Rishikesh (Part 1): Yogpeeth Ashram

Despite the cliche, practising yoga and meditation in India is something that has been on my list for some time, the trouble is that it's always ranked quite low on the list. When it comes to yoga in India, the destination that comes to mind is Rishikesh, the home of yoga. I would have liked to spend more time here, however 10 days should be sufficient time for a taste of the experience. I hoped to make this trip as fluid as possible, booking only a flight to Rishikesh and a couple of initial nights of accommodation a day before. Unfortunately the popular ashrams were not available given the late minute nature of the trip (in hindsight this worked out well). I found a remotely located Ashram online and would eventually staying 4 nights and 5 nights. 

The location was a 20 minute hike up the hill, fairly remote and with nothing else to do in the area. Exactly what I needed. The daily routine is as follows:

6:00 neti pot

6:15 morning meditation

7:00 morning asanas

9:00 breakfast

12:15 Yoga discussion

13:00 lunch

5:00 afternoon asanas

6:30 evening meditation

7:30 dinner

Surprisingly, had a really good bunch of people on retreats too, lots of laughs and plenty of socialising which was unexpected but good for the soul. It's also opened up all the different areas within India to add to the list.