The Road to Dharma

- Season 1

(2020)

The team, led by Anand, prepare for their motorcycle adventure to the four sacred peaks. The first practice ride is here in the birthplace of yoga, but it is not encouraging as monsoons are destroying roads and villages, Fred seems a liability and Ryan's seizures could be an issue.

Jen and Jeff's dream is to save their marriage on this journey, but it's clear they are in different mindsets from the beginning. We are reminded that Anand himself had a prophecy of death and his teachers and life adventures helped guide him to freedom. Heading towards Kedarnath, night's darkness sets in and Ryan sees someone "Flip over their handlebars..."

Our first glimpse of the first peak, Kedarnath, the temple of death. Anand reminds us that "What needs to die is part of the ego, fears, and comforts." Ken thinks people are riding recklessly, Mario takes his first spill, injuring his passenger Aizhan. Jeff 's comments further alienate Jen, but motivate her to rise up to greatness.

Ryan puts out prayer flags for those who helped finance his trip, a stark contrast to the ungrateful Elle caught in blame. Warm day quickly turns cold and many are complaining about wet bedding and frigid conditions. This is Kedarnath, going beyond fickle circumstances. Ken, the newbie to spirituality isn't so on board and his passenger Tiffany a mom with a 3 year-old, fears losing her life.

Emptiness and Power in the Gap. The stunning Tungnath Peak at 13,000 ft, the Feminine Temple above the Masculine. Ken goes from rational doubter to having an experience "beyond understanding" that relates to his deceased sister. Unfortunately, the experience is tainted by ignorance and the seemingly inspiring day is further marred when Anna has an accident.

Badrinath - Reverberating with thousands of years of yogic wisdom but Jeff won't even wear a helmet. "You try and talk to him, he won't listen to me," says Jen. The ebb and flow of relationships and how to sustain them is found here in Badrinath, the temple of Naryana, the sustainer. It isn't religious, it's about getting empty and receiving the wisdom of the sages in the great Himalayas.

Before Riding to the Hidden Valley of the Flowers, we get a rare view of the hidden life of the riders in this "real world of yogis" opening scene. This lightness contrasts a big incedent at the the following morning, setting the riders and Ryan up for some harsh truths about Power and passivity. True Power is yours to embrace. This is not a journey to feel better.

A rare in off the cuff dialogue with Anand at breakfast about his father and the true meaning of abundance, wealth, sex, power, fame... Then an epic hike up to 15,000 feet and a temple dedicated to service and unity at Hemkund Sahib and its glacial lake. Here, Tiffany and Elle are served great reminders of the teacher within.

The longest moto ride of the trip awaits, after a grueling 20 day journey and coming down from Hemkund Sahib, we ride to Rishikesh, where the journey began. But nightfall might set in and cause troubles and challenges. As we know, challenges reveal who we are and the Ganga River serves up a challenge for our narrator Adam, as he learns a deep lesson foretold in episode one. Is the Ganga a mother?

We finish at the Sacred Ganga River, where we began. The riders reflect on their journey and the idea of freedom has set in fully. It is our responsibility for choosing how we see the world. To embrace this power, It takes courage, discipline and strength. Something as Sacred as Freedom demands our totality. Thankfully, we are greater than we can imagine.