I have left the ashram and am on my way back to Hangzhou. How grateful I feel at this moment! My energy, concentration, patience, and overall sense of well being has increased dramatically! Never before had I consistently eaten so healthy, woke up early, practiced yoga and meditation, limited my sexual thoughts, and sang devotional songs. I am truly inspired and am looking forward to integrating these practices into my daily life.

I expected this. I knew I would return with a better understanding of how to live a healthy life.

What I didn't expect is that, for the first time in my life, I am interested in God. I discovered all the wonderful feelings I am having are merely side effects and that the main point of yogic living, and the Vedanta philosophy on which it is based, is God realization.

One thing above all that I will take from this experience is the slight twist in wording that I have so long rejected. Instead of saying "There is only one God," Vedanta states, "There is only God." When I first heard the swami say this about a week into the course I was rattled.

The concept is totally inconceivable. I came to learn this is exactly the point. Vedanta asserts that the rational mind cannot possibly understand God. Therefore, in order to understand God one must transcend the rational mind. Instead of being irrational, which means to draw false conclusions, one must be non-rational, which which means to stop thinking.

The concept of the non-rational approach merely shows the way. To slow down the mind and eventually transcend it, you have to do the practice. "An ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory," said Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), the founder of the particular lineage of yoga I was learning. Nonetheless, I am glad to know the theory behind the practice. It helps to explain the feeling of other-worldliness I often have at the end of a really good yoga class and, ironically, the non-rational approach seems to be the most rational approach to religion. May not be what everyone needs, but it works for me!

Oh, and how about that cow with the painted horns!!!