A Perspective from the Program Leader
Why YDI is not like any other yoga trip to India
For more than 40 years, Mount Madonna has sponsored a home for abandoned children in India. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Baba Hari Dass founded Sri Ram Ashram in 1984. The first children came in 1987, and the ashram was off and running.
Sri Ram Ashram is closely integrated into the fabric of local life, which gives visitors a perspective of India that is unique and authentic. Participants of Yoga Diwali India (YDI) live at Sri Ram Ashram along with the 80 resident children and staff. There are numerous opportunities to join in daily arati (ritual of light) and eat and play with the children — don’t be surprised if there is an impromptu Bollywood dance party.
Each morning starts with a two-hour yoga class; the afternoons are dedicated to excursions, activities, and discussions.
For the first five days, Yoga Diwali India reveals a perspective of India that is rarely seen on traditional group tours: we enter the homes of villagers who have been our friends for 40 years; visit with Gujjars, a tribal jungle village that is not accessible to tourists; explore a selection of our favorite temples, nooks, and crannies accompanied by storytelling full of local lore. Participants learn about life in India beyond the tourist trail.
In the last five days of the journey, we dive deep into India’s “Festival Season.” This is India’s most vibrant time of year. Participants join a riot of color and light as they celebrate side-by-side with the ashram children and staff. Highlights include walking hand-in-hand with the children as they shop at a local marketplace, making homemade sweets, lighting hundreds of diyas (oil lamps) and candles, recreating the legendary city of Ayodhya (identified in the epic Ramayana and its many versions as the birthplace of Prince Ram) to welcome home Ram, Sita, and Lakshman (cute kid spoiler alert!). We move on to Govardhana Puja, honoring Krishna and his love of cows with a sacred altar of mud and dung, followed by a traditional Vedic ceremony and a walk to the ashram’s cow shed to feed our homemade treats to the cows. The final holiday is Bhaiya Dhuj, an unfettered celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters, full of gusto and love. Throughout the festivities, the excitement of the children is infectious — and the joy unmistakable.
Join us as we deepen our yoga practice, share in the lives of the children and staff of Sri Ram Ashram, visit local sites, and celebrate the triumph of light over darkness.
