Yoga in India

I have been very fortunate to have been to India a few times now. I dont quite know what it is about India, but each time I step off the airplane and the heat and the smell greet me, I feel that I have arrived home. We tend to go back to the same beautiful place - Kovalam and then travel from there. We have made some wonderful friends out there - James (on the beach), Anjy, Roy and all the guys that work at the Coconut Grove restaurant as well as so many of the shop keepers.

We now stay at a small guest house just behind the Lighthouse Beach run by Shirley and her son - Sambath, who make us feel so much at home and part of the family. I have also found a fantastic yoga teacher called Anto Anthony. He has a studio on the roof top of one of the hotels close to the sea front. He speaks very good English and whilst the practice is quite challenging, I feel that he takes good care of all his students and is mindful of their abilities. Anto's studio can be found down the path at the side of Leo's restaurant and up the stairs of Sumangali Tourist Home on the Lighthouse Beach, Kovalam. His mobile no is +91 9447313580

During our first visit to India, Kevin and I had a look around for a charity that we might be able to support. There are a plethora out there however we came across a school/social project that we were extremely impressed with. It is called SISP - Sebastian Indian Social Project and is run by a Dutch guy called Paul. It is an amazing place, now housed in a purpose built building just by Kovalam Junction. The project providess chooling, clothes, food and transport for approx 100 children at any one time as well as supporting adults to learn new skills and how to manage money. What we were particularly impressed with about the ethos of SISP is that they do not believe that giving money to the children or family is the best way to alter an culture of begging. SISP also treat men and women equally in terms of pay and conditions - something that is not necessarily reflected elsewhere.

Each time we go to India, we visit and have been delighted to see SISP grow and develop over the years. Our heartfelt thanks to all our family and friends who have so generously given us clothes, craft materials and money so that we can continue to support this great project.

If you would like to know more about the amazing work that Paul and his team of volunteers, please visit their website.

Link to SISP website

My first time in India - April 2007

Kev and I first went to India for two weeks in April 2007. We went to Kerala, it is so beautiful and the people are so so friendly. Yes it is a different lifestyle to our Western world but there were times when I wondered who was in the best place.....

We stayed in a small hotel called Kadaloram Beach, Kovalam, Trivandrum. The hotel was exactly what we wanted, small with very friendly staff and situated a little off of the main track. There were plenty of restaurants to eat locally - walking distance or at the Lighthouse Beach -tut tut ride away. If you go try the Coconut Grove - the fish was so delicious.....

Anyway, there are quite a number of yoga classes advertised all over the area and I didn't really know which to go to so - I asked the hotel to recommend someone. And to my surprise they came back and told me that they had arranged for a yoga teacher to come to the hotel each morning to give me a lesson!! This was a real treat for me...and it was really inspiring being taught outside by someone who obviously lived yoga by the minute - I really enjoyed the classes both physically and spiritually.

We were invited to visit his yoga studio and his family. The yoga space is situated on the roof, made with natural materials and creates a wonderfully calm and tranquil atmosphere- so if anyone is going to Kerala staying near Trivandrum - let me know and I will put you in touch with Gopi or contact him direct - his email address is classicyoga2006@yahoo.com