Thursday, January 29, 2009
DAY 23 - Namaste, Guruji
Today I catch a glimpse of Guruji for the first time since I've been here! I'm so happy to see him; it's a beautiful moment, and rare right now. I've been wondering if I would get to see him, and feeling very grateful for the opportunity I had to meet him in Florida last May, because I know that I probably will not have that chance here. But still, I have to admit, I've really been hoping to see Guruji since I moved into this house. The balcony across from my room looks right onto the shala and their home, and I know he sits outside on the patio sometimes. I look out the window every single time I walk by it, and today, I'm rewarded with a beautiful sight! As I pause and gaze out the window at him peacefully sitting alone, everything else fades away and I feel totally at peace myself, happy and full of love and so present in this perfect moment here in India.
DAY 22 - Rest and Relaxation
I'm doing nothing today, off practice with no plans, so I sleep in and then decide to head to the hotel pool early and spend the afternoon there. My girlfriend got a pedicure at the hotel spa last week and her feet were actually clean for a few minutes - sounds simple, I know, but clean feet are nearly impossible here - and I think I'll do the same while I'm there today. When I walk outside I see a friend having a coconut outside the shala so I grab one, too, (nice breakfast!) and join her for a minute. Our friend Darius comes over and asks for my email and says he's leaving tomorrow; he was only here for 3 weeks. I'm really surprised that it's time for him to go home. Have 3 weeks gone by already? It reminds me of how quickly my time here will pass... better appreciate every moment! I get to the pool before 10am and I'm the first person there; it's so still and peaceful. The area around the pool is shady this early in the morning and it's not too hot yet, just a beautiful, warm, quiet morning and a few minutes alone so soak it all in.
DAY 21 - Monkeys and Elephants and Boars, Oh My!
It's a new moon today and also a national holiday, Republic Day. Melissa and I have planned a day trip to Bandipur, a National Wildlife Reserve about 2 hours out of Mysore. It's an interesting drive: long and very hot, with heavy traffic, construction, and really bad roads. We're both downing motion sickness remedies and fidgiting with too many layers of baggy clothes and scarves. When we get there we realize we're the only visitors on our safari bus who are not Indian, so we are getting as many looks as the exotic wildlife. I guess I'm their glimpse of the rare blond species, ha!
On the safari ride, we find that they are doing some kind of controlled burning in the reserve that is totally smoking us out, and all the animals, too. Hmmm... In the areas away from the smoke and fire we do get to see some animals: there are monkeys who drink out of water and juice bottles like humans, wild boar, spotted deer, some kind of big bird, a large mystery animal kind of like a deer but bigger and darker (big bird and snufalufagus!), black-faced monkeys with long, light fur, and best of all, an elephant taking a bath! She is splashing around in the water and exclaiming, making all kinds of noise and apparently having loads of fun. It's pretty awesome, she's the highlight of the trip!
So, the park was a nice day trip, but seeing animals are actually a common part of everyday life here in India. Here's a list of things I've seen: cows (cows walking in the road, cows laying on the sidewalk, cows eating out of trash bins, big cows, little cows, baby cows, bright yellow cows, cows wearing flowers, cows happily eating beautiful flower garlands off the front of parked buses). Also lots of dogs, who all kind of look the same and seem happy and are incredibly brave when running across the street through crazy traffic, and they like to take naps on the side of the road when it gets really hot. We also have a dog that hangs around the shala, he comes into the courtyard in the morning while we are waiting on led days and wines and nudges us until we pet him. Sheep, loads and loads of sheep, and on the way home from Bandipur I saw a tiny little baby one drinking from it's mama, so sweet! Wild boar, often seen in families with baby boar, and I hear they can get protective so I try to steer clear. Monkeys, naughty monkeys! On Chamundi Hill, one walked up to my friend Emma, reached out, and took her juice right out of her hand! Horses, one just laying down for an afternoon rest next to the coconut stand, and also, most memorably, a very small horse just trotting down the middle of a busy street along with all the crazy traffic one night. People riding camels. People riding an elephant. And last (my least favorite), cockroaches so big that they seem more like small animals than insects. I'm sure the list will keep growing...
On the safari ride, we find that they are doing some kind of controlled burning in the reserve that is totally smoking us out, and all the animals, too. Hmmm... In the areas away from the smoke and fire we do get to see some animals: there are monkeys who drink out of water and juice bottles like humans, wild boar, spotted deer, some kind of big bird, a large mystery animal kind of like a deer but bigger and darker (big bird and snufalufagus!), black-faced monkeys with long, light fur, and best of all, an elephant taking a bath! She is splashing around in the water and exclaiming, making all kinds of noise and apparently having loads of fun. It's pretty awesome, she's the highlight of the trip!
So, the park was a nice day trip, but seeing animals are actually a common part of everyday life here in India. Here's a list of things I've seen: cows (cows walking in the road, cows laying on the sidewalk, cows eating out of trash bins, big cows, little cows, baby cows, bright yellow cows, cows wearing flowers, cows happily eating beautiful flower garlands off the front of parked buses). Also lots of dogs, who all kind of look the same and seem happy and are incredibly brave when running across the street through crazy traffic, and they like to take naps on the side of the road when it gets really hot. We also have a dog that hangs around the shala, he comes into the courtyard in the morning while we are waiting on led days and wines and nudges us until we pet him. Sheep, loads and loads of sheep, and on the way home from Bandipur I saw a tiny little baby one drinking from it's mama, so sweet! Wild boar, often seen in families with baby boar, and I hear they can get protective so I try to steer clear. Monkeys, naughty monkeys! On Chamundi Hill, one walked up to my friend Emma, reached out, and took her juice right out of her hand! Horses, one just laying down for an afternoon rest next to the coconut stand, and also, most memorably, a very small horse just trotting down the middle of a busy street along with all the crazy traffic one night. People riding camels. People riding an elephant. And last (my least favorite), cockroaches so big that they seem more like small animals than insects. I'm sure the list will keep growing...
Monday, January 26, 2009
DAY 20 - Another Day Off
It feels strange to go back to sleep this morning while everyone gets up and goes to practice, but I'm off for a few days. I know this will be a good opportunity to settle into my new room, rest, and catch up on a few things I need to do. I get up and start to unpack, hanging up my crumpled clothes and organizing my stuff. This is starting to feel more like home already! Maybe later I will get a little electric kettle (and another new mug!) so I can make tea in my room.
I head out on a nice, long walk to Barista, a Starbucks-type place where I've heard they have wireless internet. I figure I can avoid the huge after-practice breakfast scene that will be going on at Santosha and respond to some emails. Of course, I keep running into friends on the way and stopping to chat, so the 15-20 minute walk takes well over an hour. It seems funny to me now that when I got here I was afraid I'd be lonely! When I get there, I find out they don't have wireless at this location, only at the Barista in Mysore. Oh well. I'm pretty hot from the walk and order an iced mocha (yes, I know, dessert coffee for breakfast? Bad lady! I have started drinking coffee here, once in a while... hopefully it will not turn into a habit that follows me home). A girl walks in and asks if I am here for some kind of club, which I'm not, but we sit down and chat while she waits for her friends and I wait for my coffee. When the kind barista guy brings it I sort of shake it, rattling the ice, and then set it on the table. He comes back and tells me I can take the lid off and stir it. "Okay, thank you," I say, and then I guess since I'm not doing that, he proceeds to take the lid off my drink, take my straw in his hand, and stir it. "That's great, thanks," I say, trying to get him to stop, but he continues to stir it for a long time. A long, looooong time. The girl and I exchange surprised looks... Ha! It's pretty funny but I'm not sure what to do, because I don't want to drink out of that straw now, and then it suddenly occurs to me that I probably shouldn't have ordered something with ice, anyway. I haven't seen anything with ice in it since I've been here, not even at the pool at the fancy hotel. Hmmm... What to do? Every moment, even at the "Indian Starbucks," is some kind of interesting experience here!
After Barista, I walk down the street to Loyal World, a grocery and shop where I think I might be able to get a little kettle and a few things for my room. The guard stops me and wants me to leave my backpack, which has my laptop in it. No way, Jose! I've found that if I just say no they'll usually let me take my bag into places, but today this guy isn't giving in. I'm not giving in either, so I'll have to do my shopping later. I head back to the patio at Barista, sit outside for a few minutes, and catch up on my blog entries.
Well, that's another morning in Mysore. 2.5 hours later, pretty much all I've done is walk up the street, buy a coffee that I can't drink, buy another coffee that I do drink, walk to a store that I don't shop in, and now it's time to head home since I've made plans to meet a friend for lunch. What a luxury to have this kind of time to wander! It's a beautiful day and I'm happy to be here and to have the opportunity to spend my days this way for a while. It may not always be easy, but it sure is an amazing experience!
