On August 6, something very unexpected happened. I received an email that told me that the teacher I was planning to do a 200-hour teacher training with this coming October—an American man living in Singapore named Scott Orton—suddenly died. He was young and healthy and there was no explanation for his death. Though I had felt a connection with him, I knew little about his life, except that he had studied yoga at the Sivananda Yoga Farm. This past weekend, I decided to head up there.

Founded by Swami Vishnu-devananda, a direct disciple of Sivananda himself, the Yoga Farm is on a wide, sprawling piece of land in Grass Valley. Ashram living—and visiting—is regimented, but not rigid. The daily schedule (6am-10pm), consists of two simple asana classes, two meditation/satsang sessions that incorporate devotional chanting, a daily lecture on a particular topic, and two amazing vegetarian meals.

Swami Sita, the senior teacher at the ashram, is a devout practitioner and a strong presence there. She gave a couple of dharma talks that were quite captivating about positive thinking, devotion, and karma; she also talked to me personally about Scott, which was a blessing as it helped me to move on from a place of grieving to a place of understanding.

The place is magical, and what makes it so is not only the land and the gracious staff, but the other visitors. Some were studying to be Sivananda yogis, but many were just there to practice ashram living and retreat for a while from their regular lives. With all of the programs offered there, the nearby Yoga Farm functions as a retreat, a school, and a journey (both physical and spiritual) all at once. Next time you have a free weekend, I would strongly recommend visiting. Just make sure you leave the city by 1pm on a Friday to beat the crazy I-80 traffic.