India 16 - Utteranchal, Rishikesh, Phool Chatti Ashram

I just completed a 7 day course at the Ashram. It's just as well there were so many lovely things to do, nature walks on the Ganga,

the daily swim,

lovely food... because wouldn't say I felt totally relaxed...

First of all, there was the case of Ricardo and his girlfriend, Sophie who had just completed the previous course. Ricardo got 'blissed out' and had mad, staring eyes for 4 days before he left. Picture me at breakfast, Ricardo telling everyone in all seriousness that his name used to be Ricardo and from now on will only be known as "OM" and his girlfriend sitting there sobbing her heart out.

Then there was Margie, who seemed to be the self appointed Spiritual Director (named Noodles Mandela by Ted - I knew there was something familiar about her) who lectured us for 3 days on the Yogic principles of a) being blissed out by meeting Sai Baba and having to got into psychiatric treatment b) how the world will end in 2012 unless we follow a different spiritual path and (case of point = Mayan Calendar) and c) that we should just refer to her as "Mother" as she only has love to give, in fact she lies in bed at night only sending loving thoughts... no thanks, body swerve.

Finally, just when I thought things would be fun with the arrival of one Richard (who looked as spoke like Lenny Henry) from Wolverhampton and his partner Sadie. However Richard had a run in with Om and Margie when he advised Om's partner to be careful of his mad state of mind, best thing he could do was take him back to Portugal for psychiatric treatment. Next thing, furious Noodles pulls Richard out of a meeting to have a go about interfering with her counselling which culminates in him calling her a silly cow who doesn't know what she is talking about and deciding to leave. Upon being questioned by the group, Noodles, now giving a good cult impression, tells everyone that at the end of the day, Richard was a bad influence and the universe got rid of him. Hrmph!!! I didn't feel the luuuuurve in that!
So actually, the course was pretty boring so I concentrated on my Yoga and daily swims, I have to say, the Ashram itself is really special.

We had a fire ceremony at the end where we chanted a prayer to Shiva 108 times and burned a note containing thoughts and behaviours we wanted to turn to ashes.

Actually, Ted ended the course for me when someone asked if Lalita the Yoga teacher (in pink standing next to Noodles below) was going to become the next Swami of the Ashram she said "yes", so Ted asked "does that mean you'll be growing a beard?"...