I head out on a nice, long walk to Barista, a Starbucks-type place where I've heard they have wireless internet. I figure I can avoid the huge after-practice breakfast scene that will be going on at Santosha and respond to some emails. Of course, I keep running into friends on the way and stopping to chat, so the 15-20 minute walk takes well over an hour. It seems funny to me now that when I got here I was afraid I'd be lonely! When I get there, I find out they don't have wireless at this location, only at the Barista in Mysore. Oh well. I'm pretty hot from the walk and order an iced mocha (yes, I know, dessert coffee for breakfast? Bad lady! I have started drinking coffee here, once in a while... hopefully it will not turn into a habit that follows me home). A girl walks in and asks if I am here for some kind of club, which I'm not, but we sit down and chat while she waits for her friends and I wait for my coffee. When the kind barista guy brings it I sort of shake it, rattling the ice, and then set it on the table. He comes back and tells me I can take the lid off and stir it. "Okay, thank you," I say, and then I guess since I'm not doing that, he proceeds to take the lid off my drink, take my straw in his hand, and stir it. "That's great, thanks," I say, trying to get him to stop, but he continues to stir it for a long time. A long, looooong time. The girl and I exchange surprised looks... Ha! It's pretty funny but I'm not sure what to do, because I don't want to drink out of that straw now, and then it suddenly occurs to me that I probably shouldn't have ordered something with ice, anyway. I haven't seen anything with ice in it since I've been here, not even at the pool at the fancy hotel. Hmmm... What to do? Every moment, even at the "Indian Starbucks," is some kind of interesting experience here!
After Barista, I walk down the street to Loyal World, a grocery and shop where I think I might be able to get a little kettle and a few things for my room. The guard stops me and wants me to leave my backpack, which has my laptop in it. No way, Jose! I've found that if I just say no they'll usually let me take my bag into places, but today this guy isn't giving in. I'm not giving in either, so I'll have to do my shopping later. I head back to the patio at Barista, sit outside for a few minutes, and catch up on my blog entries.
Well, that's another morning in Mysore. 2.5 hours later, pretty much all I've done is walk up the street, buy a coffee that I can't drink, buy another coffee that I do drink, walk to a store that I don't shop in, and now it's time to head home since I've made plans to meet a friend for lunch. What a luxury to have this kind of time to wander! It's a beautiful day and I'm happy to be here and to have the opportunity to spend my days this way for a while. It may not always be easy, but it sure is an amazing experience!
DAY 19 - Saturday is Rest Day
TGI Saturday, our day off practice! Mine will consist of breakfast, pool, and dinner. I haven't unpacked in my new place yet, but it's hot and the pool is calling!
Today is a day of lovely conversations... there's always a lot of talking here, but today I have a couple of moments at breakfast, and then at the pool, where I find myself in a really touching conversation with someone and remember how lucky I am to be here, sharing this incredible experience with all these beautiful people, learning from them and growing together. I feel grateful for this opportunity and for each new friend I have met. It makes me think that I should spend more time just hanging out with the people I really love when I get home; what kind of conversations would we share if we opened up this kind of time to spend together?
When I get back after dinner, I have another typical India experience. For those of you who have never been here, this is a pretty funny example of what it's like to be here: I decide to make some tulsi tea, and take out the new mug I bought myself today. It's got a crusty ring inside it, as if it was partly filled with murky water that sat in it for about 2 weeks. I figure, no problem, I've got to wash it anyway, and I wash it with water and soap with my hands. The ring doesn't budge. Hmmm. I guess I'll have to unpack some of my stuff to find a sponge. I find a soft one and scrub it again. The dye is coming out of the sponge but the mug is not getting any cleaner. Hmmm. I'm sure I've bought an abrasive sponge as well, so I'll have to unpack some more. I finally find it and scrub the mug and - success! - the mug is now clean enough to drink out of. I go downstairs to the kitchen and find that it's the dirtiest one I've seen so far. Yikes! I look for a pot and discover that none of them have handles, but one has a metal stub where the handle used to be attached. I struggle to light the burner with the spark thing and then put on some water. When it's boiled, I realize that I will have to grab what appears to be the least disgusting of the 3 very grimy kitchen towels so I can lift the hot, handleless pot, and then I burn my fingers a little. I pour the water into my clean mug and turn around to hang the dirty towel back up where it came from. When I return to the mug, I notice water all over the counter. I didn't think I had spilled... oh, no! My new mug has split open; it cracked down the side when I poured in the hot water. About an hour after this tea-making process began, I find that my tea is spilling all over the counter. Ha! I'm pretty bummed, but have to laugh at the situation. This is what it's like to try to do something simple in India!
Today is a day of lovely conversations... there's always a lot of talking here, but today I have a couple of moments at breakfast, and then at the pool, where I find myself in a really touching conversation with someone and remember how lucky I am to be here, sharing this incredible experience with all these beautiful people, learning from them and growing together. I feel grateful for this opportunity and for each new friend I have met. It makes me think that I should spend more time just hanging out with the people I really love when I get home; what kind of conversations would we share if we opened up this kind of time to spend together?
When I get back after dinner, I have another typical India experience. For those of you who have never been here, this is a pretty funny example of what it's like to be here: I decide to make some tulsi tea, and take out the new mug I bought myself today. It's got a crusty ring inside it, as if it was partly filled with murky water that sat in it for about 2 weeks. I figure, no problem, I've got to wash it anyway, and I wash it with water and soap with my hands. The ring doesn't budge. Hmmm. I guess I'll have to unpack some of my stuff to find a sponge. I find a soft one and scrub it again. The dye is coming out of the sponge but the mug is not getting any cleaner. Hmmm. I'm sure I've bought an abrasive sponge as well, so I'll have to unpack some more. I finally find it and scrub the mug and - success! - the mug is now clean enough to drink out of. I go downstairs to the kitchen and find that it's the dirtiest one I've seen so far. Yikes! I look for a pot and discover that none of them have handles, but one has a metal stub where the handle used to be attached. I struggle to light the burner with the spark thing and then put on some water. When it's boiled, I realize that I will have to grab what appears to be the least disgusting of the 3 very grimy kitchen towels so I can lift the hot, handleless pot, and then I burn my fingers a little. I pour the water into my clean mug and turn around to hang the dirty towel back up where it came from. When I return to the mug, I notice water all over the counter. I didn't think I had spilled... oh, no! My new mug has split open; it cracked down the side when I poured in the hot water. About an hour after this tea-making process began, I find that my tea is spilling all over the counter. Ha! I'm pretty bummed, but have to laugh at the situation. This is what it's like to try to do something simple in India!
DAY 18 - Another Move
Today I get to look at the new room I might move into. It's in the family house right across from the shala so it would certainly be a short walk to practice in the morning! I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it is livable, because I do not want to look at any more places. (The last place I saw was like some kind of basement with a few small rooms, literally all concrete walls and floors, a couple of tiny windows at the top of the wall, cramped and filthy and completely unfurnished. The guy was like, "This is a bedroom... this is the kitchen..." I guess maybe that meant there was some kind of prep if you wanted to make it a kitchen? I don't understand. I was horrified and mumbled something about it being not exactly what I had in mind. When we left my friend Emma said exactly what I was thinking, "Whoa, that looked like a torture chamber.") So, I go to see this new place and it's a pretty big bedroom with built-in wardrobes for my clothes and the cleanest floor I've seen in India so far. The western-style bathroom is attached and has a flushing toilet, sink, and shower, and it seems that it may have warm water, as well. The house is very big with a few guest rooms, so it feels a little more like a hotel room than the other places I've stayed, especially since it has a private bath. I think it will be relatively quiet here. Great! What a relief. I say I'll take it and get the keys; I'll move my things this afternoon.
Then I'm off to my first lunch at Sandia's, where we have to call ahead and let her know we're coming and she'll cook for however many people she expects. We are presented with a beautiful variety of home-cooked dishes that we eat family-style at a large table with a small group. The small plates and bowls of food just keep coming out from the kitchen as they are ready and we pass them around the table, sharing spicy potatoes, hot chapatis, cold curd, soupy dhal, fragrant rice, and a delicious tomato dish that seems more Mexican than Indian; it tastes to me like pico without onions. After lunch my friend Lisa shares a piece of chocolate from the famous "chocolate guy" and wow, is it good! I've been hearing about his guy since I got here but haven't been to his shop yet because everyone seems to get addicted once they try it... oh well, I guess now I'm hooked, too!
Tonight I'm going to a kirtan with my friend Melissa. Annie and Glen have one every Friday and this is the first time I'm joining them. There are kirtans all the time here, but I'm especially happy to be going to Annie's because she's been very nice to me since I've been here. We all meet at the coconut stand and Annie puts us in rickshaws and gets fiesty with the drivers, telling them to be honest and give us a fair price for the ride. It's so funny and also really cool. What's great about Annie, besides her amazing energy and inspiring enthusiasm, is that she's been here, like, 20 times, so she knows her way around this place really well and is kind enough to share some of that knowledge with us newcomers. It's great to go places with her; she'll tell us all about them and what is good there and what not to eat or drink and so on. The kirtan is small but Annie's energy is huge and fills the room as she plays the harmonium and sings and Glen and Ganesh drum. Afterwards, we go the restaurant in a fancy hotel around the corner and have a snack of hot badam (sweet, spiced milk) and paratha, yum. Then Annie and Glen zip off into the night on their scooters, while Melissa and I start the long walk home.
Then I'm off to my first lunch at Sandia's, where we have to call ahead and let her know we're coming and she'll cook for however many people she expects. We are presented with a beautiful variety of home-cooked dishes that we eat family-style at a large table with a small group. The small plates and bowls of food just keep coming out from the kitchen as they are ready and we pass them around the table, sharing spicy potatoes, hot chapatis, cold curd, soupy dhal, fragrant rice, and a delicious tomato dish that seems more Mexican than Indian; it tastes to me like pico without onions. After lunch my friend Lisa shares a piece of chocolate from the famous "chocolate guy" and wow, is it good! I've been hearing about his guy since I got here but haven't been to his shop yet because everyone seems to get addicted once they try it... oh well, I guess now I'm hooked, too!
