Rishikesh, India: Yoga Capital

The Indian capital New Delhi, 220 km north, there is one for countries visitors are fascinated by the "world capital of yoga" - Rishikesh. Data statistics, currently the world's qualified yoga instructor, 60% of all went to Rishikesh cultivation too. With a population of less than 70000 a small town, there are more than 100 open courses in physical training and meditation, yoga schools, tens of thousands of yoga enthusiasts in different color each year who worked hard to arrive here for is to be a local yoga master's pointing to find the soul of the pure and land.

The Ganges River in half the city

After 6 hours, after a long bumpy, this reporter arrived at the Rishikesh. Wide Ganges to Rishikesh town is divided into two, leading to cable-stayed bridge across the width of only 2 meters by car impossible, journalists had to walk. Walked more than 60 meters-long bridge, a total length of about 1 km of the "Yoga a Street" We are seeing, it is built along the river, packed in a variety of yoga schools row. In the absence of large-scale vehicular traffic,Wandering around the streets of stray cattle in the middle of San ascetics sitting leisurely walk, people's mood naturally relaxed down time seems to slow down the tempo.

Here, every yoga school size and characteristics were different. Some integration with Hindu temples, while others and the general youth hostel no different from a spacious and airy lobby is the place where students practice yoga. The reporters found that participants, mostly to foreigners. Walking in the streets, blonde, blue-eyed but dressed in traditional costumes of the West Indian faces everywhere, some people will be rolled up yoga mat, together with the luggage behind their back,Coupled with a big sun hat, like a Chinese movie wander through the land of the Taoist priest.

Rishikesh's becoming a yoga city and its unique geographical location are not unrelated. A small town in the Himalayan foothills of the San River Heng River. In the eyes of Indians, the Himalayas is a great god Shiva to live and practice where thousands of years to expect out of life and death through the practice, the people gathered here, worldly philosophy of meditation and reflection on the attitude to life, yoga culture of this was born.

Many people postpone Guiqi

Yoga and the Hindu religion are inseparable. Rishikesh several well-known yoga schools are located in the Hindu temple retreat among hospital. Teach yoga masters course is just part of life, the basic introductory course is mostly guided by his disciples to carry out. Here there is no strict requirement to learn yoga, people can learn the basic asanas training can also be directly meditation meditation. Each time a general one and a half hour lesson,Charging 50 to 100 rupees (1 U.S. dollar equals 43 rupees), the subsidiary of the student dormitory facilities for relatively simple, 80 rupees a day basically solved all of the food and accommodation expenses.

Carlos is a journalist from Colombia, when in the chat know, he had stayed here for two weeks, this is his fourth return to Rishikesh. He took this reporter went to his old place to study yoga course and found his bed occupied by that year. 78 individuals shared the quarters are very clean, in the hall, a dozen fans from around the world are engaged in simple yoga mat exercises.

Siwanandan retreat homes in the early prayer ceremony, the reporter found a European face. Upon inquiry, was informed that the yoga enthusiast from France 5 months ago but only thought Rishikesh to take a look at the results because of the obsession has always stayed on the yoga courses. His learning is another form of yoga courses, daily hours of retreat and meditation is the life of all, the idea of home is still very far away from him.

Town did not see the slightest Hunxing

The entire small town,From the most luxurious hotels to street vendors all provide only vegetarian food, meat can not see the slightest, and even India's most well-known "tandou where" Chicken pieces have been replaced by potato pieces. People who practice yoga diet is even more simple, a small bowl of curry rice and beans boiled the juice, plus a cup of bottled mineral water, that is, the material used to fill his stomach food.

Rishikesh is really in the line of sight in Western countries, thanks to the British "Beatles" band. In 1968, John Lennon with three companions to follow his spiritual mentor Maha Shi arrived in Rishikesh, stay more than a month after leaving.When this reporter asked the hotel staff and ordinary people on the streets, the vast majority of the "Beatles" band knew nothing about. Reporter rang the doorbell to find Maha Shi master retreat run by hospital and found that there already dilapidated, perhaps this is representative of the Swedish poet poetry Kay philosophy and his savoir-faire attitude towards life.