India 2011

Breaking News: 6'6" woman in India!

2011-03-19T03:14:00.000-07:00

At painting class on Tuesday, the TV was on in the background and they had a story about a tall woman making the Guinness book of world records. My teacher, Anand got an idea to call the news about me.

Literally 15min later a camera crew was there and they came for an interview (so I wasn't really dressed or prepared for this). They were really excited about me driving a scooter so we did some street filming. I was on my scooter while these two were on a motorcycle.

I wish I had a picture of that: the anchorman driving his motorcycle, with the camera man sitting behind him backwards filming me. I felt like a movie star :)

My friend Liza found the clip on youtube. It runs from min7:20-10:00.

Notes from March 13th Conference

2011-03-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

Ashtanga Conference
Presented by: R. Sharath Jois
13-March-2011
Gokulum, Mysore India

THE BENEFITS OF ASHTANGA YOGA
“Practice all the angas and the impurities of the body and mind will be eradicated. Then can come the knowledge. Once you get the knowledge, you become wiser and able to judge what is right and what is wrong. This is what the 8 limbs give to us.

This purification system is not instant. It’s not like making instant noodles :) Today everyone wants things instantly. You need to be a student for a long time before you become a teacher. Only once you understand the knowledge are you able to spread it. So many people call us ‘How do I become a teacher?’ First you become a student for 15years, then you can become a teacher.

A bad teacher will have 100 bad students, a good teacher will have 10 good students.

There is much confusion about the different types of yoga. Ashtanga is the only one which has everything. For example, Hatha yoga is Ha=surya nadi and Tha=chandra nadi. These relate to the breath which is also in Ashtanga yoga. Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion. The proper complete practice of Ashtanga yoga includes Bhakti. If you do asanas for many years eventually you will want to learn more. One by one you will research ‘what is yama?’… ‘what is niyama?’ etc. The practice helps us to understand philosophies. The shastras are very important. They are the roots, the lineage of where this practice came from.

If you look at the names of the postures, so many are named after great rishis (sages) from thousands of years back. Yoga has not changed. Only the people have changed. And the challenges have changed. For example, we now have TV. When I was 14 the first TV came to Mysore. Since then, less people are moving around. There is more dukha and laziness. When this happens, a person accumulates errors in the body. The body becomes lazy and doesn’t know how to do things. It doesn’t want to do things. Once we strengthen the body and mind through practice we will get the strength to withstand the difficulties in life. When the mind is weak, people do bad things. For example, criminals, their minds are unstable.

It is very sad what is happening in Japan right now. So many people have lost their lives. But we cannot go against nature. We have destroyed nature. We have no respect for nature. When you practice yoga, you naturally want to protect nature. Yoga is the union of jivatma and paratma. Knowledge doesn’t just come to you. You should have a thirst inside of you. ‘I want to learn and get the knowledge.’ For example if you want to be an engineer, you will have that thirst inside of you and pursue it. Once that thirst is inside of you, then you go out and search it. Like a Treasure Hunt. Your treasure is the 8 limbs, first you go to yama and niyama and asana, then you will want to start reading books and doing your research.”

Question: “How do you know if you found it or if its just ego?”
Sharath: “People who have found it won’t praise it. They won’t even talk about it.”

Question: “Is Ashtanga dualistic or non-dualistic?”
Sharath: “Non-dualistic. As I said in a conference before, the Atma inside of you is pure. It is very important that we know what we are and what is the source for us. W are born and we die, in between we are crazy. We are just tenants and we are not even paying rent.

Gandhiji was a true yogi. He practiced ahimsa first. He fasted for the country to gain independence. Not everyone can do this. There is no yogi like Gandhiji. He will be remembered for 200years. Same as Pattabhi Jois. They will be remembered because they have given us the authentic knowledge. Because of them, we are here now.”