Tonight I'm going to a kirtan with my friend Melissa. Annie and Glen have one every Friday and this is the first time I'm joining them. There are kirtans all the time here, but I'm especially happy to be going to Annie's because she's been very nice to me since I've been here. We all meet at the coconut stand and Annie puts us in rickshaws and gets fiesty with the drivers, telling them to be honest and give us a fair price for the ride. It's so funny and also really cool. What's great about Annie, besides her amazing energy and inspiring enthusiasm, is that she's been here, like, 20 times, so she knows her way around this place really well and is kind enough to share some of that knowledge with us newcomers. It's great to go places with her; she'll tell us all about them and what is good there and what not to eat or drink and so on. The kirtan is small but Annie's energy is huge and fills the room as she plays the harmonium and sings and Glen and Ganesh drum. Afterwards, we go the restaurant in a fancy hotel around the corner and have a snack of hot badam (sweet, spiced milk) and paratha, yum. Then Annie and Glen zip off into the night on their scooters, while Melissa and I start the long walk home.
Friday, January 23, 2009
DAY 17 - Money and Moving
Last night when I got home there were more giant ants crawling around in my room, but I had to sleep on my mattress on the floor, so I cleaned them up and then cocooned myself up in my sheet and hoped for the best. I had troubled dreams, but didn't find any bugs in my bed when I awoke. There were about 15-20 more ants in my room, though, and some dangerously near my mattress. Plus the toilets in this house aren't working (one not flushing and one half-flushing...?) and the plumber has failed to show up every day for the last several days. Shower doesn't work, either, although I know that's pretty common here; it's the least of my worries right now. Practice was hard; I'm exhausted after yesterday. Today I'll have to try to sort out this living situation, but first, I have to get to an ATM for cash to pay Mr Joseph.
I will not even bother to give all the details about the ATM situation here, but let's just say, it took forever. I went to 4 ATMs (walked to 2, had to rickshaw around town to another 2) before I got one that worked for me. Ugh. And I still have the living situation to deal with.
I make arrangements to go look at a room in another house, walk over, and wait for about 30 minutes in the office for the guy who is showing it to me. Then we go upstairs and the door is locked. The girl who is moving out has decided to stay another day and she's not around right now. Bummer. I'm hot and sweaty and tired; absolutely weary from dealing with moving and money and can't bear to think of doing more apartment shopping right now. Plus, I've been lugging around my valuables in my backpack since yesterday morning (because there is no place to lock them in the apartment and I know there have been robberies around here recently) and it feels like it weighs about 1000 pounds! I decide to hope for the best when I can see the room tomorrow, and escape to the pool for a few hours...
I will not even bother to give all the details about the ATM situation here, but let's just say, it took forever. I went to 4 ATMs (walked to 2, had to rickshaw around town to another 2) before I got one that worked for me. Ugh. And I still have the living situation to deal with.
I make arrangements to go look at a room in another house, walk over, and wait for about 30 minutes in the office for the guy who is showing it to me. Then we go upstairs and the door is locked. The girl who is moving out has decided to stay another day and she's not around right now. Bummer. I'm hot and sweaty and tired; absolutely weary from dealing with moving and money and can't bear to think of doing more apartment shopping right now. Plus, I've been lugging around my valuables in my backpack since yesterday morning (because there is no place to lock them in the apartment and I know there have been robberies around here recently) and it feels like it weighs about 1000 pounds! I decide to hope for the best when I can see the room tomorrow, and escape to the pool for a few hours...
DAY 16 - Moving Day
When I get back from practice this morning there's a guy sitting in our living room waiting to move into my bedroom... it's not even 9:30 yet! So much for having breakfast; I have to rush to pack up my stuff and get out. I decide that organized packing is not an option, shove everything into my bags, and call a rickshaw to pick me up. While I'm sitting outside with my bags, waiting for a ride, I run into Rachel. She's another nice roommate at Mr Joseph's who moved in a few days ago, and she tells me she has an extra mattress I can have so I don't have to buy one. Now I'll just need to get myself a bed frame of some sort...
I spend the whole day dealing with moving. It's unbelievable how much time and energy every little thing takes around here! I move my stuff to the apartment, then grab a bite to eat and go back to Joseph's, where I am supposed to meet some guys about making a bed frame. This is supposedly cheaper than buying one. Rachel is having one made, too. This takes forever to figure out with the 2 carpenters and the translator, then they give us a cost that is about double what Joseph paid last time he had similar beds made. Joseph comes and argues with them and says he's going to check the prices of lumber, or something like that, so now I'll be sleeping on the floor until I figure something out.
I'm off to get the mattress with Rachel and we carry it on top of a rickshaw, each of us holding one side, back to the apartment. No one is there to let me in and I don't have a key, so I have to sit outside with my mattress and wait. When Emma comes back she tells me she went to make another key (very nice of her) but once she found the key place (actually just a trunk sitting on the grass down the street) the key man was not there. Ok. We bring my mattress upstairs and I get to work sweeping up all the giant dead ants on the floor in my room (ugh), separating out the few live ones and tossing them outside, and then mopping the floor I will have to sleep on with "Lyzol" (this is something I would not do at home, but if you've been to India, you will understand). A giant cockroach scurries out from the corner where I had set my bags and manages to climb into one that is partially open. I scream and then there's a big ordeal with getting him out of the bag and taking him outside. Soon there are more giant ants creeping around and I'm getting pretty upset about the sleeping on the floor situation, but, what can I do? Nothing right now, so I step away from this situation for a while and head off to my sanskrit and chanting classes.
After class, I rush off to eat and then my friend Lara and I have appointments with a local Ayurvedic doctor. I'm hot and dirty and exhausted and stressed, and then we have to wait for ages. When I meet Dr Kumar, he basically tells me a bunch of stuff I already know. My vata is high. Yeah, I'm sure. My pitta is high. Well, that explains why I'm feeling so aggravated... actually, that's probably BECAUSE I'm feeling so aggravated. And he says that things that are "destressing" are good for me. I do not bother to tell him that my state of stress today is extreme, not the norm. He thinks a 5-day package of ayurvedic massage, herbal milk bath, lunch, and herbal milk shirodarah each day at his spa will be beneficial. That's 3-3.5 hours at the spa every day for 5 days, and costs more than a month's rent here. Heck yeah, a week at the spa sounds great after the day I've had, but that's NOT gonna happen! I mentally prescribe myself a clean place to sleep with a working shower and a flushing toilet, and decide that I'll stick with our ayurvedic expert at home, Dr. Dugliss, in the future.
I spend the whole day dealing with moving. It's unbelievable how much time and energy every little thing takes around here! I move my stuff to the apartment, then grab a bite to eat and go back to Joseph's, where I am supposed to meet some guys about making a bed frame. This is supposedly cheaper than buying one. Rachel is having one made, too. This takes forever to figure out with the 2 carpenters and the translator, then they give us a cost that is about double what Joseph paid last time he had similar beds made. Joseph comes and argues with them and says he's going to check the prices of lumber, or something like that, so now I'll be sleeping on the floor until I figure something out.
I'm off to get the mattress with Rachel and we carry it on top of a rickshaw, each of us holding one side, back to the apartment. No one is there to let me in and I don't have a key, so I have to sit outside with my mattress and wait. When Emma comes back she tells me she went to make another key (very nice of her) but once she found the key place (actually just a trunk sitting on the grass down the street) the key man was not there. Ok. We bring my mattress upstairs and I get to work sweeping up all the giant dead ants on the floor in my room (ugh), separating out the few live ones and tossing them outside, and then mopping the floor I will have to sleep on with "Lyzol" (this is something I would not do at home, but if you've been to India, you will understand). A giant cockroach scurries out from the corner where I had set my bags and manages to climb into one that is partially open. I scream and then there's a big ordeal with getting him out of the bag and taking him outside. Soon there are more giant ants creeping around and I'm getting pretty upset about the sleeping on the floor situation, but, what can I do? Nothing right now, so I step away from this situation for a while and head off to my sanskrit and chanting classes.
After class, I rush off to eat and then my friend Lara and I have appointments with a local Ayurvedic doctor. I'm hot and dirty and exhausted and stressed, and then we have to wait for ages. When I meet Dr Kumar, he basically tells me a bunch of stuff I already know. My vata is high. Yeah, I'm sure. My pitta is high. Well, that explains why I'm feeling so aggravated... actually, that's probably BECAUSE I'm feeling so aggravated. And he says that things that are "destressing" are good for me. I do not bother to tell him that my state of stress today is extreme, not the norm. He thinks a 5-day package of ayurvedic massage, herbal milk bath, lunch, and herbal milk shirodarah each day at his spa will be beneficial. That's 3-3.5 hours at the spa every day for 5 days, and costs more than a month's rent here. Heck yeah, a week at the spa sounds great after the day I've had, but that's NOT gonna happen! I mentally prescribe myself a clean place to sleep with a working shower and a flushing toilet, and decide that I'll stick with our ayurvedic expert at home, Dr. Dugliss, in the future.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
NOTE TO FRIENDS...
