What? An ashram? Wasn't it odd?

I confess ashrams conjured '60s images of The Beatles, sitars and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in my mind. But when my yoga teacher recommended I try a weekend retreat at Sivananda Ashram Yoga Camp, I invited my friend Lynne Lavery to accompany me.

We ashram first-timers enjoyed the tranquillity we experienced there amid like-minded yoga practitioners, teachers, and teachers-intraining.

Moreover, we fit seamlessly into the ashram's daily routine.

But an ashram? In Val Morin?

It seems unlikely to find an ashram in a Quebec village tucked into the forested Laurentian Mountains. In 1957, an Indian guru named Swami Vishnudevananda thought North America was ready for yoga, so he visited Montreal, discovered Val Morin, and founded this yoga camp in February 1962. Today there are more than 60 similar centres worldwide.

You said "daily routine?"

There is a daily routine at the camp. The schedule is posted on the website and both Lynne and I benefited from every activity.

What goes on?

A bell gently awakened everyone at 5:30 a.m. and from 6 to 7:30 a.m. we gathered at the temple for Satsang (chanting and meditation). I'd never experienced this and found the melodious sounds soothing - although I admit it was challenging to sit cross-legged that long.

Read the rest here:
Yoga amid the Laurentian hills