Eat Pray Love: Inside an Ashram

August 13, 2010 Thiruvananthapuram, India — -- My best friend Beatrice and I arrived at the lush palm-tree filled campus of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram late on a Saturday night. We could have reached there hours earlier, but we'd heard about the ashram's dietary restrictions so we stopped at roadside stands to carbo-load with hot naan--Indian style bread-- en route.

Although I've lived in India for nearly three years, I haven't explored the "spiritual" side of the country. Our yoga teacher in Delhi recommended this spot because he had trained there and respected its commitment to yoga and meditation, and raved about its beautiful location in India's southern state of Kerala.

Two signs greeted Beatrice and me, after we walked up the steep cement steps to the entrance.

The first which said, "Be Good, Do Good, Be Kind, Be Compassionate" inspired me to be a better person.The second warned of shoe theft throughout the center. "If you must wear shoes consider wearing shoes you are NOT attached to," it read. This inspired me to question what types of characters frequented the ashram

We waited at the check-in counter for several minutes before a slightly grouchy man greeted us. We tried to win him over with our enthusiasm and bright smiles. He was seemingly unimpressed

An ashram can be an intimidating place for the uninitiated. Do I need to be quiet? Serious? Is my yoga practice strong enough? Will I survive on just two vegetarian meals a day

We were told that evening prayers had already begun so we should go to our rooms until morning. After paying the off-season rate of about $20 per night for a two-person shared room with twin beds and bathroom, we were handed our two "sheets" (more like sarongs), a pillow about the size and softness of a hard-cover coffee table book, and a mosquito net. Guests are asked to leave their mobile phones at check-in. Internet can be used at designated times.

We carried our bags up the short hedge-lined sidewalk to our room. We unpacked our luggage - including our essential supplies of Skoal and a two-foot-long bar of dark chocolate - undeterred by the sign indicating food could attract bugs and critters. Unfortunately, we had forgotten toilet paper and yoga mats which we couldn't purchase until the store opened in the morning.

We barely finished before it was "lights out." No talking is allowed after 10:30 p.m., but we quietly gabbed until we fell asleep a few hours later.