Written by Sophie Kennedy:

When I thought about meeting someone as prestigious as the Dalai Lama, I was never expecting him to be so personable. From the second His Holiness walked into the room, he quickly humored the audience with his fascination with Amina Bright's hair. In fact, His Holiness touched her deadlocks and let out one of his heartwarming chuckles! In response to Amina's question, "how can someone as famous as His Holiness be so humble", he reminded us that he is just a human too.

My question, "how can we at 18 years old prepare ourselves to have a positive impact on society", prompted an unexpected response. Through education, a good partner, and plenty of sleep we can prepare ourselves to better society.  He also made sure to remind us of the importance of sleep- a much needed reminder for hard working students. Most importantly, His Holiness taught us that our happiness has a domino effect.

While in Rishikesh we have participated in Yoga Pranayama (breathing techniques), Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation), and mediation.

Words written by Amina Bright and pictures by Cathy Watkins:

Today we had a relaxing outdoor adventure. We first took a nature hike through a village learning  about how they live and some of the crops they grow. We then had the choice of either going to see the water fall or staying at the campsite and swimming in a pool and playing volleyball. I choose to go see the waterfall and it was beautiful the best was getting to put my foot in the cold water after a hard walk up to the waterfall. After the waterfall we came back to the campsite and had a delicious cookout dinner. We then got to go back to the hotel and get some rest for the next eventful day.

India blog-Maeve and Marissa

We woke up early this morning to do yoga led by our good pal Gopaul. He led us in stretching, sun salutations, and partner exercises. Afterwards we ate a huge breakfast consisting of some chocolate chip pancakes. Then we took a drive to an ashram where we spent the rest of the day. After getting settled and a long trip to the bookstore, we ate at the ashram’s communal lunch. Following lunch, we had a long chat with a swami who talked to us about happiness and how it relates to Hinduism. A few people fell asleep as we meditated the following hour. We had some snacks and did some more meditation sitting instead of laying down. As the day drew to a close, we joined a larger group of people in listening to an esteemed swami give a lecture on faith and spirituality. A walk by the Ganges River was followed by dinner and ice cream at a hotel. After arriving back at our hotel, many girls got henna tattoos on their hands. It was a swell day!!

Greetings from Yvonne and Sarah!

This morning after we got off the over-night train, we headed to the hotel in Rishikesh and had our first meal of the day. After breakfast, we had a chance to unpack and clean up before meeting up again for lunch. We then left for a good tour with yogi Gopal – we visited two more temples, shopped about in the market place, and took a walk to the ashram where the Beatles meditated while writing The White Album. The grafiti art that we saw in the ashram was spectacular! At sunset, we attended the aarti ceremony which took place by the Ganges River. Then we returned for a wonderful dinner.

We are to do several yoga and meditation sessions tomorrow. But now it’s time for bed!

Yesterday we embarked on a hike through the Himalayan Foothills.  We walked on steep trails covered with rocks, mud, and even snow.  It was about ten miles to the top.  We walked for two hours straight and then stopped at a Chai Tea Shop for lunch.  Then we had the decision to stay there or keep hiking to the top for another three hours.  We met a stray dog, who we named Bear, that followed us all the way to the top of the mountain.  This journey brought a lot new experiences to our group and many girls accomplished peeing in the woods for the first time.  This journey gave us a greater appreciation for the beauty of nature and the villages of India.

-gabby

At the beginning of the hike, many of us (especially me) struggled to up the steep hills. While the incline seemed unbearable at the time, the hike became less physically strenuous as we walked on. We trekked to the midway point which was a cozy little chai shop and stopped to take in the amazing view. At that point half the group stayed, and half of the group continued to the top. Although the path became less steep, we had to maneuver narrow pathways sometimes covered in snow. Overall, even when the hike was physically taxing, it brought the group closer together and it was and unforgettable experience.

-lauren

Post thanks to Gianna and Janine:

Today, we were privileged to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After this honor, we toured the Tsuglagkhang  Complex by our guide Jeremy. He showed us two temples within the complex. One was a working Buddhist temple, while the other was exclusively for meditation. After stopping to take some photos of the scenic view, we walked to our hotel for lunch. After bowls of traditional Tibetan noodle soup, a Western birthday cake was brought out for Lauren’s 17^th birthday! We checked into our rooms, and then went for a “light” hike to a Tibetan library. There, we learned about  how Tibetans translated traditional Sanskrit books. We then went to a museum about Tibetan medicine and saw instruments and ingredients they use. Finally, we spent some time near our hotel souvenir shopping.