Question: “I was practicing second series and my teacher kept telling me to ‘go back to primary.’ Is there a reason he kept saying to ‘go back’?”
Sharath: “It’s difficult to say. Guruji never said to go back, he always said ‘You should progress forward, but don’t rush. Perfect your posture to move onto the next one.’”

Question: “How can you tell when a student understands the asana?”
Sharath: “It is through experience. When you teach so many students, you can tell. It is through their practice, through their ‘asana attitude,’ their dedication and understanding of the practice.”

Question: “Why is there so much emphasis on the asana in Ashtanga yoga?”
Sharath: “Without doing asanas, purification and stability will not come. Without a healthy body you cannot have a healthy mind. You need to activate your body and nervous system, then also the brain will be purified. We cannot progress without this purification. And as a mentioned in conference already, asana is not only physical. It is a very big tool to purify the mind and the body.”

Question: “Why is Ashtanga better than Hatha?”
Sharath: “As I said before, it is the same. It is not better when it is the same process to purify the body through breathing.”

Question: “What about a sick person who cannot do Ashtanga?”
Sharath: “It is not necessary that everyone do jump backs and head stands. Anyone can practice Ashtanga. If you understand the breathing, you can do Ashtanga. You should first learn the breath. There are many poses that can be done to remove the toxins through sweat. After several years, you will see the body change over time. When you practice asana the body becomes light. You might look thin, but you are very strong!”

Question: “What if you are injured in practice?”
Sharath: “There is a method. A good teacher understands your body and can see if there is something you are doing wrong, or improper alignment, or fear. You should be doing a true practice in which you think about what you are doing. If we keep practice, it will come. If injury occurs, sometimes it is the body changing. Relax in the posture. Do the proper breathing. Sometimes if you don’t breathe properly you can get injured.

When I was learning Ekapada Shirshasana (see photo) I had so much hip pain. There was so much pain to walk or change the gears on my motorcycle. Eventually that pain went away, and then a new pain came :) New asana…new pain. Because the body has to adjust.

It is a process. It takes time. For some people it happens quickly, for some it takes time. One student came to me ‘My shoulder hurts’ I said to him ‘Good, now you know you have a shoulder. Do not fear.’”

Question: “If there is shaking in an asana, how do you know if its just the body changing or if its fear?”
Sharath: “Which posture?”
Edwin: “Navasana and Parshva Dhanurasana
Sharath: “It is fear. Ill give you a mantra: ‘Jay Hanuman’ He is the god which gives you strength. That’s what I would say when Guruji was coming to give me backbends. :) “

Question: “Is the Primary Series enough? Some people have back pain because they only practice Primary and don’t have all the backbends of Secondary.”
Sharath: “Through many years of experience, a teacher can determine what kind of pain a student has. Doing asanas will help you get through the pain you got from asanas. Once when I was practicing one advanced posture I was feeling really good and went deeper and deeper until I felt something rip in my shoulder. For two weeks I could not lift my arm over my head and it hurt to breathe. The day after this happened, Guruji told me I was doing a demo. I did not know how I could do it. He helped me and I did the demo. Then for two weeks I only practiced half of Primary series. I do not know even how I did this, Guruji helped me.

There was an older woman who came to me with arthritis. She was in so much pain. For six months she practiced here. Years later her son called me, he was a friend of mine. He asked, ‘What have you done to my mother? She is now hiking mountains!’

The practice has healed so many people. Dick Mortenson was a student of Guruji’s. He came here and he was very hunched. Guruji worked with him for one year and his posture got straight.”

The conference with Sharath leading chanting for the people of Japan.

Rangoli

2011-03-15T05:29:00.001-07:00

Rangoli is one of the first things I noticed in the neighbordhoods here on my first trip three years ago. It is a custom that I love and wish I had the energy and discipline to do in my living space.