Yes, I posted 5 blogs today! Sorry I was falling a little behind, I was still writing but not completing and posting. I'll try to keep more current in the future, although they might only be twice a week or so, because I won't have internet in my apartment. No, I haven't attached any photos yet, but I've got them onto my laptop and promise I'll attach them to all the previous blog posts within the next day or 2... stay tuned!
DAY 15 - iPod Shuffle Saves the Day!
Practice is hard today; I've had low energy all week and know I need to fit more quiet time into my days here. I'm glad it's Tuesday since I think another new posture would kill me today. I'm supposed to move into an apartment now, but I don't have a mattress yet, so I will stay one more night at Mr Joseph's. This seems like a very good idea because I really don't want to deal with moving right now, honestly, I just feel like crying today. I'm not sick or struggling with anything specific but I'm tired and I miss Jim and home and I'm feeling sorry for myself (I know, poor me, I get to spend 2 months studying yoga in India, how terrible!) I expected to be up and down with loving it and struggling here, though, so I'm not too worried... everything is impermanent, right? This mood will pass. I decide to take my laptop to the pool and catch up on my blog while I soak up some sun. I know it's a lot to blog every day, but I'm using this as my journal, too, so I'd like to keep it up as much as possible.
Anyway, I get to the pool and pull out my iPod for the first time in the 2 weeks I've been here and... OMG, it's like I'm totally transported somewhere else. THANK YOU LITTLE IPOD, LIFESAVING FRIEND!!! Now I'm just sitting in the sun next to a lovely pool, jamming Michael Franti and totally escaping from every little bit of India noise and yoga chatter... Ahhhhhh. That's better! I think I will be okay now. Still wish you all were here with me, though! Peace and Love from India xox
Anyway, I get to the pool and pull out my iPod for the first time in the 2 weeks I've been here and... OMG, it's like I'm totally transported somewhere else. THANK YOU LITTLE IPOD, LIFESAVING FRIEND!!! Now I'm just sitting in the sun next to a lovely pool, jamming Michael Franti and totally escaping from every little bit of India noise and yoga chatter... Ahhhhhh. That's better! I think I will be okay now. Still wish you all were here with me, though! Peace and Love from India xox
DAY 14 - 14 Days Down, 52 to Go...
Yes, today I'm counting the days... not that I'm desperate to come home or anything, but the initial thrill of life here in Mysore is definitely wearing off now that I'm settling in. I'm tired of talking all day, tired of being dirty ALL THE TIME, and even the delicious food is getting old... seriously, I've had enough white rice, already.
The good news is, my jetlag is finally gone, my cold, too (mostly - I suspect that many people have respiratory problems the entire time they're here because the dust and pollution are so severe), and I've gotten used to the noise enough to sleep through the night.
Today I'm getting ready to move into my apartment, so I need to shop for supplies I haven't needed so far. I get Siddu, the rickshaw driver who took me sightseeing last weekend, to run me around town and wait while I shop. He takes me to More Department Store, where I hear I can get sheets, parks the rickshaw and kindly walks me to the door. I step in and am totally overwhelmed! Now keep in mind, I've been in India 2 weeks now, so I know when someone tells me there is a department store that it's entirely possible this will be a little place crammed with junk; I'm not expecting much. I walk into this place and WHOA, it's like a Target or Meijer or something, 4 floors of everything you can think of. Once again, I'm struck by the contrasts here in India: this city where all the garbage seems to be thrown on the ground and then piles of it are burned here and there, women sweep their doorsteps (and our floors) with what appear to be tree branches, cows and dogs and horses are wandering through the streets, and then suddenly I step into this giant, brightly lit department store that seems totally out of place! I stand in the entrance with my eyes wide and mouth open saying "Whoa... whoa... whoa" before I recall the India guidebooks saying you should try to appear as if you know what's going on and then I shut my mouth and start shopping. It's so bizarre here, bright and loud and they're blasting a strange mix of music throughout the store... first Indian music, then Nirvana, then some kind of trendy pop. I'm standing in the bedding area, dizzy from the bright lights and loud music, totally indecisive about what sheets to get, comparing all the patterns and checking the prices...should I buy the sheets that are prettier but cost 299 rupees or the nice enough ones at 199 rupees? I need to be mindful of my budget here! Then I remember that rupees are not dollars; these sheets will cost me about 5-6 bucks and I'll throw them away when I leave, so who cares?
I go from More to FabIndia to get a sunny yellow bedspread that will make a nice picnic blanket when I return home, and then to Loyal World, another grocery/drug store where I've heard I can get a bunch of stuff we have at home, like sunscreen and body lotion. By the time I'm done at these 3 places I'm exhausted! It's amazing the amount of energy it takes to do things around here. But I've still gotta go to my classes, then dinner, then finally it will be bedtime...
The good news is, my jetlag is finally gone, my cold, too (mostly - I suspect that many people have respiratory problems the entire time they're here because the dust and pollution are so severe), and I've gotten used to the noise enough to sleep through the night.
Today I'm getting ready to move into my apartment, so I need to shop for supplies I haven't needed so far. I get Siddu, the rickshaw driver who took me sightseeing last weekend, to run me around town and wait while I shop. He takes me to More Department Store, where I hear I can get sheets, parks the rickshaw and kindly walks me to the door. I step in and am totally overwhelmed! Now keep in mind, I've been in India 2 weeks now, so I know when someone tells me there is a department store that it's entirely possible this will be a little place crammed with junk; I'm not expecting much. I walk into this place and WHOA, it's like a Target or Meijer or something, 4 floors of everything you can think of. Once again, I'm struck by the contrasts here in India: this city where all the garbage seems to be thrown on the ground and then piles of it are burned here and there, women sweep their doorsteps (and our floors) with what appear to be tree branches, cows and dogs and horses are wandering through the streets, and then suddenly I step into this giant, brightly lit department store that seems totally out of place! I stand in the entrance with my eyes wide and mouth open saying "Whoa... whoa... whoa" before I recall the India guidebooks saying you should try to appear as if you know what's going on and then I shut my mouth and start shopping. It's so bizarre here, bright and loud and they're blasting a strange mix of music throughout the store... first Indian music, then Nirvana, then some kind of trendy pop. I'm standing in the bedding area, dizzy from the bright lights and loud music, totally indecisive about what sheets to get, comparing all the patterns and checking the prices...should I buy the sheets that are prettier but cost 299 rupees or the nice enough ones at 199 rupees? I need to be mindful of my budget here! Then I remember that rupees are not dollars; these sheets will cost me about 5-6 bucks and I'll throw them away when I leave, so who cares?
I go from More to FabIndia to get a sunny yellow bedspread that will make a nice picnic blanket when I return home, and then to Loyal World, another grocery/drug store where I've heard I can get a bunch of stuff we have at home, like sunscreen and body lotion. By the time I'm done at these 3 places I'm exhausted! It's amazing the amount of energy it takes to do things around here. But I've still gotta go to my classes, then dinner, then finally it will be bedtime...
DAY 13 - Goats in the Pool
Today is Sunday, and it's the day of Mr Joseph's annual Capricorn Party. It's also his 60th birthday (!) but he's not advertising that; he says it's a party for everyone who's a Capricorn (that's me) and everyone who wants to be a Capricorn (he says that's everyone else) so basically, it's a big party for all the yoga people here in Mysore.
Now I've had a couple of inquiries in emails and on the blog about this Mr Joseph character, so let me explain: Mr Joseph owns the guesthouse I am living in for the beginning of my stay. He is originally from the states but has lived in Mysore for many years now. Mr Joseph used to travel with Guruji on his world tours; he would assist in making all the arrangements. Of course, he is an Ashtanga teacher as well. Mr Joseph takes good care of us here, providing a lovely house with a backup power generator (it took me a few days to realize we had one; I kept thinking, what was everyone at home talking about, power outages? the power never goes out here!), purified drinking water (very important since even the bottles you buy at the store have often been used and refilled with tap water), and wifi (most important of all, and this is the part I am really dreading giving up when I move). He is also an excellent source of information about where to go, who to see, what to do, and where to eat, as he knows all the yoga students and all the best spots in town. If you come to Mysore, you have to begin your stay at Mr Joseph's!
So, we get to the pool area at the Southern Star hotel for the Goats in the Pool Party and there are about 100 more people here than on an average day. It's quite a scene! It's a beautiful day (as usual) and a beautiful party. There are round tables set out all over the grassy area off to the side of the pool, and there's a huge organic buffet set up under tents. We eat lovely minestrone soup and salad and Indian buffet and tiramisu and ice cream and then we swim, without waiting 1 hour (sorry mom).
Sharath is speaking at the shala at 4:30 today so around 4 the pool party suddenly clears out. When I get to the shala it's as if the entire group has been picked up and transported there! It's a short talk and then we're off for the usual evening here in Mysore, early dinner, then home to bed.
Now I've had a couple of inquiries in emails and on the blog about this Mr Joseph character, so let me explain: Mr Joseph owns the guesthouse I am living in for the beginning of my stay. He is originally from the states but has lived in Mysore for many years now. Mr Joseph used to travel with Guruji on his world tours; he would assist in making all the arrangements. Of course, he is an Ashtanga teacher as well. Mr Joseph takes good care of us here, providing a lovely house with a backup power generator (it took me a few days to realize we had one; I kept thinking, what was everyone at home talking about, power outages? the power never goes out here!), purified drinking water (very important since even the bottles you buy at the store have often been used and refilled with tap water), and wifi (most important of all, and this is the part I am really dreading giving up when I move). He is also an excellent source of information about where to go, who to see, what to do, and where to eat, as he knows all the yoga students and all the best spots in town. If you come to Mysore, you have to begin your stay at Mr Joseph's!
