I am so glad that I came to Zurich for a week to visit and stay with my yoga teacher, Barbara, who lives in Meilen with her partner, Martin, and one special cat, Mancha, in a historical home where her grandmother used to live. Her home was filled with so much positive energy that I felt at home the instant I got there. After being in the road for so long, it’s always nice to be in a homey environment.
I was staying in the guest bedroom on the second floor with views of her garden and blue sky with dotting mountains far away.
Downstairs she runs her yoga studio, “Anjaly Yoga Shala” which is simply a magical place to practice yoga and meditation. If you are in Zurich make sure to visit this tranquil center, which is just 20 mins by train. Also, in Meilen they have some beautiful easy hikes with waterfalls.
I’ve to say that when you’re in the company of an inspiring and adventurous teacher such as Barbara, one week can fly by so fast. She taught me so much and even pushed me to get out of my comfort zone.
Yogi Moments:
I got to attend and participate in her “Yoga by the lake” class which was the perfect setting while doing yoga in the morning overlooking Lake Zurich. After the class we had homemade tea that Barbara had prepared. Over a cup of tea, I got to know some lovely Swiss ladies.
My fear of biking on the streets prevented me from getting to the lake yoga class on time but I managed to get there by running. My main goal when I get back to SF, is to master biking skills.
The other day, I participated in her “Wise Yoga” class. This class was for elderly adults and I like that instead of calling it yoga for old people, she named it “Wise people Yoga.” I was impressed to see how flexible the group was and the use of props was a brilliant way to keep balance while making sure that the form is correct. It was definitely not an easy class. Her routine challenged them to do their best. After the class, we had tea in the garden and got to hear from each of them what they liked about the class and how they look forward to doing yoga every week.
She also taught me a Pranayama and Meditation sequence which I plan to do every morning because I was not only energized after this session but also had a calm and clear mind.
Lake Zurich Boatride and Sunset:
One afternoon when I came back home from Zurich, she messaged me to come to the lake harbor. Like the James Bond movies, she drove her speedboat close to the harbor and shouted, “jump,” without too much thinking I jumped on the hood of the boat as she coasted away from the harbor and into the middle of the lake. It surely was an adventure not to be missed. She swam in the lake while I stayed on the boat. May be it was fear or the sun, which made me a bit tensed. Also, a big mistake I made before coming to the lake was having a glass of milk.
Facing my fears and Acknowledging them, I believe is a great first step for me to take action to overcome. Next goal is to swim at least 3 days a week and get better with diving in the sea.
After some chill time in the lake we rode our boat to another town, parked it and went to the harbor cafe for a light dinner. Having food in my tummy did help me not feel sick when I was on the boat again. We went back in the middle of the lake to see the sun set before heading home.
Hiking in the Swiss Alps:
Barbara wanted to go for a hike on Saturday in the alps but I was a bit hesitant to do so because I didn’t have the proper hiking boots and the terrain seemed difficult to navigate. I promised to go if I could find the right shoes. She called “Lundi,” a store that carries mostly equipment and gears for farmers, and they did happen to have trekking shoes for a very reasonable price.
Since Barbara’s car was not available, I walked a mile to the local Lundi and was able to find a good pair of trekking shoes for just 40 francs. I put all my reservations and excuses on the side and was excited to go for the hike next day. Martin on the other hand opted to not join us.
We left at 8:30am in the morning and drove to Appenzell while it was foggy, parked our car at the base of Ebenalp and took the cable car.
From the summit, we walked down towards the cave where Neanderthals bones were discovered. Also, bears, leopards and others took refuge in the caves. The caves open up to the other side of the mountains with breathtaking views.
Even a priest and his wife lived here for 2 years. They built a chapel and a small room to live. Sitting in the cave chapel was a very peaceful and meditative experience.
From there we got to the Aescher restaurant which is built into the mountain and was featured in the National Geographic magazine. We shared a table with other tourists and enjoyed the spectacular view over dessert and hot chocolate. The sunny weather peekaboo was an added bonus.
We saw paragliders along with eagles soaring high in the sky. The views throughout this hike was simply breathtaking. We made sure to take lot of breaks to enjoy the view rather than rushing through the hike. It was definitely a “meditative visual hike!”
We hiked up and down through narrow paths passing waterfalls and got to a homestyle restaurant “Altenalp” and had the haystack soup and couple of cheeses made from raw milk in the farm.
We decided to walk down to “Seealpsee” which was not an easy task with the uneven high stone steps along the way. Thankfully metal ropes were attached to the rocks for ease in walking down. I took my own sweet time while Barbara could easily wizz through these steps, but was patient and didn’t rush me.
Once we got down, we decided to relax by the Seealpsee lake and have a cheese sandwich and apple, which we had packed. The water was freezing so dipping my feet for a minute was enough to give me chills. Lol
After a relaxing time by the lake, we walked towards our car, which was a nice 45 minutes walk through the farmlands.
On our way back home, we stopped at Appenzell town to checkout the beautiful houses and have the local brewed beer. Also, we were lucky to witness the local tradition of singing in rhythm to the sound made by a coin in a specially carved bowl.
On our ride back, we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets. Wow! Today was definitely a special day filled with adventure, overcoming fear, meditation and admiring nature’s beauty!
Being Grateful:
We also cooked lot of meals together which was a lot of fun. Martin made sure that we had dessert at the end of each dinner. For our last meal, I got for us a surprise dense chocolate cake from the local shop, which was heavenly. Since the weather was not so cold, we sat on the big swing in the terrace and Barbara lit a lot of candles.
What a beautiful time I had with these loving humans 🙂 and lets not forget “Mancha,” one special cat who knew that I was leaving so on the last day, she hops on the bed, to reclaim her authority. Instead of meowing, she talks more like a human child, her sounds are “Aay!” I will miss her company.
Thank you Barbara for opening your home and heart ❤️
Hina Rathod
October 7, 2019 at 5:48 amLiving dreams