Every morning, the woman of the house sweeps and washes the front porch or entry-way and uses chalk powder to create a beautiful geometric design. I've practiced this with with regular chalk - the kind we have, the stick of chalk used on chalk boards, and that's hard enough to get symmetrical and pretty. These women sift chalk powder through their thumb and forefinger with perfect grace and ease. I guess like anything it comes with practice.

There are a variety of traditional customs around India that explain the purpose of this - from bringing good fortune to warding off evil spirits. I can tell you the benefits I feel. There is a loving care that is given when someone takes the time every day to clean and create beauty. Each day is a new creation.

Here are some of the designs around my neighborhood, and I even asked this woman if she wouldnt mind me taking her picture.

I love how the dog is also interested in her work :)

Coconut Oil Hair Massage

2011-03-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

I must rave about my favorite treatment here. Its called a Coconut Oil Hair Massage. (If youre here in Gokulum, I go to Subbu's tel:2511799/ on the main road in Gokulum across from Nalpak). Beauty salons in general are for women only, so there's a relaxed vibe going in already knowing that its a secret world just for us girls.

In order to protect our clothes we get these sleeveless moo-moo's (pictured below) so comfortable and allows for easy access to back and shoulder massage during treatments for the head.

The hot coconut oil they use smells AMAZING!! Like macaroon cookies (which I love) and the woman patiently parts my hair section by section to rub it into my scalp.

After she gets in on the scalp, she massages my face with amazingly strong hands and soft fingers that find pressure points I never knew I had. She massages my neck, shoulders and arms and works the oil into all of my hair.

When its all set in (45minutes later) they wash it out and blow dry to the softest hair ever! All of this for 175ruppees (just under $4).

Tina's Top Ten

2011-03-11T02:18:00.000-08:00

My favorite things in India...

Powerful Shala energy and instant-sweat warm-up
Excellent courses in Sanskrit, Chanting, Painting
Fresh coconut juice cut open with a machete
Homemade chocolate
Eating on the floor
Fresh tropical fruit that melts in your mouth
Indian Breakfasts (idlis, dosas, sambar, chutney..)
Chai available on every corner (...most of these are about food :)
Coconut oil hair massage (and other treatments which last hours)
Riding a scooter

I’m going to miss you all dearly. Especially at these local prices!

Less than two weeks left. Gonna make the most of it!!

..and a few things I won't miss:

1. not being able to wear shorts and tank tops in public
2. 10.5hr time difference from my loved ones
3. dusty dirty air in my sinuses
4. waking up at 2:30am
5. having to travel for internet connection

Notes from March 6th Conference

2011-03-10T04:11:00.000-08:00

Presented by: R. Sharath Jois
6-March-2011
Gokulum, Mysore India

FAITH AND DEDICATION TO A GURU AND THE PRACTICE

Sharath quoted the Bhagavad Gita referring to the need for faith. He expanded by saying: “We must have faith in our practice. Only those with faith will receive the knowledge. Once you devote yourself to a guru, then you can gain the knowledge. A guru is one who has gained the knowledge through his own experience. Only then can he take his students from the dark into the light… that very big journey which is not easy. The student must have faith and dedication in his teacher over a long period of time.”

The Yoga Sutras I:14 sa tu dirgha-kala-nairantarya-satkarasevito dridha-bhumih inspires us to practice for a long period of time uninterruptedly, only then is it possible to become firmly grounded in the practice and to withdraw the sense organs. When this is achieved, the extremes of life (sukha & dukha) will not affect us. Anger and depression, which come from the sense organs and create a desire will be avoided.

He went on to say: “Why is it necessary to struggle in asana practice? It is not only a physical struggle, it is a complete body, mind and spirit struggle. This is a complete practice which teaches you to control the mind. Do your practice, put in the effort. It is not easy and all three aspects of it are challenging. From Yoga Sutra II:1: tapah svadhayaya isvara-pranidanani kriya yoga.

