I write a regular column for theTravelWireAsia website about India, yoga and travel in Asia (my favourite continent for travel!). Recently, I published a three-part series onHow to do a yoga ashram in India.Heres a synopsis of each post to read the full article click on the link provided.

HAVE you considered going to an ashram in India? This is a 3-part series on where to go, what you need to know and what to expect.

Holy men have been congregating in ashrams in India to meditate and chant since the dawn of time. But theyve only become popular as a travellers destination sinceThe Beatles went to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogis ashram in Rishikeshin the late 1960s and yoga became a worldwide phenomenon.

The best way to find an ashram is to ask people you know, especially your yoga teacher.Some of the questions you should ask include:Does the ashram or school take foreign students; do they have a program for foreigners? Is instruction in English?Where, exactly, is the ashram or school; is it accessible and in a place that has access to trains, the Internet, etc. Click here to read the full articleHow to find an ashram.

Once youve decided to stay at an ashram in India, and you know where youre going, its time to start getting ready. Find out everything you can about the ashram including the amenities, daily routine, accommodations and what you need to bring. Talk to people whove been there to find out what its really like.

Ashrams are not hotels, they do not come equipped with mod cons and supplies. They tend to be very simple, and you have to bring almost everything you need with you but remind yourself that you are not going to indulge in luxury. Bring what you need, but bring the bare minimum, such as:all the toiletries you need, including soap, shampoo and medications,a flashlight,a towel,a shawl or sweater (it can be chilly at night in winter and in the mountains),loose cotton clothes, preferably Indian-style (Lululemon spandex just doesnt cut it),flipflops and/or sandals, etc.Click here to read the full articleWhat to pack and how to get ready for your ashram adventure in India.

Yoga capital of the world: RIshikesh, India

Preparations can only take you so far when youre travelling or experiencing something new you have to expect the unexpected. And this is doubly, triply true oftravel in India! Its also especially true of doing something that is off-the-radar for most people from the west, where spirituality, and even just the concept of looking within, is nowadays considered a radical notion.

Looking within is exactly what you do at an ashram, and if youre new to it, you may not know where to start or where to look. Thats what the daily routine is for. The daily routine grounds you in the life of the ashram and provides you with a map. The destination is your unique experience and epiphanies. When in doubt, follow the routine and have faith thatsomethingwill happen! And if thatsomethingturns out to be a catharsis, the routine will support you as you go through it.

I always go through a few very uncomfortable days of unwinding when I first get to the ashram.I usually feel like I have the flu, but I know its the symptoms of a natural detoxification.Click here to read the full articleWhat to expect at an ashram and the daily routine.

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How to find, get ready for and visit a yoga ashram in India