Yoga in India: Cultural Immersion, Self-Knowledge

The Samode Palace in Jaipur, India, is shown in this file photo.

(Gavin Hellier/Getty Images)

I needed an escape, a vacation that would shake me out of my routine, and leave me with more than souvenirs and digital photos. So when the yoga center in New York where I'm learning to meditate organized a two-week yoga trip to India, I decided to go.

We flew to New Delhi and the next day traveled several hours by bus to Rajasthan, in northern India. The dilapidated cobblestone roads along the way led to still-narrower streets crowded with stores and one-room houses. Men, women and children squatted along the roadside, draped in vividly colored garments.

On a hill overlooking the village of Samode, we stayed in a former maharaja's palace that has been turned into a luxury hotel. Here at the Samode Palace, guests are made to feel like royalty, with staff offering help at every turn, beautiful courtyards, a pool with a view of the mountains, and regally decorated rooms. For yoga, we met in a grand hall adorned with arches, balconies and chandeliers. The walls were decorated with intricate colored tilework, and sunlight poured through the windows.

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Some villagers work at the Samode Palace, while others, local artists and craftspeople, depend on tourists to buy their bangles, colorful fabrics, art and gems. Not far from the elegant hotel, I agreed to buy a dress from a seamstress who lives in a single room with more than two dozen children. There were no chairs or tables; a baby lay on the floor next to her sewing machine amid the clutter of fabric and cooking pots.

Each morning, our group spent four hours practicing yoga, meditating and listening to lectures on philosophy. I was surprised to discover that these practices, unlike those back in many New York City gyms, were not physically difficult, but they were mentally and emotionally intense.

The goal of such practice, if there is a goal, is to become centered, to experience a level of consciousness called Samadhi or stillness, and to know yourself. I got to love these meditation mornings in the palace, when I could go deep into a heavenly state of inner quiet. No emotions, needs, fears and what-ifs. Just peace, which kept my mind clear and focused all day.