Kriya yoga, the yoga of action, consists of:

Tapas: following a principled life
Svadhyaya: self-study
Isvarapranidhana:surrendering to God

Only through this complete practice can we gain the knowledge.

SUNRISE, MIDDAY AND SUNSET

Sharath spoke about the Brahman daily worship of offering oblations to the Sun-God three times a day-at sunrise, midday and sunset for good health. He spoke about how the sunset is a naturally peaceful time as sunset are naturally beautiful and serene and create a good time for calming the mind.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHANTING

“Lakshmish is teaching you chanting, do the chanting. They are very powerful. For example Aditya hridayam is the destroyer of all enemies.”

SHARATH’S YOGA SUTRAS :)

No Coffee, No Prana
No Pain, No Gain
No Chapatis, No Strength

QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE

Question: Will you be taking Guruji’s place after his passing?

Sharath: “There is only on Guruji. No one can replace Guruji. No one can put their feet in his shoes. We all have faith in him and in the practice. I will not change the system, I am connected to Guruji, if you like what I do, call me whatever you want. Just don’t call me a lazy man! ” :)

Question: Should we practice Karma Yoga?

Sharath: “Yes, we all have our karma. Mine is to be a yoga teacher. I must follow my karma. As Krishna said to Arjuna, ‘you are a warrior, you must fulfill your karma and fight this difficult battle.’ Karma (action) and Dharma (truth) go together. Similarily, a doctor must follow his karma honestly. Everyone must recognize the karma given to him by God and follow it honestly.”

Question: “Why is there a lack of faith in the practice?”

Sharath: “Yoga is not for everyone. To practice yoga you must be mentally and physically strong and able to withdraw from the senses in order to see the atma ( purity of the soul). Times when this is not possible are listed in the sutras, for example: Sickness, Doubt, Not properly grounded, Not spiritually strong. It is your responsibility to do your work and find the connections in the teachings: sutras, upanishads, etc”

Question: “Can a teacher help the student who does not have faith?”

Sharath: “A teacher can only do so much, for example, if you want to climb that coconut tree. I am only 5’6”, I can only life you up so much, the tree is another 30’. No one can do the work for you, only you have to do the hard work. I have seen over 20,000 students come and go. Some are dedicated and they stay, some do not.”

Question: “What percentage of the students you have seen stay dedicated to the practice?”

Sharath: “60%. Maybe all do not come here, but in my travels, I see that they are working. Dedication does not mean authorization, getting more postures, etc. It is dedication to the practice. One student, Ed, was here. He is working every day. Three years ago he could not sit in half lotus, now he is doing Marichyasana C. Many people are only looking for the certificate or the next posture. Do your practice, automatically it will come, your job is only to practice.

When you practice every day you are bright. Even if you have back pain, you are bright. This is because the yogi has the the following qualities, from the Hatha yoga pradipika II:78 Arogata bindujayosgnidipanam Nadivisuddhirhathasiddhilaksanam

“When the body becomes lean, the face glows with delight, Anahata-nada manifests, and eyes are clear, the body is healthy, bindu under control, and appetite increases, then one should know that the Nadis are purified and success in Hatha Yoga is approaching.”

Jen's Blog

2011-03-09T03:18:00.000-08:00

This is my roommate Jen's blog. She is a much better writer than I and I'm sure you will love this touching story of her and the wounded elephant.

Thank you for sharing Jen.

Notes from Feb 27th Conference

2011-03-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

Presented by: R. Sharath Jois
27-Feb-2011
Gokulum, Mysore India

VEGETARIAN DIET
Sharath spoke about the importance of a vegetarian diet for the purpose of better health and ahimsa (non-harming). He quoted one of Guruji’s favorite Ayurvedic mantras about the importance of eating ghee to sharpen the brain, milk to increase lifespan, and fresh food to feel fresh. Humans are designed to be vegetarians because if you look at our teeth we have “cow teeth, we don’t have tiger or lion teeth, we are not meant to eat meat.” He commented how in his experience, meat eaters are angry people whereas people who eat sattvic food are very calm. He also joked about how chappatis (in moderation) are the key to lifting up in uth pluthi and to avoid garlic since it has strong effects on your exhale in doing drop backs!

