I was in India on a month-long retreat.
I spent 5 days in Rishikes with the Divine Life Society, where a large number of people had gathered for the 9-day Navaratri festival. It was a stifling, humid heat at the end of September, which is hard on Westerners.
That's why we didn't mind that our next destination was the remote, northern Himalayas, the quiet community of Uttarkashi, located at an altitude of 1200m, the Seva Semita Sivananda ashram.
In addition to the villagers and schoolchildren who live and work here, the life of the ashram is also attended by monks and civilian guests who visit and stay here for a short time. Swami Prémananda, the head of the ashram, expressed with a friendly backhand that after 3 days a person is no longer a guest, but a full member of the community with full rights and duties, meaning that he can contribute to the work of the community. Thus, we peeled vegetables at dawn in the company of an Indian film director, two young men who sell diamonds and gemstones, and an Indian psychologist who is an artist and hypnotherapist. The chef monk, who was responsible for preparing the ingredients and who supervised our work, was a bodyguard in his previous life before becoming a monk. During the several weeks of working together, we formed a super team, a loving community. Names and social roles didn't matter here, only how one coped with cleaning and chopping the piles of vegetables that sometimes towered before us on festive occasions. A good technique for deflating the ego.
On the winding mountain road leading here, I was captivated by the sight of small red vendor stalls with the Coca Cola logo on them and the signature: Real Magic. I smiled. It wasn't my first time in India, this was my fifth time, and I knew from experience that if there was a miracle, it was India itself rather than Coca Cola.
I will briefly describe why I think this.
Dawn mantras and the power of community
My day began in the silence of the early morning, when we woke up together with the community members and began the hour-long mantra recitation. The sounds, the rhythm of breathing and the rhythm of singing together connected us like an almost invisible bond. In the first moments, fragments of dreams were still swirling in my head, but as the words of the mantra were repeated, I increasingly felt the calmness and alertness of my body and soul.
The dawn song was not just a series of sounds; something much deeper happened. During the singing together, boundaries disappeared and one feeling remained: oneness.
As the sun began to shine, the vibrations of the mantra stayed with me and accompanied me throughout the day.
The simple ritual, the sense of togetherness and harmony opened my heart and made me realize that community not only supports me but also transforms my inner world. This dawn miracle was felt every minute of the day, and I knew that I had become a part of something very special in India.
This flow experience was also facilitated by the fact that I had to read and recite a different Sanskrit text for an hour, every word of which required concentration and perseverance. We started in the darkness of dawn and finished the mantra chanting at dawn.
The cleansing power of simple living
The daily life of the ashram is built on simplicity. Waking up at dawn, washing in cold water, fresh air, simple white clothing, vegetarian food – a puritanical life, which is the basis for the purification of body, mind and soul, and destroys the ego.
Every small action: peeling vegetables, preparing food, cleaning, or doing small volunteer tasks, all acted as a kind of meditation. The movement of the body, attention, and awareness were focused on the present moment. Nothing special was needed: simplicity was enough to experience completeness.
As the days passed, I noticed that the flood of stimuli decreased, my mind cleared, my heart became lighter and more open. A simple life is not empty, but full of presence, gratitude and wonder. And therein lies the True Miracle: that in simplicity everything that truly matters is available.
Yoga, meditation on the banks of the Ganges
The afternoons were a time for yoga and meditation. The silence of the banks of the Ganges, the view of the mountains, the sound of the river and the rhythmic movement of its waves all contributed to the dissolution of my everyday self. The asanas that moved the body, the breathing exercises that cleared the mind, and the meditations all kept me in the present moment.
The joint practice was not about competition, but about experiencing body-spirit harmony and awareness together, supporting each other. The satsangs, chants and joint meditation further strengthened the inner peace. I felt that the body and mind were slowly coming into harmony, and the consciousness was clearing.
This is how the real miracle was created: a feeling of harmony and inner peace.
The connection between nature and inner peace
The Himalayas, the riverbank, the fresh air and the green landscape were not just a backdrop, but a living part of my inner peace. The power and beauty of nature recharged my energy and made me realize that the power of silence and presence is everywhere.
Walking along the riverbank, the caress of the sunlight, the singing of the birds and the tranquility of the mountains all taught me that achieving inner peace is not a result of a struggle, but only happens when I connect my attention to nature and the present moment. The tranquility of the environment permeated my body and mind, giving me a sense of completeness in every moment.
This connection with nature showed me that the miracle is not outside, but within me, and through connecting with nature, the connection with my own nature also comes more easily, since I am a part of it.
That month in India was a miracle itself: a miracle of nature, community, and yoga experiences.