So, we get to the pool area at the Southern Star hotel for the Goats in the Pool Party and there are about 100 more people here than on an average day. It's quite a scene! It's a beautiful day (as usual) and a beautiful party. There are round tables set out all over the grassy area off to the side of the pool, and there's a huge organic buffet set up under tents. We eat lovely minestrone soup and salad and Indian buffet and tiramisu and ice cream and then we swim, without waiting 1 hour (sorry mom).
Sharath is speaking at the shala at 4:30 today so around 4 the pool party suddenly clears out. When I get to the shala it's as if the entire group has been picked up and transported there! It's a short talk and then we're off for the usual evening here in Mysore, early dinner, then home to bed.
DAY 12 - Bylacuppe
Today is Saturday, our day off practice, and Geoffrey and Melissa and I have hired a car to take us to Bylacuppe, a Tibetan refugee settlement about 2 hours from Mysore. From what little information I've managed to gather, it seems that there are at least 15,000 Tibetan refugees living here, and 3 monastaries. We are excited to see the huge Golden Temple, and hope to catch the monks chanting or maybe observe a debate!
On the way there we pull over to "use the bathroom" (on the side of the road) and I manage to get my flowy dress covered with about 1008 tiny little seed-like burrs. I spend the next hour or so feeling grateful for my good yogini patience as I pick them, one by one, off my skirt. Ha! As I remove the last of these uninvited little hitchhikers, I look up and realize we must be arriving; there are prayer flags hanging EVERYWHERE. I don't mean like the little ones we see here and there at home, I mean there are hundreds of them, all colors and sizes at different stages of fading and fraying, strung from building to building, to trees, fences, everywhere you look. It's pretty cool and makes me smile, again, happy to be here.
The driver parks and as we head toward the monastary gates we are approached by beggars, the most I've seen since I've been here. Little girls are carrying babies so small and skinny they look like tiny dolls, and asking for food and money. We enter and the view of the Golden Temple is amazing, just breathtakingly beautiful, and the vibe here is interesting, too. It's a strange mix of hundreds of tourists from all over the world, and hundreds of monks wandering around in their robes, going about their lives. I wonder how the monks feel about the intrusion of all these visitors every day but then figure it's very Buddhist not to mind it at all!
We visit a few temples here and are surprised to find that we seem to be as much of an attraction as the temples. Between my blond hair, Melissa's fair skin, and the fact that Geoffrey is about 6'4", we are drawing quite a bit of attention. Groups of Indian schoolchildren keep stopping Melissa and I and asking to take photos with us! When we've seen the temples we head out, give a beggar our oranges, and then stop for chai. We didn't manage to catch the monks chanting today, so we'll have to come back again another time. The temples were amazing on their own, so I know it will be really powerful to experience them full of all these beautiful beings chanting! Melissa and I both doze off in the car on the way back and the next thing we know we're back home in Mysore, ready to settle in for our usual routine of dinner and bed.
On the way there we pull over to "use the bathroom" (on the side of the road) and I manage to get my flowy dress covered with about 1008 tiny little seed-like burrs. I spend the next hour or so feeling grateful for my good yogini patience as I pick them, one by one, off my skirt. Ha! As I remove the last of these uninvited little hitchhikers, I look up and realize we must be arriving; there are prayer flags hanging EVERYWHERE. I don't mean like the little ones we see here and there at home, I mean there are hundreds of them, all colors and sizes at different stages of fading and fraying, strung from building to building, to trees, fences, everywhere you look. It's pretty cool and makes me smile, again, happy to be here.
The driver parks and as we head toward the monastary gates we are approached by beggars, the most I've seen since I've been here. Little girls are carrying babies so small and skinny they look like tiny dolls, and asking for food and money. We enter and the view of the Golden Temple is amazing, just breathtakingly beautiful, and the vibe here is interesting, too. It's a strange mix of hundreds of tourists from all over the world, and hundreds of monks wandering around in their robes, going about their lives. I wonder how the monks feel about the intrusion of all these visitors every day but then figure it's very Buddhist not to mind it at all!
We visit a few temples here and are surprised to find that we seem to be as much of an attraction as the temples. Between my blond hair, Melissa's fair skin, and the fact that Geoffrey is about 6'4", we are drawing quite a bit of attention. Groups of Indian schoolchildren keep stopping Melissa and I and asking to take photos with us! When we've seen the temples we head out, give a beggar our oranges, and then stop for chai. We didn't manage to catch the monks chanting today, so we'll have to come back again another time. The temples were amazing on their own, so I know it will be really powerful to experience them full of all these beautiful beings chanting! Melissa and I both doze off in the car on the way back and the next thing we know we're back home in Mysore, ready to settle in for our usual routine of dinner and bed.
DAY 11 - TGIF!
I wake up and I'm tired. Today is Led Primary so I know I'd better get my butt in gear; the led classes are intense! I head to the shala and settle in on the steps to wait for the next 30-45 minutes until the doors open for our class. Students are arriving, the steps were just about full when I got there, and they just keep coming. It looks even busier today than it was last week! Where will all these people practice? When the doors finally open it's the usual mad rush of everyone pushing and shoving to try to get in. I find a spot and go to leave my stuff in the locker room. When I return I find so many people have squeezed in the row that our mats are literally overlapping one on top of another. Whoa! It's been close before but this is crazy! We begin to move and the energy is amazing; class flows smoothly and feels easy.
After class I feel rejuvenated and we're all happy that tomorrow is Saturday, our day off. There's plenty of time to linger over a nice breakfast, and then I spend the afternoon at the pool, working on my sanskrit homework and soaking up the sun. I shower there (everyone has been raving about the pool shower) and it makes me a little homesick for a moment; I had gotten used to the shower in my place and didn't think it was that bad, but having a real shower with tons of hot water and powerful water pressure reminds me of what I'm missing! I barely make it to Sanskrit and Chanting classes and then rush off for a quick dinner before the movie...
One of the restaurants here, Santosha, screens movies on Friday nights. This week they are playing Slumdog Millionaire! I've seen it already, but I really liked it and am totally in the mood to lay around and watch a movie, so I go to see it again. There are tons of people there and it's so much fun to watch it with all these yoga students in India! I understand many more of the little details that I didn't quite catch before; it's like now I'm living in it. We all laugh at the head waggling and groan out loud when they refill the water bottles in the restaurant and glue the seals shut. The power is on and off all the time here in India, but amazingly, it stays on for the entire movie and cuts out right at the very end during the Bollywood dancing with the credits. So perfect!
After the movie I run into a friend who wants to go for chai. I think it's way too late for caffene, but then figure we're off practice tomorrow so why not? It surprises me that there is definitely a "Friday night" energy here, like everyone is ready to let loose. The chai stand is closing but we can probably make the ice cream shop, so we take a long walk for my first Indian ice cream. OMG! Now I know why everyone has been talking about the ice cream... I almost wish I hadn't found this place because I'm pretty sure I'll be dreaming about it every day! (It's an ongoing joke here about how we all though we'd lose weight in India, but the food is so good that it seems more likely that we'll gain!) It's so beautiful and quiet when we're walking home that I'm reminded once again of how lucky I am to have this opportunity to be here. It's pretty amazing to be by myself on the other end of the world and be able to walk down the middle of the street at night through these quiet suburbs and look at the stars and feel like I belong here. Thank you to the universe for providing this for me!
After class I feel rejuvenated and we're all happy that tomorrow is Saturday, our day off. There's plenty of time to linger over a nice breakfast, and then I spend the afternoon at the pool, working on my sanskrit homework and soaking up the sun. I shower there (everyone has been raving about the pool shower) and it makes me a little homesick for a moment; I had gotten used to the shower in my place and didn't think it was that bad, but having a real shower with tons of hot water and powerful water pressure reminds me of what I'm missing! I barely make it to Sanskrit and Chanting classes and then rush off for a quick dinner before the movie...
One of the restaurants here, Santosha, screens movies on Friday nights. This week they are playing Slumdog Millionaire! I've seen it already, but I really liked it and am totally in the mood to lay around and watch a movie, so I go to see it again. There are tons of people there and it's so much fun to watch it with all these yoga students in India! I understand many more of the little details that I didn't quite catch before; it's like now I'm living in it. We all laugh at the head waggling and groan out loud when they refill the water bottles in the restaurant and glue the seals shut. The power is on and off all the time here in India, but amazingly, it stays on for the entire movie and cuts out right at the very end during the Bollywood dancing with the credits. So perfect!
After the movie I run into a friend who wants to go for chai. I think it's way too late for caffene, but then figure we're off practice tomorrow so why not? It surprises me that there is definitely a "Friday night" energy here, like everyone is ready to let loose. The chai stand is closing but we can probably make the ice cream shop, so we take a long walk for my first Indian ice cream. OMG! Now I know why everyone has been talking about the ice cream... I almost wish I hadn't found this place because I'm pretty sure I'll be dreaming about it every day! (It's an ongoing joke here about how we all though we'd lose weight in India, but the food is so good that it seems more likely that we'll gain!) It's so beautiful and quiet when we're walking home that I'm reminded once again of how lucky I am to have this opportunity to be here. It's pretty amazing to be by myself on the other end of the world and be able to walk down the middle of the street at night through these quiet suburbs and look at the stars and feel like I belong here. Thank you to the universe for providing this for me!
