My Visit to Yog Gram-Haridwar - May 2018

My trip to Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yog Gram, Haridwar was an 8-day trip.Starting early on 23 of May, I boarded an early morning train with my mother and grandparents. We reached Roorkee station and began our 1 hour road trip to Yog Gram which was through a road filled with ditches and potholes. First, minus point! We finally reached Yog gram which was not quite intriguing at the first look, a land surrounded by cottages everywhere with roads dividing them. We went to the reception to register our arrival , and I thought it was going to be similar to a hotel stay, but who knew that this first gut feeling was the contrast of what was going to happen ahead.
We reached our room and it was so much better than what I expected but not up to the mark of mother's expectations.We then went to the doctor to get our treatment and food allotted. Well, we were already late so no treatment for us but we still attended the first yoga session.Then we had dinner ,guess what-it was horrible, like who has boiled veggies, pulse soup and dalia (porridge) anymore. Well, after a tiring day we slept a sound sleep.

The next day began at 3:30 am in the morning. We went for our jalneti, kunjal, eye-wash and enema session.By, 4:45 am, we were done and began our journey to the morning yoga session. It was very informative. It taught me many new yoga practices like asanas and pranayamas and the Surya Namaskar. I had breakfast of dry fruits and watermelon afterwards. Subsequently, we went for our morning treatment, where I  got a Partial Massage and a Hot Cold Hip Bath. Then I had an hour to rest before lunch (or torture)which was apple and watery soup. The afternoon treatment was Hot Cold Compress, Calf Massage, and Lapet. I rested till it was time to the evening Yoga session. It was now time for dinner. After this day, I realized that no day would be easier than this.


It was the same routine everyday with a little bunking of classes from my side. One day, we skipped the evening yoga and took a stroll around the vast property of Yog Gram. What a beauty! It had a pretty lake with options of boating and horse riding. We then visited the VIP quarters of Yog Gram, namely Niramayam, it was amazing and very lavish.

On the last two days, I got Panchkarma treatment. I got the powder massage and the steam bath done. The powder massage consists of herbal powders being rubbed in an upward manner. After brushing it all down we sit in an steam box and wipe all the powders off. We are restricted from bathing for 30 minutes and we are not allowed to apply soap for 3 days. 

On the last day, I got a Rose Honey Massage. A mixture of rose, honey and milk blended together in a mixer is applied to our whole body except hair and it nourishes our whole body and brightens it. After getting a Rose Honey Massage I took a steam bath once again. And then was all set to go back home. We reached the station and started our return journey. I watched "Tiger Zinda Hai" on my mothers mobile phone and ate the first normal meal after a week and I swear, it tasted nothing less then heaven, though it was simple railway provided meal. I reached home safe and sound and felt glad to be back in my own room. 

Overall, it was a one of its kind experience for me. It was my first exposure to Yoga, Ayurveda and satvik diet. I hope to learn more about these philosophies of life but I am afraid its tough and requires a lot of dedication and discipline. 

MY FIRST LIMERICK

A humorous five-line poem with a rhyme scheme aabba.

We sang and smiled,
and danced on the pile,
near the river of Nile,
and ran about a mile,
till we dropped and sat in a file.

Now it was night, and all the stars did was shine,
I was walking and stepped on the pine,
I wasn't fine,
and then I got stuck in a vine,
and lost all the money that was mine.

We had no more time,
but still stopped to have the juice of lime,
and all we had left was a dime,
and my voice was mime,
but I knew that was not a crime.
    -Poorvi Bhatt

"Flawed" - Cecelia Ahern : A book review

"None of us are Perfect.

Let us not pretend that we are.

Let us not be afraid that we are not.

Let us not label others and pretend we are not the same.

Let us all know that to be human is to be flawed,

and let us learn from every mistake made so that we don't make them again."
-Cecelia Ahern (Flawed)

"Flawed" is the debut book of Cecelia Ahern published in 2016. It is the first part of her heart - stopping young adult story. This book is about Celestine North and how she was branded as the most flawed person in her hometown. Cecelia Ahern describes Celestine's story in a way that would intrigue any soul to immerse into the story. She describes her pain in a heart-wrenching way that one can imagine themselves in Celestine's shoes and feel her anger towards the system of the guild. She feels excluded from the world feeling that no one can understand her pain, no one but Carrick; her cell-mate in the Guild's court.

Celestine North is a 17-year old girl whose life is based on logic. She gets good grades, has quite a bunch of friends and a loving boyfriend. She is portraying the character of a very logical person who tries to think every situation through and find the most logical solution. She regards herself by saying, "I'm a perfectionist too", but it doesn't stretch to physical appearances, merely language and behavior.

She lives in a society where anyone can be branded flawed for any incorrect action, it can be a wrong decision, an act of lying etc. One,  when branded flawed is seared on any of the five parts of their body in the form of the letter 'F'- their temple to signify bad decisions, their tongue to signify lying, their right palm to signify stealing from the society, their chest (over their heart) to signify disloyalty to the guild. A simple act of kindness towards the old man in the bus costed Celestine everything, because an old man who was on the verge of dying, who was helped by a kind, practical 17-year old on to a seat allotted for the non-branded. What was she to do if two ladies just couldn't understand the pain and urgency in the old man cry, after all, he was human too. She was in trouble, she was now considered a victim to the guild for committing a crime of kindness, a crime namely aiding a flawed. It was a crime she didn't regret but didn't cherish either.

The once perfect girl had now become a criminal and was put in a holding-cell, where she met Carrick. A person who aids a flawed usually gets a prison sentence but when was Celestine's life so simple, Judge Crevan/Bosco Crevan the head of the guild, her boyfriend Art's father and her neighbor Carrick had witnessed the sixth and the most painful one-the one Crevan put himself without anesthetic.

had come to meet her. He thought of a plan that Celestine should admit that she just wanted the man out of the bus, it was a lie that would make her innocent but will she truly want this? She agreed to it for the time being. The day after, during her second hearing she was overwhelmed and admitted the truth. This landed her in being the most branded person in town. A person with all five brandings and a special sixth. 
The story continues with her seeking help from various characters like Pia Wang, Enya Sleepwell and Mrs. Berry , but still nobody could really help her. She tried to dodge Crevan the whole time. Her boyfriend Art had gone missing and Juniper, her sister  helped him disappear. She felt betrayed. She soon met Carrick in a riot where he helped her out of there. The same night Crevan was out to seek Celestine, that is when she has no choice but to run. The story ends here is continued in the next book "Perfect".

The book had a good storyline but according to me, the main protagonist could have been a stronger character. I felt that Carrick did not really play a impactful part in this storyline just yet. I felt that Crevan was a good villain, a little too evil. I did not really feel the need for Art to hide. But overall the story was a pretty good experience, the way the emotions were described  helped me indulge into the story and live the characters. I feel that it was a pretty good book and hoping that "Perfect",  the second book might be better.

Thanks for reading.