A recipe from Sharath for increasing your strength:
* Soak mung beans in a copper bowl over night
* In the morning add jaggary to the mix
* blend it up for a smoothie
* drink after your morning asana practice.

QUESTIONS AROUND ASANA PRACTICE

Two verses from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika advise how:

The sweat produced in asana practice is beneficial to the body to rub back into the skin and joints. The toxins released will not re-enter the body, only the beneficial minerals.
Cow’s urine is medicinal, in the olden days people drank a concoction of the five fruits of the cow –urine, milk, ..., ...and poo (Sharath giggled when he said the word poo.) He also said that nowadays if someone gives it to you to drink, you fake drink it and throw it over your shoulder.

Changes happen inside asana work. Toxins come out. Temporary fever, diarrhea, etc are all natural and part of the purification process. Someone asked “what if I do not sweat during practice?” and Sharath replied to do the practice faster. It should not be too slow or too fast. Each person has to find the right pace for him/herself. The practice is designed to be followed by the breath, what Sharath calls “free breathing.” This is not ujaii breath, which is an advanced pranayama. Free breathing, which is what we should be practicing during asana is a full and deep inhale and exhale which are equal in length. This type of full breathing removes the toxins in the body via apanavayu. A lengthened breath leads to a lengthened life.
People who practice yoga using tristhana will remove toxins and have beautiful skin, a “yoga glow.” In contrast, people who just do the physical feats like circus performers, will look weathered and old, like circus performers.
There are a prescribed count and breaths to the Ashtanga yoga asana series, but Sharath gave permission for extra breaths in harder postures.
The teacher should be like honey. Honey is in the flower. The bee comes to the honey. Not the other way around. Guruji never advertised. Sharath recommended teachers not to promote themselves.
A question was asked whether/when to meditate and Sharath reminded that meditation is control of all sense organs, and that it is better for us to refine sukham sthiram in asana work. Urban life is challenging for meditation, asana is best performed in the morning from 4:30am-6:30am when it is more peaceful, the air is more full of pure oxygen, and the mind will be most calm.

ASHTANGA YOGA SYSTEM
A question was asked whether it is more challenging to practice in such a large group because of the distraction and perhaps competition that arises. Sharath warned people not to compete with others. “You should only compete with yourself, with your ego, your desires, etc. Nowadays there are so many material challenges, rarely does someone challenge themselves spiritually.” He continued “to practice yoga, you should love asana, you should love spirituality, you should love your practice, whatever it is, and (with a smile on his face) you should enjoy suffering also!” … “You must also be intelligent. There is a wide variety of things out there that people are calling yoga. You must know what it is so you can explain it properly to people. Yoga means to join. To join jivatma (soul/self) and paratma (God). You must realize the divine inside of you. Purify yourself with yoga in order to be closer to divine. And understand that purity! There are eight limbs or steps: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. The practice is designed perfectly. Follow it step-by-step. Asana alone does not make you a yogi. A yogi is one who is pure. Follow all eight limbs.”

half-way point

2011-03-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

I'm past my half-way point, but thought I'd mark it anyway. I've definitely settled into a routine of EARLY morning meditation and asana practice, breakfast, painting , chanting, lunch/dinner, meditation, and EARLY bedtime. the reason I stress early is because the alarm goes off at 3:30am on most days and 2:30am on Fridays and Sundays. Sometimes I wonder if this is really a vacation :)
The first picture is Jen giving coconut water to one of our local shala dogs (the dogs that meet & greet us in the wee early hours before and after practice.) This one (im not sure if she has a name) likes to make sure im focused in my meditation by licking my palms and sniffing my face!