Friday, January 16, 2009
DAY 10 - Three is the Magic Number
I wake up early again today, but manage to fall back asleep and actually sleep until my alarm goes off! I think it's the first time I've been awakened by my alarm since I've been here. I head to practice and am feeling a little tired, both physically and mentally, and wonder if I've been having a little bit too much fun here. I think today I'll stay home and rest, catch up on emails and blog posts, and maybe have a nap.
Practice is pretty smooth, although I go through a good 5 minutes at one point totally distracted by the racing breath of the guy next to me. There is definitely quite a bit of fast, short breathing here; people are really pushing themselves and you can hear that they are struggling. We're so close together that it's easy to let a neighbor's energy through you off. I feel irritated and keep reminding myself to come back to my own mat and my own breath, trying to be extra conscious to avoid rushing and keeping my breath long and smooth. When I move into my finishing postures Sharath comes and stops me, and gives me another new posture... and then another... and then adds backbends to my finishing sequence! 3 new postures today! I'm thrilled and come out of the shala feeling great, happily telling my friends about my practice and excited to hear about theirs, too.
It's a beautiful day - AGAIN - and I'm struggling with my decision to skip the pool, but in the end I decide that I'm pooped and need some quiet time to rest. So I spend the morning catching up on my blog entries, eat lunch, and sleep all afternoon. By the time I wake up the day is moving into evening and it's almost time for me to head out to a massage appointment. Another day has flown by... I can't believe I've been here for 10 already!
Practice is pretty smooth, although I go through a good 5 minutes at one point totally distracted by the racing breath of the guy next to me. There is definitely quite a bit of fast, short breathing here; people are really pushing themselves and you can hear that they are struggling. We're so close together that it's easy to let a neighbor's energy through you off. I feel irritated and keep reminding myself to come back to my own mat and my own breath, trying to be extra conscious to avoid rushing and keeping my breath long and smooth. When I move into my finishing postures Sharath comes and stops me, and gives me another new posture... and then another... and then adds backbends to my finishing sequence! 3 new postures today! I'm thrilled and come out of the shala feeling great, happily telling my friends about my practice and excited to hear about theirs, too.
It's a beautiful day - AGAIN - and I'm struggling with my decision to skip the pool, but in the end I decide that I'm pooped and need some quiet time to rest. So I spend the morning catching up on my blog entries, eat lunch, and sleep all afternoon. By the time I wake up the day is moving into evening and it's almost time for me to head out to a massage appointment. Another day has flown by... I can't believe I've been here for 10 already!
DAY 9 - Another Holiday
Today is a holiday that seems to signify the beginning of the summer season. Or a harvest celebration. Or the lunar new year...? Ok, I've heard a few different descriptions and am totally not clear about which is correct, but It is an auspicious day here and there is much celebration. Most interestingly, all the cows are painted yellow! When I walk outside my door I'm surprised to come face to face with a lovely yellow cow wearing flowers and munching on the grass... beautiful! I also notice that the Rangoulis on the doorsteps, usually white, are extra large and colorful today. I go to practice and do my new posture, then enjoy a nice breakfast and spend the afternoon at the pool. It actually gets cloudy, windy and overcast for a few minutes and we're all surprised and wonder what is happening. It's like we've forgotten what normal weather is like, since every day here has been just about the same: warm, sunny days, cooler nights. Perfect! I go from the pool straight to Sanskrit and Chanting classes, then dinner, and then it's bedtime. Boy, the days go fast around here!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
DAY 8 - Mysore Begins
I wake up long before my alarm again this morning, still undecided about what I will do in practice today. I thought about it a lot last night... today is our first day of Mysore style practice and I'm not sure if I should stop where I am at home or do the whole series now. I've been doing it all in the led classes and a couple of people have suggested that I continue through the whole thing in Mysore practice as well, since Sharath hasn't stopped me. I don't really feel right about that because I've been given every other posture in my practice by my teacher, so it doesn't seem like I should just decide on my own to do them all now that I'm here. But, others have pointed out that it's very busy here and students don't get much individual attention anymore. They say I may not get a new posture this whole trip! Being here is an opportunity for me to really work on the whole series. And, Sharath has been watching me and let me do the whole thing in led classes. So, I'm still thinking about it. I have some tea and finally make my decision: I'm going to stop at Baddha Konasana, the last posture my teacher has given me, like I would at home. I have faith in my teacher and know that there is a reason for the way he has taught me and want to honor that. Anyway, even if I don't get any new postures for the next couple of months, I have PLENTY to work on with what I do have! I'll happily devote my time to practicing that, and if I don't get any new postures given here I'll be ready for the rest of the series when I get home.
When I head out for practice I'm surprised to see that it's light out! Of course, it's 2 hours later than I've been starting the last few days; new students to the shala get assigned the later times for Mysore. I arrive and open the door to find about 20 people sitting on the lobby floor, waiting. I join them and am happy to discover that we get to sit and watch others practicing while we wait. It's hot and crowded and everyone is beautiful as they move through their individual practices at their own pace; all these dedicated yogis, many who are becoming friends, working and sweating together. We are called in one at a time according to our start time as spaces open up in the room: "one more, 7:30." I'm in the 8:00 group but the wait isn't too long.
Practice is amazing; the energy is so powerful in this room and it feels good to move at my own pace after several days of led classes. I feel really grounded, like I am supported by all the yogis who have practiced here before me. Sharath and Saraswathi move around the room assisting students with binds and backbends, but I don't feel like their energy pulls me off balance when they walk by, the way I do sometimes at home. When I'm nearly done, Sharath comes over and asks me if I can bind in Supta Kurmasana. I tell him not on my own, that Saraswathi helped me today. I'm on Baddha Konasana, so I say "this is my last posture" and he tells me "tomorrow you do Upavishta Konasana" (today is Tuesday, so we don't start new postures.) I'm thrilled and happily move through my finishing postures, high on the energy of this place, so glad I decided to wait for a teacher to give me the remaining postures, and amazed that I got one on my first day!
When I head out for practice I'm surprised to see that it's light out! Of course, it's 2 hours later than I've been starting the last few days; new students to the shala get assigned the later times for Mysore. I arrive and open the door to find about 20 people sitting on the lobby floor, waiting. I join them and am happy to discover that we get to sit and watch others practicing while we wait. It's hot and crowded and everyone is beautiful as they move through their individual practices at their own pace; all these dedicated yogis, many who are becoming friends, working and sweating together. We are called in one at a time according to our start time as spaces open up in the room: "one more, 7:30." I'm in the 8:00 group but the wait isn't too long.
Practice is amazing; the energy is so powerful in this room and it feels good to move at my own pace after several days of led classes. I feel really grounded, like I am supported by all the yogis who have practiced here before me. Sharath and Saraswathi move around the room assisting students with binds and backbends, but I don't feel like their energy pulls me off balance when they walk by, the way I do sometimes at home. When I'm nearly done, Sharath comes over and asks me if I can bind in Supta Kurmasana. I tell him not on my own, that Saraswathi helped me today. I'm on Baddha Konasana, so I say "this is my last posture" and he tells me "tomorrow you do Upavishta Konasana" (today is Tuesday, so we don't start new postures.) I'm thrilled and happily move through my finishing postures, high on the energy of this place, so glad I decided to wait for a teacher to give me the remaining postures, and amazed that I got one on my first day!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
DAYS 6 & 7 - Staying Busy Doing Nothing
Wow, days off sure are busy around here! I haven't found the time to blog for a couple of days. We've all been joking that we're so busy (because really we're doing very little) but the days seem quite full, even when I only do a couple of things. I think we devote so much more energy to our practice here that it doesn't leave room for too much else...
SUNDAY:
This morning I was up at 3. Ah, jetlag. When will I adjust? My new roommate Lara and I go to check out the weekly Organic Market. I was warned to be prepared for a big frenzy and yoginis behaving badly, but it was really just a small frenzy and yoginis behaving badly, shoving and grabbing for the limited supply of organic produce. I buy a small bottle of calendula infused honey to sooth my raw throat as I work through this cold and adjust to the dust and pollution I am constantly breathing here.
Later Mr Joseph takes a few of us on a trip to a small orphanage way out in the middle of nowhere, where we give Christmas gifts to about 15 little boys. Ironically, the orphans, in contrast to the yogis at the organic market, are not shoving or grabbing as we distribute what must be very rare gifts of toys and candy. (Wow, little lesson here?) They are so lovely and polite and happy to see us, charming us with their sweet smiles and asking our names and where we are from. As we are leaving I realize that there is no "home" for them here; they appear to have just a couple of very small structures, not even the size of our 1-car garage at home, and a water pump and table outside. It's heartbreaking but today, at least, they seem happy.
MONDAY:
It's Led Primary again this morning, last one before we move to Mysore-style practice tomorrow. Saraswati is back today and she leads the class, and although it's still super-crowded and crazy-hot, it seems that she tortures us for slightly less time than Sharath in Sirsasana and Ut Plutih... or maybe it just feels that way after a couple of days off! Mr Joseph makes us his awesome breakfast again, and then my friend Emma and I head off to check out the pool.
