Never in my life had I imagined this…
Day 1 – Astana
We landed in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, filled with excitement and curiosity. The ICCR staff was waiting at the airport to warmly welcome us. From there, we drove to the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC). During the drive, we were told about Kazakhstan — how the city was built and the people who contributed to the Cultural Centre initiatives. Since it was my first visit to this country, I was curious about everything around me.
After reaching the Cultural Centre, we were shown our quarters and rested for a while before meeting the Director. Later, we attended an orientation meeting where we discussed the approach for the teaching tour and the next day’s session in Astana.
The next day, we met Dariga, the Embassy’s yoga teacher. We exchanged views on yoga, teaching methods, and our experiences. After that, we went to the main hall of the SVCC Centre where Dariga conducted her regular class, and we conducted a Pranayama session for around 20 participants. It was a wonderful experience — delivering my first Pranayama session in Astana felt truly special.
After the session, Dariga kindly showed us around the city. We visited a grand mosque where we were asked to wear blue hijabs that covered us completely. Inside the mosque, we sat quietly in meditation while others were offering namaz. It was a deeply peaceful experience.
Later, we visited the famous tower and ended the day with dinner, where once again we shared our thoughts on yoga and teaching.
When we returned to the Cultural Centre, we had the honour of meeting the Ambassador. In a short interaction, we informed him about the cities we would be travelling to during our teaching tour.
The next day, I started my journey to Ekibustuz in North Kazakhstan — a small but lovely town. This was the beginning of a completely different and meaningful journey in my life.
to be continued……there is more coming soon…
