meditation retreat » Travel Photography Blog on Yoga, Meditation and Hinduism

200 Likes and off to India!

Jan 252012

Our blog received its 200th “Like”s today as I make my way to India to begin our spiritual adventure this Friday. Thank you everyone for all the Likes. If you haven’t Liked it yet please do so.

Participants on the adventure have already begun their journey making their way from the US, UK, Germany and Australia. A wonderful small group perfect for a profound spiritual journey.

Arunachaleswar temple in Tiruvannamalai

We begin our spiritual adventure in India’s 4th largest city, Chennai, located in the south eastern coast of the country. We spend one night in this city that is scurrying with activity before heading south west to Tiruvannamalai. One of my favorite towns in all of India with an amazingly spiritual vibe. The sacred Arunachala hill and the massive old temple to Siva have long been a place of profound spiritual experiences for countless spiritual seekers.

I have enjoyed a few pilgrimages here over the years and needless to say it has had a profound affect on me. But every spiritual journey is as rewarding as the amount of energy put into the preparation for it. I always tell my fellow travelers this. Our spiritual adventures is a time for self-transformation. Getting to know yourself on the inside while enjoying the beauty of everything around you. But the preparation is the key. Always! So prepare well for a spiritual adventure and you’ll have a profound journey.

Check back regularly as we’ll do our best to post photos each day though on a couple of days we’ll be in places with no internet connection.

How do I concentrate better?

Meditation No Responses »

Jan 112012

Today’s question on meditation comes in from Louise from the Philippines who asks “How do I concentrate better – I manage a good quality 5 mins at most with minor drifting but then my mind wonders massively after this…?”

The best way to learn how to concentrate better is to practice it more. We become good at what we practice. Know that the mind has no ability to discriminate between what practice is good for you and what is not good for you. If it did we’d all be excellent at concentration. The mind becomes good at whatever we practice. If we practice being distracted 10 hours a day then we become good at that. The same way, if a dancer wants to be part of the best ballet company then she would have to practice many hours a day.

So, to be good at concentration you need to practice it more each day. In my workshops and spiritual adventures I share specific concentration exercises that can be integrated into your every day life to help you be better at concentration.

If you have questions on meditation please feel free to reach out to me. You can do so by sending your questions to me on email at info(at)vedicodyssey.com.

How do you know a meditation technique is good or not?

Meditation No Responses »

Jan 092012

On the 7th of January I was asked “what are the techniques of meditation” and responded to that on the blog. The natural next question to follow from that was asked…which was “How do you know a meditation technique is good or not?”

It’s hard to know this answer if you are new to meditation. How would you know anyway if you’ve never tried it out long enough. Hopefully this can help shed some light on the topic.

Whatever meditation technique you choose should make sense to you. You should understand it thoroughly. A clear intellectual understanding is essential to make progress. How can you practice something well if you don’t understand it, right?

So make sure the technique you choose makes sense to you. It’s clear, practical and systematic. Its practicality allows you to develop your meditation skills slowly in your consistent practice of it.

If you don’t understand something about the meditation technique then ask questions about it. Understanding is essential. And whoever is teaching you this should be able to answer your questions logically and if they can’t then they should be able to direct you to a resource that can.

Hope this helps.

If you have questions on meditation please feel free to reach out to me. You can do so by sending your questions to me on email at info(at)vedicodyssey.com.

An island’s majestic temple

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »

Jan 082012

The view of Rameswaram island from the Indira Gandhi bridge

One evening, on our upcoming Festivals & Temples spiritual adventure to South India and Malaysia, we’ll board an overnight train and make the long journey south east to the coast and cross the Indira Gandhi bridge to the laid back fishing island of Rameswaram. Located only a few miles from Sri Lanka this island is steeped in history and is considered to be one of the holiest places for Hindus in India.

Rameswaram temple in south India

Rameswaram temple's elaborate corridors lined with hundreds of pillars

The Ramanathaswamy temple boasts four maginificent corridors lined with seemingly endless elaborately carved pillars. The temple is built in honor of the Hindu God Siva and is famed for housing 21 theerthams (wells) within the complex which are believed to have particular powers. Pilgrims bathe in waters from these wells as they are ushered from one well to another.