We get to the pool and oh boy, it's like an oasis tucked away in the middle of Mysore. It's lovely and clean and surprisingly quiet here! No garbage on the ground, no traffic fumes, no men peeing on the side of the street... just palm trees, lovely grass we can actually hang out on, a cold, clean pool, and sunshine! Hooray! After a couple of hours of swimming, lounging in the sun, and chatting with friends, I feel like I am on vacation... I think I will be spending a lot of time here!
SUNDAY:
This morning I was up at 3. Ah, jetlag. When will I adjust? My new roommate Lara and I go to check out the weekly Organic Market. I was warned to be prepared for a big frenzy and yoginis behaving badly, but it was really just a small frenzy and yoginis behaving badly, shoving and grabbing for the limited supply of organic produce. I buy a small bottle of calendula infused honey to sooth my raw throat as I work through this cold and adjust to the dust and pollution I am constantly breathing here.
Later Mr Joseph takes a few of us on a trip to a small orphanage way out in the middle of nowhere, where we give Christmas gifts to about 15 little boys. Ironically, the orphans, in contrast to the yogis at the organic market, are not shoving or grabbing as we distribute what must be very rare gifts of toys and candy. (Wow, little lesson here?) They are so lovely and polite and happy to see us, charming us with their sweet smiles and asking our names and where we are from. As we are leaving I realize that there is no "home" for them here; they appear to have just a couple of very small structures, not even the size of our 1-car garage at home, and a water pump and table outside. It's heartbreaking but today, at least, they seem happy.
MONDAY:
It's Led Primary again this morning, last one before we move to Mysore-style practice tomorrow. Saraswati is back today and she leads the class, and although it's still super-crowded and crazy-hot, it seems that she tortures us for slightly less time than Sharath in Sirsasana and Ut Plutih... or maybe it just feels that way after a couple of days off! Mr Joseph makes us his awesome breakfast again, and then my friend Emma and I head off to check out the pool.
We get to the pool and oh boy, it's like an oasis tucked away in the middle of Mysore. It's lovely and clean and surprisingly quiet here! No garbage on the ground, no traffic fumes, no men peeing on the side of the street... just palm trees, lovely grass we can actually hang out on, a cold, clean pool, and sunshine! Hooray! After a couple of hours of swimming, lounging in the sun, and chatting with friends, I feel like I am on vacation... I think I will be spending a lot of time here!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
DAY 5 - Seeing the Sights
Today is Saturday and tomorrow is the moon so I'm off practice for a couple of days. Actually slept in, until 6:15! That's pretty late since I've been waking up by 3-4am. My upstairs roommate Geoffrey and I hired Saddu to take us around town in his rickshaw this morning to see some of the sights...
Just driving around here is an event; there is something to see everywhere you look! Cows wandering around eating flowers, people lining up for lunch at the street vendors, cars, motorcycles, and rickshaws about to collide at every intersection. I notice a giant billboard for baby products with a chubby little fair-skinned blue-eyed baby on it and it seems so strangely out of place, but I think part of the beauty of this place may be the way that nothing seems to make much sense at all. Driving, or even riding here, is not for the faint of heart! It's a noisy, smelly, chaotic sensory overload and it's quite an experience.
We go to Chamundi Hill, one of the 8 Sacred Hills of South India (or so the sign says). There is a temple at the top devoted to the goddess Chamundeswari, who slayed the demon Mahisashura to protect the people of Mysore. Saddu parks the rickshaw and walks with us to the temple. On the way, there are vendors and beggars everywhere, "Hello, flowers? Yes, flowers for temple. You give, Gods like", and "Hello lady, coke? Pineapple? Fresh Pineapple?" or just "Money, give money." We get flowers and vermilion for puja at the temple and venture on. Saddu takes us to the "special entrance" which costs 20 rupees to use and we don't understand why, but we appreciate it on the way out when we see the long line of Indian families waiting to get in the temple's main entrance. On the way down we stop at the giant black Nandi, Shiva's bull, and make another offering there. We are marked with vermilion again and don't drink the holy water offered here, placing it instead on our heads. A man follows me with a tray of small deity statues, "Shiva, lady, you see? Shiva God! Ok, no Shiva? Ganesh, look, Ganesh, lady, yes, you take. No Ganesh? Look here, baby, lady, baby, little baby... you take baby..." I keep saying no but he's following me and not giving up and when I look at him again I can't help but start laughing; his giant smile is radiating good humor. "Baby, little baby, look, you take baby, little baby, baby baby..." he's holding out this tiny little Ganesh and he's so funny I'm cracking up, but I'm not buying it so I say goodbye and we move on. On the way down we see monkeys (no they were not throwing poop) and then we head to the palace.
Mysore Palace is a huge palace where the royal family used to live and it's one of the biggest tourist sites in Mysore. It's beautiful, but we don't do the audio tour, so I can't say too much more about it. I did see a couple of things here that were really memorable: people riding an elephant passed me so closely I could almost reach out and touch this beautiful creature, and, I encountered my very first Indian toilet, not only Indian but outdoors as well. All I have to say about the latter is thank God for good yogini balance and Purell!
A couple of tourist sites were enough for today so we go for for unlimited thali lunch at Dasaprakash, and then stop at a tailor's where Geoffrey selects a gorgeous raw silk and gets measured for a custom made suit before we head back home to nap... rest days are exhausting!
(P.S. Still trying to figure out camera connection, will post lots of photos soon!!!)
Just driving around here is an event; there is something to see everywhere you look! Cows wandering around eating flowers, people lining up for lunch at the street vendors, cars, motorcycles, and rickshaws about to collide at every intersection. I notice a giant billboard for baby products with a chubby little fair-skinned blue-eyed baby on it and it seems so strangely out of place, but I think part of the beauty of this place may be the way that nothing seems to make much sense at all. Driving, or even riding here, is not for the faint of heart! It's a noisy, smelly, chaotic sensory overload and it's quite an experience.
We go to Chamundi Hill, one of the 8 Sacred Hills of South India (or so the sign says). There is a temple at the top devoted to the goddess Chamundeswari, who slayed the demon Mahisashura to protect the people of Mysore. Saddu parks the rickshaw and walks with us to the temple. On the way, there are vendors and beggars everywhere, "Hello, flowers? Yes, flowers for temple. You give, Gods like", and "Hello lady, coke? Pineapple? Fresh Pineapple?" or just "Money, give money." We get flowers and vermilion for puja at the temple and venture on. Saddu takes us to the "special entrance" which costs 20 rupees to use and we don't understand why, but we appreciate it on the way out when we see the long line of Indian families waiting to get in the temple's main entrance. On the way down we stop at the giant black Nandi, Shiva's bull, and make another offering there. We are marked with vermilion again and don't drink the holy water offered here, placing it instead on our heads. A man follows me with a tray of small deity statues, "Shiva, lady, you see? Shiva God! Ok, no Shiva? Ganesh, look, Ganesh, lady, yes, you take. No Ganesh? Look here, baby, lady, baby, little baby... you take baby..." I keep saying no but he's following me and not giving up and when I look at him again I can't help but start laughing; his giant smile is radiating good humor. "Baby, little baby, look, you take baby, little baby, baby baby..." he's holding out this tiny little Ganesh and he's so funny I'm cracking up, but I'm not buying it so I say goodbye and we move on. On the way down we see monkeys (no they were not throwing poop) and then we head to the palace.
Mysore Palace is a huge palace where the royal family used to live and it's one of the biggest tourist sites in Mysore. It's beautiful, but we don't do the audio tour, so I can't say too much more about it. I did see a couple of things here that were really memorable: people riding an elephant passed me so closely I could almost reach out and touch this beautiful creature, and, I encountered my very first Indian toilet, not only Indian but outdoors as well. All I have to say about the latter is thank God for good yogini balance and Purell!
A couple of tourist sites were enough for today so we go for for unlimited thali lunch at Dasaprakash, and then stop at a tailor's where Geoffrey selects a gorgeous raw silk and gets measured for a custom made suit before we head back home to nap... rest days are exhausting!
(P.S. Still trying to figure out camera connection, will post lots of photos soon!!!)
Friday, January 9, 2009
DAY 4 - Feeding My Cold
Yesterday morning my throat was itching and by last night I was sneezy and stuffy. This morning I wake up and it's official, I have a cold. Bummer! I was just beginning to recover from jet lag and now I'm sick. I'm glad I brought some cold medicine but wish I had more kleenex since I haven't seen any around here... oh well. I have practice this morning and then Saturday and Sunday off, so hopefully it will pass quickly and I'll be better by Monday. Maybe this weekend I'll try to dry it up lounging by the pool in town!
I've never been into the "feed a cold" philosophy, but I think here in Mysore I'll make an exception; eating here has been amazing! I'm so pleasantly surprised. Tuesday I had a basic Indian lunch at Dasaprakash, with rice, dhal, sambhar, vegetables, chapati and ghee, and yes, eating with the fingers and all. It was pretty awesome. Wednesday Mr Joseph made us that beautiful "Dosas with Fruit Salad" meal, and Thursday I fell in love with Santosha. I had been signed up for a special Western-style dinner event they were doing last night but ended up going with some friends for breakfast, too, and it was fantastic - I could eat there twice every day! Their place is laid-back and charming and they make these delicious home-baked breads and pastries each morning and the yogis hanging around there are super-friendly and welcoming. I might actually get to move in there - keeping my fingers crossed - it's such a great vibe and they have a lovely room that would be perfect for the rest of my stay. Oh, and whiIe I'm going on about the culinary delights of Mysore, I can't forget to mention that there are fresh coconuts on the street outside the studio in the morning to rehydrate after practice (Matthew, can't you set this up at home?) and they cost, like, 25 cents.
