Desiree Rumbaugh - Anusara Yoga Teacher

COMMUNITY

Intro>>

India 2007::

Asia 2006>>

Asia 2005>>

Seva in Mexico>>

Links>>

Teaching in India
Gorgeous photos of the India trip taken by Karen Church can be seen at her site therapeuticyoga.net, click the link to India Photos > India 2007.

You can also purchase her book and calendar Following the Ganges, Yoga Journey with Desirée Rumbaugh here:

India, the Motherland, the birthplace of Yoga. I have always wanted to visit and my dream finally came true this spring when a group of 29 of us toured India following the Ganges river.

Andrew and I spent a month enjoying the beauty of Kerala with it's beautiful palm trees and colorful culture. We drifted along the backwaters in a houseboat and explored Amma's ashram. We saw how ginger and turmeric are prepared, how jute is made and how long boats are carved. We experienced traditional South Indian food and Ayurvedic massages and met some very nice Keralans along the way.

Then we flew to Delhi to meet out tour guide and the others in our group. Our first stop was Rishikesh where we stayed five days and I taught Anusara at the International Yoga Festival. There were about 300 students from Europe, Asia and Africa, along with some Indians and Americans. We had fun introducing Anusara yoga there.

Then we went on to Agra to see the Taj Mahal where two of our group members were married in an amazingly beautiful traditional Hindu wedding ceremony.

Next was Varanasi. It was great that we had the time to become acclimated to the "harsher reality" of India. First we took an overnight train ride, which was quite an experience in itself. Varanasi is a holy city, but it is also noisy, crowded and dirty.

It was the first time in my life that I have ever experienced a "traffic jam" made up of bicycle rickshaws, people, cows and only a few cars!! We were fortunate to have a meeting with an old Tantric master there, as well as our sunrise boat rides on the Ganges river each morning.

Next was Calcutta and the visit to Mother Theresa's orphanage which rendered me speechless. It was a gift to visit her tomb and the bedroom she slept in, to read about her life and to play with the children whom nobody wants.

I highly recommend a trip to India for anyone who is seriously interested in yoga and/or meditation. In so many ways it is an unforgettable transformational experience.

Many blessings, Desiree

Ah. . . India. . . .
Mother of yoga. . . the path of spirituality that has captured my heart and the hearts of so many What is it about you that burrows so deeply into the souls of so many?

The chaos of the streets filled with life moving everywhere. . . . or the stillness of deities draped in flowers, calling for a moment to reflect on the fortune of life itself?

Is it the rainbow of color from the silk saris floating thru the streets. . . . or the pairs of eyes peering thru the black cloaks of mystery.

Perhaps it's lifes daily tasks performed with commitment before the watchful eyes of all to see. . . . .

Is it the exhilaration of a rickshaw ride thru Varanasi, dodging cows, bikes, people, motor cycles and other rickshaws. . . . or a meditative boat ride down the Ganga with lighted candles carrying the prayers of love cast off to drift aimlessly on Mother Ganga's waters?

There are new beginnings. . . . and cycles of life that have come to an end . . .

And there are those willing to help wether or not you are their kind. . . . .

Ah. . . . Mother India . . . your gifts are many . . . .
Thank you Elizabeth,
Thank you Desiree and Andrew,
Thank you all you wonderful yogis who shared with us this journey, we will cherish the memories thru this life time and beyond!

With much love and gratitude,
Lynne and John Epert

What I take home from India is an appreciation of the mundane and the sacred living and flourishing side by side. So when my life at home seems to be mundane I can remember that at the same time it is also sacred.

Dan Dewberry