This is me on my scooter which I drive into town for painting (below) and chanting. Some people may think its a crazy place to drive, but I find it the best place for two-wheelers since almost everybody is on one and the speeds do not exceed 30mph. Its a bit crowded on the road, but there is a collective consciousness which allows for organized chaos.

I must also HIGHLY recommend my chanting teacher to anyone interested. His name is James Boag and if you're not in Mysore, he will be touring the US and Europe this year. He is currently getting his MA in Sanskrit here in Mysore and leads Kirtan and Bhagavad Gita. He has a very special gift of song, story telling, and teaching which he so generously shares with us four days a week. His info and current Mysore schedule is as follows:

James Boag
tel:959 113 5031 email:jamesrboag@gmail.com

Kirtan: Wednesdays and Sundays: 1:30-3:30pm
There is often a short talk on a theme related to yoga at the beginning or end.

Gita/Philosophy class: Tuesdays and Thursdays: 1:00-3:30pm
All welcome, it does not matter if you have not attended previous classes. Some very beautiful sloka-s and we will recite and translate.

A note from James...
"One of the engagements I am particularly looking forward to is the Telluride Yoga Festival, 14-17 July.

There are two complementary themes for this summer's festival in Telluride, bhakti and vinyasa, and I expect to speak on how they are related in the keynote address which I will give on the Sunday. I'm also looking forward to offering three themed kirtan sessions, combining a talk developing an aspect of yoga theory/philosophy and the practice of kirtan. There are some very well-respected teachers presenting at the conference and a wide and to my mind quite balanced and interesting offering of classes. I know that for many of you Colorado might be hard to get to this July, but if you might be in the area, it would be wonderful to see you there. Registration for the conference is open and you can sign up via the festival website. If you would like to register, I understand that if you give 'James 2011' as a 'promotional code' you are entitled to a modest discount.

Before Colorado, I will hopefully give some talks and kirtan in the New York area, and after will be working with Paul Millage in the Seattle area offering a series of classes, themed kirtans and a weekend retreat. Apart from Telluride and Seattle, the exact itinerary is yet to be finalized, that should all take shape once my exam dates have been announced, hopefully by the end of this month.

Apart from in the US, I'm also hoping to offer some talks, kirtans and workshops in Spain, Germany, Italy, Romania and England, maybe Prague too, will send out relevant information once dates and venues are confirmed."

Painting update

2011-02-24T05:59:00.000-08:00

So Ive added another painting to my list. It is of Gayathri. I learned her mantra and its constantly in my head. Tomorrow Ill go buy a book on this elusive goddess who's been running through my head.

The Traditional Mysore style of painting includes gold embossing. So i have been busy this week first adding the embossing (painting on a cement like substance in various shapes and patterns) and then gluing on solid gold leaf (very fine and very tricky). Here are Vishnu and Gayathri in beginning phases...

Mysorepedia by Claudia

2011-02-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

My good friend Claudia (who was one of my roommates on my first trip to India) is a fabulous blogger with a of information on Mysore, Ashtanga and more.. Please check out her blog its excellent!

A few of my favorites so far are her article on why its so hard to meditate (maybe its because I am mentioned in it :) and the article her husband wrote on how foreign this yoga world is to an outsider.
(click on the highlighted words to open these links)

Claudia, it was so great to see you again!! Jen and I miss you & and invite you to visit Michigan!!

Have you ever seen a goat waiting for a bus?

2011-02-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

There's many animals I see daily that I don't regularly see at home. I take the bus into town for my painting class and the other day there was a goat happily perched on the bench. We human passengers allowed him this spot, and his friend even come along with him to enjoy sitting in the shade.

Cows roam the streets freely and will even take a brake to park on the side.

In the residential area where homes have lots of greenery and flowers you'll find monkeys.

There's lots of dogs (who I do see and very much miss at home) but here there are many stray dogs and even puppies!