So, on to the OTHER reason for being here... practice, practice, practice! This morning (my 2nd day of practice at the shala) was also amazing. It was led, so I did the whole series again and now I know Sharath is keeping an eye on me because as we moved into Upavishta Konasana he reminded me "take your feet, not your toes" before I did it. Practice felt a little harder today because I was stiff after the intensity of yesterday (I was so hot and flexible that I'm pretty sure I may have been touching my toes with my chin yesterday, ha ha), but it also felt a little easier because it didn't seem to take as much effort and energy as yesterday did. It just is what it is, I guess. Different every day, right?
Tonight I'm off to the Green Hotel for dinner, I hear they have delicious food and a lovely garden and there will be lots of yoga students there. What an amazing journey this will be, and already is!
I've never been into the "feed a cold" philosophy, but I think here in Mysore I'll make an exception; eating here has been amazing! I'm so pleasantly surprised. Tuesday I had a basic Indian lunch at Dasaprakash, with rice, dhal, sambhar, vegetables, chapati and ghee, and yes, eating with the fingers and all. It was pretty awesome. Wednesday Mr Joseph made us that beautiful "Dosas with Fruit Salad" meal, and Thursday I fell in love with Santosha. I had been signed up for a special Western-style dinner event they were doing last night but ended up going with some friends for breakfast, too, and it was fantastic - I could eat there twice every day! Their place is laid-back and charming and they make these delicious home-baked breads and pastries each morning and the yogis hanging around there are super-friendly and welcoming. I might actually get to move in there - keeping my fingers crossed - it's such a great vibe and they have a lovely room that would be perfect for the rest of my stay. Oh, and whiIe I'm going on about the culinary delights of Mysore, I can't forget to mention that there are fresh coconuts on the street outside the studio in the morning to rehydrate after practice (Matthew, can't you set this up at home?) and they cost, like, 25 cents.
So, on to the OTHER reason for being here... practice, practice, practice! This morning (my 2nd day of practice at the shala) was also amazing. It was led, so I did the whole series again and now I know Sharath is keeping an eye on me because as we moved into Upavishta Konasana he reminded me "take your feet, not your toes" before I did it. Practice felt a little harder today because I was stiff after the intensity of yesterday (I was so hot and flexible that I'm pretty sure I may have been touching my toes with my chin yesterday, ha ha), but it also felt a little easier because it didn't seem to take as much effort and energy as yesterday did. It just is what it is, I guess. Different every day, right?
Tonight I'm off to the Green Hotel for dinner, I hear they have delicious food and a lovely garden and there will be lots of yoga students there. What an amazing journey this will be, and already is!
THANK YOU FRIENDS!
Thank you, everyone, for your posts and emails! It means so much to hear from you. Before I left, friends told me that a blog and email would be an important lifeline to home but I didn't really understand it until I got here. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to read your messages! The first time I posted on the blog and saw I got seven messages back from friends at home I actually got really teary. It was so comforting at that time when the jetlag and culture shock hit me hard and I was suddenly wondering, what the heck have I done?!? Now I'm settling in and really starting to enjoy it here, not feeling so lonely and out of place, but I know that will probably go up and down several times over the 2 months I'm here (I'm so happy, I love it here, I want to stay forever... I'm so lonely, I've had enough of this, I want to go home...! ) Anyway, I just wanted to say a great big THANK YOU, and it is so nice to hear from you all, and please continue to stay in touch! xoxox
Thursday, January 8, 2009
DAY 3 - Beginning Practice
I'm up long before my alarm this morning, nervous and excited for my first practice at the shala. The streets are dark and very quiet on the short walk and when I come around the corner to the entrance I see about a hundred yogis sitting on the steps and ground. They are exceptionally busy here right now and I've heard that people are practicing in the lobby and the locker rooms, and every day more students arrive! I run into Emma from North Carolina, who I met at the Richard Freeman workshop in Detroit last October. It's so nice to see a familiar face and today is her first practice, too. When the doors open it's a mad rush to get in and I end up finding a spot in the lobby to the side of the main room with several other students.
We begin Surya Namaskara A and it is really hot already! I spend the first few minutes totally distracted and taking in my surroundings, but soon that all fades away as I fall into the familiar rhythm of breath and movement. As we move into Utkatasana toward the end of the standing sequence, I'm shocked out of my zone when Sharath comes over and tells me to come into the main room. He moves some people over and makes a place for me near him. I have no idea why and spend the next few moments worrying about what is going on before I catch myself and realize, who cares! This is awesome! And then I focus back in on my practice. It's insanely hot and super-intense but I make it through the whole series and get one correction from Sharath in Upavishta Konasana B: "Take your feet, not your toes." When we finally collapse into Savasana I'm exhausted, trembling and ecstatic after my first practice here in Mysore, and so happy that I'm here.
We begin Surya Namaskara A and it is really hot already! I spend the first few minutes totally distracted and taking in my surroundings, but soon that all fades away as I fall into the familiar rhythm of breath and movement. As we move into Utkatasana toward the end of the standing sequence, I'm shocked out of my zone when Sharath comes over and tells me to come into the main room. He moves some people over and makes a place for me near him. I have no idea why and spend the next few moments worrying about what is going on before I catch myself and realize, who cares! This is awesome! And then I focus back in on my practice. It's insanely hot and super-intense but I make it through the whole series and get one correction from Sharath in Upavishta Konasana B: "Take your feet, not your toes." When we finally collapse into Savasana I'm exhausted, trembling and ecstatic after my first practice here in Mysore, and so happy that I'm here.
Day 2 - Settling In
This morning I'm awakened at 4am by the sound of sacred music filling the dark streets. I know that others are starting their practice at the shala and wistfully wish I could join them, but that's not for me today. I crashed into a nap after lunch yesterday afternoon (suddenly finding myself too dizzy and jetlagged to figure out how to set my alarm) and missed the short window for registration at AYRI. I know it was meant to be, though... I had felt a little uncertain about the auspiciousness of registering on a Tuesday, anyway. So today I get up and figure out how to make tea, alone in the dark house.
I'm about to venture out to wander around Gokulum on my own when Mr Joseph invites me upstairs; he is preparing a special breakfast for his guests today: warm dosas topped with his "famous" fruit salad (including the first mangoes of the season), mueslix and curd, then a homemade super-ginger tea. Wow! It's nice to meet some other students and share a meal with them. The flat upstairs is really lovely and I'm grateful for the food and company.
This afternoon I register at the shala and can't wait to start practice tomorrow! It's all led primary this week so it will be a pretty intense start for me. On my way out I hear that there are Sanskrit and Chanting classes starting upstairs, so I go back in and join both. What perfect timing! My Sanskrit knowledge is minimal but what I do know about the alphabet begins to come back to me, and as I'm writing out the vowels the exercise feels soothingly familiar. Chanting class follows and we chant the Yoga Sutra and Yoga Asana names, also familiar and comforting. Classes will be 3 times a week for a month. I feel good when I leave, and so happy I've found something to fill some of my time here :)
I'm about to venture out to wander around Gokulum on my own when Mr Joseph invites me upstairs; he is preparing a special breakfast for his guests today: warm dosas topped with his "famous" fruit salad (including the first mangoes of the season), mueslix and curd, then a homemade super-ginger tea. Wow! It's nice to meet some other students and share a meal with them. The flat upstairs is really lovely and I'm grateful for the food and company.
This afternoon I register at the shala and can't wait to start practice tomorrow! It's all led primary this week so it will be a pretty intense start for me. On my way out I hear that there are Sanskrit and Chanting classes starting upstairs, so I go back in and join both. What perfect timing! My Sanskrit knowledge is minimal but what I do know about the alphabet begins to come back to me, and as I'm writing out the vowels the exercise feels soothingly familiar. Chanting class follows and we chant the Yoga Sutra and Yoga Asana names, also familiar and comforting. Classes will be 3 times a week for a month. I feel good when I leave, and so happy I've found something to fill some of my time here :)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
DAY 1 - Namaste, India!
Arrived in Bangalore early this morning after 24 hours of traveling. I'm so nervous and excited to be here that I don't even feel tired! When we leave the airport I'm pleasantly surprised; India doesn't feel as unfamiliar as I expected. It reminds me of many places I've been before... palm trees, dirt and dust, brightly colored little shacks with tin roofs. No turquoise waters here, though! The road is paved and it's a smooth 3 hour ride to Mysore, with the rising sun burning away the morning fog as we go. I'm loving the ride, taking in all the sights: Om on the grille of a Mack truck, women in saris on the back of mopeds, dogs and cows in the streets, Shiva Family Restaurant, Ganesh Tiles, Raja Wine Shoppe. We stop for steaming chai in little glass cups and it burns my fingers and my tongue. After a couple of hours the jetlag begins to set in and I zone out until we reach Gokulum. (photo: leaving detroit)
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