8 Insights from living in a Spiritual Yoga Community (Ashram)
So yeah, if you didn’t already know, I decided to live in a yoga ashram commune with 30+ other people in NSW for 4 months in 2022. The ashram is called Govinda Valley.
What is an ashram exactly?
An ashram is a spiritual retreat associated with Hinduism, where residents can focus primarily on spiritual practices away from temptations in normal society.
I won’t lie, it started out as a way for me to practice daily yoga while also testing the waters of leaving my full-time job to pursue my creative passions.
But it ended up becoming a deeply spiritual immersive experience that has influenced the direction of my life forever.
My daily routine involved waking up at 4:30am, 2 hours of yoga and breathwork in a candle-lit studio, a 1-hour spiritual philosophy class, volunteering work, and ending each day with afternoon meditation before dinner.
At times, I lost track of time, days, weeks, and felt as though I was pure energy with minimal desires for anything other than just being.
So how did I change exactly from this experience?
#1 My emotions and nervous system became less reactive - leading to less anxiety triggering events enabling me to be more present in my relationships.
#2 My lifelong challenges with psoriasis (if you know, you know) literally disappeared.
#3 My identity became stronger, filling me with more confidence to follow my intuition and back myself on my gut feelings.
#4 I developed discipline by giving up coffee, alcohol, and waking up before the sunrise to practice spiritual practices, giving me confidence to achieve my goals.
#5 I developed more self-awareness and mental strategies to stand on my own two feet, weakening my co-dependency tendencies.
#6 I developed daily discipline, stronger values, detach from my emotions, accept my reality.
#7 My pursuit of fulfilment became my focus instead of security, money, status, or traditional success - trusting that the universe will keep me safe as I venture into the world.
#8 My lifestyle has become a lot more relaxed and balanced - I don’t feel as many urges to go to every single social event or drink to have fun because my cup already feels pretty full.
There are so many blessings that have come from this ashram experience that I will never be able to adequately express or explain.
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So now you know the benefits, I wanted to share some simple ways you can also develop a deeper sense of self and wellness.
#1 IF YOU CAN - I highly recommend volunteering to live at Govinda Valley for 3 months surrounded by beautiful forests and ocean.
In exchange for 4 hours volunteer work each day (known as seva), you get PRICELESS LIFE EDUCATION, but also free yummy healthy vegan food, accomodation, and daily classes.
#2 IF you cannot commit to a 3 month immersion program listed above, I recommend attending local spiritual philosophy and meditation classes at Hare Krishna community centres around Australia.
#3 Start practicing daily yoga for 20-30-minutes as soon as you wake up before you start your day. I recommend YouTuber Adrienne’s 30-day challenges.
If you are time poor, the physical practice of yoga will easily incorporate elements of breath-work and mindfulness into a single practice.
This is how I got started before progressing to hot yoga studios (also highly recommend).
Her 30 day challenges help you build on foundation skills and I saw a massive improvement from Day 1 to 30.
She also has a range of time-based playlists:
Under 10 Minute Yoga Classes
10-20 Minute Yoga Classes
20-30 Minute Yoga Classes
30-45 Minute Yoga Classes
#4 Journal - I repeat, JOURNAL!
Journaling is the core reason I have not felt the need to see my Psychologist in a very very long time and have learnt more about myself.
AND it is a powerful self reflection tool to use if you are hoping to register as a psychologist. It will help you become a better clinician.
Just grab a cheap or personalised journal from stationary shops like Etsy or Office-works.
#5 Access and listen to meditation and hypnotherapy audio when you subscribe to our Community Hub for only $17 a month or purchase our Holistic Wellbeing Package. I invested $1,800 of my own money to create these resources designed by qualified wellness practitioners.
#6 Experiment with giving up alcohol and coffee for 1 month. See how you look, think, or feel after your system has become clear of all stimulants and toxins.
#7 Read How to Do the Work by Dr Nicole LePera.
This book changed my life and how I engage with the world and see myself and is a MUST READ for those seeking to heal from trauma or identify recurring mental or behaviour patterns that they wish to change.
I hope this email helps you on you quest for fulfilment and a happier life.
Maybe one day I will write a book, but for now, I guess these emails will have to do.
Love Freya :)
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