Welcome to Yogaville

I left Union Station at 11am on Friday, January 29th. Meds, toiletries, 2 suitcases. How does one pack for a month in an ashram anyways? Hiking boots, snow boots, coat, vest, sweaters,shirts, jeans and lots and lots of yoga pants..I'm all set I've decided.  The train ride was uneventful.

On the train..ego intact :)

 I arrived in Charlottesville on time and waited for the driver Jayan to find me. Alice, an older woman from Potomac, Maryland was already in the car as he had picked her up previously from the bus station. She was coming to Yogaville just for the weekend but she was not new to ashram life. Alice and Jayan talked the whole ride about ashram life and Yogaville in general. I sat in the back staring out the window as big town turned into small towns with two lane roads that wined and curved into mountain views with treetops that had longed ago shed its leaves. By time I noticed I was being severely anti-social an hour had came and gone. As we passed the "Welcome to Yogaville" sign I went to do my usual "check-in" on Facebook  but alas, no cell service. My heart skipped a beat. Yikes!!! Yogi life has officially begun.

Welcome to Yogaville!

We pull up to the "Quad" to go to registration. I see shiny, happy people dressed in white everywhere.They welcome me and give me a yellow rubber wrist band reminiscent of the "LiveStrong" bands but this one says "LYT" for Living Yoga Training. Ahhh..I'm a "light", I get it. I like it. I want to immediately shake the hand of the person who thought of that. From this day forward at the ashram I am a LIGHT and everyone treats me as such.

They look happy..I want to be like them

I am the LIGHT of the world..or so they say.

I get to my room and my two roommates are not there. I am relieved because that  gives me a chance to unpack and settle in without the immediate responsibility of pretending I know what the hell I am doing. Insecurity starts to set in as I notice they both have just one suitcase. I feel guilty for my two large, too bright turquoise bags. I think of Erykah Badu's song "Bag Lady"  and believe I have just failed the first yogi rule (in my head) to not overpack. I'm starting to feel like Eva Gabor in Green Acres with my collection of scarves and too many clothes. Where do I think I'm going to wear all this Jewelry anyways. "At least I didn't bring any heels" I tell myself. I secretly smile and pat myself on the back with that justification and continue unpacking.

I don't think I have enough scarves

This is my home for the next 30+ days

All the Yogi essentials

But the truth is, even if your suitcases are beautifully colored, its still "baggage". You can bring it along if you want to but you are the one that has to carry them up and down 3 flights of ashram stairs. Was it worth it?  We will see......

Om Shanti