Friday, August 16, 2013

Kerala Arts Performance

After our visit to the fishing nets, we had just enough time for dinner at our lovely hotel before attending a performance sampling the traditional art forms of Kerala: Teyyam, Kathakali, Bharat Natyam and even some Kalari!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Rejuvenation Station

Our hotel in Ft. Cochin was the perfect spot to relax and rejuvenate for a few days before we journeyed further north to Kannur for our Kalari training.

We were served three delicious meals a day, practiced yoga on the pier, overlooking the water, and received Ayurvedic massages. What a dream place to land in India.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Ft. Cochin

We wandered over to the gigantic and historic Chinese fishing nets after our delicious lunch and afternoon yoga session.

These were first constructed hundreds of years ago, and are the only nets of this type still in active use today.

We got particularly lucky as we arrived just in time to see the massive nets lifting up for the days catch.
One of the fishermen called us over to explain how they were used, what types of fish were common at this time  and most interestingly, that his net had been in his family for 600 years!

Monday, August 12, 2013

We made it!

36 hours of travel, and we arrived in our 1st destination, Ft. Cochin. What an epic trip!!
Tired, but very happy to be here, we made our way to the beautiful Ft. 
Hotel, right on the water. We were given a delicious breakfast, then rested  before our afternoon yoga class. 

Monday, May 6, 2013

Join Kalari Sangha for the Trip of a Lifetime

We invite you to join us for an adventure to India, one of the most deeply spiritual places on earth. With its devotional people, sacred rivers, mountains, and elaborate temples, the sacred surrounds the every day.  It is the birthplace of yoga,  kalari, and many forms of Eastern spirituality. 

Jennifer Ellen Mueller & Gerhard Schmid will guide you as we travel in the lush and ancient land of Kerala, the birthplace of Kalari and Ayurveda, to practice yoga, kalari, and experience the innate beauty of India. 

We will depart SLC on Friday, August 9th, and  arrive to the beautiful Ft. Cochin, where we will acclimate for a few days. In Cochin, we will practice yoga, visit temples and view historic sites and markets.

The next part of the trip, and the heart of the trip, will be to Kannur, to immerse in the ancient practice of Kalari, with our Gurukkal,  C.M. Sherif, Gurukkal. 

For nine days, we will practice Kalari twice daily, receive five days of Kalari massage, and enjoy the beautiful beach resort, Pranav. There will be training tracks for newer students, as well as experienced practitioners.

Finally, we will travel to the amazing Western Ghats of Kerala.* The Western Ghats or the Sahyādri constitute a mountain range along the western side of India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity in the world. 

In the Ghats, we will once again, practice yoga daily, visit forest and wildlife, and relax from our training as we begin the transition back home. 


We will depart India on the 23rd of August through Cochin, and arrive back in SLC on Sunday, August 25th.
 


*Rainy Season: We will be traveling to Kerala around monsoon time. This can be a challenge, or not! Here is some helpful information. PLEASE NOTE: If the weather is too bad to go to the Ghats (which would be very rare), we will stay in Kannur & keep training. This will not affect the price of the trip.