Ashram Morning at Sivananda

When silent meditation begins, the sky is still dark. From the meditation room, we can hear the sound of the waves surging and crashing onto the beach. By the time we have finished chanting, it is 7:30, and the sky is bright.

At 8am, we begin 2 hours of yoga here, on this open, roofed platform overlooking the water.

Yesterday I tried my first headstand, with physical support from the teacher.

This Sivananda ashram is on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The natural setting is lush and beautiful. It is my first experience of yoga in its spiritual context.

This couple is here for a month doing ‘karma yoga’. This means they are committed to do 5 hours of work on the ashram each day, along with studying yoga and meditation. Painting, laundry, cooking, cleaning and office work – these are all jobs done by the karma students.