Update from Kallikadu, India

February 20, 2012 By Leanne Vogel June 28, 2015

For more on my backpacking trip through India, check out Mumbai experience, Kallikadu, Sivananda ashram introduction, India,  the basics, Sivananda ashram I, Sivananda ashram II, waterfalls and temples, the streets, and varkala posts. The internet has been very, very unreliable at the ashram! I guess it’s a blessing in disguise. A couple of ladies and I just came from a shopping trip in Kallikadu and ran into an internet cafe on the way back home so decided to stay awhile and check our emails. I went to see an Ayurvedic doctor on Sunday night that gave me pills that I reacted to. Within 2 hours I had intense acid reflux followed by my body being covered in hives. It was a bit scary to say the least. I ended up calling Kevin and my parents to get their help and to calm my nerves. Thank goodness I brought Benedryl with me, so took 2 before bed, then 2 in the morning when I noticed the hives were still there just not as pronounced. We’ve been doing 4 hours of yoga a day which is totally exhausting but I’m amazed at the progress my body has been making with each class I take. The teachers go through each position with you step by step, so it’s nearly impossible to do anything incorrectly. I’m a bit sore, but nothing too drastic. I’m sure the ridiculously hot weather has something to do with keeping my muscles nice and pliable. The food is great, very filling and lots of rice! They’ve been great with my gluten and peanut allergy, so there’s less stress around eating and meals in general. The only thing I’ve been missing is fresh vegetables and fruits. I feel like my intake of live enzymes is low, which is probably why I haven’t been feeling too good. I’ve just picked up a bunch of fresh veggies and fruit from the village and plan to have them along with the hemp seeds and protein powder I brought from home. Hopefully a couple of days with fresh food and increased protein will do wonders to my energy! My meditation practice is coming along. They don’t do much in the way of helping us with it, so I’ve taken it upon myself to slide in 2 sessions of meditation per day. One in the morning, one before dinner. I’m finding it easier and easier to zone out and not let my thoughts affect my meditation, yay! When you’re outside here, you hear music everywhere. It’s faint and there are many different sounds going on at the same time. It literally sounds like India is singing. It’s the most amazing sound ever. I’ve met some great people and can’t wait to come home to share this experience with you all. Chat soon!!