness and beauty of our natural state of being. And it is only after we acknowledge that simple yet profound truth that our spiritual search will be complete.
About the Author:
Ray Brooks is a British author and public speaker on the subject of non-duality. He has given private and group talks throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, India and Canada, sharing his direct experience of the “natural state” through simple self-inquiry. Ray is also a musician and recording artist who is internationally respected in the world of shakuhachi music. He has studied with many great shakuhachi masters and performed throughout Japan and overseas. Sharing a passion for travel and adventure with his wife Dianne, they have explored the world together and spend most of their winters living in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas.