Acclimatation with yoga treks around Leh Ladakh
This program is organised by The hotel Leh Chen, upper Changspa, Leh Ladakh
1:The gardens and the hills around Leh: 1 day
2:The rocky deserts: 1 day
3: The sand slopes: 1 day
4: Detoxication trek: 1 day
5: Trek to the snow line: 1 day
6: Trek around Hemis monastery: 1 day
Acclimatize faster with yoga
Photos Gallery of Eric Lon
What is "yogatrekking"? Click on the question to get the answer
During summer it is raining almost everywhere in Himalaya, except in Northern India: Ladakh, Zanskar and Spiti. Trekking under the rain is unpleasant and traveling on the roads affected by the landslides is dangerous. Better to travel and to trek in the 3 summer paradises whithout rain.
In Ladakh, 2010 is getting affected by the "Global Warming". The sky is no more as clear as during the previous summer.
Yoga and trekking in altitude: Ladakh.
Trekking in Ladakh, Zanskar and in Spiti is a bit similar to trek in Tibet because the of the height, the landscapes and the Tibetan Buddhist culture which are comparables. When you land at Leh - Ladakh you are immediately around 3500 meters above sea level. Better to stay for few days at this elevation and to start getting acclimatized with half day treks including daily classes of Himalayan yoga and foot massage.
Himalayan yoga is a good way to get a faster acclimatization. In the high mountains there is less oxygen but more energy in the air. The yogis call it "prana". Pranayama is the way to catch and to use this energy with breathing yoga exercises.
Foot massage is perfect for the trekkers because they are walking on different kinds of terrains, mainly rocky pathes.
There are many easy treks around Leh which are perfect to combine yoga and trekking, even if you do not know anything about yoga.
You can choose a trekking group connected with your age.
If you are over fifty, it is a perfect age for trekking together without rushing. We organize our treks to adapt the rhythm to the participants of same age. Eric Lon is sixty years old and he is walking quietly... You can follow him.
An "anti yoga man". Trek with yoga to trek easily: this is the concept of Eric Lon, but the President of "All Ladakh Tour Operators", who is not practising yoga, is telling that yoga has nothing to do in Ladakh. This high man is not properly educated: he is confusing yoga and massage. More information will come soon.
Shanti Yoga at Leh Ladakh
The Himalayan Yoga Center is located at the hotel Leh Chen, upper Changspa road, close to Shanti Stupa, Leh. Phone: 94 19 17 86 51 and: 98 58 99 33 43
Eric Lon, is invited by the hotel Leh Chen to provide yoga services in order to make the tourist discovering more easily Leh by foot.
Eric Lon, in addition to be a certified French physiotherapist is also the President of a French registered association created in 2005: www.yogatrekking.com
His aim is to combine yoga and trekking to trek more efficiently in the mountains.
Since May 2010 Eric Lon teaches for free Himalayan yoga to the hostels' students of Landom school, Leh and at Sindh Public Shool. He also teaches free yoga to the kids at Leh Chen to demonstrate that yoga has nothing to do with the wrong ideas of the President of " All Ladakh Tour Operators".
In 2006 Eric Lon has already taught for free yoga and foot massage to the novice monks of Kaza monastery, in Spiti. He also gave free yoga lessons at Yongling kindergarten school, at Mcleodganj Dharamsala, as well as at TCV, a school whose the Principal is the younger sister of HH the Dalai Lama.
Easy yoga treks around Leh
Price per day, per person, without accomodation: 90 $ or 75 E
The price includes:
A trekking guide English spoken
Lunch packet with drinks
Shanti yoga adapted to the trek
Transportation when necessary
These half day treks, with Himalayan yoga are ideal to acclimatize to the height, 3500 meters, when you arrive in Ladakh. They are a preparation to any longer yoga trek, and they can be connected with a yoga detoxication program at the hotel Leh Chen.
This outdoor yoga program is unique in Ladakh.
These treks are visible through the photos of Eric Lon on: www.flickr.com
1: The gardens of Leh
This easy trek starts from the hotel Leh Chen and it goes to the northern part of Leh trough greenish oasis, fields and small ways, very quiet.
The first yoga stop is at "Shanti Stupa". This holly Buddhist place is located on a small hill. The panoramic view of Leh valley is gorgeous. It is a perfect place for awaking the body and the mind energy with the rising sun. Himalayan yoga is done on a dynamic way, like the sun salutations. Anybody can practice Himalayan yoga.
Tisserru Stupa is a National Monument close to the gardens of Leh. An open air theater is under construction close by, and the rock formations are very nice. Some cliffs have so many lichens that they are orange. It is like trekking in another world.
Samkar Gompa is located amongst the trees and the Head Lama of Ladakh is living close by. Very few tourists know about this nice place.