Hyderabad weekend

2011-02-15T06:03:00.001-08:00

Jen and I were invited by Dr and Mrs Reddy to Hyderabad for the weekend. I could not imagine more gracious hosts. They showed us around the city, took us to parties and even a wedding!

First we went to Charminar in the center of the city. "Char" means four and "minar" means tower. There was a really short, narrow, winding, solid stone staircase to the top and the guide told me multiple times to watch my head. Luckily, I did not hit my head.

Next we went to Chowmahalla Palace. "Chow" also means four and "mahalla" means palace, so this was amazing grounds with four palaces, gardens, fountains and gorgeous artifacts.

The Reddy's also took us to a family wedding. A traditional Indian wedding with all the rituals and 1000 guests - yes, one thousand guests! I got this gown specially made for me and the tailor laughed because the measuring tape wasn't long enough for me!

There was a central park next to our hotel with a great walking path, open spaces for people practicing yoga and morning exercises and roaming peacocks!

Anita's breakfast

2011-02-09T05:34:00.001-08:00

For breakfast one morning, Anita made us a traditional dish called "Upma" Its made from ground wheat and spices. The first picture shows the ingredients (and this is how she cooks, its not just for presentation) onions, potato, chillies, mustard seeds, black gram dal, bengal gram dal, curry leaves (picked from our backyard) coriander leaves and shaved coconut for garnish.

The first seven ingredients
are simmered in hot oil for
5-10min, then water is added.

Next the ground wheat (which was toasted prior to this) is added and simmered on low until it soaks up the all the flavored moisture.
Then the garnish of coconut and coriander is placed in the bottom of a small bowl, the Upma is placed on that, then you flip it upside down onto the plate. Yumm!!

Painting Class

2011-02-08T05:25:00.000-08:00

I've started my painting class this week! For those

of you who have seen my Buddha and Krishna from

my last trip, I am now working on a Vishnu in the

traditional Mysore style of painting. My teacher,

Anand has me practicing on sketches first with a

pencil (see picture), then a paint brush, and soon

I will work on my Vishnu.

Anand teaches out of his home studio (near Jagan Mohan Palace), here is a picture of him with another student in the background. For more information on this style of painting and my teacher, visit his website at http://www.srichakratraditionalart.in/.

If you are in Mysore, I highly recommend taking the time to create your own painting. It makes for the best souvenier! The way it works is you select the picture/god/goddess you would like to paint and you pay per piece. (price depends on size, details, and amount of gold used.) Beginners are welcome and Anand takes you through the process step by step. He also takes his students on field trips to visit temples and exhibitions.

Here is a sketch of my vishnu. Ill take a picture once a week so you can see the progress...

Our House

2011-02-04T07:58:00.001-08:00

Jen and I live with a really nice family in Gokulum. Below are pictures of me in front of the house, me with Anita (our house mom) and a picture of her son Somanna at his school science fair - He's the one on the right and he and his classmate designed an automatic street lights which turn on at night time (currently India's street lights are manually turned on and off). Her daughter Impa is in my birthday picture on the last post. I don't have a picture of Ashok, the father of the family, he works in Coorg (his and Anita's hometown) and comes home on weekends.
They take really good care of us.
I wouldn't say that Jen and I are
high maintenance, we are
very quite, polite and respectful.
Buy we do wake up very early for yoga
as well as go to sleep really early. Last night
I was in bed at 6:45pm to wake up at 3:30am today. It was an early led class and i need to get up early to do my meditation and warm up my back. Which is feeling much better by the way, I am doing the whole primary series now!!
Tomorrow is Saturday so we get to sleep in.
Anita will teach us how to make traditional breakfast! Can't wait.

