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I couldn’t believe it when I made it to India and now I can’t believe I’m gone.

Kerala backwaters, India By Sonja Bjelland

I have many more yoga adventures I’m looking forward to but the first leg is done.

But I don’t feel finished with India. So much more I want to see and do.

For now, it’s been a little tough adjusting to Western life. I have so many choices in everything it’s a bit overwhelming.

That’s reinforcing how India provides many more experiences to develop a yogic sense beyond yoga classes. The patience of waiting – for everything. The balance of having an idea, but not a real plan. The realization that humans actually need very little to survive. And the fact that it’s up to us what constitutes enough in our lives.

Seeing women carrying baskets of everything on their heads and washing clothes on riverbanks reveals these nuggets of life lessons for those open to learning. And it’s those experiences that provide a true India yoga experience. The photos can show the beauty of India, but it’s more difficult to detail the lack of sidewalks and pockmarked roads. The trash piled high by the train tracks and cow dung in the streets.

Kanyakumari, India By Sonja Bjelland

Many people journey to India believing great yoga teachers are as common as cows on the street.

Unfortunately, they leave disappointed.

I did find a few good teachers in my nine weeks of travel but that also left a lot of the yoga landscaped untouched. I did not visit the towns of Mysore and Pune known for teaching specific types of yoga. Those are more geared for yogis doing teacher classes or further training who have already studied the Iyengar or Ashtanga systems.

I also had to get over caring about teachers causing injuries by looking out for myself and to stop wishing for more variety in poses.

Most classes follow more or less the same 12 postures. Some variety that includes shoulder stand, fish, triangle pose, butterfly and such after a round of sun salutations.

I’ve rarely done any variations of warrior poses, a standard in U.S. classes. And there’s numerous names for the asanas in English. I’ve heard downward dog referred to as triangle, mountain and inverted rooster. So it helps to know the Sanskrit names because the teachers do not provide much instruction and expect the students to know how to do the pose already.

I’ve also learned a few new poses that give a good stretch and I keep trying to improve my headstand. But no, I still can’t touch my toes.

Classes also take several mini-sivansanas, which was hard to get used to, and range from power-yoga intense to barely breaking a sweat. And all may be considered beginner.

It’s very possible to find a great teacher. Even so, the experience may not deliver the yoga heaven and spiritual bliss some people seek here.

But the experience of India is worth having regardless of the yoga.

Man in Kanyakumari, India By Sonja Bjelland