A beautiful small village surrounded by fields and trees is located on a small hill: Gompa village. This is a yoga stop, with a panoramic view.
From the top a rocky trail leads to the ruins of the ancient village and monastery. There are many wild hares and birds.A small river with crystal clear water is perfect to start learning self foot massage. Massage is banned from Leh Ladakh, but foot massage has nothing to do with "dangerous massage", as the in the disturbed mind of the "boss" of Tourism in Leh Ladakh.
The way back to Leh is amongst the fields, following a river.
This is a half day trek.
If you want, we can walk up to Tsemo fort, a medieval place with the greatest panorama of Leh. A final step can be the Palace of the Kings of Ladakh, and the visit of the Buddhist gompas which are close by the Kings' Palace.
2: Scale the hills around Leh.
Leh is surrounded by many rocky peaks. The highest peaks are snow capped. When they are acclimatized, many trekkers are scaling Stock Kangri, 6123 meters.
Most of the tourists are afraid to trek off roads by themselves. Guided by a Ladakhi guide they are improving their acclimatizing and their technique to walk on the rolling stones. The right use of the trekking sticks is improving on these rocky trails.
The arrival to each small pass is a perfect opportunity to stretch with Himalayan yoga and to breathe more deeply with Pranayama exercises.
Most of the city people are not used to harmonize their breathing and their walking. Shanti yoga helps to adapt breathing to the trek.
The itinerary will be chosen by the guide in adaptation to the trekkers.
Trek to Lamdon hill
This trail leads to the highest hill above Lamdon school without technical difficulty, and it leads back to the gardens of Leh by the same itinerary. Yoga is proposed on a high cimented terrace offers a panoramic view of the gardens of Leh as well as the snow capped mountains of Khardung La range. Bringing Tibetan prayer flags on the highest point of a trek is well connected with the Buddhist uses in Ladakh, even if the trekkers are not Buddhists.
This half day yoga trek is available for anyone who wants to gain height before to trek higher. Better to start trekking early morning when the trail is in the shade.
An option for experienced trekkers, following the entire Lamdon' crest, with a local guide, is also possible.
Trek to Sabu La hill
Trek around a hill, crossing small passes in order to adapt to the rocky slopes of Leh Ladakh, and practice yoga at the passes, to breathe more easily in altitude. This yoga trek offers gorgeous panorama.
An option for the experienced trekkers is to follow the highest crest, with impressive views of Leh and the mountains, and then to descend by a sandy slopes. A local guide is necessary on this aerial itinerary.
Half day trek
Option: Trek from Sabu village to Leh
Early morning, drive twenty minutes by taxi from Leh to Sabu Model Village. Visit of the Sabu monastery, then the ruins of the medieval village before to reach the new monastery. Cross the village by foot, discovering many chortens in the gardens.
Trek about two hours out of the village, through gorges and small passes without any technical difficulties. Arrival at Leh by the eastern side with a great panormama. This is an easy trek ideal for the beginners.
Final trek on a crest is an option for the experienced trekkers.
3: The sand slopes: walk or ski...
Along the Indus Valley they are many sand slopes on the mountains.
If you are used to enjoy cross country skiing on the snow you may bring your old Nordic equipment. Skiing up and down on the sand is easy and fun, and it activates your physical preparation before trekking.
After enjoying sand skiing you may offer your old ski gear to your trekking agency in order to create the first sand skiing club in Ladakh.
Eric Lon has created several dune skiing clubs in the Sahara and in Namibia and he hopes sand ski will start in Ladakh.
Please have a look to his photos skis sets, including "ski everywhere": www.flickr.com
Shey monastery, close to Leh, where the Kings'Palace is interesting to visit and it offers small slopes of sand where you could enjoy sand ski... Then you can walk up a big sand slope with a gorgeous panorama, and walk down. There are wild goats looking like antelopes in this area. It is perfect to acclimatize by foot or by ski.
One half day trek with Shanti yoga, or longer if you want to combine it with the visit of Tiksey monastery, close by Shey monastery.
One vehicle is needed to go and to come back to your hotel.
The Nubra valley, 100 km north to Leh, crossing Khardung La pass by car, 5600 meters, has small dunes where camel safaris are organized. It is a nice place for skiing on sand. It is part of a 3 days trip with is the top for acclimatization.
4: detoxication with yoga at Leh Chen
If you feel tired, intoxicated by your daily city life, if you are addicted to smoke or to drink, you can start cleaning your body and your mind with our detoxication yoga program at the hotel Leh Chen.
In addition to Shanti Yoga on the terrace of the hotel you will learn and practice outdoor the specific easy exercices whic allow to clean both the body and the mind. Once you know how to practice, you can repeat these exercices at home to keep fit all year round.
