Dear Jeyamohan sir,
I am a 15 year old avid reader who’s mother is a very ardent follower of your books and blog, and grandmother who has also written you two letters of her experiences after following my mothers footsteps into your works. We have met and talked once in the past, though I’m quite sure you will not remember me amidst the throng of your admirers, even with the gargantuan memory you possess. I have two reasons for writing this short letter, to tell you about my time in the traditional yoga retreat in Nithyavanam last week, and because my mother thought it was essential I write to you about it.
I was the youngest in the 40 people who came to the yoga classes, and the only student. The surroundings were one of my favourites on this trip. I had made up my mind to climb to the peak of a mountain nearby, and so, between the two classes that happened in the afternoon, my father, his friend and I had gone almost fully up the mountain and then unknowingly started hiking the same length horizontally.
The yoga classes were unlike my school classes, as there was a carefree and open atmosphere, where any doubt was cleared within seconds and with proper, easy to understand explanations. The teacher taught us so well that he explained in detail about 10 asanas, breathing exercises and mind cleansing practices for the whole 2 and a half days. To ease up all the theory classes, we had a fun night of playing antakshari on the second night. We viewed the teacher as more of a friend or as a well wisher than an instructor, though he was quite good at it. I had a slight disadvantage due to my lack of familiarity of all Tamil words, but the subject was taught in a way that even I could understand the main essence of yoga, that it was something to be experienced and not something to be believed based on someone else’s journey. Overall, I wouldn’t mind being here again with no internet, if I could learn about new things that would make me a better version of myself in the future.
I also would like Soundar mama and his family, Saraswathi paatti, Anthiyur Mani uncle, and everyone who came there to know that I thank them for making my time in vellimalai a really enjoyable one.
Yours truly,
Dhanya Senthilkumar
