The Shifting Sands

It seems friday is excursion day for us on our month long, 300 hour, yoga teacher Training.  Today was no different, except that we left a little later.  7 am into the jeeps and an hour long nail biting journey from one side of the valley to the other.  Sounds easy right? Just the other side of the valley right?  Its just that our vehicles have to navigate one destroyed road after another.  Waterfalls using the road as a pathway and the usual passing of large vehicles on one way roads next to several hundred metre ravines!  Of course we were protected and arrived at the stunning village of Ukhimath, the Site of the most ancient temple in the whole of India.  Carbon dated to 5000 years ago and home to the supremely sacred Kedernath statues during the worst of the seasonal Himalayan weather.  A seriously important pilgrimage place for devotees. The temple facade under renovation, following the devastating rains of 2013. Temple detail. ...

21st March 2014 4.30am wake up and 5am on the road, into a typical Himalayan Jeep, 9 of us squished in just beyond comfort for the winding drive up to 1300metres for first light at my spiritual name sake, Ambikas temple.  Honouring Shakti, this temple is popular with tourists and pilgrims alike.  Situated in one of the 52 ey lines holding the energies of Shakti from the earth and skies. We passed some fabulous road signs as we made our way to the temple. Such as " Road is hilly, don't be silly" and "Gentle on the Curves"...so apt as we approached the Divine Feminine! And another new favourite, "Licence to drive, not fly." An hours drive from Rishikesh, a quick stop for chai for some and a gentle walk up 180 steps passed mantras to open pathways to the divine feminine acknowledging memory, creativity, resilience and many, many more aspects of the Divine Feminine. Morning Chai Time The Temple was awaiting us as the other two small tourist g...