When you are visiting India for the first time, it might come to you as a surprise that the rules for using the toilet are a little bit different there. In many places, you will realize that there is no actual toilet to sit on. Instead, you will see an opening in the floor which will require mastering the squatting position.

Minimalist Yogi - traveling to India with very little and yet not missing anything.

This is by no means a list that could fit everyone's needs. It is just what we frequently take on our journeys.

Merriam-Webster defines Ashram as

1: a secluded dwelling of a Hindu sage; also :  the group of disciples instructed there

2: a religious retreat

So many come to India to find answers to life's persistent questions.

Who am I? What is my purpose in life? How to find happiness?

We look into the wisdom of the Vedas.

We try the yogic practices.

We cleanse with Ayurvedic panchakarmas.

We quiet our minds with meditation and energize our beings with chanting and mudras.

Is it helping us in our quest?

The fundamental realities of our stay in India can be quite overwhelmingly intense.