By Yoga Journal
In this series of posts, YJ contributors share their experiences of yoga in its birthplace. If you've considered traveling to India to practice, to find your teacher, or to find yourself, learn more here weekly about what you can—and can't—expect.
A pilgrimage to India promises an adventure like no other. India is a beautiful, colorful, loud, sacred, magnificent, and dirty country. India is yoga incarnate, it is the unification of opposing forces in every way. The amount of grit is equal to the amount of grace and the poverty of pocket is no match for the abundance of spirit. India is often called "the Mother" and is true to her nickname. She fully embodies the qualities of a mother in that she is benevolent, fierce, and inspiring. She serves as a catalyst, asking you to engage, surrender, and transform your body, mind, and spirit.
The asana practice that we know and love in the west is not nearly as popular in India. However it isn't the asana practice that lures the western seekers of spiritual evolution and personal development. India's vibrantly rich culture can be an absolute assault on the senses, but it permeates the heart and the mind with its devotion to ritual, tradition, and worship of the divine. India is saturated with history, philosophy, and mythology, all of which are painted on the walls of the temples and the faces of her people.
There is truly something for everyone, whether it be trekking the highest mountain range in the world, river rafting, on or bathing in the holy river Ganga, Indian dance and cooking classes or simply sitting still and witnessing the Self in relation to the dynamic environment.
About Coral Brown
Coral Brown leads retreats to India annually. She is a licensed mental health counselor and draws on her extensive experience in yoga, philosophy, and holistic counseling to provide fertile, open space for the processes of healing and transformation. Coral is a senior teacher of Shiva Rea's Prana Flow Energetic Vinyasa Yoga, the director of 200- and 500-hour teacher training programs, and the founder of Turnagain Wellness, a holistic healing collaborative. Find her teaching around the world, at Yoga Journal LIVE!, and on YogaVibes. Learn more at coralbrown.net and on Facebook.