The magnificent tower, at 53 meters high, is the tallest structure on the island and majestically rises over the green groves of palm, coconut and island shrub.

What are the techniques of meditation?

Meditation 1 Response »

Jan 072012

I received a question on email from Rupa in DC who asked “What are the techniques of meditation?”

There are many meditation techniques around. You should pick one that you resonate and feel comfortable with. Different techniques work for different people. Stick to it once you’ve decided on the technique and practice it consistently. Don’t continue to shop around and practice other techniques. In order to be good at something you need to remain focused on it.

Pick a technique that is also systematic, clear and practical. Meditation needs to be approached in a systematic way if you want to make progress in it.

Tune back for more questions and answers on meditation.

If you have questions on meditation please feel free to reach out to me. You can do so by sending your question to me on email at info(at)vedicodyssey.com.

What is the purpose of meditation?

Meditation, Spiritual Tools, Workshops & Classes No Responses »

Jan 052012

Somebody asked me in a class recently a question that I have never been asked before. The question was “What is the purpose of meditation?” Strange, I thought at that very instant I heard the question, that it was a very obvious question but no one seems to ask it. Unless of course everyone knows the answer to it.

The highest purpose of meditation is to take your awareness from an external state of mind and go within yourself to experience the Self (God in the aspect of timeless, formless and spaceless known as Parasiva in the Hindu faith). The experience of doing so helps you to realize that you and God are one, inseparable.

Meditation also serves to help you become the master of your mind, body and emotions. Your mind, body and emotions are your tools. You are meant to be in charge of them. If you are not they will be in charge of you as is clearly visible in many people these days. Meditation teaches you how to be in control of your mind, body and emotions by helping you to realize that you are a soul in possession of these tools.

These are a couple of the purposes of meditation. Needless to say meditation has countless benefits.

I conduct meditation classes in New York City and also in various places around the US, Caribbean and Australia. If you are interested in learning about meditation please feel free to reach out to me and you can do so by sending me an email to info(at)vedicodyssey.com.

The spiritual adventures that I conduct a few times a year are wonderful opportunities for personal growth and self discovery. I take the role of a spiritual guide or catalyst that teaches classes and create creative, fun, intimate and spiritually uplifting experiences along the way for my fellow travelers. Visit this link to learn more about these spiritual adventures.

Spiritual and Culinary Tour of India

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »

Dec 172011

Explore the locations we will be visiting on our Spiritual and Culinary Adventure

This map takes you through the route of our spiritual and culinary adventure in South India next February 2012. Use Google’s interactive map below to zoom in on towns, explore neighboring villages and the surrounding countryside. Click on Vedic Odyssey’s logo to learn the name of the town.

View Culinary Tour in a larger map

Auto rickshaws in South India

Temples and Festivals of South India and Malaysia

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »

Dec 162011

South India and Malaysia, Jan-Feb 2012

A spiritual adventure of festivals and ancient temples.

The journey is very much focused on visiting temples, exploring deeply the mysticism of Hinduism, meeting the priests and monks, participating in mystical ceremonies in the sanctums of 1000 year old temples and more. I’ll conduct classes along the way sharing with you about Hinduism, its culture and traditions, and the simple practical tools that it shares to help us in our daily lives.

Join this life changing spiritual adventure as we journey to some of the most sacred locations in southern India, long the catalyst of many profound and ineffable inner experiences for countless spiritual seekers.

Embark on the pre-dawn 10 mile walk around the sacred Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai
Meditate at Virupaksha cave and sit in silence at Ramana Ashram
Worship at Chidambaram’s famed Siva temple and be awed at this magnificent edifice that is thousands of years old
Enrich your life with classes on Hindu metaphysics, meditation and culture
Journey overnight on an Indian train to the island of Rameswaram, just miles from Sri Lanka
Bathe in the waters of the 22 sacred wells that are believed to have mystical powers at the island’s magnificent temple.
Explore the ancient cultural capital of the south, Madurai, with is spectacular and powerful temple to the Goddess Meenakshi
Journey to Malaysia and end our adventure celebrating the powerful Thaipusam festival at Batu Caves amidst a million other spiritual seekers.

Click this link to learn more about our temples and festivals spiritual adventure to South India and Malaysia at the end of January 2012. We hope you will be able to join us.

