“You get no good food, no hot water, and no chai,” an Indian tourist explained to a Korean girl, who looked confused, if not terrified, as the two stood in the entrance of Parmarth Niketan Ashram. “Just rice, yoga, and meditation all day!”

There are a lot of misconceptions about what an ashram is and what exactly happens when you’re there. Most people seem to think it is some kind of spiritual concentration camp, and it certainly didn’t help that Julia Roberts spent the “pray” portion of her trip scrubbing floors and complaining. The truth is, while there are definitely ashrams designed for hard-core spiritual seekers, that’s not your only option.

For the most part, an ashram is just a place you go to get away from it all. It’s a refuge from the hustle and bustle of daily life and the constant pressure to establish your worth by comparison of what everybody else has, is, was, did, or is doing. They are spiritual epicenters, welcoming of any and all religions. You can can worship God, Jesus, Buddha, Allah, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. As long as you devote a little time to something other than yourself and your own problems, you’re good to go. Yoga definitely takes a front seat in most daily activities, but that’s kind of the point. And Seva, which means “service,” is often voluntarily, and usually involves cooking or serving food, not scrubbing floors.

Some serve as shelters for the homeless, fundraising committees, or orphanages for boys who have no parents, or whose parents simply could not afford to care for them. While there is definitely an emphasis on austerity, all that amounts to is a room with a boring paint job, old sheets, and no room service. There is hot water, the food is awesome, and there’s plenty of chai! And for around $8 a day, you get a bed, all three meals, yoga and meditation classes, and the opportunity to chill out, relax, and get centered. The hours can be brutal but pretty much everything in India is meant to be seen at sunrise, and then you get the whole day to wander, shop, read, or write a blog!

Parmarth Niketan, which lies at the foothills of the Himalayas here in Rishikesh, is a tourist friendly ashram with all the bells and whistles a (western) spiritual seeker like myself could ask for. The schedule is lax compared to others and makes for a great introduction to ashram life. I came here in 2009 after winning an essay contest sponsored by New York Life Insurance (long story), and after spending just one day at the ashram, I became obsessed with finding my way back. Then, in 2011, I returned for a five week Yoga Teacher Training Course, and it was everything I had hoped it would be, and more. Now I’m back again for a little Me time, and hopefully a chance to convince some of you that a few days (or a few weeks) at an ashram is something everyone should experience at least once in their lives. So follow me on a photo journey of what it’s really like to spend a day at an ashram!

WELCOME TO PARMARTH!

THIS IS MY ROOM…

AND THIS IS MY VIEW!

HERE IS ME WAKING UP AT 4:30 IN THE MORNING, TO THE JOYOUS SOUNDS OF MORNING PRAYER!

AND HERE IS ME SKIPPING MORNING PRAYER. BECAUSE IT’S 4:30 IN THE MORNING.

AFTER ANOTHER HOUR OF SLEEP, I HEAD TO THE YOGA HALL TO CATCH A 6:00AM CLASS. IT’S AN HOUR, FOLLOWED BY 30 MINUTES OF MEDITATION.

THEN IT’S TIME FOR BREAKFAST!

AFTER I EAT I USUALLY WANDER FOR A WHILE, OR JUST SIT AND SOCIALIZE WITH OTHER YOGIS.

I CAN SEE THESE GUYS FROM MY ROOM. I ALWAYS THOUGHT ORPHANS WERE SAD ALL THE TIME, AND OCCASIONALLY BROKE OUT INTO SONG. BUT IT DOESN’T LOOK SO BAD FROM HERE.

AFTER LUNCH, I GET A COUPLE MORE HOURS TO EXPLORE BEFORE HEADING BACK TO THE ASHRAM FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FROM 3:30 TO 5:00.

THEN IT’S OFF TO THE RIVER FOR EVENING AARTI.

EVERY NIGHT, AS THE SUN STARTS TO SET, THE WHOLE ASHRAM GATHERS FOR A CELEBRATION OF PRAYER (MANTRAS) AND MUSIC.

A SELECT FEW SIT IN A CIRCLE AND THROW SEEDS INTO A FIRE, SYMBOLIZING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, HABITS, AND EMOTIONS. THE REST OF US JUST CLAP, SING, OR SIT BACK AND WATCH THE SHOW.

THEN THE SUN SETS AND THE DAY IS BASICALLY DONE. DINNER AT 7:00, THEN OFF TO THE INTERNET CAFE OR BACK TO YOUR ROOM FOR AN EARLY NIGHT.

The programs at Parmarth are also shockingly inexpensive compared to prices in the US. Plus you get the opportunity to live like a yogi, and not just moonlight as one on the weekends. They offer Yoga Teacher Training (200 Hours), Yoga Intensives, Kriya, Philosophy, Ayurveda, and more! If you want to find out more about it or just want to hang out in the yoga capital of the world, visit their website www.parmarth.com or send me a message on Facebook!