Two yoga cleansing exercises:
Neti krya and Varisara krya
Neti krya is a natural way to clean the nose with salty water and a special yoga pot called "jalneti". Anybody can do it immediatly, with great health benefits. It reduces the sinus problems and the headaches related with obstructed airpath. There is no risks of side effects. When you know the right way to do it, you can daily practice at home.
Varisara krya is a natural way to clean the digestive system by drinking salty water, doing 4 easy yoga exercises, and to reject the water by the anus. Better to practice for the first time under control of an experienced yogi, and then you can repeat at home when you like, using it as a :"karsher" to clean the intestines from the toxins blocked in the curves for long.
This digestive cleansing is extremely powerful because it activates the immune defense system and it gives more energy to all the digestive organs.
A specific diet program is recommended one day before and two days after practising. The hotel Leh Chen will provide you the best organic food connected with the detoxication program. It is able to change the bad food habits into healthy diet providing a better health, and reducing extra fat by activating the deep muscles.
The positive side effects of Varisara krya
The smokers are reducing their consumption of cigarettes as well as the drinkers are less attracted by alchool. The same effects are noticed for any addiction because when the body is clean it does not like to become intoxicated again. It is not a question of the will power but a mechanical body effect. Practising physical yoga exercising, including breathing yoga exercices empower the effects of the cleansing for long.
The Ladakh abricot pure juice is a local product of Ladakh which brings vitamins and mineral. It is rejuvenating both for the skin and for the inner body. The apricot oil is perfect for massage. There are different kinds of dry apricots to make a Health Cure at Home.
Look at these krya yoga exercices done by Eric Lon on his Flickr photo set: "Yogas with s". Each photo has a comment in English and in French.
Price all included for 4 to 5 pax: 165 $ or 140 Euros
Compare the prices: at Paris, a yoga detoxication session takes 2 hours and cost 120 Euros
This detoxication yoga program is ideal at your arrival in Ladakh, before to start a longer trek. It is also useful before to go back home after trekking.
Contact: ericlon@hotmail.fr
5: A yoga day trek to Snow Line: 5600
The more accessible snow line around Leh is located at Kardhung La: 5600 meters.
This is the highest motorable road in the world. Many people cross it on the way to Nubra Valley. Generally they stop only to take a photo, because they are not used to such a height.
We propose a trip at Kardhung La for acclimatization with Himalayan yoga, around 5600 meters of height, before to scale a higher peak, like Stok Kangri: 6123 meters.
Even if you are not intending to scale a mountain, you can join our guided day trek to experiment the effects of walking in the snow at this height.
Technically, it is not difficult but it is a high trek.
The breathing techniques of Himalayan yoga are useful to adapt to the height.
The panoramic view on both sides of Kardhung La range is gorgeous.
This high trek is only for fit people.
If you have more time for your acclimatization, it is highly recommended to take part in our 3 days trek to Nubra Valley, with two treks around Kardhung La.
Bring your passport one day in advance to apply for the Inner Line Permit.
Price for 3 to 5 people: 115 $ or 99 Euros
The price includes:
The day trekking permit.
Transport in private vehicle from Leh to Kardhung La and back.
Pack lunch with breakfast and lunch, and hot drinks.
An experienced English speaking guide.
Himalayan Yoga adapted to trek.
The price does not include:
Your personal insurance.
Your trekking equipment.
This program can be realised for one or two persons, with higher rate. It can be adapted to the wishes of a specific group.
Contact: ericlon@hotmail.fr
6: A yoga day trek at Hemis Monastery
Hemis monastery is the biggest monastery around Leh. It is very interesting to visit, including his big museum and his open air mural paintings gallery.
Hemis is located at the foot hill of an impressive mountain range.
One hour walking in a nice gorge leads to a smaller monastery: Gotsang, built around a holly cave. One additional hour leads to a pass, with a panoramic view on Indus Valley.
There is no technical difficulty on the trail. Having trekking sticks is useful.
This day trek is for any trekker.
Himalayan yoga helps to reach this top with a better shape.
Price for 3 to 5 people: 100 $ or 80 Euros
The price includes:
Transport 100 km in private vehicle: Leh – Hemis – Leh.
Entrance fees of Hemis monastery and museum.
Pack lunch including drinks.
Experienced English speaking guide.
Himalayan yoga adapted to trek.
Option: Visit of Stakna monastery
This smaller monastery is located on a hill, close to the Indus River. Less tourists are visiting it despite he is nice. We can visit it on the way back to Leh.
Tiksey and Shey monasteries are also on the way back to Leh.
In a day trip it is possible to combine the trek to Hemis Gotsang with the visit of the other monasteries.
Lodging and fooding. The hotel Leh Chen can provide you everything, but you can stay in a guest house close to Shanti Stupa.
Contact: ericlon@hotmail.fr