Traders at the Pushkar Camel Fair

Photography, Spiritual Adventures No Responses »

Nov 142011

This is our last coverage of the Camel Fair at Pushkar and the camel traders with their colorful turbans. Tomorrow, we’ll look at Pushkar town, made holy by the sacred lake that it is built around and a rare temple to Brahma. It’s our final day at Pushkar before we move on to Samode, Rajasthan.

A spiritual adventure of festivals and ancient temples.

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »

Nov 132011

Join our next exciting spiritual adventure to South India and Malaysia in Jan/Feb 2012.

Embark on the pre-dawn 10 mile walk around the sacred Arunachala hill in Tiruvannamalai
Meditate at Virupaksha cave and sit in silence at Ramana Ashram
Worship at Chidambaram’s famed Siva temple and be awed at this magnificent edifice that is thousands of years old
Enrich your life with classes on Hindu metaphysics, meditation and culture
Journey overnight on an Indian train to the island of Rameswaram, just miles from Sri Lanka
Bathe in the waters of the 22 sacred wells that are believed to have mystical powers at the island’s magnificent temple.
Explore the ancient cultural capital of the south, Madurai, with is spectacular and powerful temple to the Goddess Meenakshi
Journey to Malaysia and end our adventure celebrating the powerful Thaipusam festival at Batu Caves amidst a million other spiritual seekers.

Read more about our spiritual journey to South India and Malaysia here.

Evening Scene at the Pushkar Camel Fair

Photography, Spiritual Adventures No Responses »

Nov 122011

Though it is hot during the day most Rajasthani men and women seem unaffected by the heat. As the sun makes its way towards the horizon the lighting gets perfect for photography and photographers gather in large numbers. Here’s a collection of photos from later in the day, when the sun is getting ready to set.

Pushkar Camel Fair

Ladies returning home after a day of working in the farms

The Great Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

Photography, Spiritual Adventures No Responses »

Nov 032011

Here are more photos from our morning in the Great Thar Desert. After witnessing a spectacular sunrise our camel drivers made us some very delicious masala chai. A nice way to wake up in the morning. The night was chilly but they has supplied us with enough blankets to keep us warm. With no stray light present the view of the stars was simply special. After breakfast we got back on our camels and rode about 2 hours before we were picked up by a jeep that took us back to our hotel.

Saddling the camels for the ride home

Morning meditation in the desert.

The topic of our study on this journey has been "Know Thyself" so our spiritual adventurers make an effort to spend time each day discovering themselves.

Starting the journey back ....

The monsoon was just over so things are stlll looking green in the desert.

We come across a natural oasis in the desert.

A night in the Great Thar Desert

Spiritual Adventures No Responses »

Nov 022011

Definitely one of the highlights of our trip so far has been the night we spent in the Great Thar desert. From Jodhpur we drove 300kms west to Jaisalmer, the last town way out in the Great Thar desert. From here we drove out on jeeps the next day another hour west, then got on camels and rode further into the desert.

It was truly beautiful. We spent the night in the desert, camped out on sand dunes, eating a lovely dinner prepared by our camel drivers over camp fire, had a lovely class at sunset titled “Know Thyself” and slept under a blanket of stars. Simply perfect!

Sunrise at 6:15am. Truly spectacular!

Sunrise in the great Thar Desert

Older Entries

Travel Photography Blog on Yoga, Meditation and Hinduism | Vedic Odyssey Spiritual Adventures

200 Likes and off to India!

How do I concentrate better?

How do you know a meditation technique is good or not?

An island’s majestic temple

What are the techniques of meditation?

What is the purpose of meditation?

Spiritual and Culinary Tour of India

Temples and Festivals of South India and Malaysia

South India and Malaysia, Jan-Feb 2012

Traders at the Pushkar Camel Fair

A spiritual adventure of festivals and ancient temples.

Join our next exciting spiritual adventure to South India and Malaysia in Jan/Feb 2012.

Evening Scene at the Pushkar Camel Fair

The Great Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

A night in the Great Thar Desert

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South India and Malaysia, Jan-Feb 2012

Join our next exciting spiritual adventure to South India and Malaysia in Jan/Feb 2012.

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