Kerala- Kalaryil Dharmikam Ashram Take 1
After eighteen hours of travel from Boston to Abu Dhabi to Trivandrum, I finally arrive in India. As I step out of the airport, the balmy air embraces me, and I spot a young Indian man holding a sign that reads Charity Robinson. This is my first time in the motherland, yet everything already feels so easy.
After sorting out a new SIM card for my phone, I eagerly hop into the front seat of the car—I don’t want to miss a thing. The streets are alive with movement—rickshaws and cars weaving seamlessly, horns blaring, but not in aggression. Instead, they seem to say, Excuse me, I’m passing. As we continue the 45-minute drive to the ashram, the taxi driver shares his favorite Kerala music, even pulling up YouTube videos to show me.
Upon arrival, my teacher, Lalita, along with two senior teachers and managers, greet me at the gate with warm smiles. The moment I step inside, I feel myself soften.
Lalita mentions that a group from the ashram is heading to Idukki, the mountains, around 3:00 a.m. for two days. She tells me, See how you feel—just know there’s space for you if you’d like to come.
Iduuku, tea growing region in the mountains.
Once I’m alone in my room—simple, clean, and perfect for the next month—I reflect on the trip and think, Yes, why not? I’m here to go with the flow.
I manage to sleep for maybe two hours before unpacking and repacking an overnight bag with a few essentials for mountain hiking. Soon, I’m in the car with the priest and two devotees. Amy, a yoga retreat leader from Madison, WI—who, coincidentally, is my mom and sister’s teacher—is also with us, along with one of her students. We pile into the car, while the second vehicle behind us carries Girish, the owner and head teacher of the ashram, along with three other yoga students, Lalita, and another Kalari student from Germany, Freida.
Originally, I was told the drive would take five to six hours, but in India, that translates to more like eight or nine. As we leave the city and glide into the more rural landscapes, the sun begins to rise over the mountains. I take it all in and think, Wow, I’m so happy I chose to be here now.
On our drive, I learned that we were headed to a region where most of the world’s cardamom is grown. I was beyond excited—cardamom is my favorite spice, and I put it in my coffee every day. Now, I was surrounded by endless fields of it, stretching as far as the eye could see.
One of the devotees, Kanaan, who was driving our car, was from this area. His family welcomed us with a warmth beyond anything I could have imagined. Dressed in their finest clothes, the children tossed flower petals at our feet while the adults offered blessings with flower water and smoking sap—cleansing and purifying us before inviting us to breakfast. As part of the greeting, the young children performed a few dances for us, their joy bursting out of them.
The day unfolded seamlessly—checking into the hotel, visiting a cardamom processing plant, and embarking on a few adventurous jeep rides up the mountains. The crisp mountain air and the kindness of the people kept me energized, despite running on just two hours of sleep.
Let me remind you—I had only been in India for 12 hours, yet I already felt like I had landed exactly where I was meant to be.
As night fell, we returned to the family’s home for more tea and a cultural program—one that I unexpectedly became a part of. I thought I had hit a wall, completely drained of energy, until the music started. The bright, shifting colored lights filled the space, and before I knew it, the kids and I were dancing our hearts out. Some of the yoga students joined in, and the children were over the moon that I kept going—one song after another, after another—until I finally called for a rest.
The night’s performances continued with a traditional Indian dancer, followed by staff demonstrations from both Lalita and Freida.
I soon learned that in India, when families gather, this is what happens—music, food, laughter, dancing, singing, and, of course, lots of photos. The evening carried on, but after such a long journey and an adventure-filled day, exhaustion began to set in for most of us.
At last, we retired to the hotel, where Amy and I stayed in the Cardamom Suite—a fitting end to an unforgettable first day in India.
To be continued...