The rocks are smooth underfoot and the warm wind gently flutters the material through my light Kafkan top as I concentrate on standing on one foot and trying to copy Dileep's movements. The sun is setting over the Arabian Sea and the next few minutes are exhilarating and unforgettable. It requires complete focus of the mind to hold the pose through the calming yoga sequence.
I am in Kerala, India for two weeks Ayurvedic treatment. Yoga and Ayurveda go hand in hand. There is a belief in Ayurveda that health comes from a combination of body and mind. I met Dileep, a tuc tuc driver a few days ago and discovered that he is also a talented yoga teacher. He now drives tuc tucs in Kerala for a living. Yoga at the resort is good enough but I had a vision of practising yoga by the sea to complete the experience. So I asked Dileep to take me and my friend Roxanna to a beach somewhere so we could do yoga and be completely immersed in a peaceful and quiet setting.
Yoga, I believe, is one of the best forms of exercise both physically and mentally. To be convinced of this you only need to look at the strength and serenity of those who practice yoga regularly.
So this is how I came to practice yoga ( not perfectly ) on the rocks. One of my goals is to practise yoga in other equally quiet and stunning locations throughout the world!