On April 30th, 2017 I boarded a plane with a group of strangers headed to Nassau, Bahamas to officially begin our study abroad program for Yoga and Meditation and Spiritual Development. 

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     My study abroad program took place within a yoga ashram located on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The ashram was its own little community filled with peace and bliss ironically located right next to Atlantis City. The ashram contained multiple platforms huts to practice yoga and hold lectures, temples to pray worship, or practice ritual towards various Hindu gods, and there was even an ashram dog! Housing arrangements were either rooms, tents, or a tent inside a what I can best describe as a giant tree house over looking the ocean. I opted for sleeping in a tent inside the tree house. Inside I had a bed, night stand, lamp, fan, and closet, all size small. It had the bare essentials but it was home for 7 days. The first night was rough, I had never slept outside before and I could hear the wind blowing hard and the bed felt much too small. After a couple of days I came to enjoy the subtle sounds of nature and fresh air. 

 

     I had a strict schedule that started at 6:30 AM with silent meditation, chanting, and a dharama lecturing review an integral part of the yoga philosophy, followed by a asana yoga class (which is the physical exercise), breakfast, two lectures regarding a topic of spirituality or a workshop either from a scholar, a religious leader (all religions are accepted at the ashram), or someone within the ashram community, free time usually spent at the beach, dinner, practicing some karma yoga helping with the dishes, free time spent watching the sunset, and then another round of silent meditation, chanting, and another dharma lecture, closing my day at 10PM every day for 7 days.  

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     The professor in charge of this program told us all that this study abroad program was unlike any other and that it was life changing, and it truly was. I had the opportunity to travel abroad alone. While I did spend time with my other classmates on the trip, I spent a lot of quality time on my own reflecting on my life, my emotions, and the lessons I had learned that day. My favorite part of the trip was watching the sunset on the beach, one of my biggest goals on my bucket list. I had multiple moments of pure bliss alone on the beach watching the waves crash and seeing the beauty of the sun as it changed the color of the sky and dipped below the horizon. I felt connected with the universe in a way I had never experience. I felt a calling within my heart. I wanted to hold on to this moment forever but I new that was selfish and these moment need to be continuously earned. I made a promise that I would help other people reach there own moments of realization and bliss. 

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     Aside from the daily schedule of yoga and lectures, I had a couple of assignment. I wrote a total of 18 journal entries which began the week of my trip. The journals are required observing my emotions, how I handled my self in stressful situation, learning to forgive, and other forms of self growth through meditation and reflection. This was not easy work to still my mind and my body and look at parts of my self that were ugly and needed improvement. However, these daily meditation assignments allowed me the opportunity to set time aside for my self to be by myself. 

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     Additionally, the required reading for this course was the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali which further helped me understand both Eastern philosophy and Yogic philosophy. Both books had a focus on living life to the according to the three paths of yoga: Bhakti (devotion), Jhana (knowledge), and Karma (action without detachment) and the importance to incorporate all three paths into your life to live the best and purest lifestyle. From these readings I wrote two separate papers about the yogic path and the eight limbs to self realization and the three different paths of yoga and why each are equally essential to follow. 

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