“Scrape the surface and you might find…”
It feels a little like an addiction. When friends ask ‘Are you going to India again?’, I sheepishly nod and wonder why I keep going back...
Goa certainly does not have the most honourable reputation. As much as it is a protected, mostly catholic, rich coastal region with a pleasant climate and friendly residents, the decades of hippy travellers, followed by never ending parties, thumping trance music, drug use and abuse, has tainted some of the areas’ charm. Some of the beauty and purity has disappeared –inevitably- but parties are still happening, tourism ‘en-masse’ keeps growing, and Indian tourists view Goa as their escape from stressful city life. Drugs and alcohol, cheap tourism and lots of white flesh on display can also be an entertaining factor.
But there is still a more hidden part of Goa that many do not see. Look beyond the bars and loud music and you will find a more reasonable, pleasant and seducing life. A whole community of westerners living in Goa for many years, some on and off season, some throughout the monsoon. Like a subculture in a strangely built environment, this is where the ‘real’ Goa begins.
My favourite part of this scene lies within the sphere of yoga. This is possibly the main reason why I keep coming back. For most people, there is choice. Like many western hotspots in India, search and you will find any form, variation and brand of yoga or meditation. In Goa, this multiplies even more.
Choice is not necessarily a good thing however, especially for the beginner or a confused mind. From freestyle westernized yoga, to classic Hatha taught by Indians, intuitive dance and movement meditation, there are many options. Asthangis will find their home at YogaBones, Rolf Naujokat’s Shala, now located in Anjuna beach. It is possibly one of the few places that starts way before sunrise (here, at 6.45am) and remains open for self practice 5 days a week, throughout most of the monsoon. Old Style Asthanga, as Rolf would call it, attracts many students, willing to pay the high fee to study with one of the few certified teachers in the world. Strange that he has found his place in such a contrasted place like Goa. The rumour is that long ago, a handful of yogis (including Rolf) would practice on the beach at sunrise, while party goers would tumble down past them.
