Missing the mantras and prayers …. Started my yoga stretches this morning with the above prayer playing through my brain ….. I know I am probably one of only three of our yoga class that actually enjoyed the prayers and chants and I miss it very much …. Prayers are essentially an expression from the heart and they sound so mesmerizingly melodious in Vedic verse …. the intonations can be a bit tough, so am glad I purchased the CD from Indu and can practice them at home!

Left Madeline at Parmarth ….. she stayed on for another day, before flying home Sunday night …… I had the Ananda Spa, higher up in the foothills of the Himalayas, booked for my last week, a 60th birthday gift … consists of several dozen acres of jungly terrains … the air so pristine, smells heavenly ….. the grounds, immaculate … I think the staff pick up the slightest piece of rubbish before it settles on the ground …. amazing, considering what the rest of India does with their garbage 🙂 Perhaps the staff could train the country!!!

The spa reception and library area was once the palace and home of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal but think it was also used by the British Viceroy Mountbatten ….. Ananda in Sanskrit translates as ‘bliss’ …… very appropriate ….. I ventured on my morning walk and never once had to look down! I was able to thoroughly enjoy my surroundings!! …… nothing to dodge …. no cow pies, motor bikes, stampeding bulls, line ups of fake sadhus, piles of garbage, or people, people, and more people …… I ran into one other guest and a staff member!! ….. half an hour …. and only two people, numerous birds, bugs, a peacock, heard the frogs, but didn’t see any ….. Incredible …. this is definitely a first for me in India! Pictures tell the story ….. so will let them do their job ….. the first two pictures were taken out my taxi windows, two minutes from Parmarth, stuck and wedged in a jam between a cow, tractor and two cars, all before we had a chance to get into second gear!! Took us 15 minutes of maneuvering for everyone before we could move!

Some pictures are views outside my balcony, and various views from my exploratory walk through the grounds …… if you can spot another person in them, it would be a miracle …. three different times of day yet!! There is an actual nine hole golf course, with clubs available for guests …. (one hole right outside my window …. thought of Tim, who would love the location) Om santih, santih, santih