Daily Routine

2011-02-01T06:17:00.000-08:00

Its a very relaxing atmosphere here. There is no sense of urgency and things happen naturally. Each morning Jen and I wake up about 2hours before our practice time so we can do our first Vipassana meditation and a few morning rituals (bath, coffee, stretching, etc). We walk to the shala where we wait our turn to enter. Practice lasts about 1 to 1.5 hours. After practice, right outside the shala there is a man with a small truck full of coconuts. For 10 rupees (abt 50cents) he'll use his machete to cut the top off so you can drink it with a straw. If its a sweet coconut, there is jelly inside that he opens up and you can scoop it out and eat it. We'll have a nice big breakfast either at home or in one of the local Indian eateries or western restaurants that have opened up to cater to us foreign yoga students. The rest of the days lately have been filled with reading, writing, walks and naps. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are a bit busier with three classes on each day - chanting, Sanskrit and Bhagavad Gita lessons. Each evening we close with our second daily Vipassana meditation and are in bed around 8pm. I'm getting lots of sleep and rest and I'm loving it!
My birthday on Saturday was no exception. Totally relaxing. I met 6 friends at the Green Hotel for lunch and chocolate birthday cake! It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon and I enjoyed every minute of it. Plus - having your birthday in India makes it last >36hours. Since we are 10.5hours ahead, i was getting birthday wishes for two days. Thanks everyone!!

2011-01-27T05:42:00.000-08:00

The shala where we practice doesn't allow pictures inside, but here are two pictures of the outside, one of me by the sign and the other of the steps where we all take our shoes off before entering. (those are Jen's feet walking into practice this morning).

Mondays - Thursdays we practice what's called "Mysore Style." This is where each person practices at his/her own pace. Fridays and Sundays we have a Led Class, where the teacher instructs the group as a whole. Saturdays are rest days.

This Sunday, however, the shala is closed so we wont be practicing on my birthday. Ive organized a birthday lunch for me and my friends at a great place nearby called the Green Hotel. Ill post pictures afterwards.

Everything feels very familiar. The food, the air, the smells and sounds. And Ive gotten a chance to catch up with the people I met when i was here three years ago. Im really happy and relaxed and feel great! Off to bed now since we have an early shala time tomorrow due to Friday Led class schedule. Namaste!

two 9hr flights + 4hour taxi = arrived

2011-01-24T04:24:00.000-08:00

we arrived early saturday morning from our thursday evening departure. our taxi driver wasnt there to pick us up (due to a communication error on my part) but luckily a fellow passenger was also travelling to mysore so we jumped in her taxi. this is typical of my trips to india, obstacles arise and solutions follow just as swiftly. jen and i stayed in a hotel - where we slept all day and one night, the next day at breakfast we met a girl who was leaving and she helped us find an apartment. we are all settled in now, renting a room from a nice family that lives 2minutes walking distance from the shala.
on sunday evening we registered at the shala and Sharath, our teacher gave a lecture. this is an informal event where he answers questions from the group. it was so nice to have this as our first experience, we saw all the people practicing now in one room (about 200people) and i saw many familiar faces from my last trip.
monday morning was our first practice. i felt really excited to practice, the energy in the shala is always contagious, and i was moving with my breath so wonderfully for the first half hour. then my back pain returned. foolishly i thought it would not act up here in india. it was very difficult for me to handle being limited in my movements. especially since i was jet-lagged, tired and had such high expectations. i am taking care to rest now and working on switching gears to take one day at a time.
attached is a picture of jen and me enjoying a coconut - truly the most refreshing beverage i've found!

January 6, 2011

2011-01-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

My first blog.
Plane ticket purchased.
Suitcase ready.
So far so good.

This is my second time visiting the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India. In 2007 I travelled with 5 friends from Ashtanga Michigan, Matthew Darling's studio. I extended my 5week trip to a 4month stay because I really enjoyed my stay in India.
This time I'm travelling with my friend Jen who also practices at Ashtanga Michigan. We leave on Jan 20th. I will stay for 2 months. I return March 20th. Ill write my adventures in this blog for anyone who is interested.
Namaste,
Martina