Vashistas Caves

At Sattva Yoga retreat deep in the Himalayan Mountains, 30 mins drive along bumpy roads from Rishikesh town, an Idyllic Oasis that feels like a Tropical Narnia.

I’ve dreamt of the Deities again, the ones we’ve learned about during the Yoga Teacher Training. I put a quick note in my dream diary about the impressions I have from the Dream. The Deities are teaching us Kriyas and Rituals in the dream, they are full 3d moving beings and I’m surprised by their animated movements. They’re wearing robes, we try on their clothes and do what they teach us. I wake up with my hands in a Mudra….

The day begins before the rising of the Sun – Gratitude...is what I start with… “thanks for a beautiful dream, for the time spent with these Mythical Beings in Dream Land”...

I become aware of my Being, of Consciousness, The Body, The Breath, give thanks and send Love and Light ahead to each Being I will encounter today and each place I will go too. (Later, I actually do go somewhere, unexpectedly.)

I pray for family and friends and this life...sooo delicious, scented, colourful and sensual.

I attend Puja – a sacred ritual – saying hello too the bushes, trees, plants, and Baby Ganga. I wave at the brass Shiva statue by the Puja alter. His right hand in a permanent wave. I wink at Lakshmi who I feel I’ve only just been to hang out with. After Puja, I go down too the Baby Ganga river to meditate with our Sangha, our Sattva Family, or ‘Falimy’, as my youngest brother likes to say. Meditation by the river is made more dynamic by the presence of a very large Cow who likes to sit by the steps.

Today, our morning Yoga practice was in the Shiva Hall. It was taught by Charlie, our curly Red Haired quick-witted Yogi, who reads excerpts from the “Babaji Kriya” book. Our practice was based on the Vishudda Chakra and Agya Chakra, making it very meditative and purposeful, with some slow deep Hip Hop beats.

After breakfast, today, Vashista’s Cave came up in conversation – I was super excited. It had been on my heart to visit the place after our training completed a couple of weeks ago. Our Guru Anandji mentioned it a few times in our Wisdom talks, as he had spent 3 months there meditating in the Cave. Our documentary film-maker, Nikolai, wanted to film the Caves and capture some footage of the locals there. The opportunity to go along and contribute to the film was Divine timing. Again, Lakshmi blessed my being, and so along we went on motorbikes to the sacred location.

We did Kriya’s and meditations in the Ganga river, as well as in the Caves (so refreshing). I sat next to Mikael in the Cave, and it was energetically powerful. I was drinking in the scent of the cool powdery chalk of the walls, feeling the Rocky Road crumble of the walls that felt just like baby Lego. I thought of my teacher sitting in this Cave for three months, and all the other Yogis who had been there. Tears formed in my eyes at the magnitude of the moment and all that had brought me there. I heard my father’s voice some years ago when I said I wanted to meditate all day in Caves and on rocks like the Dragon Yogis…

“Heh Emefa, (Ghanaian accent) It’s easy to sit on a rock in nature in the quiet and meditate! It’s Harder to maintain meditation, and Silence within whilst being in the City, do this before you should not be going to meditate in Caves or on rocks in the Far East until you have mastered your inner meditation….Presence and Awareness...”

I sit and send Love to him, thanking him for his sage advice.

I inhale the moment and exhale love to all who got me to this beautiful sublime moment.

Author:Cloudia Emefa Vardon - Sattva Yogi

Also read - 200 Hours Yoga Teachers Training and 500 Hours Yoga Teacher Training.