Ramakrishnananda

To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him. ~Buddha

I woke up early. I was determined to exercise my discipline muscle. I made an agenda and I got things done. Not as much as I would have hoped but I did my best. By 1pm I realized I should probibly eat something. I bought some grocieries and noticed how beautiful it was outside. After more work done, I decided to end my evening with a yoga class. I was going to take one early in the morning but I was bit by determination.

I went to Ramakrishnananda Classic Yoga Society. I am sure from the name you can imagine what this place was like. Actually it was more extreme than you might think… A very nice guy with huge holes in his ears met me at the front. I could tell instantly this was an ashram. I knew that from the website but it was interesting to see it in real. The people I saw buzzing about all live there with their guru. The ones in orange are the yogi monks and the others are paired for life but still monk-like. I was one of two in the class. The room we practiced in was extremely… decorated.The walls were covered with beautiful sculptures of Hindu gods, the chair in the left part of the picture had a photo of what I am assuming is the guru, and there was alters everywhere. The class was extremely slow but perfect for what I needed today. We began with breathing deep, we did a few sun salutations, 6 poses with tons of savasana [laying on the floor] and then we ended class (by laying on the floor again). I enjoyed it. The teacher was the yogi monk that met meat the front. After class he gave me cup of tea. I don’t like tea but I didn’t want to be rude…

Overall, it was a nice experience. The ashram is in alphetbet city. On a saturday night it was hopping with people. This was a weird place to find an ashram that I would never have seen had I not been looking for it. It is a simple store front that had one little sign, “yoga inside”. I think was is the best part is the teacher lives his yoga. He believes in what he is teaching and he kept it simple. There was nothing fake or contrived about what he taught us. It is a perfect meditative element to a yoga practice but if you are looking to flow and move you won’t get it here.

I walked home through the already drunk and rowdy crowd of people. I’m sure as the night progresses it will get much worse. As I walked I remember thinking it would be so easy to just walk into one of those bars and join them. I have complete freedom to explore and enjoy every bit of the debauchery of the night, but why? It wouldn’t serve me one bit to be a drunken mess, even if I had a buddy to join me. I was quite happy walking home as an observer. I got home and was content sitting with my buddies drinking a smoothie. Cheers to no hangover tomorrow!

Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. ~Ernest Hemingway